The 10 best AI marketing tools in 2024

While running marketing at Lummi, I've had the chance to experiment with many AI tools, including some lesser-known gems. Full disclosure: I did include a couple of big names like Midjourney, just in case an AI newbie stumbles upon this article. But trust me, the rest are niche tools you won't find on every other list out there.

So, let’s dive into the top 10 AI tools for marketers!

What are the most common AI tools used in marketing?

1. Captions AI

Imagine Captions AI as the Swiss Army knife of video content marketing—except it’s a bit more high-tech and doesn’t need sharpening. This tool isn’t just about adding captions to your videos; it’s evolved into a full-on content strategy beast:

Practical ideas to use Captions AI:

• Upload your talking head marketing video and let AI edit it for you. Captions can edit and add images and effects while you sip your favorite coffee.
• Go global by dubbing your videos into different languages.
• Use AI creators to generate talking videos without ever needing to do it yourself.  Now, you can roll out your Reels and TikTok strategy faster.
• Correct eye contact in those product demos so you don't need to re-record a trillion times.
• Chop up your long videos into bite-sized content. Your new TikTok strategy wants quantity, not quality, so this is a great way to experiment.
• Generate multiple video ad variations quickly to test out new creative angles faster.

2. Keywordinsight.ai

Despite what some might say, SEO is far from dead. While others worry about traditional search engines being replaced by Perplexity or ChatGPT in the next 10 years, you can stay ahead in search rankings now with Keywordinsight.ai—my latest go-to tool for our in-house SEO marketing efforts.

Practical ideas to use Keyword Insight AI:

• Uncover trending keywords to create content that is evergreen and discoverable.
• Create clusters to identify new potential topics you can focus on to generate new marketing content.
• Spy on your competitors’ high-performing keywords and find those sweet gaps in your niche to create content and steal traffic from them.

3. Clay

Clay is my new cold outreach favorite tool. By syncing with all communication tools and social media channels, Clay goes beyond just finding potential leads—it uses AI-driven insights that make your outreach feel less like cold emails and more like warm handshakes. While it’s a go-to tool for most B2B sales teams, it’s also ideal for growth teams looking to improve brand awareness.

Practical ideas to use Clay:

• Automate prospect discovery by letting Clay dig through LinkedIn and other online platforms, pulling in potential leads in seconds. In our case, we've used it to build a list of content creators at SMEs who might find Lummi helpful.
• Craft personalized outreach messages using the enriched data Clay gives you, so every email feels custom-tailored and relevant.
• Automate follow-ups so you stay top of mind without needing a spreadsheet to track your sanity.
• Track engagement of your emails to keep refining your strategy. You can see the open rate and CTR of each campaign to understand whether it's going well or not.

4. Lummi AI

If you’re tired of boring, overused stock photos, this incredible image resource (yep, shameless plug!) is exactly what you need. Lummi offers a library of over 30,000 AI-generated, human-curated images created by talented digital artists from around the world. Whether on a tight budget or racing against the clock to launch your marketing strategies, this collection has every image you need to make your projects stand out.

Practical ideas to use Lummi AI:

• Create stunning social media posts featuring Lummi images, just like Muzli, and make your content look like it's straight out of the coolest editorial magazine.
• Test out different visual styles on your blog like we do to see what your audience loves.

5. Runway

In 2024, 89% of consumers said they want to see more videos from brands according to Wyzowl. It’s clear that video content is essential, especially if you’re targeting Millennial and Gen Z audiences. Runway makes the video creation process seamless and way more fun.

Practical ideas to use Runway:

• Quickly generate ad videos from a set of images or by converting text to video to create cool marketing campaigns.
• Craft killer Instagram Reels with AI influencers by first generating the AI influencer video and then adding voice by using the Lip Sync feature.
• Bring 3D characters to life with the Motion Brush, adding expressions and personality without breaking a sweat over complex animation tools.
• Easily add high-quality visual effects onto your videos—even if you don't have a background in VFX.

6. Midjourney

If you’ve ever wished you could just type “create something awesome” and watch it come to life, Midjourney is your new best friend. This tool takes your wildest prompts and turns them into high-quality images that are 100% original and 200% cool.

Practical ideas to use Midjourney:

• Craft a consistent visual style by creating your own Style Reference code, ensuring that every piece of content you produce is instantly iconic.
• Design unique infographics to make complex data more digestible and shareable.
• Generate custom illustrations for blog posts or ebooks, giving your content a unique and professional look without the need for a full-time illustrator.

7. Arcane

Arcane is an AI marketing assistant that makes generating content for LinkedIn a breeze. It automates industry research, audience insights, copywriting, and content repurposing—essentially giving you the power of a full marketing team. While Arcane currently shines on LinkedIn, they’ve got big plans to launch new content apps soon.

Practical ideas to use Arcane:

• Stay ahead of the curve by using the News Researcher app to gather the most relevant articles and trends in one view. Turn those insights into LinkedIn posts that show you know your stuff, all in under a minute with the LinkedIn Opinion Drafter.
• Tap into your audience's conversations by automating the search across forums, Reddit, and X with the Tracker apps. Use the themes and pain points you discover to craft LinkedIn posts that really resonate.
• Repurpose your long-form content with the Blog-to-LinkedIn Converter app. Take your existing blog posts, and let Arcane craft concise LinkedIn content from it.

8. Claude

Claude is a versatile AI assistant, but it truly excels as the Shakespeare of AI copywriters—without the writer's block. While it can tackle countless other tasks like coding an app, we highly recommend using it for its writing skills.

Practical ideas to use Claude:

• Create creative copy for ads, social posts, and blogs faster than you can say “content calendar.”
• Keep a consistent Tone of Voice (TOV) so your messaging is always on point, saving you time to do more important things—like sipping margaritas on a beach (or, you know, more strategizing).

9. Descript

Descript is your all-in-one video editing toolkit that makes your editing process super simple. We use it to edit product demos, Reels, tutorials, and more.

Practical ideas to use Descript:

• Edit videos by editing text in the script, making revisions as easy as pie.
• Create podcast episodes with automated transcriptions and super smooth audio editing.

10. Smartly.io

Paid advertising is like playing poker—you want to maximize your returns without blowing your budget. Smartly.io is the AI dealer ensuring you play your cards right.

Practical ideas to use Smartly:

• Automate your ad placements and bids to get the most ROAS.
• Test multiple ad variations to see which creative hits the jackpot.

Harness AI, but keep it human

AI tools for digital marketing are the assistant we never knew we needed. It’s making it possible to create content faster than ever, but let’s not forget that our unique human touch is what makes the magic happen. These tools aren’t here to replace your creativity—they’re here to amplify it. If you feel like we missed one of the best free AI tools for marketing, tweet your recommendation at us @lummipics.

And hey, if you want to see some of this AI magic in action, head over to Lummi for free, high-quality images that’ll make your content shine.