Just over a year ago I was exploring and talking about AI marketing and what this could mean for marketers and small to medium size businesses. Having been 'in the trenches' working for several tech companies since then - we have moved on rapidly.

Here's my top 10 take on what has changed in the last year:

1. Generative AI Has Become Mainstream

What was once cutting-edge is now everyday. Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Claude are no longer niche or experimental—they’re being used by marketers of all sizes to generate blogs, emails, social posts, and even video scripts at scale.

2. AI Video & Voice Content Is Now Accessible

Creating videos and voiceovers used to require specialists. Now, AI tools like Synthesia (AI avatars), Descript, and ElevenLabs make it easy for marketers to create professional video and audio content without expensive production crews.

3. Smarter Personalisation in Real Time

AI is now better at real-time personalisation, automatically adjusting emails, website content, and product recommendations based on user behavior—on the fly, not just from static segments.

4. AI-Driven Design Tools Have Leveled Up

Platforms like Canva now integrate powerful AI design assistants (like Magic Design or text-to-image features), enabling marketers to create visuals, social graphics, and branded assets faster with less design skill required.

5. Predictive Analytics Are Now More Democratised

You no longer need a data science team to get powerful insights. Tools like HubSpot AI, Zoho Zia, and Google Analytics 4 offer built-in AI that predicts customer behavior, churn, or conversion likelihood, even for smaller teams.

6. AI-Powered Chatbots Are Actually Useful

Chatbots used to frustrate users. Now, thanks to natural language models like GPT, they can genuinely understand context and offer value—answering questions, qualifying leads, and even closing sales.

7. Content Scoring & SEO Tools Are AI-Enhanced

Tools like Surfer SEO, MarketMuse, and Clearscope now use AI to score your content for quality, authority, and ranking potential—helping you optimise before you hit publish.

8. AI Is Being Used for Brand Voice Consistency

Previously, AI content often sounded generic. Now, tools can be trained on your brand voice, tone, and language—so even AI-generated content feels on-brand and personalised.

9. Ethical AI and Transparency Are Now Front of Mind

There’s a bigger push for transparency in how AI is used in marketing. Businesses are learning to disclose AI-generated content, use AI responsibly, and avoid bias—this wasn’t widely discussed a year or two ago.

10. AI Is Assisting with Strategy, Not Just Execution

The most forward-thinking tools are moving beyond content creation into campaign strategy suggestions, analysing past performance and recommending where to focus future efforts—giving small teams a virtual strategist.

A year ago people were waking up to the possibilities, now almost everyone is using some AI for some part of their marketing strategy. Companies still have a long way to go on managing their data so that AI can be fully leveraged, but that's a story for another day. In the meantime the AI revolution is snowballing, and no doubt will be unrecognisable again a year from now.