I recently watched a fascinating backstage conversation from HubSpot’s Intel 2025 featuring Kipp Bodnar and Kieran Flanagan from Marketing Against the Grain. Their insights on AI applications for marketers struck me as both practical and urgent. What caught my attention was how many skilled marketers are still missing out on these game-changing AI opportunities.
Two specific AI applications stood out that every marketer should implement immediately – yet many aren’t. Let me share my thoughts on why these matter and how you can get started.
AI Engine Optimization (AEO) Is No Longer Optional
Kipp Bodnar shared a telling conversation with a talented marketer who admitted they weren’t tracking AI visibility or implementing AEO strategies. His reaction? “Oh, boy. Okay, tomorrow, tonight, you need to start going with AEO.”
I couldn’t agree more. The time for waiting on AEO has passed. Just as SEO became essential for online visibility years ago, AEO is now critical for ensuring your content appears in AI-generated responses.
What surprises me is how many marketers recognize this need but haven’t taken action. If you’re in this camp, here’s my advice:
- Start tracking your visibility in AI responses immediately
- Find a tool that monitors how your content performs in AI systems
- Begin optimizing content for AI consumption patterns
The companies that move quickly on AEO will gain significant advantages as AI continues reshaping how people find information. Those who delay will find themselves playing catch-up in an increasingly competitive space.
AI for Rapid Feedback Loops
The second insight from Kieran Flanagan was equally valuable – using AI for instant feedback on marketing materials. This approach transforms how we can test and refine our messaging.
“My number one thing is using AI to get really rapid feedback on my ideas. So, set up a cloud project with everything I know about my customer and then whether it’s an email, a web page, a presentation, just upload that and be like, pretend you’re the customer and give me the feedback.”
This strategy allows marketers to cycle through iterations quickly, making the final content much stronger. As Kipp noted, it’s essentially “free market research” – both cost-effective and instant.
I’ve implemented this approach in my own work and seen dramatic improvements in response rates. The process is straightforward:
- Create a detailed customer profile in your AI system
- Upload your draft marketing materials
- Ask the AI to respond as your target customer would
- Refine based on feedback and repeat
What makes this approach so powerful is how it compresses the feedback cycle from days or weeks to minutes. You can test multiple approaches before finalizing any customer-facing materials.
Taking Action Today
The common thread in both these recommendations is urgency. These aren’t future considerations – they’re competitive advantages available right now that many marketers haven’t seized.
My experience has shown that early adoption of new marketing technologies consistently delivers outsized returns. The window where these tools provide significant advantages over competitors won’t stay open forever.
If you haven’t started implementing AEO or using AI for rapid feedback, make it your priority this week. The tools are accessible, the learning curve is manageable, and the potential impact on your marketing effectiveness is substantial.
The two-step playbook from Marketing Against the Grain offers a clear starting point: track and optimize for AI visibility, and use AI to get rapid feedback on your marketing materials. These simple steps could dramatically improve your marketing outcomes in the coming months.
Don’t be the marketer who knows they should be doing this but hasn’t started yet. The time to act is now.
