When it comes to creating and executing digital marketing strategies, as a small business or new startup, typically you have finite knowledge, resources and budget.
If you want to implement a digital marketing strategy, here are the main ways you can approach it:
- 1. Get the most out of the knowledge and people currently within your business
- 2. Hire the best and most suitable people to work in your business who can plan and execute as much of your preferred digital strategy as possible
- 3. Hire contract and freelance resources to execute as many hours of your digital marketing strategy as possible based on the budget you have available
- 4. Work with a specialist agency who can develop a relevant digital marketing strategy and execute it within a set amount of hours of resource agreed in relation to the budget your business has
- 5. Use a combination of all of the above options based on your digital marketing strategy requirements, resources and budget
OR
- 6. Consider how you can automate certain parts of your digital marketing strategy that allows your business to allocate a larger percentage of your budget the most important areas that require key human in-house resource
The last option is something you should consider as a new startup or small business because this approach could seriously improve your productivity, efficiency and performance when it comes to implementing a digital marketing strategy.
AI tools have become more accessible and cost-effective than ever before and there is a huge time and cost saving opportunity.
With this in mind, we decided to create this guide demonstrating practical ways to implement AI automation across your digital marketing activities and we’ve included recommended tools and step-by-step strategies specifically tailored for small businesses and startups with limited resources.
In This Guide
Understanding AI Automation in Digital Marketing
According to recent studies, 83% of small business owners plan to use AI in the next year. This growing trend highlights how artificial intelligence is changing digital marketing approaches for businesses of various sizes.
What is AI automation for small businesses?
AI automation for small businesses involves using artificial intelligence technologies to handle repetitive marketing tasks without human intervention. Unlike traditional automation that works with fixed rules and limited flexibility, AI automation can adapt intelligently based on data analysis and continuous learning.
The main appeal of AI automation is how it streamlines business operations. Instead of spending hours on repetitive tasks, small business owners can focus on strategic activities that drive growth. This efficiency improvement is especially valuable for solo entrepreneurs who have limited time and resources to manage multiple aspects of their business.
The current state of AI marketing tools
The landscape of AI marketing tools has changed significantly over recent years, becoming more accessible and affordable for small businesses.
When it comes to adoption rates, 95.8% of marketers now use AI in their daily work, with the technology being used across all major company departments. Additionally, 64% of marketers consider AI very or critically important to success in the next 12 months—a 13-point increase from the previous year.
The most common uses include:
- Content creation (30% of small businesses implement AI tools)
- Customer service automation (AI chatbots can answer up to 80% of customer queries)
- Targeted marketing (74% of businesses report elevated interaction levels)
- Operational efficiency (56% of companies report a 30% time reduction)
Despite widespread adoption, there remains a significant gap in proper implementation. Notably, 78% of marketers report their organisation has no AI-focused education or training. Only 22% have generative AI policies in place. This disconnect shows the need for better understanding of these powerful tools.
Why small businesses need AI automation now
Small businesses face unique challenges that make AI automation particularly valuable in today’s competitive landscape. First, AI automation creates substantial time savings—46.8% of marketing professionals using AI save at least 3 hours daily. For small teams managing multiple responsibilities, this time recovery is invaluable.
Cost reduction is another compelling advantage. By using AI chatbots, small businesses can reduce customer support costs by 30-40%. Similarly, automation reduces the need for manual labour, bringing down operating expenses for many types of businesses.
AI helps level the playing field against larger competitors. AI marketing tools enable small businesses to target their ideal customers more effectively and maximise their marketing ROI. As a result, 80% of retail companies expect to adopt AI by 2025, with about 25% of small businesses having already integrated AI into their operations.
When it comes to using AI to help automate digital marketing strategy the following sections provide some recommendations on how you can achieve this in various channels of digital marketing and highlights some potential software tools you can use and integrate to your business in order to facilitate this objective.
Using AI to Automate Website Creation
Key Features of AI Website Building Tools
AI website builders are changing the way websites get created, making the process easier and faster. Here’s what these powerful tools can offer small businesses:
1. Speed and Automation
AI website builders can generate a fully functional site in minutes or even seconds. They automate layout creation, content generation, and design customization, reducing the time required compared to traditional development.
2. No Coding Skills Required
With AI, you don’t need to know coding or design principles. These builders offer drag-and-drop interfaces and smart design suggestions. AI automatically adjusts layouts, fonts, and colors for a polished look.
3. AI-Generated Content and Images
Creating content and visuals is one of the biggest challenges in website building. AI tools can generate SEO-friendly text, headlines, and even high-quality images, ensuring that your website looks engaging and professional.
4. Personalized Design Suggestions
AI analyzes your business type, preferences, and industry standards to suggest designs that align with your brand identity and target audience expectations.
5. Built-in Marketing Tools
Many AI website builders include integrated marketing features like email marketing, social media promotion, and basic SEO tools, streamlining your digital presence management.
Top AI Website Building Tools for Small Businesses
1. SeedProd
SeedProd stands out as one of the most powerful AI website builders specifically designed for WordPress users.
Key Features:
- Creates websites in as little as 10 to 40 seconds
- Produces high-quality designs with minimal input
- User-friendly drag-and-drop editor
- Extensive built-in features like countdown timers
- AI-generated content that can be easily customized
SeedProd is ideal for small businesses looking to quickly launch professional WordPress websites without extensive technical knowledge.
2. Elementor AI
Elementor, already a popular website builder, has integrated powerful AI capabilities to enhance its platform.
Key Features:
- Seamless integration into the Elementor Pro website builder
- AI-assisted content creation and design suggestions
- Customization options that balance AI assistance with design control
- Optimized for WordPress users
- Pro AI website design tools
Elementor AI is particularly valuable for businesses that want the power of AI while maintaining significant creative control over their website design.
3. Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence)
Wix ADI remains one of the most user-friendly AI website builders on the market.
