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I’ll admit it. I’ve gone a bit down the AI rabbit hole lately.

Like most of us, I resisted it at first, convinced it could never write as well as I could. And honestly, it still can’t. Not on its own.

But me and AI together? That’s a whole other story.

When you combine your experience, intuition, and personality with AI’s speed and idea generation, it’s magic. It doesn’t replace you, it enhances you.

Today, I want to share six ways you can use AI in your email marketing, and one thing you absolutely shouldn’t use it for.

1. Idea Generation

Let’s start with the fun part: idea generation.

AI is brilliant for helping you come up with new angles when you’re feeling stuck or uninspired. You can use it to brainstorm original content or to get fresh inspiration from what you already have.

Try prompts like:

• “Give me 20 newsletter ideas about [topic].”
• “Create 10 email ideas from this blog post: [paste your post].”
• “Turn this podcast transcript into 5 email topics.”
• “Build a 12-week content plan with email themes around [topics].”
• “I want to run a 3-part promo series for [offer]. Suggest what each email could focus on.”

Ask for more ideas than you need. You’ll start spotting patterns, refining your thinking, and seeing directions you might not have found on your own.

AI gives you sparks. You bring the strategy.

2. Topic Research

Once you’ve got ideas, AI can help you research them quickly.

If you’re using paid versions of ChatGPT or Claude, you can use their deeper research modes to explore specific topics.

Try prompts like:

• “Research the top 10 factors influencing [topic]. Focus on qualitative insights from the last two years.”
• “Find 5 recent statistics about [topic] with credible links.”
• “What are people searching for online about [problem]?”
• “Give examples of [concept] used in small businesses.”

Always check your sources. AI sometimes makes things up or gives you outdated stats. Click the links, confirm the details, and make sure the facts are real.

AI doesn’t replace your knowledge. It helps you find supporting information and new perspectives to strengthen what you already know.

3. First Drafts

This is where AI can save you time.

You can ask it to write a first version of a campaign or repurpose something you’ve already written into an email. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s getting a rough draft that you can refine.

Try prompts like:

“Act as an email copywriter and write a campaign email for [audience]. The main call to action is [CTA]. The focus should be [topic or offer]. Use a friendly, conversational tone and Australian English spelling.”

Or:

“Repurpose this blog post into an engaging email.”

Or:

“Write a short email encouraging readers to click through and read this article: [paste link].”

Once you’ve got a first draft, you can guide it, refine it, and add your personality.

AI is great for helping you start. You’re the one who makes it sound human.

4. Editing and Improvement

Now for my favourite part: editing, or what I like to call arguing back.

This is where the magic happens. You can work with the AI until it starts sounding like you.

You might edit:

• Tone - “It’s coming across a bit too _____ , can you make the language more”
• Content - “Can you add / remove a little more from ________”
• Angle – “I’m unsure of the angle, can you make it more about ______”
• Formatting - “Can you shorten the sentences”, “Can you break this section down into dot points”
• Extra personality - “Can you add a reference to ________” (pop culture)
• Language - “Can you make this email more conversational / engaging / interesting”. “Write it in first / second / third person”. “Use Australian English spelling”
• Statistics - “Can you add some key statistics showing that _____. Include sources”
• Adding examples/stories - “Can you add an example of ______”
• Experiment - “I like the ________, can we keep that but switch the example/focus to _______”

And my favourite – “Remove the em-dashes”

Treat AI like a junior team member who needs clear direction. You lead. It follows.

5. Subject Lines and Calls to Action

This is one of the best uses for AI.

Subject lines and calls to action are short, but they matter the most. A few words can be the difference between someone opening your email or scrolling past it.

Try prompts like:

• “Write 20 subject lines for this email: [paste text].”
• “Create 10 subject line and preview text combinations.”
• “Write 10 variations of a call-to-action button for [goal].”
• “Make the subject lines sound more conversational or curious.”

Keep pushing until you have plenty of options. The best ideas usually appear after the first ten. Then take the ones that sound closest to your voice and polish them.

AI gives you quantity. You bring the quality.

6. Repurposing

Repurposing is one of the most valuable ways to use AI.

You’ve already done the hard work of creating great content. AI can help you turn that content into something new.

Try prompts like:

• “Turn this blog post into a newsletter.”
• “Create 10 social captions from this email.”
• “Rewrite this as a short blog post.”
• “Convert this email into a version for my welcome series.”
• “Summarise this podcast transcript into an email.”

Repurposing saves time, keeps your ideas working harder, and helps you stay consistent without burning out.

AI makes it simple, but the direction still comes from you.

What You Shouldn’t Use AI For

There’s one thing I never let AI do: my thinking.

AI doesn’t know your audience the way you do. It doesn’t understand their fears, goals, or personalities. It doesn’t know your story, your voice, or your experience.

That’s your job.

AI can suggest words, ideas, or angles, but you’re the one who decides what’s right for your audience. You’re the one who brings the creativity and strategy.

If it gives you something that feels off, challenge it. Push back. Or use the idea as inspiration and rewrite it completely.

Trust yourself. You already have the insight and experience that make your content valuable.

Bringing It All Together

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not the expert. You are.

When you use it well, it can make your work faster, easier, and even more creative. You’ll discover new ideas, fill the gaps in your research, and polish your writing with more confidence.

But when you hand over your thinking to it, that’s when things fall flat.

Your voice, your ideas, and your thought leadership are what your audience connects with. They don’t want perfectly generated copy. They want you — your stories, your opinions, your perspective.

AI can assist, but it can’t replace that.

If you’re ready to learn how to use AI in a way that keeps your voice intact while saving you time, come join me for my free live training, The Email AI Formula, on 12 November 2025.

You’ll learn how to turn ChatGPT from a generic content robot into your own personal email copywriter — one that actually sounds like you, understands your audience, and helps you write faster without losing your personality.

Register at yaelkeon.com/ai.