AI in Small Team Marketing: What Works, What Doesn’t
Categories Digital marketing, Everything0 Comments
Let me guess: you’re spinning ten marketing plates at once – writing content, tweaking ad copy, updating the website, answering emails, scheduling social, juggling data, and somewhere in between… trying to be creative.
Same.
I work in a small marketing team (read: there are two of us, and we both wear many hats). And I’ll be real with you: when AI started trending, I didn’t roll my eyes; I leaned in.
Here’s what I’ve learned as an early adopter: AI can absolutely boost your output and save your sanity… if you use it the right way.
So if you’re wondering What’s actually working? What’s fluff? What should I avoid like the plague?—pull up a chair, because I’m breaking it all down.
What’s working (and saving me hours)
1. Reusable Prompts = My Secret Weapon
ChatGPT is basically my co-pilot (no pun intended). But not for “write a blog post” vibes. I’ve created a bank of prompt templates that help me:
- Turn blog posts into LinkedIn content
- Write five variations of an EDM subject line
- Summarise a webinar into a shareable email
I feed it the raw input, run the prompt, and boom—instant first draft. That’s 15 minutes saved per task, thank you very much.
2. Notebook LM for note summarising
Shared processes are incredibly valuable but can also take so much time to create. Using transcripts from online training sessions to turn them into solutions has been a real game changer.
3. AI notetakers (still deciding which one)
If, like me, you find notetaking hampers your ability to be present in meetings, then AI notetakers will be your best ally.
What doesn’t work for me
1. One-click social captions
I’ve tested a few “auto-caption” tools that promised to write all my content. The results? Bland, generic, and totally off-brand. If you care about voice, skip it. Or at least plan to edit heavily.
2. Touching sensitive data
Anything with sales numbers or personal info? Not going near AI with it for the moment.
3. Full automation? Not so fast.
Some people want AI to replace everything. But creativity? Brand storytelling? Emotional connection? That still needs you. AI can support, but it can’t lead.
My AI stack (tried, tested, trusted… for now)
If you’re curious what tools I actually use on the regular, here’s the line-up:
- Grammarly Pro: Polishing content, brand tone, AI/plagiarism checks
- NotebookLM: Outlining, note summarising, transforming training sessions into written processes, solutions and FAQs
- ChatGPT: Content ideation, tone tuning, “roasting” and repurposing
- Prompt templates: My secret sauce for faster content workflows
- AI Notetaker(s): I’ve given Fathom AI and am now testing tl;dv
If you’re just starting with AI…
The biggest mistake small teams make with AI? Avoiding it out of overwhelm. Or worse, pretending they’re not using it at all. You don’t have to master every tool, but ignoring AI won’t make it go away.
Don’t try to automate everything overnight. Embrace transparency, start with one use case, develop your prompting skills, and share what you learn with your team.
Build from there.
Final Thought
I’m still experimenting, and I use my judgment every step of the way. But with the right setup, AI has become a quiet but powerful co-worker, letting me focus on the creative, strategic stuff I actually enjoy.
Want to steal my prompt templates or get a peek at my content workflow? Just say the word. I’m happy to share.
Photo by Daniel Dan