The Intern You Never Knew You Had: How to Use Generative AI in Marketing
- Dorien Morin-van Dam
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Generative AI isn’t just a buzzword anymore. It’s a powerhouse of productivity for marketers, freelancers, and small business owners who are ready to work smarter, not harder. But with so many tools, terms, and tactics floating around, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
In this episode of Strategy Talks, Dorien Morin-van Dam chats with AI thought leader Christopher S. Penn, co-founder and Chief Data Scientist at Trust Insights. Christopher demystifies the evolving landscape of generative AI, offering marketers and business owners a crystal-clear look at how to leverage this tech to boost creativity, efficiency, and results without compromising data privacy or legal safety.
LISTEN TO THE STRATEGy TALKS PODCAST WITH GUEST CHRISTOPHER S. PENN HERE
Meet Christopher S. Penn
Christopher S. Penn is a globally recognized keynote speaker and seven-time IBM Champion in Data & AI. With over a decade of experience in AI and marketing, he’s helped brands like McDonald’s, Cisco, and GoDaddy build AI-powered systems that deliver real ROI. As co-host of Marketing Over Coffee and author of multiple books including AI for Marketers, he’s on a mission to help businesses unlock the full potential of their data through practical AI strategies.
What Is Generative AI (And Why Should You Care)?
Let’s start with the basics. Generative AI refers to a category of AI tools that can perform tasks like:
Summarization
Content rewriting
Data extraction
SWOT analysis
Email writing
Code generation
Strategic synthesis
Think of it like this: generative AI is your smartest, most forgetful intern. If you give it clear, structured input like background context, a task goal, and some relevant data it can output meaningful, usable content.
But if you just bark a vague command like “write me a strategy,” expect generic results.
✅ Tip: Approach AI like you would delegate to a human: give context, expectations, and resources.
How to Use Generative AI in Marketing Workflows
Christopher laid out powerful, real-world applications for how marketers are (and should be) using generative AI today.
1. Research and Strategy Support
AI tools can quickly summarize reports, compare competitors, and point out strategy gaps — especially when you're juggling dozens of ideas.
“Turn on a voice memo, speak your marketing plan, then ask AI: ‘What’s missing?’ You’ll be shocked at the insight it gives back.” — Christopher Penn
2. Content Creation (With Caution)
While AI can draft blogs, emails, or social captions, Christopher emphasizes legal and copyright issues. Content fully generated by AI isn’t copyrightable in most countries.
So how do you use it ethically?
Use AI to brainstorm, edit, or polish your own ideas
Feed it human-generated transcripts or outlines
Always document the creation process for transparency
3. Data Analysis and Report Writing
AI may not be great at counting, but it excels at summarizing processed data. Once you’ve run the numbers, hand off the results to AI to turn raw tables into polished, client-ready insights.
Christopher uses this approach with SEO tools like Ahrefs to generate quick, readable reports.
4. Client Communication and Transparency
With regulations like the EU AI Act, marketers need to be up-front about when and how they use AI.
Tell clients what tasks AI helps with
Document AI usage in reports and deliverables
Update contracts with clear language about AI involvement
This builds trust and keeps you legally covered.
What About Data Privacy?
Here’s a golden rule straight from Christopher:
“If you ain’t paying, your data is the payment.”
Free AI tools often use your inputs to train future models. That’s risky if you're uploading confidential business information.
Tips for staying secure:
Use paid tools with strong privacy policies
Read (or ask AI to summarize) the privacy terms
For sensitive data, use local models run directly on your computer
Need privacy and power? Consider investing in a GPU-heavy machine or waiting for affordable desktop AI appliances like NVIDIA’s upcoming Project Digits.
The Future: Smarter Models, Better Results
Today’s AI is the worst it will ever be — and that’s saying something. Tools are improving daily, with smarter "reasoning models" that can critique your work, not just spit out bland copy.
Look out for features like:
AI that watches your workflow and suggests improvements (e.g., Google Gemini)
Models that build "virtual customers" based on LinkedIn profiles or CRM data
Real-time coaching from AI embedded into your workplace tools
“We built a virtual customer that lives in our Slack channel. Anyone on our team can ask it what it thinks of a blog post or campaign idea.” — Christopher Penn
So… Should You Learn to Use Generative AI?
Short answer: Yes.
Whether you’re a solo creator or part of a growing team, understanding how generative AI fits into your business can give you a serious edge.
AI can:
Help you ideate faster
Enhance your marketing strategy
Save hours on repetitive tasks
Keep you competitive in a fast-changing landscape
But it’s not all or nothing. Start with the tasks you don’t like doing like summarizing reports or drafting outlines and go from there.
Want to Go Deeper?
Christopher S. Penn shares regular insights via his newsletter at ChristopherSPenn.com and his firm’s site, TrustInsights.ai. You can also join his free Slack group, Analytics for Marketers, for real-time AI marketing conversations.
This article answers these questions:
“How can I use generative AI for my email marketing strategy?”
“What’s the best AI tool for writing SEO reports?”
“Can you help me build a content strategy using AI?”
“Review this blog post and suggest edits based on my ideal customer.”
“Summarize this data table and suggest marketing insights.”
“What are the copyright laws around AI-generated content?”
“How can I disclose AI use to clients in my reports?”
“Compare top AI models for small business use.”
“How do I set up a private AI model on my own hardware?”
“Create a checklist for safely using generative AI in marketing.”
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