As we look back at HubSpot’s annual conference, Inbound 2024, it’s clear that the digital marketing landscape is on the verge of a significant transformation. The buzz surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow, with businesses now eager to unlock the power of AI in marketing and in their daily operations. This year has marked a pivotal shift where companies are no longer just dabbling in AI; they’re seeking to integrate it seamlessly into their existing tech stacks. With numerous AI tools released over the past year, the spotlight at Inbound 2024 highlighted how established platforms are embedding AI within their suites rather than releasing separate tools. The introduction of AI Breeze, AI Agents and Co-Pilot exemplifies this trend, showcasing a commitment to enhancing the marketing toolkit available to businesses today.
Making AI More Accessible to Businesses
One of the most significant shifts in 2024 is how AI is being integrated into the core of marketing tools. As of 2024, HubSpot’s approach ensures that AI isn’t just a separate feature but a fundamental aspect of their platform. This trend isn’t limited to HubSpot though as many other platforms, including Klaviyo and Salesforce, are following suit.
For businesses, the benefit of having AI embedded within existing tools cannot be overstated. It reduces the complexity of managing multiple separate tools and provides a more cohesive tech stack that’s easier to adopt across teams. Marketers can now leverage AI efficiencies without significantly increasing costs or overhead. While some new tools may come with additional expenses, the integrated approach ultimately enhances existing functionalities and simplifies operations.
By consolidating AI within their platforms, companies like HubSpot enable marketers to focus on strategy rather than getting bogged down by administrative tasks. For instance, the social media agent from Breeze not only suggests content ideas but also schedules posts based on engagement analytics, allowing teams to focus on crafting their message rather than spending time managing logistics.
AI Agents, the Next Step in the AI Revolution
AI agents represent a significant evolution in how we define artificial intelligence in marketing. Traditionally, AI has been viewed as a tool that can generate content or identify patterns within data but not necessarily act upon it. However, the concept of AI agents extends beyond simple insights or automation. These agents are designed to interact with their environment, learning and adapting based on data and outcomes. This shift was apparent at Inbound this year, when HubSpot coined a new phrase that marketeers and business leaders will be using going forward; “there’s an agent for that”.
The original definition of AI agents includes their ability to collect data and perform tasks independently. While we may not be there yet—mainly due to concerns over data privacy and the need for human oversight—it’s an exciting prospect. For instance, as highlighted in discussions about AI's future, personal agents function like advanced assistants, managing various tasks within their digital ecosystem. These agents may consist of multiple smaller agents working together behind the scenes, much like the personal assistants we interact with today.
HubSpot’s new prospecting agent serves as a glimpse into this future. By leveraging AI to understand user behaviour and craft tailored outreach strategies, these agents are already performing tasks that would typically require human intervention. We are witnessing a shift toward persona-based agents that are trained for specific roles, such as managing customer enquiries or sending personalised emails, allowing sales teams to focus on closing deals rather than lead generation.
Image source: HubSpot
Imagine a scenario where your sales team can focus entirely on closing deals while AI agents handle lead identification, research, and initial outreach. This scenario is closer to reality than ever, as advancements in AI agents suggest that they will soon be integral to marketing strategies. By 2025, it is expected that having a branded AI agent for customer interactions will be standard practice, reshaping how businesses operate.
The landscape of AI agents is characterised by three main types: personal agents, persona-based agents, and company agents. Personal agents are general assistants that learn and manage various tasks, while persona-based agents are designed for specific applications, making them easier to deploy and integrate. Company agents will enhance brand interactions, creating a more streamlined and efficient customer experience.
As AI technology evolves, the potential for agents to handle tasks autonomously is becoming increasingly viable. While there may be concerns regarding job displacement, there is also the opportunity for new roles to emerge focused on training and managing these agents. The future of work will likely involve domain experts taking on positions as AI agent managers, leveraging their industry knowledge to optimise performance and ensure alignment with organisational goals.
In summary, the evolution of AI agents marks a pivotal moment in the digital marketing landscape as well as other sectors. By understanding their capabilities and applications, marketing leaders can better prepare for the future, utilising AI agents to enhance productivity, improve customer interactions, and ultimately drive business growth.
