AI in Marketing and Communications: Your Blueprint for Success in 2025

Guest Post by Erin Van Zee, APR

The world of marketing and communications is rapidly changing, and artificial intelligence (AI) is at the center of this transformation. The way we connect with audiences is evolving faster than ever. Marketers and communicators need to deliver hyper-personalized engagement, create more content than ever, and make smarter, data-driven decisions while juggling tight budgets and limited time.

Let’s be honest: it can feel overwhelming.

That’s where AI comes in. Once seen as futuristic or out of reach, AI is now a practical tool that can help organizations of all sizes work smarter, not harder. Whether automating repetitive tasks, uncovering audience insights or creating content at scale, AI is helping transform how we approach marketing and communications. And the best part? You don’t need to be a tech wizard or a Fortune 500 company to take advantage of it. Let’s explore three strategies for implementing AI in tangible, meaningful ways to improve your results, empower your team and stay ahead of the curve.

Strategy #1: Empower your team

Technology can only take you so far without buy-in from the people using it every day, and even though teams often fear AI will replace their roles or require them to become tech experts, the reality is the opposite. When used thoughtfully, AI is a partner that takes care of the repetitive stuff, leaving your team more time for creative, strategic work. As a leader, your job is to ensure the transition feels seamless and empowering. Below are some ways you can set your team up for success:

Train for confidence: One of the best ways to ease your team into using AI is by showing them its potential firsthand. Host workshops, lunch-and-learns or even informal team demos to introduce specific tools and demonstrate how they can simplify tasks. For instance, walk through how an AI-powered writing assistant can generate a first draft for a social media post or email campaign. The goal is to help your team see AI not as a complicated technology but as a helpful partner that removes tedious steps from their workflows.
Start with small wins: Confidence grows with experience, so begin by assigning your team low-stakes, manageable projects that allow them to experiment with AI. This might involve using a tool like ChatGPT to generate ideas for social media captions or employing an AI scheduling tool to automate content posting. Celebrate these early successes to build trust in the technology and encourage your team to explore more ways AI can add value to their work.
Foster an open dialogue: Transparency is key when introducing AI into your organization. Create a space where your team feels comfortable sharing concerns or asking questions about how AI will affect their roles. Emphasize that AI isn’t here to replace people but to enhance their skills and free them from repetitive, time-consuming tasks. Reinforce the idea that AI is a tool to help them focus on what they do best: creative problem-solving, strategic planning and meaningful engagement with audiences.

Building a confident and AI-savvy team is essential to unlocking the full potential of these tools. When your team sees AI as an ally that lightens their workload and enhances their creativity, they’ll be more likely to integrate it into their daily routines. Start small, create opportunities for hands-on learning and foster a collaborative environment where AI is seen as a way to amplify your team’s strengths. Once your team is on board, the next step is implementation. Let’s explore how to take those first tangible steps to bring AI into your workflows.

Strategy #2: Take it one step at a time, then look for ways to scale

The idea of “adopting AI” can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t need to overhaul your entire strategy on day one. Starting small is often the smartest way to see meaningful results, build momentum and gain confidence in AI’s capabilities. By focusing on one specific area where AI can make an immediate impact, you can test the waters without taking on too much at once. Here’s a simple roadmap to get started:

Pinpoint a pain point: Choose a time-consuming or repetitive task, like managing email responses or creating social media captions.
Test a single tool: Start with something simple, like Grammarly for proofreading, Hootsuite for scheduling or ChatGPT for composing content.
Measure success: Track metrics like time saved or increased engagement to evaluate the tool’s effectiveness.
Scale gradually: Use your knowledge to expand AI into other areas, like campaign analytics or client support.

Starting small allows you to explore AI’s potential with minimal risk, but what does success actually look like in practice? By focusing on tangible ways AI can solve everyday challenges, you can quickly see the value it brings to your workflow and results.

