Marketers can’t escape it. AI is on every conference stage, every vendor pitch, every boardroom agenda. But without a clear plan, it’s easy to get lost in the hype and miss the real opportunity.

The real opportunity isn’t just “doing AI”, it’s using it to supercharge what your team already does best and deliver an impact your customers can feel. If you’re a marketer trying to make smart, strategic use of AI to transform CX and workflows, here are my thoughts on where to start:

Start with Your Why, Not Your Tech Stack

What are you trying to solve for? Better conversions? Smarter personalization? Prompt-ready with GEO? Stronger content that inspires action? Anchor everything to a clear business goal. Otherwise, you risk chasing shiny objects that don’t move the needle. I’ve seen teams and individuals jump in with tools before figuring out their goals. Don’t be that team.

Clean Data: The Foundation of Effective AI

Garbage in is garbage out. “21% of marketing leaders receive actionable insights in real time, down from 26% in 2023, highlighting a gap between expectations for speed and the reality of data analysis workflows”(NielsenIQ CMO Outlook) To really get value from AI, you need to train it on your company’s own data (first-party and zero-party), not just generic information anyone can use. This means using your specific customer interactions, social media metrics, website analytics, sales records, and internal documents to teach the AI what matters most to your business. When you do this you are creating a unique way of working and potential competitive advantage that delivers. Data doesn’t lie and NielsenIQ confirms through their CMO Outlook report:

AI cannot distinguish between good and bad data. Since AI models are trained on vast amounts of data, the quality of the input directly affects the accuracy of predictions. Poor data can exponentially increase prediction errors, underscoring the importance of maintaining high-quality data.

Prioritize High-Impact Use Cases

Think big, but start small. Prioritize use cases where AI can quickly save time and boost effectiveness like automating tasks, refining customer segments, or improving ad performance. Prove the value quickly, then scale from there.

Build a People First Roadmap

AI success isn’t just about tools, it’s about culture. Develop a plan that spans 3–5 years and aligns with your business goals. Seems obvious, but we have seen time and time again where marketing goals are not aligned with business goals. Get that in order first. Think about how AI affects roles, workflows, and skillsets. Upskill your team and form a cross-functional AI committee inside your walls and create space to learn and experiment. When your people are confident, your AI is powerful.

Test, Measure, Learn. Scale or Move On.

Your AI strategy should evolve alongside your business and your customers. Don’t treat it as a one-and-done initiative. Oftentimes, AI tools in the market offer pilots so get in on those that seem ripe for your business. Scale or move on based on the outcomes and results.

AI isn’t magic. It’s a tool. But you need clear goals, clean data, and a team that’s ready to experiment. The right tools, combined with empowered people, can unlock a serious competitive advantage!