Marketing AI Stack

A marketing stack is the collection of tools you use to attract, engage, and retain customers. An AI-powered stack uses artificial intelligence to automate repetitive tasks, generate content faster, and optimize your efforts based on data.

The goal is not to replace your personal touch. It is to free up time so you can focus on relationships while AI handles the heavy lifting.

Every business needs tools in these six categories. Start with one tool per category and expand as you grow comfortable.

Beyond content and social media, these categories are critical for converting attention into customers.

These tools help you write everything from social captions to blog posts to client emails.

• ChatGPT (OpenAI), best for brainstorming, drafting, and versatile content creation
• Claude (Anthropic), excellent for longer content, brand voice matching, and nuanced writing
• Jasper for teams needing brand voice consistency, knowledge bases, and campaign management. Best if you have weekly content volume, multiple brands, or a team.

Use them to:

• Draft social media captions in your voice
• Write email sequences for new leads
• Create blog post outlines and first drafts
• Generate ad copy variations for testing
• Repurpose one piece of content into multiple formats

• Copy.ai for high-volume content generation and workflow automation
• Hoppy Copy specifically designed for email marketing copy
• Anyword for data-backed copywriting with predictive performance scores

Great visuals are essential for standing out online. These tools make professional design accessible without graphic design skills.

• Canva with Magic Write and AI image features, the most popular choice for social graphics, presentations, and marketing materials
• Adobe Express for brand-consistent designs with AI-powered suggestions

Use them to:

• Create social media posts and Stories
• Design email headers and banners
• Build presentations and pitch decks
• Generate carousel posts
• Resize one design for multiple platforms instantly

• ChatGPT image generation (feature availability depends on plan)
• Midjourney for high-quality, artistic image generation
• Ideogram for images with text overlays

Note: AI-generated images work well for concepts, illustrations, and creative visuals. For product photography or authentic business imagery, real photos typically perform better. Use properly licensed photos and audio, especially for paid ads.

Consistency matters more than perfection on social media. These tools help you plan, schedule, and analyse your content.

• Buffer for straightforward scheduling with AI-powered post suggestions and cross-platform analytics
• FeedHive for content recycling, conditional posting, and AI writing assistance
• Later for visual planning, especially strong for Instagram
• Flick for hashtag research, caption writing, and scheduling in one platform

• Repurpose.io automatically distributes content across platforms
• Castmagic turns podcast episodes or video into social content

Use them to:

• Batch-create a week of content in one sitting
• Find optimal posting times based on your audience
• Track which content drives engagement
• Recycle evergreen posts automatically
• Turn one video into multiple short clips

Email remains one of the highest-ROI marketing channels. AI makes it faster to write, personalise, and optimise.

• Mailchimp with AI-powered subject line suggestions, send time optimisation, and content generation
• Flodesk for beautiful, design-forward emails with simple automation
• ConvertKit for creators and entrepreneurs building audiences with landing pages and sequences
• ActiveCampaign for advanced automation and CRM integration. Best if you have weekly content volume, multiple segments, or a team.

Use them to:

• Send regular newsletters to stay top of mind
• Build automated welcome sequences for new subscribers
• Create drip campaigns for leads who enquired but did not buy
• Segment your list by interests or past purchases
• A/B test subject lines to improve open rates

• Hoppy Copy generates email copy, subject lines, and monitors competitor emails
• ChatGPT or Claude with your brand voice guidelines for custom email drafts

Short-form video is dominating social media. These tools make video creation accessible even if you have never edited before.

• CapCut free, powerful editing with AI features like auto-captions and background removal
• Descript edit video by editing the transcript, perfect for talking-head content
• Canva Video for simple social videos with templates and stock footage
• InVideo AI-powered video creation from text prompts

• Synthesia for professional videos with AI presenters, no camera required
• HeyGen for AI avatars and video translation

Use them to:

• Create Instagram Reels and TikToks
• Add captions to all videos (85% of social video is watched without sound)
• Turn testimonials into shareable clips
• Produce tutorial and how-to content
• Create product or service highlight videos quickly

Email tools are not CRMs. You need a place to track leads, enquiries, follow-ups, and referral sources.

• HubSpot free CRM with marketing features, scales to enterprise
• Zoho CRM affordable option with strong automation
• HoneyBook designed for service businesses with contracts, invoicing, and scheduling
• Dubsado similar to HoneyBook with deep customisation options

Use them to:

• Track every lead from first contact to close
• Set follow-up reminders so no one falls through the cracks
• Store client preferences and history
• Measure where your best clients come from

You need forms, a lead magnet page, and a consultation booking flow.

