How The Digital Marketing Specialist Avoids Irrelevance From AI

The number of marketers asking how they can retain their job before getting cut from AI is understandable. 

According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas…

Layoffs have jumped this year, adding to fresh concerns about a pullback in hiring after new labor data on Friday showed that employers added only 73,000 jobs in July — well short of analyst forecasts. Through July, companies have announced more than 806,000 private-sector job cuts, the highest number for that period since 2020, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Of those layoffs, the technology industry wielded the sharpest axe — private companies in the sector have announced more than 89,000 job cuts, up 36% from a year ago. Since 2023, more than 27,000 job cuts have been directly tied to the advent of AI, according to the firm. 

When you see numbers like this - it’s easy to see how any recent college graduate would feel some level of anxiety. 

How Digital Marketing Professionals Can Avoid the AI Layoff

The digital marketing landscape is shifting faster than ever. Artificial intelligence, automation, and shifting work dynamics are reshaping the way marketing teams operate—and the skills they need to stay relevant.

 It’s no wonder many digital marketers are asking a hard question: How do I make sure I’m not next?

Start by Leveraging AI—Not Competing With It

When I began my marketing career, businesses believed the only way to be “found” was through the yellow pages.

I learned SEO when keyword stuffing worked and “article spinning” was considered clever. Back then, I’d update my Best Practices of SEO document weekly to keep up with Google’s algorithm changes.

Today, a subscription to an AI platform can generate keyword research, analyze Google Search Console data, and build a monthly report in minutes.

AI has made marketing analysis faster—but it’s also leveled the playing field.

That’s why your advantage won’t come from using AI—it’ll come from how you use it.

AI should handle the repetitive tasks that drain your energy: keyword clustering, intent mapping, content gap analysis, and data crunching. Your focus should be on the high-value work that AI can’t replicate—understanding business goals, crafting strategy, and connecting insights across teams.

Here’s a great place to start:

• Build multi-step workflows using tools like OpenAI’s Agent Builder to automate repetitive analysis.
  
  
• Document your AI workflows so you can optimize and scale them.
  
  
• Treat AI as the assistant your team does't have the budget for. BTW this is not a replacement for your creativity or leadership, it will allow you to excel in those much needed areas. 

Shift From Tactics to Strategy

If you want to secure your future in this industry, you need to move beyond execution. The next wave of layoffs won’t hit those who can think strategically.

When your VP or CMO asks about progress, don’t just show campaign metrics. Ask about the business’s key performance indicators (KPIs) and how your work connects to them.
Questions like:

• “What are the marketing department’s top KPIs this quarter?”
  
  
• “How can my campaigns support our revenue or pipeline goals?”
  
  
• “Where does marketing have the most impact on sales right now?”
  
  

These are the kinds of conversations that elevate you from “marketer” to “strategic partner.”
Act like the next level up—today. If you’re a marketing specialist, think like a director. If you’re a director, think like a VP.

Strategy is not your job title—it’s how you think.

Build Influence Through Data and Insight

Every marketer talks about being “data-driven,” but few know how to connect data to decisions.
Integrate tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to analyze branded vs. non-branded search queries, understand audience intent, and spot trends before your competitors do.

Use AI-powered research tools (like Atlas or custom GPTs) to turn data into insights:

“Pull year-to-date branded and non-branded search data to identify content gaps, then compare the top three competitors to map new content themes.”

That kind of insight makes you indispensable.
Because while AI can summarize data, it still takes a strategic marketer to interpret what it means for the business. That is where YOU come in. 

 Create Human-Centered, Non-Generic Content

You have heard the phrase "AI slop" and you've likely read posts in Linkedin or newsletters filled with that stuff. Why do you think there's such a focus on that? 

AI can generate words—but it can’t create meaning.
To stand out, focus on producing content that reflects your unique perspective and lived experience. Use your human lens to tell stories that build trust and brand authority.

Share case studies, lessons learned, and mistakes you’ve corrected. Create what AI can’t—content infused with empathy, humor, and first-hand perspective.

That’s what resonates in a crowded, automated world. That’s what leadership looks like in marketing today.

The Future Belongs to Strategic Thinkers

AI isn’t replacing marketers—it’s replacing marketers who don’t evolve.

The safest career move right now isn’t to learn more tools—it’s to learn how to think strategically, lead cross-functional initiatives, and align marketing with the business.

Even before AI came on the scene, these skills have always been required, now with AI, it's accelerated our need to think and become more strategic. 

Because no AI will ever replicate what makes you valuable:
your judgment, your curiosity, your ability to connect dots others can’t see.

So build those skills now—before you need them.
And if this message resonates, share it with someone who might need to hear it too.