Marketing and sales

A marketer is responsible for where customers come from and what each one costs. AI quickly produces drafts, variations and reports, while strategy and responsibility for the budget stay with the marketer.

A social media manager runs a brand's accounts: the plan, the posts, the conversation with followers. AI takes some of the manual work out of captions, cover images and video clipping, while the brand voice and real conversation stay human.

An SEO specialist makes sure people can find a site in search. Search increasingly answers questions itself, so the work is shifting toward getting a brand mentioned and cited in AI answers.

A PPC specialist sets up paid ads on social networks and in search, such as Google Ads and Meta Ads. The platforms increasingly decide for themselves who sees an ad, so the value shifts to creative, lead data and budget control.

An email marketer builds newsletters and email sequences that bring customers back. Emails can be drafted fast now, so the value is in segments, deliverability and respect for subscribers.

A marketplace manager runs products on selling platforms such as Amazon and Etsy: listings, prices, reviews, inventory. The platforms have started building in tools that draft descriptions and replies, so the person who manages the product range and the numbers is the one who's valued.

A sales rep takes a customer from first contact to a closed deal. AI prepares research, emails and CRM entries, while trust, negotiation and closing stay with the rep.

Mass cold calling from a script has been shrinking for a long time: companies are moving to ads and email, and some calls are going to voice AI agents. The skill of talking with a customer is still needed in sales and support.

A new role between SEO and PR: watching what AI assistants say about a brand and working to get it mentioned accurately and in the right context. Methods are still taking shape, and measurement is still imprecise.