Key Features:
- Simplified setup with questionnaire-based design generation
- Intuitive editing with drag-and-drop interface
- Vast template library across various industries
- AI-assisted content creation for compelling headlines and copy
- Integrated marketing tools for email marketing and social media promotion
Wix ADI is an excellent choice for beginners seeking a quick and guided website creation experience with minimal customization needs.
4. Bluehost AI Site Creator
Bluehost offers an all-in-one solution that combines hosting and AI website building capabilities.
Key Features:
- Integrated with Bluehost hosting for seamless setup
- User-friendly interface with AI-driven design suggestions
- WordPress pre-installation
- Marketing and SEO tools to enhance site visibility
- Affordable plans starting at just $1.99/month
Bluehost AI Site Creator is ideal for small businesses looking for an affordable, comprehensive solution that includes both hosting and website creation.
5. Hostinger AI Website Builder
Hostinger offers a simplified approach to website creation through its AI-powered tools.
Key Features:
- Flexible drag-and-drop editor with grid system
- AI heatmap tool for understanding visitor interactions
- Template library covering different industry categories
- Simple prompt-based website generation
- Affordable hosting plans with website builder included
Hostinger AI Website Builder is particularly suitable for business sites without complex blogging needs, offering great design freedom while maintaining a professional look.
Taking the First Step with AI Website Builders
If you’ve been hesitant about creating your website due to technical concerns or budget constraints, now is the time to embrace the power of AI. These tools have democratized website creation, allowing small businesses to establish professional online presences without specialized technical skills or significant financial investment.
Remember, while AI has made website creation more accessible than ever, the most successful websites still require clear business objectives and thoughtful content. AI tools handle the technical aspects, but your unique brand voice and customer understanding remain essential components of an effective online presence.
Content Marketing Automation
Content creation remains a significant challenge for many small businesses, with 75% of marketers now using AI tools to some extent. We’ve observed how the content marketing landscape has changed dramatically with AI automation allowing even one-person teams to produce professional, SEO-optimised content at scale.
AI content generation for blogs and articles
AI-powered content generation is changing how small businesses approach their content strategy. In the past, creating a 500-word blog post took approximately 4 hours, but AI content tools now significantly reduce this timeframe. These advanced systems examine large amounts of information about language patterns, topic relevance, and audience preferences to create coherent, logical, and informative text.
The main benefits for small businesses include:
- Time efficiency – AI content generators can produce draft articles in minutes instead of hours, allowing you to focus on strategy rather than creation
- Cost reduction – Compared to hiring freelancers or agencies, AI tools offer significant savings while maintaining consistent output quality
- Content ideation – AI can analyse trends, audience behaviour, and competitor content to suggest data-driven content ideas, eliminating time-consuming manual research
Currently, about 19% of businesses use AI tools specifically for content generation. For small teams managing multiple responsibilities, these tools provide a foundation that can be refined with human creativity and expertise. Although AI content still requires human editing for brand voice alignment and fact-checking, the time saved on initial drafting can be used to improve the final product.
Top AI Content Production Tools
There are so many AI content tools now available, however the main tools we recommend as options for small businesses are:
1. Writesonic
Writesonic has established itself as a versatile AI writing assistant, catering to a wide range of content needs.
- Comprehensive content creation – Generates blog posts, product descriptions, ads, and more
- SEO-optimized writing – Produces content designed to rank well in search engines
- Multilingual capabilities – Supports content creation in over 25 languages
- Customizable tone and style – Adapts to different brand voices and writing styles
- Integration with popular platforms – Works seamlessly with WordPress, Shopify, and other major content management systems
- Plagiarism checker – Ensures content originality
- API access – Allows for integration with custom workflows
Writesonic’s ability to generate content optimized for search engines while maintaining readability has made it particularly popular among digital marketers focused on organic growth
2. Jasper (formerly Jarvis)
Jasper has gained recognition for its advanced language models and user-friendly interface.
- Boss Mode – Allows for long-form content creation with more context control
- SEO mode – Integrates with Surfer SEO for highly optimized content
- Brand voice customization – Learns and mimics specific brand tones
- Templates for various content types – Offers pre-set frameworks for different writing tasks
- Jasper Art – Integrated AI image generation for visual content
- Team collaboration features – Supports multiple users and shared projects
- Chrome extension – Enables content generation across various web platforms
Jasper’s strength lies in its ability to produce longer, more coherent pieces of content, making it a favorite among bloggers and content marketers focused on thought leadership.
3. ChatGPT (OpenAI)
While primarily known as a conversational AI, ChatGPT has become a powerful tool for content ideation and creation.
- Versatile content generation – Capable of producing various content types from articles to scripts
- Strong analytical capabilities – Excels at summarizing complex topics and providing explanations
- Contextual understanding – Maintains context throughout longer conversations
- Multilingual proficiency – Can generate and translate content in numerous languages
- Customizable output – Adapts tone, style, and format based on specific instructions
- Continuous learning – Regularly updated with new information and capabilities
- Integration with other tools – Can be used alongside specialized writing and editing software
ChatGPT’s strength is its flexibility and ability to understand and respond to complex prompts, making it invaluable for brainstorming and initial content drafting.
4. Copy.ai
Copy.ai focuses on short-form content and has become popular for generating marketing copy.
- Specialized in marketing content – Excels at creating ad copy, email subject lines, and social media posts
- Multiple language support – Generates content in over 25 languages
- Brand voice customization – Adapts to specific brand guidelines
- Integration with major platforms – Works with tools like Shopify and HubSpot
- Collaborative features – Supports team workflows and shared projects
- Template library – Offers a wide range of templates for various marketing needs
- Continuous improvements – Regular updates to improve output quality and add new features
Copy.ai’s strength in creating compelling short-form content has made it a go-to tool for social media marketers and email marketers.
5. Frase
Frase distinguishes itself with its focus on SEO and its ability to analyze existing content.
