Ask Yext: AI Questions Marketers Are Too Afraid to Ask

Welcome to Ask Yext – a blog series where Yext-perts answer burning questions about trending topics submitted by marketers.

Today's topic: AI

AI is everywhere. It's reshaping how brands connect with customers and how marketers do their jobs. But while it can do very cool things (as showcased while dominating the stage at CES this year), AI can also be intimidating – and many of us are still sorting out how it fits into our broader marketing strategy.

AI questions we'll tackle today:

• Is AI going to take my marketing job?

• Do I need to be a data scientist to use AI in marketing?

• Be honest: will using AI make marketing feel robotic?

• What's the best way to get started with AI?

• Can using AI help my brand stay competitive?

Let's lead with the one keeping all of us up at night…

Our sources say no. AI isn't designed to replace creative or strategic thinking; it's built to make creative, strategic thinkers more efficient and effective. Think of it as a malleable, hyper-motivated, wicked smart-but-learning intern. It's great at 'exploratory' work and is happy to take on menial tasks – researching things, analyzing data, making lists, identifying trends, brainstorming subject line ideas. Most importantly, it frees you up to focus on high-impact work.

Our advice? Replace fear with curiosity. Start asking questions and explore how much AI can do.

Definitely not. As a marketer, your role is to use AI to make your jobs easier — not to build the AI itself.

When AI initially launched, talk of 'prompt engineer' jobs was rampant and many users struggled to extract stellar outputs – but things improved quickly. Now, AI-driven search tools like ChatGPT are super intuitive. Just pop your cursor in that chat box and talk to it like you'd talk to a colleague.

Many software companies are also using AI to power tools that help marketers achieve specific goals — like optimizing online business listings or analyzing customer sentiment in reviews. These user-friendly AI features are designed for the masses (no coding expertise or machine learning Ph.D. required).

Not if you use it right. This question strikes fear into the hearts of many-a-marketer. When you live in a world built on creativity (with a healthy dash of strategy), using prompts to generate ideas can feel very unnatural. But when used thoughtfully, AI can actually help you come up with more effective ideas.

The key to minimizing robo-content is to use AI as a sounding board. Rather than running with a hunch, provide AI with context on what you're trying to achieve and ask it to help you pinpoint prospect pain points and preferences that will resonate. You get to dig in without spending hours on research, then can use what you learn to craft authentic, hyper-relevant, high-engagement messaging.

Also, treat your AI like you treat your sourdough starter: feed it regularly. Providing style preferences will help your AI tool of choice — be it Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT (aka ChattyG) — how to 'speak' in your voice.

Start small and stay focused. AI doesn't have to transform your entire marketing strategy overnight. You can take a piecemeal approach to adopting it into your day-to-day workflow.

Start by picking one pain point you've been meaning to address and test an AI solution. For example, if you're struggling to drive engagement on social for particular locations, ask AI to compare what top local competitors are doing that's working, then use what it finds to suggest topics or styles you can test. Analyze your results, then think of other use cases that could benefit from a similar fix. The key to success is to focus on how AI can solve real problems, not just adopt it for the sake of saying you did.

It absolutely can. Customers expect personalized experiences, fast answers, and seamless interactions, and AI is quickly becoming table stakes for marketing teams attempting to deliver at scale. Brands that are using AI effectively to meet customer expectations – especially in industries slow to adapt to change, like financial services and healthcare – definitely have an opportunity to outshine competitors and differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

At the end of the day, AI isn't something to fear. It's a powerful tool that can help you enhance your marketing efforts – as long as it's used strategically and responsibly. By asking the right questions and embracing its potential, you can unlock new ways to connect with customers, drive results, and stay ahead of the competition. To start, learn more about how search has changed and what you need to do to stay ahead of the curve.