This is a guest post from Luke Heinecke, Founder of Linear.
Remember when SEO meant hours of reviewing spreadsheets, manually optimizing meta titles, and burning the midnight oil to write long-form content? Don’t you miss those days? Yeah, neither do I. Let me tell you – the game has changed. And AI is the solution we’ve all been waiting for.
I’ll be honest. I was skeptical at first. Another tech buzzword, right? But after digging in and testing dozens of AI tools, I’m a believer. These things have transformed how we work – they’re supercharging our productivity, creativity and most importantly – our bottom line.
Alright agency warriors – let’s talk about the elephant in the room. AI. It’s not just a buzzword anymore; it’s the secret sauce disrupting marketing as we know it. Remember when everything was manual data crunching, endless A/B testing, and late nights trying to create that perfect ad copy? Well, kiss it all goodbye because AI says “sayonara” to all of that.
In fact – in marketing terms – AI is like having an ultra-intelligent intern who never sleeps (or complains), can process data faster than you can say “ROI” and has predictive analytics that feel like a crystal ball for customer behavior… yeah it touches every part of what we do from content creation tools that make writer’s block a thing of the past (finally!) through to curating personalized experiences at scale based on 3rd party data so good you’d swear it was 1st party… this stuff truly does make our lives easier (and our results better).
Let's face it—agencies need to keep up with clients' demands if they want their business to grow along with them. This means being able to produce more work quicker without sacrificing quality (or sanity) in order to stay ahead of the competition. AI is simply a must-have for agencies.
Here’s the thing: AI tools are making us so much more efficient it’s almost scary. Tasks that used to take days now take hours. Campaigns that were once based on gut feelings are now driven by data-backed decisions. And here’s the kicker – we can scale our operations without scaling our headcount.
But it’s not just about efficiency—AI is helping us deliver jaw-dropping results for our clients, too. I’m talking hyper-personalized campaigns that make people feel like they’re being stalked… predictive models so accurate you’d swear we had a crystal ball… and insights that unearth opportunities we never knew existed. In short, AI is making us look like superheroes in front of our clients.
I know what you’re thinking – great, another list of tools I don’t have time to learn. But hear me out because this isn’t your average listicle. These are the tried-and-true, battle-tested, desert island tools that will fundamentally change how your agency operates.
Well how did we come up with these tools you ask? Simple. We got our hands dirty. We tested dozens of AI applications, put them through their paces on real-world projects and meticulously assessed their impact on our workflow and results. So the ones that made this list aren’t just fancy names on paper – they’ve earned their stripes in the trenches of day-to-day agency life.
From SEO and content writing to managing social media and analyzing data, these 15 tools have got you covered.
So strap in and get ready for a deep dive into the AI tools that are redefining what is possible for marketing agencies around the world. Trust me by the end of this list, you will be itching to give them a try. Let’s jump right into it!
Do you remember when keyword research and content strategy used to feel like falling down a rabbit hole? Well that all changed with Adaptify SEO. This platform powered by artificial intelligence is like having an army of SEO ninjas working round-the-clock.
It automates every SEO process in your agency:
- Keyword & Content Strategy
- Content Creation & Automated Publishing
- Technical SEO Audits
- Link Building Efforts (yes, it does the email outreach and everything)
- White labeled Reporting
What excites me most about Adaptify is the quality of the results. This tool actually produces content that passes every AI detection test. It’s so powerful and yet so easy to use. You just enter a website, and bam! It spits out a detailed content plan, keyword clusters, suggestions for on-page optimization, and more.
But here’s the thing—this tool was built with Agencies in mind. The quality of the white-labeled reporting is mind-blowing. In fact, I’m not sure there’s another tool out there doing this right now. Even the big reporting-only platforms. The built-in reporting tool allows you to add your logo and brand to client reports - then takes it one step further and automatically writes a customized email to send along with the report. The emails are so well written clients won’t know you aren’t writing them yourself.
Key Takeaway: Adaptify reduces time spent on tedious SEO tasks without sacrificing quality or control. Agencies using this tool can manage more clients without hiring extra staff.
If you still start your content process with a blank page, then honestly speaking, you’re doing it wrong. Frase has completely transformed our content team.
The best part about Frase? Its AI-driven Content Brief generator. It’s like having a seasoned content strategist and an experienced SEO expert wrapped into one tool. All we do is put in our target keyword(s), then it analyzes the top-ranking content and pulls out the most relevant subtopics and questions. It even suggests a word count.
