Will AI Replace Marketing Jobs?

A lot of people are asking: “Will AI replace marketing jobs?”

Let’s hear what the AI tool ChatGPT has to say on the topic:

“AI technology has already begun to automate certain marketing tasks such as data analysis, ad targeting, and customer segmentation, but it’s unlikely that AI will completely replace marketing jobs. Instead, it’s more likely that AI will complement and enhance the work of marketers, allowing them to focus on higher-level strategy and creative tasks.”

You heard it from the tool itself!

I’ll explore what makes skilled marketers irreplaceable and how AI can give you a leg up.

So, there’s no need to be afraid. Let’s talk about it.

Are Marketers Afraid of AI Replacing Them: What Our Data Shows

Why are marketers afraid of AI replacing them? To find out, we surveyed 1,000 digital marketers in the U.S. All actively work in digital marketing and are either freelancers or have agency or in-house digital roles.

Here’s what we gathered from responses:

Freelancers:

• 229 people surveyed
• 56.7% think AI will replace human marketers in the near future

In-house:

• 394 people surveyed
• 56.1% think AI will replace human marketers in the near future

Digital Marketing Agency:

• 377 people surveyed
• 54.1% feel that AI will replace human marketers in the near future

The shocking thing we found was that 55.5% of people believe AI will replace human marketers in the near future.

We’ve already seen layoffs within the industry, like Buzzfeed cutting a portion of its staff due to AI. That might be why over 20% of those polled felt that AI’s biggest advantage is that it saves money on staffing and tool costs.

Almost 44% feel that AI will have a positive impact on their career, whereas nearly 30% feel there will be a negative impact. Another almost 30% predict no impact on their career.

Despite almost half of the digital marketers we surveyed feeling that AI will have a positive impact on their careers, more than half felt that AI will replace human marketers in the near future.

Now, we don’t specify in what capacity—maybe it is more entry-level roles or just fewer jobs since AI can potentially help users save time.

Another almost 40% fell into the “somewhat concerned” and “concerned” categories when asked how they felt about AI used in digital marketing.

While nearly a quarter of digital marketers felt neutral toward the integration of AI in digital marketing, there’s still a lingering thought of AI replacing marketers.

What We Learned From Our Data

When it comes to AI tech, it seems as if digital marketers are feeling mixed emotions—concern and optimism.

About 44% believe AI will positively impact their careers.

I agree with them.

The key is getting AI to work with you and not against you by learning the tools.

Marketers really do still have the upper hand here. How? By getting the most out of AI.

The most important step is to master using AI for workflow efficiency.

Get to know AI tools inside and out so you can reap the benefits of having AI as an assistant versus a threat.

Using AI To Make Yourself a Better Marketer

There’s nothing wrong with using AI to make you a better marketer.

You should always be on the lookout for new tools or learnings to grow.

How companies are using AI is increasingly important in today’s digital landscape.

AI helps marketers analyze vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, providing valuable insights into consumer behavior and market trends. They can then use this information to develop more effective marketing strategies and campaigns tailored to the needs and interests of specific audiences.

AI can also assist with creating content that resonates with consumers. Through natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms, AI can help marketers determine the language and tone that best resonates with their target audience. This leads to content that is optimized for engagement and conversion.

AI is also invaluable when it comes to speeding content creation.

McKinsey & Company reported that at least 30% of tasks at 60% of jobs have the potential to be automated. While AI can’t replace humans at work, it can help bypass that less-than-best blog post draft in the content creation process. From blog post outlines to sales emails, Notion AI has been successful at helping users do this.

Workflows can be automated using current communication and productivity solutions that use AI. For example, with the assistance of AI, marketers can dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of email marketing efforts by optimizing sending time, assessing the content of an email to decide whether it is likely to be filtered as spam, and even writing material for you.

From there, marketers can drive results by crafting more effective campaigns, with messaging that is better aligned with their audience. Tap into those qualities that make you a great content marketer.

By leveraging AI technologies, marketers can stay ahead of the curve and land the right message to the right people at the right time.

What Can AI Tools Replace?

You want to know what AI can replace?

Those everyday tasks that start to add up after a while. They usually involve:

• Repetition: AI tools can be trained to perform routine tasks that are repetitive in nature. For instance, they can be used to sort and categorize large volumes of data, generate reports, and perform quality control checks.

• Decision-making: AI tools can be used to make decisions based on data analysis and predictive modeling. This can speed up tasks such as evaluating loan applications or analyzing financial data to identify investment opportunities.

• Customer service: Did you know 41% of all business chatbots are used for sales? Companies use AI chatbots to handle many aspects of customer service, like answering frequently asked questions, handling complaints, and providing support.

Despite all they can do, AI tools can’t replace human judgment, creativity, and empathy.

So, while they can assist, use these measuring tools when you need human expertise.

AI cannot replicate the complex thinking and emotional intelligence that we possess. So, use human-AI collaboration to cut down on labor-intensive tasks. Think of AI as your co-pilot on projects. You can get the work done with AI and use your emotional intelligence and human expertise as a guide.

What Makes a Skilled Digital Marketer Irreplaceable?

A skilled digital marketer is irreplaceable because of their deep industry knowledge and ability to connect with humans on a human level. They’ll know the best ways to turn AI insights into effective marketing strategies that resonate with their target audiences.

The most skilled marketers will harness the full power of AI technology to do their jobs even better by prompting it with the right questions, keeping its outputs in check with their own expertise, and turning the content the AI provides into action. After all, humans always find ways to adapt as technology evolves.

Think of it as human expertise and curiosity working alongside AI to create the ultimate marketing team.

How?

Well, skilled marketers have the ability to create compelling, human-centric content, analyze data to identify trends and insights, and develop effective strategies for promoting brands and products across various digital channels.

As a skilled marketer, you’re constantly learning and adapting to new technologies and marketing trends. Ultimately, this is how you’ll innovate solutions to meet your clients’ needs.

You understand the importance of building strong relationships with clients. The disadvantages of AI technology reveal that AI can’t develop customized solutions that meet their unique needs. AI may have the insights, but human expertise can materialize actionable steps to achieve them.

The level of customer service and attention to detail essential to building long-term relationships with clients is another reason why us marketers can’t be replaced by AI.

To win big for our clients, we think bigger using our human curiosity as skilled digital marketers.

That’s something AI can’t take away from us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

As a fellow marketer, I understand your concerns about how AI is changing our industry.

Our survey found that marketers’ mixed emotions about AI tech range from concern to optimism.

However, about 45% believe AI can have a positive impact on their career rather than hurt it.

My advice is to try to reposition yourself as a thought leader on all things AI. Use AI as an assistant instead of viewing it as your replacement.

Human marketers are the ones doing the work, closing the deals, and maintaining client relations.

AI can’t do those things. It lacks our insights and human expertise.

That’s why AI is unlikely to replace human marketers.

But you can use AI to your advantage. Because what it can do is cut down on your workload.

Remember, you are the intelligence behind the AI. It’s trained on knowledge humans amassed, after all. How you use it is what will set you apart from other marketers.

I want to hear from you: Will AI replace marketing jobs?