How can I use AI to make marketing easier, but still sound like a human?

There are many smart ways to use artificial intelligence in business. I use it all the time and the return is more time for the activities I actually like doing.

But the work I do is grounded in the understanding that trust, connection, and good judgement still sit with people. Especially in service-based businesses, community organisations, and leadership contexts where how something lands matters as much as what’s said. Enter people-powered marketing.

What is people-powered marketing?

Is about keeping the human voice at the centre, while using systems and tools (including generative AI) to make the work more sustainable, consistent, and manageable over time.

It’s not anti-technology. It’s intentional about how technology is used. I don’t use AI to replace thinking, voice, or relationships. I use it to:

• Reduce friction

• Support structure

• Maintain momentum

• Take the pressure off constant creation

So the human part can do what it does best.

What people-powered marketing looks like in practice

• Engaging with customers in ways that feel genuine and considered - online and offline.

• Building trust through consistency, clarity, and follow-through.

• Sharing stories that reflect real experience, not manufactured personas.

• Designing communication around how people actually think, feel, and decide.

AI can support this by helping you organise ideas, build systems, and streamline processes but it doesn’t become the voice, the personality, or the relationship.

People-powered marketing prioritises

Authenticity - communication that sounds like you, not a template.
Judgement - knowing when to speak, when to listen, and when less is more.
Sustainability - systems to prevent burnout and stop marketing from becoming another job.
Trust - built through human interaction, not volume or automation.

In practical terms, this might include:

• Email and messaging systems that feel personal, not robotic.

• Customer journeys designed for clarity and ease.

• Simple automations that answer questions and guide people, without losing warmth.

• AI-supported structures that help you show up consistently, without having to reinvent the wheel.

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At Mac&Ernie, I’m comfortable teaching you how to use AI to take the edge off repetitive, ideation or time-consuming work, but I double down on humanity when it comes to voice, relationships, and experience.

Because people don’t just trust brands - they trust people who communicate clearly, show good judgement, and follow through.

If you’d like to talk about what this could look like in your business or organisation, I’m always happy to have that conversation.

Hi, I’m Erika. 

I work with small businesses, organisations and leaders who want clarity around visibility, influence, and public voice without performance, hype, or unnecessary risk.

I’ve spent 30 years in marketing, employer brand, social media training and customer experience, so I spend a lot of time learning and thinking about how people interpret information, make decisions, and respond to uncertainty. That lens shapes everything I do.

If this article resonated and you’d like to discuss it more, I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.