The power of marketing and AI in 2025.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a futuristic concept; it’s a present-day reality reshaping industries and transforming the way businesses work across the globe.

It’s become a hot topic with it being discussed by politicians, throughout the news and among your friends! We are all using it, even though we might not realise that it is AI. If you have an Alexa in your home, that’s powered by AI. When you browse through social media, you’ll see recommendations pop up, again that’s AI. 

Those are the more common ways most experience AI in day-to-day life. But it is also being used in the medical industry to detect serious conditions such as cancer, and in transportation, to detect fraud and also online shopping, the list is endless! AI really is everywhere.

It’s pretty powerful and, hence is both revered and feared – feared for its potential to disrupt industries and jobs and revered for its ability to revolutionise processes, enhance efficiency, and drive innovation.

Within the marketing industry, AI is also being utilised, which brings us to its impact on marketing and AI and how as a digital marketing agency, we are using it. AI has emerged as an incredibly useful tool, helping marketers streamline their efforts through the use of AI tools and analysing vast data sets to identify patterns and trends.

At Growth by Design, we see marketing and AI as a tactical asset, enhancing – not replacing – the creativity and expertise of marketing teams. 

In this blog, we explain the relationship between marketing and AI, exploring how we and our clients can leverage its capabilities to ensure we, and our clients, stay ahead of the game.

Marketing and AI: The role of AI in modern marketing

AI has been making waves in the news, often surrounded by both excitement and scepticism. Beyond the buzz, AI applications like generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT), predictive analytics, and AI-powered tools have become staples in marketing strategies. 

However, while AI is an excellent assistant, it’s not without its flaws. Issues such as plagiarism, repetition, inaccuracies and lack of originality in AI-generated content highlight the need for human oversight.

AI cannot create something entirely new – it relies on existing data to generate insights or content. 

To truly make the most of AI, it must be fed with clear instructions, relevant information, and strategic goals. This ensures that its outputs align with the creative vision and unique requirements of your brand.

AI and digital marketing: Why AI is a tool, not a replacement

AI’s strength lies in its ability to handle tasks that consume time and resources. From analysing customer data to summarising long-form content, it’s a powerful enabler for marketing teams to work efficiently. 

However, relying solely on AI will lead to generic content and missed opportunities for emotional connection, which are the essential elements in successful marketing campaigns.

At Growth by Design, we use AI as part of a broader toolkit to aid in tasks like:

• Generating content ideas: Brainstorming with AI tools can spark creativity.
• Enhancing SEO: AI algorithms help optimise content with keywords, alt tags for images, and structured data for voice search.
• Content repurposing: AI-driven content repurposing enables you to transform a single piece of content into several formats, helping you engage a wider audience across different platforms. For instance, a detailed blog post can be broken down into bite-sized social media posts.
• Data analysis: Predictive analytics using tools such as SEMRush provide actionable insights into customer behaviours and preferences.

Multimodal content: The future of digital marketing and AI

Multimodal content refers to content that combines text, images and video. Although we pride ourselves on keeping jargon to a minimum, they are sometimes helpful for certain marketing concepts!

As marketing trends evolve, multimodal content has become essential for customer engagement. As humans naturally process visuals faster than text, formats like TikTok videos or Instagram Reels are indispensable for reaching target audiences.

AI enhances multimodal content creation by:

• Reading visual content: AI-driven platforms can analyse images and videos, improving SEO by generating accurate metadata and subtitles.
• Streamlining production: AI tools can edit videos or refine images, saving time and boosting efficiency.
• Enhancing user experience: Personalised video recommendations or interactive content develop deeper engagement.

Incorporating multimodal content into marketing campaigns ensures brands can meet customers where they are, whether scrolling on social media, searching Google, or using voice assistants like Alexa. In short, it enables your business to have more touchpoints with prospects, and more engaging interactions with them, without the need for significantly more resource. 

How do we use multimodal content in marketing?

