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Hey Exit Five newsletter readers.

Dave here. I told Dan I was going to write about AI this week and I hope you don’t mind.

Why B2B Marketers Should Start Obsessing Over AI

I know. I know. AI in marketing is everywhere right now… and there’s skepticism about how much of an impact it can really have. But I think this is our opportunity.

I am bullish on AI changing the game for marketers like you and me.

As marketing pros, one of the keys to advancing our careers is to identify and seize opportunities in emerging trends. The early adopters among us often grab significant advantages (and shoot, I’ve rarely been an early adopter. Maybe just on LinkedIn. Every other trend I have moved second!)

Embracing AI now could offer you a chance to outpace the competition, drive better marketing results, and (most importantly maybe) get time back in your day to spend on stuff that actual deserves your brain power.

This isn't about following a trend; it's about strategically positioning yourself and your business for success in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

“Yeah dude but I’ve tried AI and my AI copy sucks.”

Sure - if you write a simple prompt, you’ll get back some 6 out of 10 copy from ChatGPT and not be happy with it (and I worry about what happens when all of the companies in your space start sending the same generic copy in their emails and social) but if you really go deep right now with AI tools I think you’re creating an advantage for yourself.

Learn how to write prompts. Make using a tool like ChatGPT part of your daily workflow; try using it to help clarify your thinking, do some research, or help you move from 0 to 1 on an idea.

For example, this week I was laying out some options for an event we want to do for Exit Five this year (yes, you heard it here first - we’re going to do an in-person event this year). And I wanted to get some guardrails to help my thinking. ChatGPT became a wonderful research assistant and laid our some scenarios to help me think through what the best approach might be.

This week on the E5 podcast I talked to Paul Roetzer who runs the Marketing AI Institute and he had some great examples to share about how they use AI to turn a single podcast episode into a variety of content formats, and how AI is helping them craft course abstracts and organizing agenda for their upcoming event (that’s where I got the idea).

I don’t think AI is some cheat code though. I think you have to invest your time and learn the right ways to use it for your business. It’s not much different than onboarding a new team member - it might take a bit to get things to the right spot.

But especially for a small team like us here at Exit Five, I think there’s an opportunity to lean hard on AI if you’re in the content creation space. Not to write crappy generic content for emails and social posts, but to act as a research assistant.

- Dave

P.S. I’d love to hear practical examples of how you and your team are using AI. Hit reply here and let us know. We read every response, good and bad. So holler and we’ll holler back.

Plus we’d love to collect some interesting use cases beyond using ChatGPT to comment on people’s LinkedIn posts (cough, I see you and I know you’re doing it! If you’re going to do it, at least! Remove! Some of! The exclamation marks! And write better prompts!)

🎧 Podcast #115: Betting on AI in B2B Marketing (with Paul Roetzer, Founder, Marketing AI Institute)

OK, guilty. I was inspired by my podcast guest this week so I’m all hot and bothered by AI and that’s what got me to write this email.

But for real life (as my kids say) go and listen to this one:

Paul Roetzer is a marketing AI expert and educator with 20+ years of experience in the marketing industry. He is the founder and CEO of Marketing AI Institute, a media, event, and online education company that makes AI accessible, approachable, and actionable for marketers and business leaders. He is also the co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence: AI, Marketing and the Future of Business, a book that explores the impact and opportunities of AI on marketing.

Paul shares his journey from building a successful marketing agency (PR 20/20) and being an early adopter of inbound marketing as HubSpot's first official partner to now today building the Marketing AI institute. Paul talks about why he's bullish on AI for B2B marketers and shares examples of how AI has streamlined tasks for his podcast, from scripting to content distribution.

Listen to the Episode Now on Spotify

Or find it everywhere you listen by searching "Exit Five" podcast.

📺 Upcoming Event: Kara Hardin Live! (Members only)

You might have heard Kara on the podcast with Dave (her episodes are some of our most popular ever). Next week, Kara is joining us live for a session on The Intersection of Mental Health and Performance.

Discover practical strategies to stay level-headed as a high achiever and manage work stress. We'll dive into remaining sane amidst tight deadlines and high expectations and avoiding burnout.

Kara Hardin is the Founder and CEO of The Practice Lab. She is a mental health educator, Registered Psychotherapist, and former practicing corporate and securities lawyer who works at the intersection of mental health and performance.

Reserve your spot for this session in Exit Five.

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