- SEO-driven content creation – Analyzes top-ranking content to inform AI-generated articles
- Content briefs – Creates detailed outlines based on competitor analysis
- Question research – Identifies relevant questions to address in content
- Content optimization – Suggests improvements to existing content for better search rankings
- AI writing assistant – Helps with content generation based on SEO insights
- Integration with other SEO tools – Works alongside popular SEO software
- Content analytics – Provides detailed reports on content performance
Frase’s combination of SEO analysis and AI writing makes it particularly valuable for content marketers focused on improving organic search visibility.
SEO-optimised content creation
Beyond basic content creation, AI tools now excel at SEO optimisation. These platforms analyse search engine results pages (SERPs) for your target keywords to identify what helps content rank effectively.
AI-powered SEO content creation tools offer several key advantages:
- Keyword analysis – Automatic identification of primary and secondary keywords to target
- Competitor research – Analysis of top-ranking content to determine optimal length, structure, and topics
- Content structure – Suggestions for headers, subheaders, and content organisation based on performing content
- Real-time optimisation – Ongoing recommendations for improving content as you write
Throughout the creation process, AI continues analysing your work against competitive benchmarks. This ensures your content meets the depth, relevance, and keyword usage necessary for higher rankings. In effect, these tools provide a continuous feedback loop that helps small businesses create content that satisfies both search engines and human readers.
Some AI tools such as Writesonic have now introduced SEO Agent modes that perform key SEO tasks as a prerequisite to writing requested content.
The Rise of AI Image Generation
The landscape of visual content creation has changed dramatically with advances in AI technology. Content marketers who previously needed to hire professional photographers or designers can now generate custom images in seconds, saving both time and budget. This democratization of design has particularly benefited small businesses competing against larger brands with substantial creative resources.
A potential customer who is used to more Westernised business communication may view professionally designed visuals as a sign of credibility and expertise. AI image generators have made it possible for businesses of all sizes to maintain this level of visual professionalism across their marketing channels.
AI Image Generation Tools to Try
1. DALL-E 3 (OpenAI)
DALL-E 3 represents the most advanced iteration of OpenAI’s image generation technology, offering remarkable accuracy and creative capabilities.
- Precise prompt interpretation – Creates images that closely match detailed text descriptions
- Realistic rendering – Produces highly photorealistic images with accurate lighting and shadows
- Text rendering capabilities – Better than most AI tools at displaying text within images
- Available through ChatGPT – Free users can generate 2 images per day, while ChatGPT Plus subscribers get more
- Commercial usage rights – Images can be used for business purposes with appropriate attribution
2. Midjourney
Midjourney has gained popularity among creative professionals for its artistic aesthetic and high-quality output.
- Superior artistic capability – Produces images with remarkable aesthetic quality and detail
- Style versatility – Excels at various artistic styles from photorealistic to painterly
- Strong composition – Creates visually balanced images with professional composition
- Discord integration – Operates primarily through Discord, making collaboration easier
- Subscription-based model – Plans start at $10/month for high-resolution image generation
3. Canva Magic Studio
Canva’s AI capabilities make it particularly accessible for marketers already using the platform for design work.
- Magic Design – Generates personalized templates from prompts or uploaded images
- Magic Edit – Allows seamless modifications within images (color changes, element removal)
- Magic Eraser – Removes unwanted objects from images with a single click
- Magic Animate – Adds animation to static designs for more engaging content
- Multiple AI engines – Offers access to different AI generators including their own Magic Media, DALL-E, and Google’s Imagen
4. Lexica Art
Lexica has become popular for creating blog thumbnails and marketing imagery with its specialized approach.
- Specialized for marketing content – Particularly good for blog thumbnails and promotional images
- Style saving – Allows saving of prompt templates for brand consistency
- Fast generation – Quick turnaround for multiple image options
- User-friendly interface – Simple design that’s accessible to non-designers
- Quick editing features – Easy modifications for slight adjustments
5. PhotoRoom
PhotoRoom specializes in product photography enhancement and background manipulation, making it ideal for e-commerce.
- Background removal and replacement – Automatically removes backgrounds from product images
- Product visualization – Creates professional product images without photography equipment
- E-commerce optimization – Specifically designed for online store imagery
- Mobile-first approach – Powerful mobile app for on-the-go image creation
- Brand consistency tools – Maintains visual cohesion across product listings
6. ImageFX (Google)
Google’s entry into the AI image generation space offers high-quality results with a free access model.
- Imagen 3 technology – Google’s latest image generation model
- Expressive chips feature – Interactive elements to refine image creation
- High-quality output – Produces detailed, realistic images
- Completely free access – No subscription required
- Fast generation speed – Creates images in seconds
7. Leonardo AI
Leonardo AI stands out for its flexibility in character creation and specialized features.
- Character generation strength – Excels at creating consistent characters across multiple images
- Lenient guardrails – More permissive policies for character creation
- Training capabilities – Can be trained on reference images for style consistency
- Community resources – Strong community sharing prompts and techniques
- Both free and paid tiers – Accessible entry point with more features in paid versions
Social Media Marketing Automation
Managing social media effectively requires consistent effort across multiple platforms, with over 46% of marketing professionals saving at least 3 hours daily using AI automation. This time-saving benefit is especially important for small businesses with limited staff and resources.
Automated content scheduling and posting
The traditional approach of manually posting content at what you think are optimal times is no longer effective. AI-powered scheduling tools now analyse past engagement data to identify the best posting times for maximum reach. Sprout Social’s Optimal Send Times feature examines previous performance metrics to determine when your audience is most active and engaged.
Beyond basic scheduling, modern AI tools offer several advanced features:
- Cross-platform customisation that tailors content for different networks simultaneously
- Content recycling that intelligently reuses high-performing posts
- Queue-based publishing that maintains consistent posting schedules even during non-working hours
These automation features ensure your social media presence stays active without requiring your constant attention. Additionally, tools like Publer offer AI-enhanced content scheduling at more affordable price points than enterprise solutions, making advanced automation accessible to small businesses with tight budgets.
