AI Marketing Tools Startups Can’t Ignore

AI Computer Programmer, AI Research Analyst, AI Paralegal, the list goes on. Artificial Intelligence has made its way into nearly every industry, driving productivity and efficiency across the board. But what about marketing? Does AI have a role there, too? And if so, how can it help startups?

For startups, competing in a market with established companies can feel like an episode of Squid Game. Fortunately,  AI marketing tools can provide support and help level the playing field. These tools, ranging from content creation to SEO optimization, enable startups to scale their marketing efforts with fewer resources. In this blog, we will break down the applications of AI in Marketing, explain its benefits, and suggest some of the best AI tools startups can use to scale their marketing efforts.

What is AI Marketing for Startups?

An AI Marketing strategy involves the use of specialized tools and technologies to create and optimize a comprehensive marketing plan that can help a business reach its goals. Consider this: An established player has had years to understand customer insights and learn their purchasing patterns. But what about a startup just entering the market? In this case, AI can provide support by analyzing customer behavior, spotting market trends, and providing insights to meet consumer needs. In a market where startups and established companies differ significantly in terms of skills and resources, AI marketing helps bridge the gap. With such capabilities, it is no surprise that a 2018 McKinsey study stated that Marketing would be the sector where AI has the most significant value.

Applications of AI in Marketing

While the potential of AI in Marketing functions is immense and growing, here are some of the current applications of AI:

1. Enhanced customer segmentation: AI has changed the way businesses approach customer segmentation and targeting. Traditional marketing techniques for customer segmentation were manual and time-consuming, and did not reflect a clear picture of market dynamics. With AI, marketers can create more accurate and niche customer segments based on behavioral data, purchase history, and browsing patterns.  AI marketing tools, such as Mailchimp and Optimove, can be helpful assets for startups. For instance, Sephora uses a Color IQ system, an AI-based tool that segments customers based on product preferences, requirements, and shopping behavior. This enables them to deliver personalized recommendations across various platforms. 

   
   

2. Streamline content creation: Content Creation is an essential component of a startup’s marketing strategy, which AI can optimize. From discovering trending topics to generating ideas, AI can streamline the content creation process for startups. Tools such as the HubSpot blog ideas generator and ContentShakeAI are practical tools that utilize SEO data to generate content that has a consistent brand voice and tone. For instance, Salesforce has developed an AI tool called “Einstein GPT”. This tool enables organizations to create content across various verticals, including sales, marketing, and IT interaction.

   
   

3. Improving customer service: Strong customer service can significantly shape how a brand is perceived, and AI tools help businesses consistently deliver timely and reliable support. Tools such as Zendesk, FreshChat, and Intercom can handle a wide range of customer queries and provide instant support to customers. For instance, ServiceNow, a software company, utilizes an AI-powered Virtual Assistant app that enables businesses to access support for any of the company's offerings. 

   
   

4. Predictive analysis: A crucial element of AI, Predictive Analysis, can be a powerful tool for startups. Marketers can utilize predictive analysis insights for tasks such as predictive lead scoring (to identify the likelihood of leads being converted into customers), customer journey optimization, and churn prediction and prevention. Consider Nike as an example. Their acquisition of predictive analytics companies, such as Zodiac, helped them leverage data from IoT devices like Fitbits. This data has helped enhance their understanding of customer behavior, which has been used to personalize content recommendations on the Nike app and for better inventory management. 

Top AI Marketing Tools

Startup Marketing does not require huge teams; it needs smarter tools. From Research to SEO, here are some of the top AI Marketing Tools that startups can utilize:

Research and Writing: Research and Writing form an essential part of the content generation strategy. Without conducting effective research, it is challenging to understand the target audience's behavior, identify trending topics in the industry, or optimize for search engines. Similarly, without engaging and informative content, building brand trust, driving conversions, or improving SEO is tough. This is where tools like ChatGPT, HubSpot, and Jasper come in. 

