AI is being embedded into everything—including marketing campaigns. In part 1 of this series, I shared some of AI’s potential for marketing, and in part 2, I walked you through determining which tools would help meet your goals.
In this final part, I’ll show you how to determine what a tool can actually do for you using a detailed evaluation framework. You’ll cut through vendors’ sales pitches to narrow down your options efficiently and identify signals that a tool might not be the right fit, no matter how impressive the demo.
Core Capabilities Assessment
Start by determining what each tool can do for your marketing efforts. Ask the following fundamental questions about capabilities to help you identify features that will directly impact your team’s goals:
What specific marketing challenge does this tool solve?
Is it a single-purpose tool (e.g., email personalization) or a multifunction platform?
Do we need all the features it offers?
How much customization would we need?
Integration and Implementation
The tool you’re assessing has the core capabilities, but will it integrate with your existing tools? Check out the technical requirements and ask questions like:
How well will this the tool work with our current tools? Can we test it out?
What data does it need access to? Do we have or can we get that data?
How long is the typical implementation? Does that align with our plans?
What ongoing maintenance will it require? Who would be responsible for it?
Resource Requirements
For tools that haven’t been eliminated, you now want to explore the full scope of resources required. Don’t forget the less-obvious costs, like training and productivity dips during implementation.
What’s the total cost of ownership? Include direct costs, indirect costs, and hidden costs.
How much internal support will we need? Who would provide it? Can they offer enough support?
What expertise do we need to develop? How much time will it take to develop it?
Success Metrics
Part of our fictional Anne’s definition will be to increase engagement more than 7%, the result that her CEO wants her to beat. Choose a success metric that best aligns with the category your goal falls into, either performance improvement, operational efficiency, or return on investment. Ask:
How will we measure ROI?
What metrics should improve?
How long until we see results?
How will we track progress?
Obstacles You Can’t Overcome
Every tool will have its limitations. Some you’ll be able to live with, while others you won’t. To find the dealbreakers, ask questions like:
Does the tool require capabilities we don’t have and can’t develop quickly?
Does it need data we don’t collect or can’t easily access?
Will it take more than six months to show measurable results?
Will it require significant changes to existing workflows?
Will it include enterprise features you won’t use but will pay for?
Focus Your Evaluation Process
With all the shiny AI tools available to marketers, you could research for months, with the only result being analysis paralysis. Focus your evaluation:
1. Create a list of 6–8 tools from the category you’ve selected. Include a mix of established and newer solutions. All should meet your basic requirements.
2. Research 3–4 tools deeply. From your short list, choose the tools that best match your needs, fit your budget, have had success with companies similar to yours, and offer the level of support you need.
3. Run the top 2 or 3 through your framework. Pay attention to the details here. Request customer references, and be sure to include IT in the final evaluation.
Pro tip: Take advantage of any free trials or proof-of-concept periods for your top choices. Apply any data you gather to your final decision.
Strategic AI Adoption: Your Path Forward
Selecting AI marketing tools requires more than following the latest trends. It demands a strategic approach focused on your specific needs and capabilities. With the framework in this series you can move beyond impressive demos to determining which what tools can actually deliver for your marketing efforts.
Start with focused solutions that address specific challenges and prove value quickly. As your team’s capabilities grow, you can expand into more sophisticated applications. Taking a methodical approach now will position you for long-term success.
Erin Brenner is the owner of Right Touch Editing, a boutique editorial agency that specializes in helping small and midsize businesses to be more engaging with their audiences, more persuasive in their marketing, and clearer and more precise in their communications.
Erin is also the author of The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors: How to Take Care of Your Business, Your Clients, and Yourself from Start-Up to Sustainability, Marketing Yourself Guide (with Sarah Hulse), Copyediting’s Grammar Tune-Up Workbook, and 1001 Words for Success: Synonyms, Antonyms & Homonyms. She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute for Editing and Proofreading and a Full Member of ACES. Follow her on LinkedIn and Bluesky.