AI Tools Worth Knowing: What I Shared at a Marketing Event

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at Marketing Next: Thriving in an AI World, hosted by the University of St. Thomas. As part of our session, we were asked to put together a list of tools, resources, and advice for marketers navigating AI right now. I thought I’d share my list with you, in case it helps you experiment, strategize, or simply stay curious.

ChatGPT & CustomGPTs
No surprise here—CustomGPTs have been a game-changer for automating repetitive work and creating consistent outputs.

NotebookLM
Google’s experimental tool for organizing research and summarizing documents is surprisingly useful for marketers managing complex info.

Canva
Still one of the best options for quick design work and social media assets, now with integrated AI features.

💡 More Favorites You Might Not Have Tried

🎙️ Descript
Edit your video or podcast by editing text—just like a Word doc. Bonus features: AI overdubs and gaze correction (yes, really).

📹 OpusClip
Automatically turns long-form videos into short, social-ready clips. A huge timesaver for content repurposing.

🧠 Gemini
Great for brainstorming, especially when you want a second (or third) opinion outside the OpenAI ecosystem.

🎬 Runway
Video generation with AI that feels like the future arrived early. Ideal for visual marketers or experimental creators.

📊 HubSpot’s Breeze Copilot
I use this for competitor analysis—it’s fast, accurate, and shows you tech stacks in seconds.

🤖 Salesforce Einstein AI
Great enterprise-level AI toolset, especially if you’re already in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Resources Worth Your Time

🎧 Marketing AI Institute
Their weekly podcast and free webinars are my go-to for staying up to speed in this fast-moving space.

📖 Genius Makers by Cade Metz
A fascinating origin story of modern AI, full of characters, rivalries, and insights.

🎓 Google Cloud’s Free ML & AI Certification
A solid, free intro to how machine learning models actually work. No coding experience needed.

One Last Bit of Advice

When prompting tools like ChatGPT, try using voice input or dictation. Speak like you’re handing off a project to a colleague or an intern — this naturally adds helpful context, tone, and nuance. It’s one of the easiest ways I’ve found to get better responses without being overly formal or mechanical.

What About You?

I’ve tried Jasper and Writer, but I’ve personally found ChatGPT gives me better, more flexible results. Have you tried other tools that really clicked for your workflow? Hit reply—I’d love to trade notes.

Thanks for reading, and stay curious.
—Dave

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