AI-driven audience insights
Understanding your audience is crucial for social media success. AI has transformed how businesses gather and use audience data through advanced analytics capabilities.
AI-powered social listening tools analyse conversations across platforms to provide real-time insights into audience sentiment, preferences, and emerging trends. These tools process enormous volumes of unstructured social data—Sprout Social alone handles approximately 600 million messages daily.
The practical applications of these insights are significant. AI algorithms can identify actionable patterns that would be impossible to spot manually. For instance, Vista Social uses advanced AI to track conversations across platforms, helping businesses understand audience sentiment in real-time. Similarly, Meltwater analyses online conversations using sophisticated algorithms to reveal trends before they become widely known.
Visual content creation with AI
Creating eye-catching visuals has traditionally required design expertise or significant time investment. AI has changed this process, making professional-quality visual content creation accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Canva’s Magic Studio suite represents a major advancement in this area. Launched in 2023, it includes tools like Magic Design (generating entire presentations from text prompts) and Magic Media (creating images directly from descriptions). Additionally, Canva offers over 100 templates and social media layouts for various platforms.
These AI-powered design tools make visual content creation much more accessible. Small businesses can now produce branded imagery at scale without graphic design expertise. For example, Canva’s Text-to-Image feature generates AI images for social posts , significantly reducing the time needed to create distinctive visual content.
Recommended AI Social Media Automation Tools
Workflow Automation Platforms
Make.com (formerly Integromat)
Make.com stands out as a powerful workflow automation platform that connects various apps and services to create custom social media automation workflows.
This tool provides customisable workflow automation that connects your social media tools with other business applications. This integration creates seamless information flow between platforms, eliminating the need for manual data transfer between systems.
- Visual workflow builder – Create complex automation scenarios with an intuitive visual interface
- Multi-platform integration – Connect to 2,000+ apps including social media platforms, CRMs, and content creation tools
- AI-powered assistance – Build scenarios with AI that can translate your objectives into functional workflows
- Human-in-the-loop options – Incorporate human oversight and creativity into automated processes
- Flexible scheduling – Set precise timing for automated actions across your social media platforms
- Error handling – Built-in tools to identify and resolve workflow issues automatically
Zapier
Zapier provides a user-friendly approach to connecting social media tools with other apps in your tech stack.
- Social media automation templates – Pre-built workflows for common social media tasks
- Multi-step Zaps – Create complex workflows that trigger multiple actions across different platforms
- Content repurposing – Automatically transform blog posts into social media content
- Scheduling integration – Connect with scheduling tools to automate posting at optimal times
- Lead generation automation – Capture social media leads and automatically add them to your CRM
- Cross-posting capabilities – Share content across multiple platforms with customizations for each
Social Media Management Platforms
Sprout Social
Sprout Social offers a robust all-in-one solution with powerful AI features for streamlining social media management.
- AI-driven content suggestions – Generates post ideas based on your brand voice and audience interests
- ViralPost technology – Automatically schedules content for when your audience is most engaged
- Smart Inbox – Centralized messaging across all platforms with AI-assisted response suggestions
- Automated reporting – Generates comprehensive performance reports on a scheduled basis
- Chatbot builder – Creates conversational AI bots to handle common customer inquiries
- Brand intelligence monitoring – Tracks brand mentions and sentiment with AI
Hootsuite
Hootsuite has evolved to incorporate powerful AI capabilities while maintaining its user-friendly interface.
- AI content creation assistant – Generates post ideas and copy based on your brand guidelines
- Automated scheduling – Plans content distribution at optimal times across multiple platforms
- Content curation – Discovers and suggests relevant content to share with your audience
- Social listening – Monitors conversations around your brand and industry with AI insights
- Team workflow automation – Streamlines approval processes and content collaboration
- Performance analytics – Automatically tracks and reports on campaign effectiveness
Buffer
Buffer offers a streamlined approach to social media management with powerful AI tools accessible to businesses of all sizes.
- AI Assistant – Generates social media content and repurposes existing material automatically
- Ideas app – Stores and organizes content ideas with AI suggestions for improvement
- Buffer Remix – Automatically transforms URLs into engaging visual social media posts
- Custom posting schedules – Creates platform-specific publishing schedules based on audience activity
- Analytics automation – Tracks performance metrics and provides actionable insights
- Start Page – Creates and updates link-in-bio landing pages with your latest content
Linkedin AI Automation Tools
Growing a presence for your company on LinkedIn is hard and can take a long time, however, there are AI-powered tools can significantly enhance your LinkedIn strategy by automating routine tasks and providing valuable insights.
There are two main areas where specific tools can help you automate your strategy on LinkedIn:
- To help automate the process of content ideation, post creation and post scheduling to help increase your brand awareness and engagement for a brand and relevant personal profiles associated with the company/brand.
- To help automate the process of growing a network for personal profiles and help generate prospects and leads
Here are some LinkedIn AI tools you could consider using to reduce the hand-ons time required to run an effective LInkedIn strategy for you business:
Taplio
Taplio stands out as a comprehensive LinkedIn automation and content creation tool designed for busy professionals who want to maintain a consistent presence.
- AI-Powered Content Generation: Creates personalized LinkedIn posts based on your profile and writing style
- Post Scheduling and Automation: Schedule content in advance to maintain consistent activity
- Viral Content Finder: Identifies trending topics and high-performing content in your industry
- LinkedIn Carousel Generator: Creates visually engaging carousel posts with AI assistance
- LinkedIn Headline and Summary Generator: Optimizes your profile with AI-written professional copy
- Advanced Analytics Dashboard: Tracks post performance, follower growth, and engagement metrics
- Cross-Account Statistics: Analyzes performance across multiple LinkedIn accounts for organizations
AI Post Booster: Suggests improvements to increase the reach and impact of your posts
PostDrips
PostDrips is a specialized LinkedIn content creation and scheduling tool focused on helping users grow their personal brand through consistent, high-quality content.