• HubSpot blog ideas generator: The HubSpot blog generator is an efficient tool that startups can utilize to save time on brainstorming sessions. Founders and Marketing teams can take inspiration from a variety of blog ideas, which are tailored based on keyword suggestions and search volume data. Additionally, the tool can craft customized and compelling content according to the target audience, effectively providing support from ideation to the publishing phase. 

Pricing: Free tool available to everyone as part of HubSpot’s suite of tools.

• Jasper: Unlike other platforms that produce generic content, Jasper is a robust AI software. On Jasper, startups can upload company facts, style guides, and more to familiarize the platform with the business. Following that, with features such as brand voice and memory, Jasper can create compelling content like campaign ads, blog drafts, and more. Additionally, it can also be used as an extension for other apps. 

Pricing: Creator Plan - €34/user/month, includes one brand voice and SEO mode

• ChatGPT: Just like that all-rounder friend everyone had in school, ChatGPT can help startups with brainstorming content, conducting research, and generating and formatting content. Specifically, startups can utilize the ChatGPT 4.0 model. It operates by keeping previous prompts and information in mind, which helps generate more accurate and on-brand output. Moreover, they can build their custom GPTs with unique instructions and data, allowing them to reach their desired outputs faster and with greater consistency.

  Pricing: 

  • ChatGPT Plus - €17.40, includes access to reasoning and research models.

  • ChatGPT Pro - €174, includes unlimited access to reasoning and research models and uses OpenAI o3-pro.

Images and Videos: As a Marketer, the importance of visual assets cannot be overstated. While an expert is required for essential and strategic tasks, startups can utilize AI tools like Adobe Photoshop, Runway, and Descript for smaller tasks. 

• Adobe Photoshop: ChatGPT can generate images, but Adobe Photoshop can help take image visuals to the next level. On Photoshop, teams can create and edit their pictures, remove backgrounds or unwanted objects from the frame, or process photos with advanced tools like Lightroom. While learning the platform may be challenging, it is a valuable asset for any startup’s marketing efforts. 

  Pricing: € 26.86 per month

  
  

• Runway: Unlike platforms with predefined templates, Runway enables users to create unique and personalized videos from prompts. Along with this feature, the platform also offers features to remove backgrounds, create slow-motion videos, and generate subtitles.

  Pricing: 

  • The free plan includes 125 credits.

  • Standard plan for €10.22. Includes 625 monthly credits with the option to top up.

• Descript: Descript is another video-editing platform that startups can use. It allows users to edit videos by editing the transcript. Unlike other platforms where users have to find specific frames to trim, a user can simply delete the section from the transcript to edit the video on Descript. Moreover, its Underlord toolkit offers special features, such as refining audio and video quality and generating highlight clips to post on platforms like Instagram. 

  Pricing: 

  • A free plan is available for one hour of transcription and one watermark-free video.

  • €20.44 per month for the Creator plan.

SEO: SEO is the critical pillar of any startup’s content marketing strategy. Without it, even the best content can go undiscovered. To craft an effective SEO optimization strategy, startups can utilize tools like Clearscope and the Semrush toolkit. 

• Clearscope: Clearscope is a content optimization tool that startups can use to ensure their content ranks well in search engines. The platform scans the content written and compares it with top-performing pages, and provides recommendations to help improve it. Users can easily identify the right keywords, relevant questions, and suggested sections to include. Additionally, it can be used across various platforms, including Google Docs and WordPress.

  Pricing: €161.03 per month, including 30 monthly keyword discovery credits.

• Semrush toolkit: While Clearscope is an expensive option, the Semrush toolkit is another alternative that startups can use. It enables users to discover keywords with AI suggestions, analyze backlinks, conduct technical audits, and enhance the website's ranking and traffic potential, ultimately improving its search engine rankings. 

  Pricing: Offers a free tool, along with flexible pricing plans tailored to different needs.

Social Media: Staying on top of social media is crucial for startups to establish a strong brand image and maintain a connection with customers. However, brainstorming content ideas and optimizing content is a time-consuming process. This is where tools like FeedHive and Canva can help.

