AI-generated video content is turning the marketing world on its head. But what trends should marketers be focusing on to stay ahead of the competition?

If you’ve been following the latest buzz in AI marketing trends — and you should be — you know that AI video tools are at the forefront of this change.

Whether it’s trained ad avatars or hyper-personalized video scripts, these technologies are irreversibly changing how we create content and engage with our audiences. But with such rapid innovation, what’s actually worth the hype?

Kieran and I experimented with some of these new developments in a recent episode of Marketing Against the Grain, including a viral AI video on Twitter and an AI-generated ad created in less than 15 minutes.

Among the many AI video options available, these four trends have been particularly notable — and are worth paying close attention to.

1. Avatar actors and likeness licensing are the new norm.

Instead of hiring an actor to read a script or act in an ad, businesses can now license an actor’s likeness, use it to train an AI model, and then use that model to create ads and avatars. This enables marketers to quickly generate a variety of content, testing, and refining different approaches and messages without the logistical constraints of traditional video shoots.

For example, this viral video ad features a woman casually talking about a product while seated inside her car. What’s so significant about it, however, is that while she’s a real actress hired off of Fiverr, the video itself is generated by AI video, using tools like Arcads.

“This produces video content that is human-trained but AI-agent delivered,” Kieran explains. “That’s quite an unbelievable concept to think through.”

2. Low-quality but authentic content is driving engagement.

Polished, high-budget video ads are quickly becoming a thing of the past — or at least, less favored by audiences. Instead, low-production, personable videos are taking the lead, outperforming traditional ads on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Take, for example, the viral video I mentioned above: it’s not polished or high-budget. Instead, it’s set in a poorly-lit car, with an unflattering angle. Yet people are more likely to engage with it. Why?

“Because it feels authentic, relatable, and personable,” Kieran explains. “It’s how a real person would talk about a product.”

For marketers, this shift means experimenting with AI tools like HeyGen and InfinityAI, which quickly create videos that drive engagement, despite — or even because of — their imperfections.

3. Video personalization and customization are must-haves.

Hyper-personalized videos that cater to customers’ accessibility needs, languages, and preferences are essential for successful marketing campaigns.

During the episode, we highlighted how AI tools can use customer data from your CRM platform — like call logs, support tickets, and emails — to craft personalized video scripts. This enables marketing teams to deliver tailored content that feels uniquely targeted and relevant to each individual viewer.

We also experimented with HeyGen’s groundbreaking Avatar in Motion, which creates customized avatars based on your own likeness. Move your hands, make gestures, or use unique tones of voice, and HeyGen will flawlessly track, translate, and lip-sync your video with any customizable input text.

4. Accelerated iteration is driving innovation.

AI tools significantly speed up the iteration cycle for creative video content and limit lengthy and expensive production cycles. For example, during the episode, I showed Kieran how I designed and launched a video ad in less than 15 minutes.

To stay ahead, marketers need to quickly and constantly innovate, as the ease of copying and templatizing creative work will lead to a rapid commoditization of content.

Standard approaches to AI-powered video content may outperform current methods in the short term because they’re new and different. But effectiveness is likely to peak within the first six to twelve months. Then, it will taper off as audiences get used to it and become aware of its widespread use.

“Your best-performing content will now be ‘best-performing’ for a much shorter period of time,” says Kieran. In other words: your iteration of ‘creative’ as a marketer will have to increase exponentially. Differentiation will rely heavily on the unique 10-20% of creative input, putting increased pressure on marketers to continually produce new and distinctive ideas.

Three Tips for Integrating AI into Your Video Marketing Strategy

Learn how to incorporate AI into your video workflow by downloading our AI Guide for Marketers and following the tips below.

1. Experiment. Experiment. Experiment.

Test different AI video tools to understand their benefits and limitations, helping you find the best fit for your campaign needs and goals. This keeps your team ahead of the competition, identifying new opportunities to capture the attention of your customers.

2. Enhance the Tools You Already Use

Not sure where to start? Try using AI video features that already exist in your current marketing tech stack. For example, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Mailchimp offer AI-powered capabilities that boost your marketing effectiveness by automating production processes and offering more detailed performance insights for iteration.

3. Monitor Legal and Ethical Considerations

As AI video production becomes more prevalent, legal considerations around likeness licensing and content use will become increasingly important. Invest in the proper training and resources now to ensure you are using AI effectively and ethically in the future.

To watch our entire AI video discussion, check out the full episode of Marketing Against the Grain below:

This blog series is in partnership with Marketing Against the Grain, the video podcast. It digs deeper into ideas shared by marketing leaders Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Marketing at HubSpot) as they unpack growth strategies and learn from standout founders and peers.