But it doesn’t just stop at following the leader. Frase helps us find content gaps that our competitors have missed. This has allowed us to create more comprehensive pieces of valuable information that both search engines and readers love.
What if we could predict the future? Well, with Pixis AI you can - kind of; at least when it comes to paid marketing campaigns.
The feature that blew my mind was its predictive performance modeling. It’s like a time machine for your marketing strategies. Pixis AI gives us an estimate of how likely our campaign will perform before we even start running them.
This has been a game-changer for managing client expectations and optimizing our strategies. No more fingers-crossed hoping for the best, now we can confidently tell clients “According to AI prediction this campaign should deliver X% ROI”. Trust me they love hearing that level of certainty from us!
But here’s one thing you need to remember: Pixis is only available for enterprise clients - but don’t worry there is a workaround. Pixis has partnered with marketing agencies to bring these tools to small and mid-sized businesses. Working with an agency could be a great choice even for larger companies because of the guidance and expertise you’ll receive. The bottom line is that you still need human intuition and innovation to come up with truly outstanding campaigns.
Has a client ever asked you, “But where are these leads actually coming from?” and you’ve felt your heart skip a beat? WhatConverts has taken care of that for us.
It’s all in the name – they offer what is arguably the most comprehensive lead attribution software on the market. Be it a call, form submission, or chat – WhatConverts tracks everything back to its original source. I’m talking about an around-the-clock detective agency for your marketing performance here.
This level of insight has revolutionized our client reporting. We’re no longer just presenting vanity metrics; we’re showing real, tangible ROI now. And as any business person reading this will know, happy clients mean bigger budgets and A LOT more upselling opportunities.
The AI comes in with their Lead Intelligence and Lead Analysis features. With them, you can use AI to automate tasks that would take hours per week to do, even for a full-scale team. Tasks like automating
Plus, their Google Ads integration lets you send only certain leads back as conversions. This basically means you can train the algorithm to target higher and higher quality leads. It’s a game-changer for Google Ads optimization.
But remember: With great power comes great responsibility. Make sure your team is ready to act on these insights. You’re not supposed to sit on all this data if you want it to optimize your strategies. But they do offer a free 14-day trial so give it a shot!
We all know that feeling when you’ve got to churn out high-quality content consistently… ahem, writer’s block much? Jasper has been our secret weapon for scaling content production since forever.
What changed the game for us was Jasper’s Boss Mode. It’s like having an incredibly intelligent intern who can take your vague ideas and turn them into fully-fledged articles. Literally everything from snappy social media posts to in-depth white papers have been produced through this feature.
But here’s the thing – Jasper isn’t designed to replace human writers at all! It’s there to supercharge them. We’ll still need our team members’ expertise on refining outputs, adding brand voice, and fact-checking information etcetera etcetera etcetera… However, thanks to it reducing our time spent creating content by 40%, we have been able to take on more clients without sacrificing quality.
Word of advice though – don’t skimp on editing. Sometimes AI-generated content can sound a little… robotic. Always give it that human touch before you hit publish.
Remember when crafting the perfect email subject line felt like cracking an ancient code? With Jacquard, that puzzle is now a precise science.
What’s truly impressive about Jacquard is its AI-driven, data-backed approach. It doesn’t just generate catchy subject lines; it uses real-world performance data to refine them continually. Since we started using this system, our open rates have soared by an average of 25% per campaign.
And it doesn’t stop there! We’ve expanded Jacquard’s use into social media posts, seeing even higher engagement levels (who knew?). Our clients were thrilled with the results, and we definitely earned some serious kudos.
Just a heads-up: while Jacquard excels at optimizing language for clicks, make sure your content delivers on its promise. Nothing disappoints more than a clickbait subject line followed by lackluster content.
I used to dread managing multiple social accounts – but then FeedHive came along and changed everything!
What we love most is its AI-driven content recommendation engine. It’s like having a dedicated team that tracks trends, analyzes successful posts, and suggests content tailored to your audience.
We have used FeedHive to rejuvenate social media accounts that had grown stale for some of our clients. In just 2 months, one B2B client saw their LinkedIn engagement triple!
Pro tip: don't rely solely on AI-generated content. Use FeedHive's suggestions as a starting point, but always add your own spin and personality to keep things authentic.
If your agency is anything like ours used to be, information is probably scattered across a million different places. Notion AI has been our savior in bringing order to the chaos.
Its knowledge management feature is my favorite thing about it; it's like having a super-smart librarian who doesn't just organize everything but also finds connections you might have missed. We use it for project management, client onboarding — you name it.