If you’re curious about AI agents, we recommend listening to the Marketing AI institute’s podcast episode on enterprise AI agents.
HubSpot’s New AI Products
At Inbound 2024, HubSpot unveiled a range of innovative tools designed to streamline marketing efforts and improve user experiences. Here’s a closer look at some of the exciting offerings:
Breeze AI Agents
Image source: HubSpot
HubSpot's AI Agents are designed to streamline various aspects of marketing, sales, and customer service. Each agent utilises advanced AI technology to enhance team efficiency and improve overall outcomes. The main AI agents include:
The Prospecting Agent automates lead generation by identifying potential customers based on specific criteria. By analysing data from various sources, this agent can discover leads that fit your ideal customer profile. It saves time by automating the initial outreach process and provides insights into lead engagement, helping sales teams prioritise their efforts on the most promising prospects. The prospecting agent is available in Sales Hub Pro and Enterprise HubSpot tiers.
The Social Media Agent simplifies social media management by scheduling posts, analysing engagement metrics, and suggesting optimal posting times. It can generate tailored content based on trending topics, ensuring that your social media presence remains relevant and engaging. This agent also monitors brand mentions and sentiment, allowing businesses to respond promptly to customer interactions. Breeze’s social media agent is available in Marketing Hub Pro and Enterprise HubSpot tiers.
The Content Agent assists in creating and optimising marketing materials. It can generate blog posts, social media updates, and email campaigns based on predefined themes or topics. By analysing audience engagement data, the Content Agent suggests improvements to enhance content performance, ensuring that marketing efforts are effective and resonate with target audiences. Breeze’s content agent is available in Content Hub Pro and Enterprise HubSpot tiers.
The Customer Agent enhances support operations by automating responses to frequently asked questions and providing instant assistance to customers. It uses natural language processing to understand customer inquiries and deliver relevant solutions. This agent helps improve response times and ensures that customers receive accurate information, leading to higher satisfaction levels. The customer agent is available in Service Hub Pro and Enterprise HubSpot tiers.
All agents are currently in beta, so you will need to opt in to access them via your HubSpot portal. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts if you’d like to find out more or need help with this.
Breeze Copilot
Image source: HubSpot
Another notable addition to HubSpot’s AI features is Copilot, which serves as a virtual companion across HubSpot’s platform. Copilot streamlines marketing efforts by generating content ideas, managing campaigns, and providing real-time analytics. It delivers detailed insights into customer behaviour, helping marketers tailor their messaging effectively. By continuously learning from past campaigns to identify trends, Copilot enhances future performance while integrating seamlessly with HubSpot to improve collaboration and functionality. This automation of routine tasks allows marketers to focus more on strategy and creativity, ultimately driving better results. Breeze Copilot is available to all HubSpot customers.
Breeze Intelligence
Breeze Intelligence is a powerful intelligence tool that provides you with up-to-date insights about the contacts and companies within your database, enhancing your ability to engage effectively with leads and prospects. With access to over 200 million buyer and company profiles, Breeze Intelligence offers a comprehensive B2B dataset that includes more than 40 firmographic, demographic, and technographic attributes.
Image source: HubSpot
It’s important to note that HubSpot Insights, HubSpot’s free record enrichment tool (which works automatically when a company URL is available), will be phased out and replaced by Breeze Intelligence. Talk to our team if you’d like to know how this might affect you.
- Data Enrichment: Breeze Intelligence allows users to enrich their contact and company records directly within HubSpot, eliminating incomplete records. By automatically adding crucial data points—such as employee count, annual revenue, and technologies used—marketers can gain a deeper understanding of their target market. This real-time enrichment streamlines lead qualification, email targeting, and personalised campaigns, enabling teams to focus on meaningful customer connections rather than manual data entry.
- Buyer Intent: The buyer intent feature within Breeze Intelligence identifies signals of interest from website visitors, allowing businesses to engage potential leads before they fill out a form. This capability overcomes traditional challenges related to data quality and filtering, helping marketers capture missed opportunities and drive growth.
- Form Shortening: AI Breeze also includes form shortening capabilities that will automatically hide fields based on the information you already have in your database. By automating the enrichment of lead data upon form submission, businesses can effectively qualify inbound leads and boost conversion rates. This tool empowers you to optimise your outreach efforts and create tailored experiences that resonate with prospects.
