The Best of AI & Marketing Compilation

This Week

Zero to Unicorn turns one this week!

It’s hard to believe I’ve published a year’s worth of AI and marketing insights and that you’ve read 12 months' worth of frameworks, use cases, and tool tips. 

To celebrate, I’ve compiled the most popular and highest engagement pieces since Zero to Unicorn’s inception. 

Thanks for sticking with me. 

What Writing an AI Newsletter For a Year Taught Me

Last year, I launched Zero to Unicorn as a way to share my excitement about AI and how it was changing my work as a marketer. What began as a passion project quickly became a huge part of my life. 

Now, a year later, I'm reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Here they are:

1. I've gained a deep knowledge of AI, but I still feel like there’s so much more to learn. There’s no finish line in this race (unlike my half marathon!), so I better enjoy the view as I go.

2. Consistency is key. Showing up every week to research, experiment, test, and then write a newsletter about AI it isn't easy. Serious grit is required. 

3. Reader feedback and engagement are my fuel. Your questions, comments, and encouragement keep me going. It reminds me of the time I completed the NYC Half Marathon: I almost dropped out at mile 10, but the spectators on the sidelines kept cheering me on and helped push me to the finish line. 

4. Don’t rely only on external validation. I had wild dreams of the newsletter reaching millions of subscribers, earning thousands in sponsor revenue, and being featured on the Today Show. While I wouldn’t say no to Hoda Kotb, it’s more important that I produce content you find helpful.

5. I've met so many incredible people who share my passion for AI and how it's changing the way we work—thank you to everyone who’s cheered me on, answered my endless questions and shared my content.

My Top Medium Story

How to Build an Outbound Sales Strategy Using AI

My article about using AI for outbound sales topped my medium charts with more than 1,000 reads:

When I joined a Series A company as a solo marketing department, I was overwhelmed by the endless tasks of campaign development, demand generation, sales enablement, and lead qualification. Managing email cadences and coordinating with sales teams was challenging and time-consuming, making me long for more efficient tools.

AI tools offer strategies to optimize outbound sales efforts, such as automated lead scoring, tailored prospect journeys, and chatbots for pre-qualification.

You can read the full article on Medium. 

My Top LinkedIn Post

It turns out my parable of show jumping and doing hard things makes for a popular LinkedIn post:

I’ve always been a fan of doing hard things, but competing in an equestrian show jumping event might top the list of craziest things I’ve attempted.

I’ve always loved horses, but it’s an expensive and difficult sport. For years, I was happy with the odd trail ride or lesson.

When my husband (unexpectedly) fell in love with riding, I decided it was time to commit and found a horse of my own. Even then, I was content to muddle around at the barn on weekends. Then, my trainer started pushing me to compete, and my fellow riders from the barn piled on. My husband said it would be a great learning experience.

So, this weekend, I took the plunge and entered my first equestrian show.

It was terrifying and exhausting. I made a lot of mistakes. I was completely overwhelmed for the first entire day.

But then, a funny thing happened.

The more I entered the arena, the easier it got. By the end of the week, I was enjoying myself. I nabbed a first-place ribbon and reserve champion badge. Yes, I was competing at the beginner level, but after all the years of practice and hard work, it felt like a major achievement.

I wanted to share this story because it reminds me of all the other difficult things we tackle in life: building a career, getting a degree, learning a new skill, mastering new tools and technology.

The world is changing so fast now.

AI is impacting jobs and demanding new skill sets. It can be scary and difficult to figure out what comes next. But whatever you’re working at, if you do it with dedication, you’ll be amazed at where you end up.

You might even get a fancy certificate or ribbon of your own to hang on the wall!

My Top Tool Recommendations

If you're like me, you probably feel like you're drowning in AI tools today. There are just so many.

As a marketer with 20+ years of experience, I'm no stranger to researching and implementing new technologies, but the pace of innovation now is staggering. How do you keep up?