- AI Post Generator: Creates engaging LinkedIn posts in seconds using AI trained on thousands of viral posts
- Post Scheduling System: Organizes and schedules all your content in one place with an intelligent auto-queue system
- Writing Style Emulation: Analyzes and adopts the writing style of any LinkedIn influencer by analyzing their profile URL
- Ideas Generator: Instantly generates a week’s worth of LinkedIn content ideas to keep your calendar full
- Post Preview: Shows exactly how your LinkedIn post will appear before publishing
- Formatting Tools: Makes text bold, italic, creates bullet points, and integrates over 3,000 emojis
- Content Optimization: AI writer tools help create more engaging endings, fix grammar, and adjust tone
- Performance Tracking: Helps identify what content resonates best with your audience
Linked Helper
Linked Helper offers comprehensive LinkedIn automation with a focus on outreach and lead generation.
- Smart LinkedIn Outreach: Automates personalized connection requests and follow-up messages
- Multi-Source Targeting: Sources leads from various LinkedIn sections (groups, events, posts)
- Data Scraping and Export: Extracts profile information including emails and phone numbers
- CRM Integration: Connects with HubSpot, Pipedrive, and other CRMs
- Drip Campaign Functionality: Creates automated message sequences
- Lead Warming Features: Automates interactions like post likes and profile follows
- Profile Analytics: Provides insights through profile data scraping
- Google Sheets Integration: Exports and analyzes data in spreadsheet format
Waalaxy
Waalaxy is a powerful LinkedIn outreach automation tool that helps with lead generation and prospect management.
- Multi-Channel Outreach: Integrates LinkedIn and email prospecting for a unified approach
- Automated Connection Requests: Sends personalized connection requests at scale
- Drip Campaign Sequences: Creates multi-step outreach campaigns with customized timing
- LinkedIn Profile Scraping: Extracts data from LinkedIn profiles for lead enrichment
- Prospect Management: Organizes leads in a built-in CRM system
- Email Finder: Discovers professional email addresses
- GDPR Compliance: Ensures all prospect discovery complies with data protection regulations
- Campaign Analytics: Tracks performance metrics for all outreach efforts
We recommend experimenting with these tools to find the combination that best suits your specific LinkedIn strategy. Many offer free trials, allowing you to test their capabilities before committing to a subscription. While automation can be powerful, it’s also worth remembering that maintaining an authentic voice and providing genuine value remain essential for to grow your presence on LinkedIn and so detailed planning of workflows and proofing of posted content is also essential to a successful ai driven automated LinkedIn strategy.
AI Automation for Digital Advertising Campaigns
Key Benefits of Using AI Advertising Tools for a Small Business
1. Dramatic Time Efficiency Gains
Perhaps the most immediate benefit small businesses experience when adopting AI advertising tools is the significant reduction in time required to manage campaigns effectively. What previously demanded hours of manual work can now be accomplished in minutes.
- Automated campaign setup reduces initial configuration time by up to 75%
- Real-time adjustments eliminate the need for constant monitoring
- Scheduled reporting provides insights without manual data gathering
- Bulk operations allow simultaneous management of multiple campaigns
These time savings translate directly to operational cost reductions, allowing small business owners to focus on other critical aspects of their operations while maintaining effective advertising campaigns.
2. Budget Optimization That Maximizes ROI
One of the main reasons small businesses hesitate to invest in digital advertising is concern about wasting limited budgets. AI tools address this fear by ensuring every advertising dollar works harder.
- AI-driven bid management automatically adjusts spend based on performance
- Smart budget allocation shifts resources to highest-performing channels and campaigns
- Anomaly detection quickly identifies and stops underperforming ads
- Predictive analytics helps forecast outcomes before allocating budget
A small business using intelligent budget optimization can often achieve better results with a modest budget than competitors spending substantially more but lacking AI-powered insights.
3. Sophisticated Targeting Without Specialized Expertise
The complexity of audience targeting has traditionally required deep marketing expertise or expensive consultants. AI democratizes access to sophisticated targeting capabilities.
- Automated audience segmentation identifies valuable customer groups
- Behavioral targeting reaches prospects based on demonstrated interests and actions
- Lookalike audience creation finds new customers similar to existing ones
- Cross-platform targeting ensures consistent messaging across multiple channels
This level of targeting precision allows small businesses to focus their limited resources on the most promising prospects, dramatically improving conversion rates and customer acquisition costs.
4. Data-Driven Creative Optimization
Creating effective ad content has often been more art than science, with small businesses relying on intuition rather than data. AI advertising tools transform this process into a systematic, data-driven approach.
- A/B testing at scale evaluates multiple creative variations simultaneously
- Element-level analysis identifies which specific components drive performance
- Real-time optimization adjusts messaging based on audience response
- Cross-channel insights inform content strategy across all marketing efforts
By removing the guesswork from creative decisions, small businesses can develop advertising content that consistently resonates with their target audience.
5. Competitive Intelligence and Market Insights
Small businesses often operate with limited visibility into market trends and competitor activities. AI advertising tools provide valuable intelligence that informs strategic decisions.
- Competitive monitoring tracks competitor advertising strategies and performance
- Industry benchmarking compares results against relevant standards
- Trend identification spots emerging opportunities before they become mainstream
- Market analysis suggests untapped potential in specific segments or channels
These insights help level the playing field, giving small businesses strategic information previously available only to larger enterprises with dedicated market research resources.
Top AI Digital Advertising Tools for Campaign Management Automation
Here’s our comprehensive list of our recommended AI-powered advertising tools available to try:
Optmyzr
Optmyzr stands out as a powerful, award-winning PPC management platform with robust AI capabilities for search advertisers.