Like most B2B intelligence tools, Breeze Intelligence operates on a monthly, credit-based subscription model, with credits resetting at the start of each month and unused credits not carrying over. One credit is used for each record enriched, though re-enriching previously charged records within the same month incurs no additional cost. Pricing begins at £27 per month for 100 credits.
Other AI Tools for Businesses to Discover
These tools not only streamline processes but also empower marketing teams to make data-driven decisions that enhance their overall effectiveness. In a world where attention spans are shrinking, having the right tools to capture and retain audience interest is crucial.
As we embrace the rise of AI in digital marketing, several tools are worth exploring for their potential impact on businesses. Here are some of our favourites from other platforms:
Klaviyo’s AI Features
Image source: Klaviyo
Klaviyo has also integrated AI into its platform, helping ecommerce businesses optimise their email marketing efforts. With predictive analytics, Klaviyo can identify key audience attributes such as predictive churn rate and customer lifetime value to help businesses segment their audiences for maximum impact and revenue generation.
Salesforce Einstein
Image source: Salesforce
Salesforce Einstein uses AI to provide deeper insights into customer behaviour, helping sales teams tailor their approach. By analysing historical data, Einstein can recommend next best actions for sales reps, enhancing the customer experience.
Marketo Engage
Image source: Adobe
Marketo has embraced AI for lead scoring and nurturing campaigns. By analysing user interactions, Marketo’s AI can identify the most engaged leads and suggest personalised follow-up actions.
For a more comprehensive overview of AI tools, including HubSpot’s Content Hub, check out our Content Hub: The Latest AI Toolkit from HubSpot. These tools not only streamline processes but also empower marketing teams to make data-driven decisions that enhance their overall effectiveness.
Watch our DMA episode on The Power of HubSpot's Content Hub
The Limitations of AI
While the advancements in AI are impressive, it’s essential to acknowledge the limitations of these technologies. Here are some key limitations to consider:
- Data Dependency: For AI tools to work effectively, they need high quality and clean data. Ensuring your CRM is regularly cleansed will be vital for AI effectiveness.
- Human Oversight: AI is fantastic, but it doesn’t get everything right. A human eye is still needed to ensure what being produced is factually correct and on brand.
- Implementation Challenges: The array of AI out there is exciting, but it can be overwhelming too. It’s easy to say you want to implement everything now, but having a structured phased approach to utilising AI is key to ensure team members are using it correctly and to the same standards.
- Continuous Learning: AI models need ongoing training to remain effective. Marketers must be prepared to invest time and resources into refining their AI tools.
While these challenges may seem daunting, they do not diminish the potential of AI. Instead, they highlight the importance of strategic planning and ongoing training for marketing teams. AI can enhance efficiency and enable marketers to focus on high-value tasks, but it is not a replacement for human insight and creativity.
Don’t Know Where to Begin with AI? Contact Innovation Visual Today
The rise of AI in digital marketing is an exciting development, offering unprecedented opportunities for businesses to enhance their strategies and improve customer experiences by doing more with less. HubSpot’s introduction of Breeze Intelligence and Breeze Agents reflects a broader trend toward integrating AI into everyday marketing tools. This integration simplifies workflows, boosts efficiency, and allows you to focus on what truly matters—building relationships with your customers.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that AI will play an integral role in shaping the marketing landscape. For marketing leaders, embracing these advancements is not just an option; it’s a necessity. By understanding the tools at their disposal and how to implement them strategically, businesses can position themselves for success in an increasingly competitive market.
At Innovation Visual, we understand the importance of staying ahead of technological changes. We prioritise continuous training for our team, ensuring they are equipped with the latest insights and skills to leverage AI effectively. Participating in world-class conferences like Inbound 2024 enables us to stay informed about industry trends, ensuring our clients achieve the best results. We don’t just chase after new tech and buzzwords; we apply our core marketing expertise to these innovations so our clients can benefit from strategies that yield real results, all while filtering out the noise.
Contact us today to help you navigate the constantly evolving world of AI, ensuring you maximise its value to reduce inefficiencies and increase revenue.
