Artificial intelligence has become deeply embedded within modern business. It’s the driving force across most industries, and marketing is no exception.
It’s transforming how we gather data, craft campaigns, interact with potential customers and so much more. But as AI becomes more powerful, the question we need to ask is this: how do we use it without compromising trust with the very people we’re trying to reach?
What key to everything is that people come first. It’s not leads or clicks – it’s people. As marketers, we have a responsibility to communicate ethically, intelligently, and with genuine value. AI can enhance that; however, it must be done properly and in a way that develops relationships first and foremost.
AI should support, not replace, human intelligence
AI is incredibly useful. But on its own, it’s not some magical formulae. Great B2B marketing still relies on empathy, timing, judgement and relevance – and those are fundamentally human skills.
However, when AI runs unchecked, the result is all too familiar: irrelevant, repetitive messaging that feels automated and impersonal. People spot it a mile off and that’s when trust erodes. AI should gather the insight, but people should decide what matters. That’s where the balance is.
Intent data is the future of marketing
The true power of AI in B2B lies in intent data. This is gathered from signals that show what someone is genuinely interested in, when, and why. Technology solutions exist to do just that, by using AI to analyse a user’s journey across an entire website, and not just a single landing page.
As a result, clients/users have a much clearer picture of what a person needs and helps us to respond accordingly. It’s not a one-blanket fits all either, as communications must be tailored to what the recipient needs at any one time. Furthermore, intent data, when done right, doesn’t guess. It enables personalised outreach that is not only timely but welcomed.
AI should stay behind the scenes
AI should be seen as a behind-the-scenes asset – not a frontman. It’s there to analyse data and web behaviour and to uncover real buying intent including timing, interest level and engagement signals.
But to compliment this, the outreach itself must be human-led. It’s about connecting people to people, with relevance and respect.
Transparency is everything
There’s a danger in treating AI like a black box – one that makes decisions we can’t explain. In marketing, any tool like that will always be unacceptable in my view. If we want to keep trust intact, transparency has to be non-negotiable. It’s also highly important to be transparent with clients and their customers, so they know exactly how data is gathered, how it’s processed, and how it will be used.
Processes must be GDPR-compliant, PECR-respectful, and it should always prioritise the recipient. It is this level of openness that builds loyalty.
Education before promotion
A large proportion of output should be educational, with a much smaller fraction being promotional. An 80/20 split is what you should be aiming for, in order to develop “marketing with intent.”
While AI makes it easy to push out volumes of content, if you don’t prioritise value, your audience will simply tune out and lose interest or unsubscribe. Instead, it’s important to use AI to identify knowledge gaps and serve helpful insights tailored to each recipient’s stage in the journey.
Trust is built when a recipient thinks, “That was useful. That brand understands me.” And AI, when applied to personalise learning and content delivery, becomes vital to building relationships.
Less is more with frequency rules
Most AI-powered tools are designed to maximise reach and output. But more isn’t necessarily better. In fact, it often creates the opposite effect. By bombarding someone’s inbox, they’re almost certainly going to block you, either mentally or literally. Frequency rules are the intelligent pacing of outbound communications, built with AI support and human approval. This ensures messages go out only when they matter, in ways that feel right.
The result? Clients build long-term trust.
The dangers of outsourcing
One of the biggest dangers with AI in marketing is outsourcing decisions to people or platforms that don’t share your values. AI doesn’t absolve you of responsibility – if anything, it should heighten it. You can’t blame the algorithm. If your campaigns cross a line, that’s on you and your responsibility as a marketer. Whether it’s your AI partner, your data supplier, or your internal team, make sure everyone’s aligned on what good marketing looks like. Trust is too fragile to risk for the sake of a quick win.
Use tools worth trusting
Don’t just plug in existing AI, build your own solutions that empower marketers to act smarter and more responsibly. It should be there to understand the person behind the data which is an example of a crucial mindset shift in how AI is applied.
In Summary, AI can build trust if you lead it with purpose and AI in B2B marketing isn’t going away. Used properly, it can elevate our ability to understand, support, and serve the businesses you work with, providing it’s implemented with intention and by putting the recipient first. Be transparent and always remember, trust isn’t earned by technology, it’s earned by how you use it.