- Rule-based automation – Creates custom scripts for managing bids, budgets, and ad schedules across multiple platforms
- AI-powered optimization suggestions – Provides specific recommendations for keyword and bid adjustments based on performance data
- Google Ads Script Library – Offers pre-built automations that make campaign optimization faster and more effective
- Account Blueprints – AI-generated task lists for streamlining workflows like client onboarding and campaign optimization
- Cross-platform support – Manages campaigns across Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Ads from a single interface
- Shopping and Performance Max tools – Specialized tools for optimizing these complex campaign types
- Granular performance analysis – Identifies hidden opportunities for increasing conversions and reducing wasted spend
Albert AI
Albert AI is a fully autonomous digital advertising platform powered by artificial intelligence.
- Multi-channel campaign management – Optimizes ads across search, social, and display channels simultaneously
- Autonomous decision making – Makes real-time adjustments to targeting, bids, and budget allocation
- Audience segmentation – Identifies and targets high-value customer segments using AI analysis
- Budget optimization – Automatically shifts spending to best-performing channels and campaigns
- Creative testing – Continuously tests ad variations to identify top performers
- Cross-channel insights – Provides unified reporting across all digital advertising platforms
- Predictive analytics – Forecasts campaign performance and suggests preemptive optimizations
Adalysis
Adalysis offers AI-driven PPC auditing and optimization tools for paid search campaigns.
- Automated PPC audits – Conducts thorough account health checks to identify issues and opportunities
- Ad testing intelligence – Uses AI to determine when to end ad tests based on statistical significance
- Quality Score monitoring – Tracks and provides suggestions to improve Google Ads Quality Scores
- Keyword management – Identifies duplicate, conflicting, or underperforming keywords
- Landing page analyzer – Evaluates landing page relevance and performance for keywords
- Budget pacing tools – Monitors spend rates and alerts when campaigns need budget adjustments
- Periodic performance reports – Delivers automated insights on campaign performance over time
Madgicx
Madgicx is an AI-powered platform specializing in Facebook and Instagram ads optimization.
- Audience intelligence – Identifies your most profitable audience segments using AI analysis
- Creative intelligence – Analyzes ad creative performance and suggests improvements
- Automation suite – Creates rule-based systems to optimize campaigns 24/7
- Custom automation recipes – Offers pre-built automation strategies based on your campaign goals
- Advanced attribution models – Goes beyond Facebook’s default attribution to show true ROAS
- AI-powered testing – Automatically tests different variations to identify winners
- Funnel visualization – Provides clear visual representation of your customer journey
Acquisio
Acquisio offers AI-powered bid and budget management across multiple advertising platforms.
- Cross-channel bid optimization – Manages bids across Google, Microsoft, and Meta Ads
- AI-driven budget allocation – Automatically distributes budget to maximize ROI
- Performance forecasting – Predicts campaign performance based on historical data
- Shopping campaign tools – Specializes in optimizing product-based advertising
- Multi-account reporting – Generates reports across multiple client accounts
- White-label capabilities – Allows agencies to present reports under their own branding
- Automated alert system – Notifies when campaigns need attention or adjustment
Opteo
Opteo provides AI-powered recommendations and automation specifically for Google Ads campaigns.
- Daily account monitoring – Continuously analyzes account performance to identify issues
- One-click optimizations – Suggests improvements that can be implemented with a single click
- Automated bid adjustments – Makes data-driven bidding recommendations
- Performance alerts – Notifies of significant changes in campaign performance
- Budget pacing tools – Ensures budgets are spent effectively throughout the month
- Ad copy insights – Analyzes ad text performance and suggests improvements
- Smart notifications – Filters alerts to only show meaningful, actionable recommendations
TrueClicks
TrueClicks specializes in Google Ads auditing and quality control with AI-powered features.
- Automated quality checks – Identifies issues, errors, and optimization opportunities
- Google Ads policy monitoring – Ensures campaigns remain compliant with platform policies
- Budget waste detection – Spots areas where budget is being used inefficiently
- Click fraud protection – Identifies suspicious activity that may indicate click fraud
- Performance anomaly detection – Alerts to unusual patterns in campaign performance
- Real-time monitoring – Provides continuous oversight of campaign metrics
- Comprehensive reporting – Generates detailed reports on account health and opportunities
Email Marketing Automation using AI
Email marketing continues to be one of the most powerful channels for small businesses, with personalised emails delivering 6x higher transaction rates and 29% higher open rates. Crafting effective email campaigns has traditionally required significant time and expertise—but this is rapidly changing with AI automation tools.
Personalised email campaigns at scale
The old approach of sending the same email to everyone on your list is no longer effective in today’s marketing landscape. AI automation now enables even the smallest businesses to deliver highly customised messages to thousands of recipients at once. By examining customer data from various sources, AI creates dynamic customer segments based on browsing patterns, purchase history, and individual preferences.
What makes AI personalisation particularly powerful is how it continuously learns from each interaction. Every time a customer engages with your emails, the system refines its understanding of their preferences. As a result, your emails become increasingly relevant over time, with AI automatically adjusting content, product recommendations, and offers to match individual interests.
For small businesses with limited marketing teams, this creates a significant advantage—approximately 46.8% of marketing professionals using AI save at least 3 hours daily on email marketing tasks. Rather than spending time manually analysing customer data, AI handles the complex work, allowing you to focus on strategy and creative elements.
AI-powered subject line optimisation
Your email subject line determines whether someone opens your message or ignores it completely. Emails with personalised subject lines achieve a remarkable 35.69% average open rate compared to just 16.67% for generic alternatives.