• FeedHive: FeedHive is an excellent tool for startups to utilize for streamlining their social media content. The platform features can help with tasks such as idea generation, posting, recycling old content, and monitoring performance. For instance, its conditional posting feature measures engagements on different posts and optimizes campaigns based on the results. 

  Pricing: €12.77 per month for four social media accounts and AI writing assistance.

• Canva: Canva is a versatile tool that can be easily used and integrated by startups. From LinkedIn posts to Instagram stories and reels, users can customize the templates according to their needs. Along with being a user-friendly option, Canva also features several AI tools, such as Magic Design, that can be used to create compelling content. 

  Pricing: 

  • The free plan includes access to over 10,000,000 templates, cloud storage, and select AI features.

  • Canva Pro -  €8.52 per month. Includes access to more storage and AI features.

  
  

  Benefits of using AI Marketing Tools

  
  

  As an early-stage startup founder, doubts can persist about the effectiveness of integrating AI tools into the marketing strategy. However, here is a breakdown of some of the benefits:

1. Crafting personalized campaigns: One thing that is impossible to do manually for marketing teams is to create campaigns tailored to every niche audience segment. However, AI can access customer data, ranging from browsing activity to purchasing history, to create personalized campaigns that appeal to every demographic. Moreover, AI can help customize messages, offers, and experiences at a large scale for different segments. For instance, L’Oréal is utilizing an AI platform called Tidal to automate its paid media across various platforms, enabling more personalized and segmented advertising. According to Nordics, this has resulted in a 22% increase in media efficiency and 14% increase in campaign effectiveness. 

2. Provides time for strategic tasks: By integrating AI in the startup marketing strategy, founders can devote time to other strategic tasks, such as campaign development or brand building. With user data or campaign performance, AI can provide insights and offer actionable solutions in seconds, compared to the time-consuming manual work. For instance, ASOS has partnered with Microsoft AI, allowing manual tasks to be automated and enabling the team to focus on strategic initiatives, such as market expansion and brand positioning. 

   
   

3. Improved campaign performance: Another benefit of integrating AI in the marketing strategy is improved campaign performance. By analyzing data and customer feedback in a similar manner, AI tools can provide valuable insights into the types of content that work best. It can also help businesses craft the best ad placements, channels, and formats to reach their target customers. Additionally, based on customer feedback, AI can also optimize and automate campaigns to ensure success. 

   
   

4. Increases customer satisfaction: AI can help startups better understand their customers by analyzing behavioral data and identifying recurring patterns, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction. By studying past purchases, browsing activity, or feedback from post-purchase surveys, AI can surface key insights into user expectations. This allows marketing teams to proactively tailor content, offers, and messaging in a way that resonates with their audience. For instance, Ulta Beauty utilized marketing automation and AI platforms to personalize their campaigns and product recommendations for customers. This resulted in 95% of sales coming from repeat customers. (CMS Wire)

However, AI also opens the door to some significant unethical practices and behaviors. From misuse of data and security breaches, manipulation practices, and deepfakes to biases in data, the increasing use of AI presents huge challenges. In this situation, startups will have to establish clear guidelines and policies to ensure that AI is responsibly used. For instance, Founders will need to be transparent about how customer data is used and comply with institutional regulations, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. Another hurdle, data bias, can be overcome by ensuring that a representative dataset is used to train the algorithms. Implementing such measures will ensure an equitable benefit from the use of AI.

In conclusion, leveraging AI marketing tools in a startup’s marketing strategy is beneficial and presents significant opportunities for growth. AI tools cover various important marketing verticals, such as research, content creation, and SEO, and can provide startups with a competitive edge. Moreover, by utilizing AI for tasks such as customer segmentation and content streamlining, startups can reap several benefits, including enhanced customer satisfaction and improved campaign performance. However, the human element of marketing remains irreplaceable. Strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and authentic brand storytelling still require a human touch to connect with audiences truly. Thus, a balance between AI capabilities and human insight is what will drive the most impactful marketing.

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