Marketing automation platforms have been a cornerstone of B2B growth for more than a decade. They manage email sequences, track leads and trigger workflows that keep prospects moving through the funnel. Now, with the arrival of generative AI features, these platforms are undergoing a significant transformation. HubSpot, Marketo and Salesforce are integrating AI in ways that help marketers create content faster, personalise messaging and optimise campaigns at scale.
Why this shift matters
Traditionally, marketing automation tools excelled at execution but still required significant manual input. Teams needed to write every email, build every landing page and test every headline. Generative AI changes that by providing intelligent suggestions and automating content creation directly within these platforms. It’s a move from simple workflow management to active creative assistance.
HubSpot: AI‑assisted content and campaigns
HubSpot has integrated generative AI across its marketing suite. Within the email editor, marketers can now prompt the system to write subject lines, craft introductory paragraphs or adjust tone for different audiences. Blog and landing page builders offer AI prompts that produce outlines, headers and meta descriptions in seconds.
These tools are designed to accelerate production without losing human oversight. A marketer might use AI to draft multiple email variations, then quickly choose or refine the one that best fits their campaign. HubSpot’s AI also analyses engagement data, suggesting follow‑up actions or new workflows based on performance trends.
Marketo: Smarter segmentation and nurture tracks
Marketo has long been known for its depth in lead management and scoring. The addition of generative AI enhances its ability to personalise nurture streams. Marketers can feed the platform basic details about a segment, and the AI suggests tailored messaging, content topics and even CTA language.
For multistage campaigns, AI can propose variations for each step, reducing the time needed to build complex nurture tracks. Marketo is also experimenting with predictive content — suggesting assets that align with known behaviours of similar audience profiles — helping teams serve the right message at the right moment.
Salesforce: Einstein GPT and beyond
Salesforce has taken a bold step with Einstein GPT, embedding generative AI across its ecosystem. In the marketing cloud, this means marketers can generate dynamic ad copy, social captions and email sequences directly in their workflow. AI also draws on CRM data to suggest hyper‑personalised content that aligns with individual account histories.
For example, if a prospect recently attended a webinar, Einstein GPT can recommend follow‑up messages that reference the event, suggest additional resources and draft an outreach sequence for sales. It’s about blending automation with real‑time intelligence to deliver experiences that feel genuinely bespoke.
Benefits for marketing teams
Faster production
AI reduces the time spent creating assets, enabling teams to launch campaigns more quickly and test more ideas.
Stronger personalisation
By tapping into CRM and behavioural data, AI tools can suggest content tailored to each buyer’s journey stage and interests.
Smarter optimisation
Generative AI tools continuously learn from engagement data, offering insights and refinements that improve campaign performance over time.
Lower creative barriers
Smaller teams without dedicated copywriters or designers can still produce professional‑quality assets, levelling the playing field.
Getting started
To take advantage of these new capabilities, start by exploring the AI features already available in your automation platform. Test them on low‑risk campaigns such as newsletters or internal updates before applying them to high‑value initiatives. Train your team on how to edit and refine AI outputs to match brand tone and ensure accuracy. Keep a close eye on results to understand where AI truly adds value and where human input remains essential.
Marketing automation combined with generative AI represents a step change in how campaigns are built and delivered. HubSpot, Marketo and Salesforce are leading the way, giving marketers tools that not only execute workflows but also help create, personalise and optimise content. For teams willing to experiment, these integrations open up new possibilities for faster growth and more meaningful engagement.