The productivity boost has been insane. No more wasted time searching for that one crucial piece of information or recreating work that already exists somewhere in the system.
But fair warning: setting up Notion AI takes some time and effort. Trust me though, it's worth it. The time you save down the road is mind-boggling.
Gone are the days when we had to choose between stock photos and expensive custom designs — Lexica Art has changed everything for us when it comes to visual content!
You know what really gets me? It's got this thing where it can customize stuff based on AI – I mean how crazy is that? I've used this feature alone tons of times already making unique visuals for social media posts, blog articles… even presentations with clients!
One travel client we had was struggling because everyone else in the industry was using the same old boring pictures — so we went ahead and created these wild dream-like scenes instead using Lexica Art – and within 3 months her followers on Instagram doubled.
Just remember though: AI art is cool, but humans are still better at being creative than machines. Use it as a tool to help your ideas come to life, not replace them altogether!
In a world where content is king, originality should be your queen. And that's where Originality AI comes in for us – it's become our go-to tool when it comes to making sure what we create is 100% authentic.
The best part about this software? It has real-time plagiarism detection built right into the system. It's literally like having an editor looking over your shoulder every step of the way while you write – I've had it catch a couple accidental duplicates that could have been really embarrassing (or even worse: legally problematic) if they went out.
But here's something even more impressive – besides catching people stealing someone else's work and claiming it as their own, Originality AI can also tell if what you wrote was by an AI or not. This has been super helpful not only when it comes to double-checking our own work but also to ensure we get what we pay for when it comes to content!
My only advice is to not let fear paralyze you into never using AI. Instead, use tools like Originality AI as a guardrail.
Ever wish you could clone your best content? Well then my friend, Lately AI might just be what you need! This nifty little tool has single-handedly changed my thoughts about repurposing old material.
The characteristic of content syndication is invaluable. Recently, we took a 5000-word whitepaper and, with only few clicks, turned it into 50 unique social media posts, 3 blog articles, and a series of email newsletters – all in one click. The time saved is incredible, but most importantly, it keeps our message consistent across every platform.
But here’s the thing: Lately AI does have a downfall. It’s amazing at repurposing what you give it, but it won’t come up with new ideas for you. Use it to amplify your best content – not as your only content strategy.
When a client says “I can’t quite describe what I want but I’ll know it when I see it,” Dall-E is our secret weapon. This AI image generator has saved us countless hours of back-and-forth with designers.
What’s mind-blowing about Dall-E? Its ability to create incredibly detailed images from simple text descriptions. We recently used this for a client in the renewable energy sector who wanted visuals that represented “the future of sustainable cities.” The futuristic cityscape that Dall-E came up with was so spot-on, the client thought we hired a concept artist!
Pro tip: Use Dall-E for initial concept generation. It’s great for brainstorming and getting ideas flowing – but for polished, brand-specific visuals, you’ll still want to involve human designers.
Finding the right talent is key to agency growth – but boy is it time-consuming! That’s where Lever comes in…
Lever simplifies the process with its AI-driven recruitment platform, which matches candidates' resumes to job descriptions, helping you quickly identify the best fit for your team. It’s like having an ultra-efficient HR team working around the clock, streamlining the hiring process from start to finish.
One thing to keep in mind though: while AI is excellent at initial screening, human judgment is still key for final hiring decisions. Use Lever to streamline your process – not replace it entirely!
Onboarding new team members and keeping everyone up-to-date with processes used to be such a headache… until we found Whale!
Its AI-powered training automation is like having a personal tutor for each team member.
Creating interactive onboarding programs becomes super easy-peasy, lemon squeezy! Since then, our newbies have been getting up to speed 30% faster than they were before!
But here’s the catch: yes, Whale can handle standardized training but let's not forget about personal mentorship value too! So, use it to handle basics, freeing up time for more meaningful one-on-one interactions.
Let's talk about one of the older AI content creation tools – Surfer SEO. Think of it as your content’s personal trainer who pushes it towards being the best version possible according to search engines’ eyes.
What makes Surfer SEO so special? It has this feature called Content Editor which is like having an SEO expert and a writing coach rolled into one because it gives you suggestions in real-time as you type. But just like a personal trainer, with Surfer you still have to put in the work.
I'll start off with a recent win. We had a client in the fitness industry who was struggling to rank for competitive keywords. Using Surfer SEO, we optimized their blog posts and in two months they were on the first page for three of their target keywords.
But here’s a bit of advice: Don’t be an SEO robot. Use Surfer as guidance, not gospel. You’re writing for humans first, search engines second. It’s all about balance! Also, keep in mind that there’s a bit of a learning curve with Surfer.