• Typeform for conversational, engaging forms
• Jotform for versatile forms with integrations
• Tally simple, free form builder

• Calendly the most widely used scheduling tool
• Acuity Scheduling powerful scheduling with payments and packages

For local discovery and trust, reviews matter. Make it easy for happy clients to leave them.

• Google Business Profile essential for local search visibility, free to set up and manage
• NiceJob automates review requests and manages reputation
• GatherUp review generation and monitoring platform

Quick win: Create a simple review request flow with a direct link to your Google review page. Send it to every happy client.

Most businesses need one clean link that houses all their platforms, especially for social media bios.

• Linktree the original link-in-bio tool, simple and effective
• Beacons more customisation, includes monetisation features
• Later Linkin.bio integrates with Later for shoppable Instagram feeds

Teams need a shared folder structure, naming conventions, and approved templates. This prevents “random Canva” problems where everyone creates off-brand materials.

Set up:

• A shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder with your logo, brand colours, and fonts
• Canva Brand Kit to lock in colours, logos, and fonts for your team
• Notion or a simple document listing approved templates and where to find them
• Clear naming conventions for files (e.g., “2026-01-Instagram-Post-ProductLaunch.png”)

Connect your tools so they work together without manual effort.

• Zapier connects thousands of apps, no coding required
• Make (formerly Integromat) for more complex automation workflows
• IFTTT for simple, straightforward automations

Example automations:

• New form submission automatically creates a CRM contact and sends a welcome email
• Instagram post automatically shares to Facebook and Pinterest
• New blog post automatically creates social posts and schedules them
• New sale triggers a follow-up email sequence

Understand what is working so you can do more of it.

• Google Analytics for website traffic and conversion tracking
• Metricool for social media analytics across platforms
• Sprout Social for comprehensive social analytics and reporting. Best if you have weekly content volume, multiple brands, or a team.

• Surfer SEO for content optimisation and keyword research
• Semrush for comprehensive SEO and competitive analysis
• Ubersuggest for budget-friendly keyword research

Marketing often requires clear disclosures to maintain trust and meet legal requirements.

Best practices:

• Disclose hosted stays, gifted products, and paid partnerships clearly
• Do not use client photos or testimonials without written consent
• Avoid claiming “lowest price” or “best” unless you can substantiate it
• Mark affiliate links as required by FTC guidelines
• Use properly licensed photos and music, especially in paid ads

When in doubt, disclose. Transparency builds trust.

For entrepreneurs just getting started with AI marketing.

Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus (often around $20/month) or Canva Pro (often $10-15/month) as your first paid additions.

For businesses ready to scale their marketing efforts.

For established businesses with dedicated marketing operations.

• Set up your general-purpose AI assistant (ChatGPT or Claude)
• Create a Canva account and explore templates
• Document your brand voice, colours, and fonts

• Choose and set up your social media scheduler
• Create content templates for recurring post types
• Batch-create your first two weeks of content

• Set up your email platform
• Import your contact list
• Create a welcome sequence for new subscribers
• Set up a lead capture form and connect it to your CRM

• Connect tools with Zapier automations
• Set up basic analytics tracking
• Create a weekly marketing routine
• Set up your Google Business Profile and review request flow

• Start small: Master one tool before adding another. Tool overload leads to nothing getting done.
• Batch your work: Create a week of content in one focused session rather than scrambling daily.
• Keep your voice: AI should sound like you, not like a robot. Always edit and personalise outputs.
• Repurpose everything: One blog post can become 10 social posts, an email, and a video script.
• Track what works: Check analytics monthly. Do more of what performs, less of what does not.
• Protect your data: Never paste sensitive business or customer information into AI tools.

• Publishing AI content without editing: Generic AI output hurts your brand. Always add your expertise and personality.
• Automating everything: Some touchpoints should remain personal. Automate the repetitive, keep the meaningful human.
• Ignoring analytics: Creating content without checking performance is guessing. Let data guide your strategy.
• Chasing every platform: It is better to be consistent on two platforms than inconsistent on five.
• Skipping the strategy: Tools are only as good as your plan. Know who you are targeting and what you want them to do.
• Forgetting compliance: Disclosures and permissions are not optional. Build them into your workflow.

1. Use ChatGPT to generate 10 social post ideas for your business
2. Create a Canva template for your most common post type
3. Set up Buffer or Later and schedule your next five posts
4. Write one email using AI and add it to your welcome sequence
5. Turn your best-performing post into two other formats (video, carousel, email)
6. Set up your link-in-bio with your key links
7. Create a Google Business Profile if you do not have one