AI subject line generators work in several ways:
- Analysing data patterns and audience preferences to create options tailored to your specific goals
- Testing different variants automatically to identify top performers
- Incorporating emotional triggers, urgency cues, and personalisation elements proven to boost engagement
- Optimising for mobile readability (critical since over half of emails are opened on smartphones)
Beyond simply creating subject lines, integrated AI tools also generate complementary preview text, enhancing the overall impact of your emails. This alignment between subject line and preheader ensures message continuity, giving your emails a professional, cohesive appearance.
Customer journey automation
AI transforms the entire customer journey by creating seamless, intelligent pathways from initial awareness through post-purchase support. Unlike traditional approaches based on one-size-fits-all methods, AI customer journeys use real-time data analysis and predictive analytics to deliver tailored experiences at every touchpoint.
At its core, AI journey automation proactively anticipates customer needs and addresses potential issues before they arise. For instance, AI can trigger automated email sequences for cart abandonment, post-purchase follow-ups, and re-engagement campaigns based on individual behaviour patterns rather than rigid timelines.
Furthermore, AI enhances journey mapping by providing deep insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and pain points across every interaction. This advanced understanding helps small businesses to tailor marketing strategies with precision, fostering improved customer experiences that build loyalty and increase retention rates.
Top AI-Powered Email Marketing Tools in 2025
GetResponse
GetResponse offers a comprehensive email marketing solution with robust AI capabilities and multi-channel features.
- AI email generator – Creates customized subject lines and email content in moments
- AI writing assistant – Helps refine and improve email copy for better engagement
- Predictive sending – Determines the optimal time to deliver emails
- Automated workflows – Pre-built scenarios for e-commerce and B2B brands to engage customers
- Personalized content recommendations – Suggests relevant content based on subscriber behavior
- AI-powered segmentation – Creates targeted audience segments based on engagement patterns
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is at the forefront of AI-powered email marketing, offering comprehensive features for businesses of all sizes.
- AI content generation – Creates personalized email copy and subject lines tailored to your audience
- AI image generation – Produces custom images for email campaigns (though quality can vary)
- AI automation builder – Builds complete automation workflows based on simple text prompts
- AI brand kits – Automatically designs email templates matching your brand’s colors and fonts
- Win probability feature – Predicts the likelihood of closing deals in your sales pipeline
- Predictive sending – Determines the optimal time to send emails to each contact
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo is an all-in-one marketing platform designed for small businesses looking for affordable yet powerful email marketing solutions.
- AI-powered email writer – Generates email content based on simple prompts
- Subject line optimization – Creates high-performing subject lines and tests variations
- Send time optimization – Determines the best time to send emails to each contact
- Smart segmentation – Automatically groups contacts based on behavior and demographics
- Predictive contact scoring – Identifies your most engaged and valuable contacts
- Automated workflows – Creates behavior-triggered email sequences with minimal setup
Omnisend
Omnisend specializes in e-commerce email marketing with robust AI features.
- Product recommendation engine – Suggests relevant products based on purchase history
- Smart segmentation – Creates dynamic segments based on shopping behavior
- Automated workflows – Pre-built automation for cart abandonment, welcome series, and more
- Send time optimization – Determines when each subscriber is most likely to engage
- Content personalization – Dynamically customizes email content based on customer data
- Performance analytics – Uses AI to provide actionable insights on campaign performance
MailerLite
MailerLite offers intuitive email marketing with growing AI capabilities.
- AI subject line generator – Creates engaging subject lines based on email content
- AI writing assistant – Helps create and refine email copy quickly
- Smart sending – Optimizes send times based on recipient engagement patterns
- Interest category suggestions – Uses AI to identify content interests
- Engagement prediction – Forecasts which subscribers are most likely to open and click
- Automated workflows – Creates behavior-based email sequences with minimal setup
Process AI Automation for Small Business Efficiency
Beyond marketing, we’ve seen how AI automation is rapidly enhancing operational efficiency for small businesses, with studies showing that 74% of small contact centres report increased revenue after implementing AI solutions.
Meeting transcription and summarisation
Time spent in meetings represents a significant operational cost for most businesses. In our experience working with small businesses, we’ve found that AI meeting assistants have become essential productivity tools that automatically record, transcribe, and summarise conversations. These tools typically capture key points, action items, and decisions, allowing team members to remain fully engaged during discussions rather than taking notes.
AI meeting assistants deliver impressive time savings—studies indicate that using AI transcription can reduce meeting documentation time by over 80%. For instance, one insurance company reduced their analysis time from eight hours to just 30 minutes using AI summarisation tools.
The main advantages include:
- Searchable transcripts that eliminate the need to rewatch entire recordings
- Automated action item extraction for improved accountability
- Speaker recognition and sentiment analysis
- Integration with CRM systems for streamlined information flow
Recommended AI Meeting Assistant Tools
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies has established itself as one of the most comprehensive AI meeting assistants available, with powerful features for transcription, summarization, and knowledge management.
- AI Notetaker Bot – Automatically joins scheduled meetings to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations
- Highly Accurate Transcription – Over 90% accuracy with speaker identification and timestamps
- AI Super Summary – Generates customizable, detailed meeting summaries with key points and action items
- AskFred AI Assistant – Answers questions about meeting content, finds specific information, and generates follow-up materials
- Real-Time Collaboration – Create bookmarks, soundbites, and comments during live meetings
- Extensive Integration Capabilities – Connects with CRMs, project management tools, and collaboration platforms
- Smart Search – Powerful search functionality to find specific information across all meeting recordings
Fathom
Fathom offers a robust free plan with an intuitive interface, making it an excellent entry point for teams looking to implement AI meeting assistance.
- Multi-Language Support – Accurately transcribes and takes notes in 28 different languages
- Meeting Templates – 14 specialized templates for different meeting types (available on team plans)
- AI Meeting Summaries – Provides concise overviews highlighting key discussion points
- Ask Fathom – Interactive AI assistant that answers questions about meeting content
- Video Recording – Captures audiovisual content for complete meeting documentation
- Clip Creation – Generates short, shareable audio snippets from important moments
- Platform Compatibility – Works seamlessly with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet
Otter.ai
Otter.ai pioneered AI meeting transcription and continues to innovate with advanced features for teams seeking detailed meeting insights.