At Growth by Design, we utilise multimodal marketing to create impactful campaigns that blend text, imagery, and video for maximum engagement. 

Tools like ChatGPT help us brainstorm fresh ideas and refine our messaging, while we use Canva to create eye-catching visuals, from vibrant social media posts to dynamic reels. We also have an in-house graphic designer for when Canva just isn’t enough of a creative designer!

When it comes to video content, we focus on the power of visuals to grab attention and communicate messages faster than text alone. Studies show that people process visuals more quickly and effectively, making video a crucial tool in marketing. 

To ensure accessibility and boost SEO, we incorporate subtitles into every video using AI-powered tools. Subtitles help search engines understand the content and make the videos more inclusive for diverse audiences. 

This multimodal approach allows us to create cohesive, engaging, and results-driven campaigns for our clients.

Maximising efficiency: using AI in marketing

One of AI’s biggest advantages is its ability to improve efficiency. As budgets tighten and expectations increase, you want your marketing to achieve more with fewer resources.

There are indeed efficiencies that can be gained, such as in the following ways:  

• Automating repetitive tasks like scheduling social media posts.
• Enhancing decision-making with real-time analytics.
• Identifying trends that inform marketing strategies.
• Reducing backlogs in creative processes, enabling team members to focus on impactful tasks.

Marketing and AI: The buyer’s journey

Optimising the buyer’s journey is essential in 2025, as customers expect seamless, personalised experiences regardless of whether you are a global business or a local supplier. 

AI-driven features like conversational search, personalised search results, and AI overviews will dominate search engine results pages (SERPs). 

Your marketing team can leverage this shift by:

• Adapting to conversational search: Creating content with a natural tone that mimics voice interactions.
• Focusing on image search: Using alt tags and relevant keywords for visual assets.
• Enhancing real-time engagement: AI-powered chatbots provide instant support, improving customer satisfaction.

The future of marketing and AI for SMEs

AI represents enormous potential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With AI marketing tools, SMEs can level the playing field, gaining access to insights and capabilities once reserved for large corporations. 

However, success depends on using AI wisely, integrating it with human creativity, and maintaining a focus on building authentic customer relationships. 

The key points we’d like you to take away from this blog are:

• It is a tool, and it needs to be setup to deliver you the best results 
• Whoever is using it needs to be properly trained in how to use it in 
• There needs to be considerable oversight 
• There needs to be strategic direction, purpose and creativity to govern why, what and where it is even used!

At Growth by Design, we believe the future lies in multi-channel, multimodal marketing that leverages AI without losing the human touch. By combining AI’s efficiency with strategic oversight, we can create campaigns that are engaging, data-driven, and results-oriented.

Utilising marketing and AI with Growth by Design

Imagine a steady stream of local customers discovering your small business online, leading to increased traffic, higher conversions, and boosted profits. With our marketing packages for small businesses, this can become a reality! With our expertise and knowledge of the current trends, including the use of AI, we are here to help with your marketing, so you can focus on running your business and handling the enquiries that come in!

Contact us today to find out more about how Growth by Design can deliver you real business results.

Frequently asked questions

• What is multimodal content in marketing?

Multimodal content combines text, images, and videos to create engaging and dynamic marketing materials.

• Can AI replace human marketers?

No, AI is a tool that assists marketers by improving efficiency and providing insights. Human creativity and strategy remain irreplaceable.

• How can AI improve SEO?

AI enhances SEO by optimising content with keywords, metadata, and structured data for search engines.

• What are the risks of using AI in marketing?

Over-reliance on AI can lead to generic content, plagarism and missed opportunities for genuine connections with audiences. It won’t make you stand out from the crowd and could well deter prospects, especially if there are inaccuracies or errors in whatever AI has produced / done for you!

• Why is AI important for SMEs?

AI levels the playing field, giving SMEs access to advanced tools and insights that help them compete with larger brands. It enables SMEs marketing to be run more efficiently than it could be in the past – helping you get a greater return on your investment.