Last but not least, we have what I can only describe as the Swiss Army Knife of AI tools: ChatGPT. I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first – another chatbot? But boy, was I wrong! This tool has quickly become indispensable to us.
What makes ChatGPT truly remarkable is its ability to grasp context and produce text that feels like it was written by a real person. We've leveraged this powerhouse to build detailed customer personas, craft personalized client emails, and even develop compelling Unique Value Propositions (UVPs). But that's just scratching the surface. It’s also helped us nail down headlines, create persuasive landing page copy, and write attention-grabbing ads for both Google and Facebook. Heck, we even used it to write this paragraph, wink wink.
One of the most exciting ways we've used ChatGPT is in our ad creation process. Whether we're crafting Google Ads or Facebook Ads, ChatGPT consistently delivers copy that resonates with our target audience and drives results.
That being said, ChatGPT is incredibly powerful but not foolproof – always fact-check its outputs and add that human touch to make sure the tone aligns with your brand voice.
Pro tip: Use ChatGPT as a creative collaborator, not a replacement for human creativity. It's great at coming up with ideas or even creating first drafts, but your expertise is still needed to refine and perfect the final product. Think of it as your super-smart brainstorming buddy that’s always there with ideas when you need them.
Future Projections: The Advancement of AI in Marketing
Okay, let’s get out our crystal balls. It's time to talk about where AI is going in terms of marketing and believe me, this roller coaster ride has only just begun.
For one thing, be ready for personalized advertising on steroids. I’m talking about AI that not only segments audiences but predicts individual customer journeys with uncanny precision. Think campaigns that can adapt based on a user’s mood, location, or recent behaviors — in real time. Yes, it’s coming and it will make our current personalization efforts look like cavemen banging rocks together.
In addition to that, expect AI-powered creative to take off. No need to panic though — we’re not talking about robots replacing Don Draper here. What we mean is artificial intelligence capable of generating initial concepts, leaving us humans to refine and add the creative spark. Just recently I played around with an AI that could generate entire video storyboards from a simple prompt; mind-blowing stuff!
And voice as well as visual search are set for major growth driven by — you guessed it — AI technology again folks! If your SEO strategy isn’t already thinking about these then catch up now because mark my words: within a few years optimizing for voice and image searches will be every bit as important as keyword research is today.
But here’s my favorite part – predictive analytics are about to become a whole lot more… well… predictive! We’re moving towards AI systems that can forecast market trends based on historical data analysis alone; predict shifts in consumer behavior even before they happen let alone when these occur plus anticipate industry disruptions way ahead of time too. It’s like having an actual time machine for your marketing strategy!
Now all this may sound exciting (or terrifying), but here’s what I think: while yes the future does seem pretty rosy bright with possibilities where artificial intelligence intersects with advertising; however my hunch is that it won’t replace human creativity and intuition but rather augment them so agencies should seek to strike a balance between efficiency brought about by AI adoption and leveraging our natural ability to be creative.
Conclusion: Welcoming The AI-Powered Future (With A Human Touch)
So what does all this mean for us agency folks? We’re at a turning point in history and we need both feet on board now.
These 15+ AI tools we’ve seen are just scratching the surface. They have already revolutionized how my agency works, enabling us to scale in ways I never thought possible. We’re managing more clients, delivering better results – all without burning out the team. But it’s not about what they do, but rather how we use them.
Remember that artificial intelligence is an assistant, not a replacement for human creativity and strategic thinking. It’s here to help us do more of what we're already good at - being creative beings capable of coming up with strategies that will put people at ease while making connections between brands or products easier than before. In other words, marketing's future isn't only about computers making decisions. It’s also humans combining their unique skills with those possessed by machines which brings me back full circle once again; yes indeed ladies & gentleman — The Future Of Advertising Is Artificially Intelligent + Creativity Powered By People. That's the sweet spot!
So I dare say try one or two of these tools out for yourselves sometime soon, see how much better your workflow becomes. Also, keep alive that curiosity within yourself because even though things may change dramatically over time with regards to technological advances, none shall ever alter our duty as thinkers who work strategically while solving problems creatively - always!
Now, go out there and demonstrate the capabilities of AI efficiency mixed with human creativity. Believe me; marketing agencies have a bright future ahead and armed with these tools, they can only succeed. Let’s make this AI revolution our rocking chair!
Ready to make smarter marketing decisions with better lead data? Start your WhatConverts 14-day free trial now!
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