Purposeful Marketing Meets AI

Five practical ways creatives are using AI

The end of the world or the dawn of a brighter tomorrow? Depending on whom you ask, the sentiments surrounding generative AI range from inevitable calamity to endless possibilities.

But this is nothing new.

According to the Center for Data Innovation, the public’s concern about AI has followed a classic and predictable “tech panic cycle,” not unlike earlier technologies, such as the printing press, the automobile, and the internet. We’ve navigated from “trusting beginnings” to “rising panic,” to “deflating fears,” to “moving on.” This is the stage where we accept and normalize once-feared tools.

Love it or hate it, AI is here to stay. It’s time to move past hysteria and determine what practical roles it will play in our lives and work.

First Things First

Understanding generative AI is particularly important for Christian marketers who want to stay at the forefront of effective communication. We can’t afford to be left behind in the dust of irrelevance.

However, to borrow an outdated technological idiom, let’s not put the cart before the horse. A well-developed marketing strategy and clear, compelling messaging should always hold the reins of AI, not the other way around.

When AI leads the way, all sorts of things get out of whack. For example:

• Misaligned messaging. Without a clear strategy, AI-generated content might not reflect your brand’s voice or values. You could end up with tone-deaf messaging, inconsistent branding, or irrelevant content that confuses or alienates your audience.
  
  
• Wasted resources. In the absence of direction, AI generates content that fails to reach the intended audience or serve a clear purpose. This wastes crucial time, budget, and energy.
  
  
• Compliance and ethical issues. Do you have policies in place to maintain privacy and confidentiality? Does your AI-generated content reinforce stereotypes, or does it reflect the storied nuances of the communities you serve? Are you transparent about the use of AI in personalized communication? There are a variety of ethical and legal considerations to address before you take AI out for a spin.

That’s why it’s so important to keep first things first.

• Identify the policies and procedures that must be in place to protect the well-being of your organization and the people you serve.
• Define your audience, including their demographics, fears, desires, and felt needs.
• Develop a clear and compelling message that connects to their hearts and minds, thereby building deeper connections and moving them toward action.
• Identify the channels where your audience is most likely to receive and respond to your message.

Once you’re clear on all the above, you can explore the AI tools that will help you accomplish your mission most efficiently and effectively.

World’s Best Assistant

It’s helpful to think of AI as your assistant, not your replacement.

It’s helpful to think of AI as your assistant, not your replacement. In fact, it’s quite possibly the world’s greatest assistant because it never needs caffeine, and it happily volunteers its service—anytime, anywhere. It’s affirming, speedy, efficient, reliable(ish), and it lightens your load. AI is quick to identify solutions for your problems, and it always asks you if there’s anything else it can do to assist you.

However, AI cannot and should not call the shots. AI needs clear directions and ongoing guidance to accomplish what you need it to do.

AI Guardrails

Make sure you have the following guardrails in place to keep your AI assistant on task.

1. Let AI serve your mission, not shape it. You know your audience, your context, and your God-given calling. AI is simply a tool to help you repackage and reshare the message you’re already developed. Use clear prompts that reflect your tone and values. You might say, “Write this from a warm, faith-driven tone,” or “Make it sound like something our ministry would post.” AI reflects what you feed it, so provide it with writing samples that illustrate what you’re trying to replicate.
2. Always review for accuracy. AI generates content quickly, but it doesn’t always get the details right. It might be pulling from an inaccurate or outdated source, or (as has been documented in some cases) it can even “hallucinate” by presenting nonsensical information. Additionally, AI can overgeneralize or overlook important context, especially when it comes to details specific to your organization. Don’t take any information for granted. Carefully fact-check, edit, and refine.
3. Stay personal and Spirit-led. When conversing directly with a specific person or if you’re sharing a deeply heartfelt story (such as one about their grief or walk with Christ), it deserves your time and careful attention. You might be able to use AI to refine or summarize content you’ve already written, but the message should be crafted and shared with the relational awareness only you can bring. Furthermore, don’t use AI to produce content that should be inspired and shaped by the Holy Spirit. God still speaks, and we should be listening for what he wants to reveal and say through us.

Don’t use AI to produce content that should be inspired and shaped by the Holy Spirit.

Once you have the proper guardrails in place, AI offers endless possibilities for streamlining and amplifying your marketing efforts. Though not an exhaustive list, here are five practical ways that creative Christians are using AI to share their message more effectively.

5 Practical Ways Creatives Are Using AI

1. Research.

Whether you are researching a particular topic or looking for trends and key takeaways from a defined data set, AI can quickly comb through all the information available and present you with actionable insight.

Sample prompt: “Based on this Google Analytics report, which content topics or pages generate the most engagement or conversions? What patterns or characteristics make these pages most successful (length, topic, media type)?”

2. Sorting and summarizing information.

AI can cull through your notes, documents, or other files to help you quickly find the exact information you need.

Sample prompt: “Sort through the meeting notes I’ve uploaded over the past six months and summarize any decisions we’ve made regarding the video to be shown at our major donor event in February.”

3. Brainstorming.

Need creative inspiration? AI is a great tool for generating ideas about potential topics, titles or headlines.

Sample prompt: “Using the same tone as our previous blog posts, please provide 10 ideas for a clever, punchy title for an article about donating non-cash assets to our ministry. It should be geared toward high-net-worth business leaders aged 50 and older.

4. Getting organized.

Perhaps you need help determining the structure of a particular project or plotting out the logistics to meet a specific deadline? AI is adept at breaking things down into manageable chunks.

Sample prompt: “I need to write a 500-word testimonial for our alumni magazine, including interviewing the person and obtaining photos. My completed draft must be submitted by December 1. Create a to-do list for me with a reasonable timeline.”

5. Repurposing and repackaging.

This is where generative AI becomes an absolute powerhouse for creatives looking to leverage the content they’ve already produced. In just a few simple steps, content from a single brochure, video or other marketing collateral can be quickly repurposed and reused in a variety of channels.

Sample prompt: “Using the attached brochure for reference, please provide me with text and suggested graphics for seven posts that I can share on Instagram.”

Worth the Trouble?

Is AI a blessing or a curse? It all depends on how you use it.

Is AI a blessing or a curse?

Neither resistance nor recklessness will get us where we want to go. Like any new technology, proper usage will require courage, creativity, education, and ongoing discernment.

However, it certainly seems to be worth the trouble.

Leveraged effectively, AI can be a significant tool for stewarding your time, energy, and resources, enabling you to accomplish far more than would ever be possible without it.

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Heather M. Day has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of marketing and ministry and is the author of Money and Spirit: Surrendering Our Finances to the Work of the Holy Spirit (Morgan James Faith, Jan. 2025). As director of marketing for Barnabas Foundation, she provides planned giving marketing resources and ongoing support to their more than 200 member ministries.

Heather Day will co-lead a workshop entitled “The Essentials of Planned Giving” at The Outcomes Conference 2026 in Dallas, Texas (April 28-30). Please join us for this transformational event for Christian nonprofit leaders. Register >>