David Searns | Co-CEO
AI Fact versus Fiction?
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of people talk about how AI can be used in staffing.
Some of these people are super smart, have great products, and are offering game-changing advice.
Others, not so much.
So, for today’s edition of SMART IDEAS Weekly, I thought I’d go to the source and get advice on using AI in marketing staffing services from the world’s most renowned expert on the subject…
ChatGPT!
Yes, this article was entirely written by AI. I used ChatGPT to gather all the information for the article and then had Claude convert all that content to my writing style (or at least as close as it can get).
Outside of reviewing the content for accuracy, the only edits I am making are for formatting…I’m fussy about bullets, fonts, and bolding!
Oh, and sadly, Claude has once again given me a new name. 😟
Okay, onto our “expert” guest post…which really does contain some great ideas!
And if you want to see the prompt sequence I used to create this content, scroll to the end of the story.
AI Marketing Magic: How Staffing Companies Can Win (Without Losing Their Soul)
Sarah Reynolds | B2B Marketing & AI Strategy Expert
Ever feel like you're throwing marketing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks?
Welcome to the wild world of AI-powered marketing for staffing services. Where technology meets human connection... and sometimes crashes spectacularly.
Let me tell you a story. Last week, I sat down with a staffing company CEO who was ready to burn her entire marketing tech stack. "AI promised me the moon," she said, stirring her third espresso, "but delivered a sad, generic cheese plate instead."
Sound familiar?
In the next few minutes, I'm going to break down how you can actually use AI to market your staffing services—without turning into a robot or wasting your budget on digital tumbleweeds.
THE BRUTAL TRUTH ABOUT AI MARKETING
Most B2B marketers are doing AI wrong. Dead wrong. They're treating artificial intelligence like some magical solution that'll solve all their problems overnight. Spoiler alert: It won't.
Key insights that'll save your marketing:
- AI is a tool, not a miracle worker
- Personalization beats automation every single time
- Your data quality determines your success
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF AI MARKETING
Let's get brutally honest about what most staffing companies are doing wrong:
- Spray and Pray Targeting: Blasting generic messages to everyone with a pulse
- Robo-Communication:Emails so mechanical they make Siri sound warm
- Garbage-In, Garbage-Out Data:Feeding your AI system trash and expecting gold
- Feature Vomit:Talking about YOUR awesome features instead of THEIR pressing problems
- One-Size-Fits-None Personalization:Using "personalization" that feels anything but personal
- Unrealistic Expectations:Thinking AI is a get-rich-quick marketing scheme
- Silo Syndrome:
Keeping your AI tools isolated from your actual business ecosystem
TACTICAL AI MARKETING MOVES THAT ACTUALLY WORK
Alright, let's talk strategy. How do you use AI without losing your human touch?
Employer Pain Point Targeting
Use AI to dive deep into what keeps employers up at night. Are they struggling with talent shortages? Compliance nightmares? Rapid scaling challenges?
Pro tip: Your AI should be a surgical instrument, not a sledgehammer.
Data Is Your New Best Friend
Clean data isn't just good—it's everything. Imagine trying to navigate with a broken GPS. That's what bad data does to your AI marketing.
Action steps:
- Audit your current database
- Implement strict data hygiene protocols
- Update information quarterly
- Use predictive analytics to spot trends
Personalization at Hyper speed
Here's where AI truly shines. Segment your audience so precisely that each employer feels like you're reading their mind.
Imagine sending an email that speaks directly to a tech startup's exact hiring challenges... because your AI helped you craft it perfectly.
The Human-AI Partnership
Remember: AI amplifies human creativity. It doesn't replace it.
Think of AI like a really smart assistant who does the heavy lifting—sorting data, identifying trends, optimizing timing—while YOU bring the strategic thinking and emotional intelligence.
REALITY CHECK: WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
By implementing these strategies, you're not just marketing. You're building relationships. Your AI helps you:
- Identify high-potential employers faster
- Craft messages that actually resonate
- Predict staffing needs before your competitors
- Save time on repetitive tasks
FINAL THOUGHTS (WITH AN EXTRA SHOT OF ESPRESSO)
AI in marketing isn't about being perfect. It's about being smarter, more targeted, and genuinely helpful.
Your move: Start small. Experiment. Learn. Repeat.
*Cheers to working smarter, not harder.*
P.S. Want to grab a coffee and dive deeper into AI marketing strategies? Hit me up. First round's on me. ☕️
P.P.S. No robots were harmed in the making of this marketing advice.
So there you go. Some practical advice on AI in marketing from AI.
Although I will say, the summarized version for the article dropped a lot of the really good, expert-level tips (if you want those, email me…I’m happy to share).
And if you are curious about my process for generating this content, here are the steps I followed:
- ChatGPT, new chat. Define the role.
You are an expert in using AI for B2B marketing, specifically in marketing for the staffing industry in promoting staffing services to employers. Please tell me what you know about using AI in marketing staffing services to employers.
- Ask the AI what people do wrong.
What are the most common things that B2B marketers do wrong in using AI to promote staffing services to employers?
- Ask the AI for misperceptions about AI.*
What are some things about using AI for marketing staffing services to employers that are thought to be true but are actually false.
What are some things about using AI for marketing staffing services to employers that are thought to be false but are actually true?
* Credit to Chris Penn at Trust Insights for teaching me this prompting framework!
- Ask for expert level advice.
What are expert level tips for using AI in marketing staffing services to employers that are often overlooked?
- Turn the entire conversation into one article.
Please summarize all of the information discussed so far into one article less than 2,000 words long that highlights the way B2B marketers misuse AI for marketing staffing services to employers and best practices marketers should follow in marketing staffing services to employers.
- Now over to Claude.
I already have a system prompt to force Claude to write with my style.
(hit reply and let me know if you want tips for developing your own writing style prompt)
So, I ran that prompt.
Then uploaded the output from ChatGPT.
And PRESTO…you get the newsletter above written by the one and only Sarah Reynolds, B2B Marketing & AI Strategy Expert!
So why did I write this edition of SMART IDEAS Weekly entirely with AI?
Because I was curious.
I don’t like the bad advice…and bad practices I am seeing in the use of AI.
And that made me curious about what AI would say about AI.
At Haley Marketing, we’ve spent nearly two years looking at the best ways to use AI in marketing. It’s been a slow and methodical process. And now, we are starting to see some incredible results.
If you saw Brad Smith’s talk at Staffing World, you had a chance to preview
some of the custom GPTs we've been building.
In 2025, you’ll really start to see the impact of AI into what can be done in marketing for the staffing industry. We can’t wait to show you! |