Take personalization, for example, and tools like HubSpot that can analyze audience behaviors and preferences, which enable you to craft personalized campaigns with more precision and greater impact. Along those lines, AI can also take the stress out of content creation so you and your teams can start with a draft already in hand. Instead of spending hours staring at a blank screen, tools like ChatGPT or Jasper can generate blog posts, email copy or social media captions in minutes, thus allowing you to focus on refining and elevating content. When it comes to analytics, AI can help us make sense of vast amounts of data quickly and easily. Platforms like Google Analytics 4 help uncover patterns, highlight trends and even predict outcomes. This insight can help you adjust your campaigns in real time, optimizing for better results without the guesswork.

The beauty of AI is that you don’t need to do everything at once. Start by identifying one specific challenge — creating content faster or improving your email engagement — and testing a single AI tool to solve it. As you see results, you can scale gradually, expanding into new areas and uncovering even more growth opportunities. This step-by-step approach builds confidence and lays the foundation for long-term success in a fast-evolving digital world.

But implementing AI isn’t the end of the journey, it’s the beginning of a new way to work. To truly future proof your marketing and communications strategy, you’ll need to think beyond immediate wins and focus on long-term growth.

Strategy #3: Future proof your approach

As tools evolve and your team becomes more comfortable, you’ll uncover new ways to leverage AI for growth. Staying curious and adaptable will be your greatest asset in making this transition stick. Here are a few ways you can future-proof your strategy:

Dedicate time to learning: The world of AI is constantly evolving, and staying ahead requires an ongoing commitment to education. Make it a priority to explore new AI tools, attend webinars and read industry reports to understand emerging trends and best practices. Encourage your team to do the same by allocating time for professional development or hosting internal learning sessions. Resources like the Marketing AI Institute offer free and paid tools, including courses, webinars and case studies, to keep you informed about the latest advancements. Additionally, Orchard AI can help meet your personalized AI learning needs. Staying curious and proactive ensures you can adapt your strategies as new opportunities arise and continue to lead in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Create feedback loops: AI tools are powerful, but their effectiveness depends on how well they integrate into your workflows. Set up regular check-ins with your team to discuss what’s working and what’s not. Are the tools meeting your expectations, or are there areas where fine-tuning is needed? For example, if an AI-powered analytics tool doesn’t provide actionable insights, consider whether the data inputs need to be adjusted or if another tool might better suit your goals. Encouraging open communication ensures that your AI strategy remains adaptable and continues to deliver real value as your needs evolve.

Stay transparent and ethical: AI can do amazing things, but it’s essential to maintain trust with your audience. Be upfront about how you’re using AI, whether it’s to personalize recommendations or automate certain interactions. Make sure your use of AI complies with privacy laws, such as GDPR or CCPA, and be mindful of how data is collected and stored. Most importantly, ensure your communications feel human – AI should enhance the experience, not replace genuine empathy and connection. A good rule of thumb is always to ask: Would I feel comfortable if I were on the receiving end of this communication?

Looking to 2025 and Beyond

I’ve heard it said that AI won’t necessarily replace your job, but someone who knows AI will. At this moment in time, we can’t afford to ignore AI and its impact, and while the opportunities are endless (and may sometimes feel overwhelming), the most important thing we can do is start.

Test one tool, solve one problem and build from there.

When we view AI as an ally, rather than an adversary, we can create a smarter, more efficient strategy that positions our organization for success in 2025 and beyond.

So, what’s your next move?

Erin Van Zee, APR

As a communications professional with 15+ years of experience in marketing, PR and brand management, I’m passionate about using strategic storytelling to elevate brands and connect with audiences. I’m a firm believer in community engagement and the power of diversity, equity and inclusion, and have been actively involved in several civic and professional organizations, helping foster positive change. When I’m not working, you’ll likely find me outdoors with my husband, Tyler, and our two dogs, Ziggy and Zelda, or volunteering in my local Omaha community.