Do I need a marketing strategy if I’m using AI?

From automation to personalised content generation, artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become game-changers in helping businesses improve their marketing efforts, and helping marketers to deliver more, and faster, than ever before.

Which begs the question: do businesses still need a marketing plan? Or is the plan simply to use AI? 

The short answer: it is difficult to fully realise the power of AI without a solid marketing strategy. A clear, actionable, implementable, and measurable marketing strategy doesn’t just guide your business to success—it also opens up better and more effective opportunities to leverage AI tools.

Moreover, it prevents us from exploring technology simply for technology’s sake. 

We’ve come up with our top reasons why having a well-defined marketing strategy is the key to harnessing the true potential of AI for marketing:

1. A Clear Strategy Provides Direction for AI Integration

AI tools are vast and varied, ranging from customer segmentation to content generation, predictive analytics, and chatbots. However, without a clear strategy in place, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of AI options available. A well-crafted marketing strategy defines your goals, target audience, and unique selling points, which, in turn, helps you identify which AI tools will best bring your messaging and content to life in support of your objectives.

For example, if your strategy emphasizes content marketing, AI tools like content generators and SEO optimisers can be seamlessly integrated into your workflow. Without a roadmap, you might miss out on tools that could provide the greatest return on investment (ROI). A clear strategy ensures that you implement AI tools that align with your business goals rather than getting caught up in the novelty of technology for technology’s sake.

2. Actionable Steps Turn AI Potential into Practical Outcomes

AI tools can deliver incredible results, but their full potential is only realized when they’re applied to specific, actionable steps within your marketing strategy. For instance, if your strategy involves increasing customer engagement, AI-driven email automation tools can be programmed to send personalised messages to the right customers at the right time, based on behavior and preferences.

The time investment is then developing and implementing the right prompts and data sources in order to bring the desired level of customisation to life. In contrast, we’ve all been on the receiving end of poorly executed communications that miss the mark, are too frequent, or result in ‘turning off’ our audience altogether. 

An actionable marketing strategy breaks down broad objectives into smaller, tangible tasks, which narrows the scope of how AI can be used at each stage to deliver results. This structure allows you to use AI in a more purposeful, focused way, rather than experimenting or guessing how to apply it effectively.

3. Ensure a Smooth AI Adoption with a long-term line of sight

The transition to using AI tools can be daunting, especially for businesses with traditional marketing approaches. Learning, testing and evaluating the results of AI tools still takes time. Without a clear plan for how this return on time investment will be realised, AI tools can feel like a costly and complex burden rather than a benefit. 

A marketing strategy should include budget and timeframe indications, and give a sample calculation of the break-even point on your activities and costs, and a timeframe by which this can be achieved. In doing so, investing time up front is worthwhile, as you can forecast the future return. 

While your marketing strategy is a great tool to connect your marketing efforts to business goals, a further tactical plan can be incredibly helpful to identify which team members will be responsible for AI tools, what data is needed for them to work effectively, and what integrations are necessary for a seamless workflow. For example, if your strategy involves using AI for lead scoring, it will require gathering relevant data on customer behavior and integrating AI tools with your CRM system.

A clear implementation roadmap allows you to phase in AI tools gradually, starting with easy-to-implement solutions, and scaling as you see the value they bring. This approach reduces friction and enables a more successful AI adoption and greater value of your marketing.

4. Measurable Goals Avoids Getting Lost in the Data

AI tools can provide massive amounts of data, but without clear, measurable goals, it’s easy to get lost in the numbers. An effective marketing strategy is built around metrics—whether that’s increasing conversion rates, improving customer retention, or boosting brand awareness. With measurable goals in place, AI tools can be calibrated to track and optimise for these specific outcomes.

For instance, AI-powered analytics platforms can help you measure the performance of your campaigns in real-time, offering insights into which tactics are working and which need adjustment. By aligning AI’s capabilities with clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), you can refine your marketing efforts, ensuring that AI tools are delivering tangible results.

5. AI Amplifies the Results of a Strong Strategy

A well-defined marketing strategy maximises the impact of AI. With clear objectives and performance metrics in place, AI can be used to automate time-consuming tasks, such as data analysis, A/B testing, and customer segmentation, allowing your marketing team to focus on strategic decision-making and creativity. This synergy between human ingenuity and AI technology leads to a more effective and efficient marketing process.

For example, AI-driven tools can enhance customer insights by analyzing purchasing patterns, identifying trends, and offering personalized recommendations. These insights can then inform your marketing strategy, allowing you to adapt campaigns based on real-time data. This dynamic, data-driven approach creates a feedback loop that strengthens both your strategy and the effectiveness of AI tools.

Conclusion: A Powerful Partnership Between Strategy and AI

Having a clear, actionable, implementable, and measurable marketing strategy is essential for maximising the impact of AI tools. With the right strategy in place, AI can seamlessly integrate into your marketing efforts, turning what might seem like complex technologies into practical, effective solutions. When AI is applied with purpose, it can drive better decision-making, enhance personalisation, streamline processes, and ultimately unlock more opportunities for growth.

So, if you’re looking to leverage AI to its full potential, start by building a strong marketing strategy. It’s the foundation that enables your AI tools to perform at their best, ensuring that your business stays ahead in an increasingly competitive market.It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.