AI is a powerful tool. A seriously powerful one. But only when it’s used properly.
Used well, it gives your team a head start. Used badly, it creates average work at scale, and that’s the bit nobody really talks about.
I have summarised my findings so far, experimenting and adopting AI into my marketing agency group.
The Biggest Win – It Eliminates Writer’s Block
I used to handwrite hundreds of pieces of ad copy every single month.
Starting from scratch every time.
That takes time, energy, and mental bandwidth. I recall many times staring at a blank Google Doc, thinking… where do I start!
Now, with AI, the team can generate a strong starting point in seconds. It helps massively with momentum. It gets you past writer’s block. It gives you angles you might not have thought about.
But… this is important, it’s a starting point.
The best results we get are when the team takes what AI produces and then:
- Reworks it
- Challenges it
- improves it
- Adds real insight
- Applies client nuance
When someone copies and pastes AI output without thinking, the drop in quality is obvious.
You can see it. You can feel it. And more importantly, so can the market.
AI doesn’t remove the need for a copywriter at the moment in my opinion. It just makes a good copywriter faster and more effective.
The Copy and Paste Trap
One of the biggest cons I’m seeing across agencies is people using AI as the final product rather than as a first draft.
AI video scripts copied word-for-word. AI ad copy published without review. AI emails sent without adjustment.
It’s a car crash.
In our agency, every script and ad copy still goes through the same process:
- Reviewed
- Edited
- Spoken out loud
It’s only with the above steps that you properly put yourself in your client’s shoes and keep a firm grasp on quality and effectiveness.
Because copywriting needs to sound like a real human, not a content generator.
AI helps us move faster with copy and script writing by giving a starting point.
In my humble opinion, it does not remove the skill needed to interpret and understand exactly what value your copy is providing to the audience.
Will that change in the future? Will it be a copy and paste job that’s completely bulletproof?
Considering the advancements I’ve seen in the AI space over the last 12 months, my stance will always be… never say never.
Why Prompting Is Becoming a Core Agency Skill
One of the biggest mindset shifts we’ve had internally is realising that the output you get from AI is only as good as the input you give it.
Prompting isn’t a trick. It’s a skill. And it’s quickly becoming one of the most valuable skills inside a marketing agency.
There’s a reason AI prompt engineers now exist as a job title.
That didn’t happen by accident.
The difference between a basic prompt and a well-structured, refined prompt is the difference between generic output and something that actually sounds like your agency, your client, and your strategy.
Most people open AI, type one sentence, get an average response, and decide it’s overhyped.
What they’re actually seeing is the result of a weak prompt.
We’ve started treating prompts the same way we treat:
- Copy frameworks
- Marketing Strategy
- Video scripts
- Client onboarding processes
They get documented. They get refined. They get tested. They get improved over time.
A well-built prompt can:
- Generate ad copy in your agency’s tone
- Produce structured SOPs in minutes
- Create strong first drafts for scripts and copy
- Build social media content that actually sounds like your brand
- Maintain consistency across the team
Instead of everyone starting from scratch, they start from a proven system.
That’s where the real speed comes from.
Not from asking AI to “write me an ad”, But from feeding it your frameworks, your positioning, your tone of voice, your best-performing examples, and your client context.
At that point, it stops being generic and starts becoming an extension of how your agency thinks.
We now have a growing internal prompt library for:
- Ad copy
- Video Scripts
- SOPs
- Proposals
- Content
And just like anything else in the business, the more we use them, the better they get.
Anyone can access the same AI tools. Not everyone will invest the time in mastering how to use them properly.
The agencies that do will pull away very quickly.
Video Editing – Incredible as a Support Tool, Not a Replacement
Some of the AI-assisted edits I’m seeing right now are genuinely impressive.
Used properly, they speed up workflows, generate variations, and support our editing team in a big way.
But fully AI-generated videos for brand, founder-led, trust-based advertising are not there yet.
Some videos I see still feel gimmicky. I can tell AI led videos a mile way by the voice. The human emotion isn’t right. The nuance isn’t there.
Could that change? Yes and very quickly.
Is it ready right now for serious performance marketing in the renewables industry or for B2B campaigns? In my opinion, no.
Which is why we use AI to support skilled editors, not replace them.
Appointment Setting – Still a Human Game (For Now)
AI appointment setters are coming in fast.
Voice AI demos are everywhere. AI text conversations are improving.
But right now, I still prefer human setters.
The best results we see come from:
- Real conversations
- Real tone
- Real understanding
- Real objection handling
We are testing AI in this space. We’re currently trialling SMS automation through Appointwise on a small amount of our paid ads enquiries, and it definitely has potential.
But I’m nowhere near convinced enough yet to remove the human element.
I struggle to see a time in my business where voice AI qualifies lead we generate, our appointment setting partners are fantastic and very personable.
That said, ignoring it completely would be a mistake. This is moving quickly and my stance is consistent around voice AI or SMS bot booking appointments… never say never.
AI Agents – The Most Exciting Part for Agencies
This is where things get really interesting.
Our in-house AI specialist Harry Nolan has been building custom agents using Base44 that handle:
Copywriting & Lead scoring for email marketing.
For agencies, this is a serious opportunity.
Not just using tools. Building your own internal software. Creating your own way of working. Developing IP.
But it’s not plug and play.
It takes training, testing, iteration, and ongoing maintenance.
This is not a shortcut. It’s an investment.
The agencies that build their own AI-powered systems will have a massive advantage over the next few years.
Systems, SOPs, Proposals and Internal Operations
This is where AI has probably saved us the most time internally.
- Writing SOPs
- Building workflows and automations
- Creating onboarding documents
- Producing training material
- Creating presentations and proposals.
For this, Gamma has become one of our most used tools.
It’s transformed how we build:
- Pitch decks
- Proposals
- Workshop material
- Internal presentations
- Training
The team genuinely love it.
But again, it gives you the structure. You still need to apply the thinking and refine each deck produced to suit your goals and needs.
For anyone looking to elevate any of the above areas in their agency check out gamma below:
The Core Tools We Use Every Day
- Copywriting and script writing
- SOP creation
- Systems and processes
- Content creation
Google Gemini
- Social graphics
- Meeting notes
- Light video testing
- Proposals
- Pitch decks
- Training
- Workshops
- Onboarding
- Custom AI agents
We test a lot of tools, but these are the ones properly embedded in our day-to-day operations.
The Balanced Truth About AI in Agencies
Not using AI in 2026 is daft.
But relying on it completely and removing human thinking is just as dangerous.
The real win is using AI to:
- Remove friction
- Increase speed
- Enhance your team
- Create leverage
- Build better systems
Not to replace skill, creativity, strategy, or experience.
Start with one question:
What tasks slow your team down?
Then find the AI tool that helps with that specific problem.
Then build your AI tech stack around the key tasks that if made efficient will improve your results and profitability.
Final Thought
AI won’t replace great marketeers or agency owners.
But great marketers and agency owners using AI will replace average ones.
That’s the shift that’s happening right now.
If you’re an agency owner trying to work out how to implement AI properly without losing quality, message me. Happy to share what’s working for us and what definitely isn’t.
