For entrepreneurs, AI-generated imagery instruments open up new potentialities for content material personalization and marketing campaign engagement…however solely when utilized in strategic, focused methods.

AI-generated imagery platforms like Flux, Runway, and DALL-E have gotten a helpful a part of advertising and marketing, design, and UX toolkits. However with all of the choices accessible, it’s typically obscure the place and how these instruments really deliver worth — and the place they fall brief.
In a current Advertising In opposition to the Grain episode, Kieran and I focus on widespread challenges groups face when utilizing AI picture instruments, sensible use instances for optimum efficiency, and greatest practices for integrating AI imagery into your workflow.
Three Key Challenges of AI-Generated Picture Adoption
AI picture era holds huge potential — however its adoption isn’t with out hurdles. Specifically, three challenges stopping widespread use that Kieran and I usually see are:
1. Hesitation as a consequence of privateness and safety issues.
Staff hesitate to have interaction with AI instruments, usually as a consequence of issues round privateness, knowledge safety, and AI’s present limitations. Many additionally really feel that AI may not but be “adequate” for his or her wants.
Addressing these issues begins with clear communication about AI’s strengths and limitations. When groups perceive the place AI can add worth — and the place it might probably’t — they’re extra prone to have interaction with it in a sensible manner.
2. Misaligned expectations.
Customers usually count on AI to “do all of it,” resulting in frustration when it falls brief, particularly for duties requiring precision. As Kieran identified, workers typically deal with AI as a “magic field,” which may set them up for disappointment.
By managing expectations and educating groups on how AI works greatest, entrepreneurs can shift focus towards the achievable, sensible makes use of that make an affect.
3. A necessity for guardrails.
With such broad potential, many individuals battle to seek out the appropriate purposes for AI. As Kieran highlighted through the present, an outlined, structured strategy — like having clear AI prompts or focused use instances — helps ease adoption by giving workers a clearer sense of goal.
Equally, utilizing guided prompts or simplified interfaces for particular duties could make it simpler for groups to discover AI with out feeling overwhelmed.
Three AI-Generated Picture Use Circumstances in Advertising
Regardless of these challenges, AI image tools can have a powerful affect when utilized to focused use instances. In our expertise, AI-generated imagery instruments can be utilized to:
1. Increase advert efficiency.
In my view, some of the efficient purposes of AI-generated imagery is creating tailor-made advert variations. Customized photographs that intently align with particular advert copy assist entrepreneurs ship a extra personalised expertise throughout completely different platforms.
In our exams at HubSpot, we’ve seen that this strategy considerably boosts conversions, making it a useful device for effectively scaling our advert campaigns.
2. Enhance e mail engagement.
AI also can improve engagement in e mail advertising and marketing by producing distinctive photographs tailor-made to every message.
Mixed with AI-generated textual content, these visuals create a curated and related expertise for readers, including a layer of personalization that retains content material contemporary and will increase the prospect of connecting with audiences in a deeper, extra memorable manner.
This strategy works significantly effectively when that you must create distinct visuals for various segments or campaigns at scale.
3. Save time on modifying.
AI is equally helpful for picture modifying, serving to entrepreneurs shortly regulate visuals to suit completely different viewers wants.
For instance, a know-how firm may use AI to switch product screenshots by including a consumer’s emblem or emphasizing particular options.
This tactic permits manufacturers to ship a extra personalised visible expertise with out the effort and time required for handbook edits, making it a strong possibility for scalable, audience-specific content material.
Greatest Practices for AI Picture Implementation
Maximizing the worth of AI-generated photographs means realizing the place and use them. These pointers will hold your strategy sensible and results-focused.
✔ Outline clear use instances. Since AI will be overwhelming, outline particular purposes (like buyer help or advert variations) the place it’s most definitely to succeed, quite than attempting to use it universally.
✔ Deal with quantity over perfection. AI excels at creating a number of variations quite than single “excellent” photographs. If you happen to want one flawless picture, persist with conventional strategies.
✔ Educate groups on AI’s strengths and limits. To enhance adoption, set clear expectations and supply steering on the place AI is most useful, which may also help tackle resistance as a consequence of privateness and reliability issues.
✔ Hold it genuine. Keep away from utilizing AI-generated photographs to symbolize actual individuals or prospects, as this might injury belief. Save AI imagery for conceptual or product-focused visuals.
To study extra about how advertising and marketing leaders can combine AI-generated imagery into their groups and workflows, take a look at the full episode of Advertising In opposition to the Grain.
This weblog collection is in partnership with Advertising In opposition to the Grain, the video podcast. It digs deeper into concepts shared by advertising and marketing leaders Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Advertising at HubSpot) as they unpack development methods and study from standout founders and friends.