- Live Transcription – Real-time speech-to-text conversion with high accuracy
- AI-Powered Meeting Summaries – Automatically generates concise overviews of key points
- Otter AI Chat – Get instant answers about meeting content through conversational interface
- Mobile App Support – Strong mobile functionality for on-the-go access
- Channel Creation – Organize meetings into dedicated spaces for different teams or projects
- Automatic Speaker Identification – Clearly attributes comments to specific participants
- File Import/Export – Transcribes uploaded audio/video files and exports to various formats
tl;dv
tl;dv (too long; didn’t view) specializes in making video meetings more accessible and actionable with powerful search and organization features.
- AI-Powered Search – Advanced search functionality across meeting video content
- Multi-Language Support – Transcribes meetings in over 30 languages
- Video Clipping – Creates shareable video highlights from key moments
- Customizable AI Notes – Generates tailored meeting summaries based on preferences
- Cross-Meeting Insights – Filters organizational meeting libraries for broader patterns
- Scheduled Reports – Automatically generates and distributes meeting reports
- Extensive Integration Options – Connects with CRMs, Slack, Notion, and other tools via Zapier
Customer service automation with chatbots
AI-powered chatbots have fundamentally changed customer service operations for many small businesses. These tools handle routine inquiries, freeing human agents to focus on more complex issues. Research shows that 60-80% of customer inquiries are repetitive and AI chatbots can independently resolve over 80% of customer issues.
The business impact is substantial—companies using chatbots typically reduce customer support costs by 30-40%. Additionally, chatbots deliver consistent 24/7 availability across multiple channels, ensuring your customers receive immediate assistance regardless of time zone or business hours.
It can be quite common for small businesses to hesitate implementing chatbots due to concerns about customer experience, but we’ve observed that when implemented properly, they can actually improve customer satisfaction by providing instant responses to common questions.
Recommended AI Powered Chatbots
LiveChatAI
LiveChatAI has established itself as one of the most accessible AI customer support solutions specifically designed for small businesses.
- Intuitive Setup – No coding required to create and deploy a functional chatbot
- Contextual Understanding – Comprehends customer queries with advanced natural language processing
- Multilingual Support – Communicates effectively in multiple languages
- Seamless Human Handoff – Transfers complex conversations to human agents when necessary
- Customizable Templates – Pre-built conversation flows for common small business scenarios
- Analytics Dashboard – Tracks chat performance and customer satisfaction
Tidio
Tidio offers a powerful yet user-friendly chatbot solution with a generous free tier that’s particularly well-suited for small business websites and online stores.
- Visual Chatbot Builder – Creates conversation flows with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Pre-built Templates – Offers industry-specific templates for quick deployment
- E-commerce Integration – Connects seamlessly with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce
- Lead Generation Tools – Captures visitor information and qualifies prospects
- Multi-channel Support – Works across website, Facebook Messenger, and email
- Visitor Tracking – Monitors user behavior to trigger relevant chatbot responses
ManyChat
ManyChat specializes in conversational marketing across multiple channels, with a focus on social media platforms.
- Visual Flow Builder – Creates complex conversation paths without coding
- Omnichannel Presence – Operates across Instagram, Facebook Messenger, SMS, and email
- E-commerce Features – Supports product browsing, cart management, and checkout assistance
- Audience Segmentation – Creates personalized experiences based on user attributes
- Campaign Automation – Schedules and sends targeted messages to specific audience segments
- CRM Integration – Connects with popular customer relationship management tools
Landbot
Landbot differentiates itself with highly interactive, conversational interfaces that feel more engaging than traditional chatbots.
- No-code Builder – Creates sophisticated conversational flows without technical expertise
- Conditional Logic – Personalizes conversations based on user responses
- WhatsApp Integration – Extends chatbot functionality to WhatsApp Business
- Advanced Form Building – Collects and validates user information conversationally
- Human Agent Collaboration – Smoothly transitions between AI and human support
- API Connectivity – Integrates with various business tools and databases
ChatBot by LiveChat
ChatBot provides an enterprise-level solution scaled for small business needs and budgets.
- Story Builder – Creates conversational scenarios with a visual interface
- Natural Language Understanding – Interprets user intent even with varied phrasing
- AI Learning – Improves responses over time based on conversations
- Knowledge Base Integration – Pulls information from your help center or FAQs
- Multi-platform Support – Works across web, mobile, and social media
- Detailed Analytics – Provides insights into chatbot performance and user satisfaction
In Summary
AI automation has become essential for small businesses looking to compete effectively in the digital landscape. Through strategic implementation across email marketing, content creation, social media management, and analytics, you can significantly reduce operational costs while improving marketing effectiveness. We’ve also seen how process automation tools like AI meeting assistants help streamline day-to-day operations, saving valuable time and resources.
Small businesses that embrace AI automation now will gain a significant competitive advantage against larger competitors who may be slower to adapt or optimise their AI implementation.
To recap, our recommended approach can be distilled into the following best practices:
- Start with one key area where AI could make the biggest impact
- Choose tools that specifically align with your business needs and budget
- Begin with small implementations and gradually expand your AI capabilities
- Remember that AI should enhance human creativity, not replace it
- Focus on using the time saved through automation for strategic growth activities
If you’d like to discuss some specific AI automation strategies that your business could use then get in touch with us.
We can help you identify the most suitable tools and implementation approaches based on your unique requirements and goals.
Our Digital Marketing Automation Services
We can set up AI-based automation processes for you to run your digital marketing in various channels.
Disclaimer: In our content we may include recommendation links to other products and services that we may earn affiliate commissions on (with no extra cost to you, the reader).