I've taken it upon myself to curate a list of marketing-focused AI tools that improve my productivity, creativity, and efficiency. Oh, and I favor the ones that are free or budget-friendly. 🤑

Here are a few of my recent favorites:

1️⃣ Leadfeeder: This tool is like having a crystal ball 🔮 that reveals who's visiting your website and what they're interested in. It's a game-changer for lead generation. Check it out here: https://www.leadfeeder.com/

2️⃣ Adroll: If you're struggling with retargeting ads, Adroll is a great solution. It uses AI to optimize your ads and reach customers who showed interest in your products. Dive in here: https://www.adroll.com/

3️⃣ Hubspot: This is your all-in-one marketing tool. From managing your CRM to automating your marketing efforts, Hubspot does it all with a touch of AI magic. Discover more here: https://www.hubspot.com/

I know this is only three out of the thousands available, but I'll be posting more soon! And tell me in the comments what other AI tools I should check out and add to my list. 🤖

My Top Download

This resource is specifically designed for forward-thinking marketers, innovative content creators, and savvy business owners who are ready to integrate artificial intelligence's transformative power into their copywriting processes.

Why This Spreadsheet?

• Handpicked Tools: Each tool has been carefully selected based on performance, user-friendliness, and innovative features, ensuring you get access to the crème de la crème of AI copywriting technology.

• Easy Comparison: Find detailed comparisons on key features, pricing, and unique selling points, enabling you to make informed decisions that align with your specific marketing goals.

• Time-Saving Resource: Say farewell to the hassle of sifting through endless options. Our spreadsheet offers a consolidated, at-a-glance view of the top AI tools in the market.

You can download the guide at Gumroad.

My Top Framework

Are you feeling let down by the outputs from your AI tool? If so, it's time to reconsider your approach.

GenAI, while impressive, isn't a magic wand. Its effectiveness relies on how we use it. The key is to understand its capabilities and limitations and then integrate it appropriately into our workflows.

Here's how to shift your perspective for better outcomes:

1️⃣ Set Realistic Expectations: AI tools are powerful, but they have their limitations. Know what it can and cannot do.

2️⃣ Be Specific in Your Inputs: Clarity and detail in your requests can significantly improve the quality of AI outputs. OpenAI has a great prompting guide if you need help crafting your inputs.

3️⃣ Learn the Tool: Familiarize yourself with the features and best practices of your AI tool. Knowing its quirks and abilities will give you a deeper understanding and lead to better results.

4️⃣ Iterate: Use AI outputs as a starting point, not the final product. Refine and iterate based on the initial results. Add your personal touch.

5️⃣ Combine AI with Human Expertise: Studies show that AI works best (improving your output by 40%) when paired with human judgment and creativity. If you let AI take over, you'll perform worse.

Remember, AI is a tool meant to augment our capabilities, not replace them. By adjusting our approach and expectations, we can unlock AI's true potential in our professional endeavors and make our work that much easier.

My Favorite Podcast

I was thrilled to be a guest on the FutureCraft Marketing podcast with hosts Erin Mills and Ken Roden. In this episode, we talked about how artificial intelligence is changing jobs and creating new opportunities for marketers.

We explored how marketers can use AI to become more efficient and creative in their work and that, despite the rise of AI, human collaboration and involvement are still essential for success.

Whether you're an experienced marketer or just starting out, the FutureCraft marketing podcast is a weekly must-listen!

You can find all the episodes on your favorite podcast platform or here on YouTube.

My Top Promotion

As they say, the journey is always better when you have company. Liza and I have worked with so many diverse teams, learning and applying AI to their work. Researching and advising on AI is fun and fascinating, but seeing it transform people’s work and lives is the true payoff.  

AI strategies are evolving fast. Worried your team isn't keeping up?

We can help you bridge the gap.

Join our AI Adoption Accelerator program.

Your team will learn practical AI strategies that transform them into a strategic powerhouse. Explore how to leverage AI for content creation, strategic planning, search strategy, product marketing, growth marketing, demand generation, research & data analysis, automation, personalization, and more.

This program is ideal for marketing leaders across fields, with in-person, virtual, or hybrid options available.

Start your AI journey with us, and you'll turn inspiration into actionable success.

To learn more about our program and applied AI workshops for specific marketing functions and roles visit A25.