Shopify’s AI Rule: Your Playbook for Product Marketing

MY DEEP DIVE

Shopify’s AI Rule: Your Playbook for Product Marketing

Shopify’s CEO dropped a bombshell: no new hires unless you prove AI can’t do the job. This changes the game for product marketers like us. It’s not just about saving money—it’s about working smarter and proving our worth. Here’s what it means, why it matters, and how to stay ahead.

What’s Going On?

Shopify wants teams to use AI for tasks before asking for more people. It’s a push to make work faster and cheaper. For us, it means rethinking how we market products. AI’s taking over repetitive stuff, so we need to focus on what humans do best.

Key Point: Use AI to handle grunt work. Save your energy for big ideas.

AI’s Your New Sidekick

AI can make your job easier. Here’s where it shines:

• Customer Insights: AI digs through data to spot trends. It can tell you what customers want faster than any spreadsheet.

  • Do This: Try tools like HubSpot’s AI to analyze feedback. Use the insights to tweak your messaging.

• Campaign Tweaks: AI tests ads and emails in real time. It finds what works and cuts what doesn’t.

  • Do This: Run A/B tests with AI platforms like Optimizely. Focus on crafting the story behind the results.

• Personalized Outreach: AI tailors campaigns to each customer. It’s like having a million assistants.

  • Do This: Use AI in your CRM to send custom product suggestions. Shopify’s betting big on this with their Vantage Discovery buy.

Key Point: Let AI do the heavy lifting. You focus on strategy.

What AI Can’t Do

AI’s great, but it’s not you. Here’s where you crush it:

• Tell Stories: AI can write, but it can’t make people feel. Your knack for turning features into stories is gold.

  • Do This: Build a campaign narrative that hits emotions—like how your product solves a real pain point.

• Find Hidden Needs: AI works with what’s there. You see what customers don’t even know they want yet.

  • Do This: Talk to customers directly. Use AI to back up your hunches, not replace them.

• Build Trust: People buy from brands they like. AI can’t charm or connect like you can.

  • Do This: Create a community—like a customer Slack group—to keep people engaged.

Key Point: Your creativity and gut keep you in the game.

How to Win

Shopify’s policy is a heads-up: AI’s here to stay. Here’s how to make it work for you:

1. Learn AI Basics: Get comfy with tools like Jasper or Google Analytics AI. You don’t need to code—just know what they do.

2. Automate the Boring Stuff: Hand off data sorting or ad tweaks to AI. Spend your time on ideas that move the needle.

3. Show Your Value: When pitching for budget or hires, stress what only you can do—like nailing a product launch vibe.

4. Stay Curious: Take a quick course on AI in marketing. LinkedIn Learning has good ones that won’t eat your week.

Key Point: Blend AI’s speed with your smarts to stand out.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just Shopify’s thing—it’s where marketing’s headed. Companies like Klarna are already replacing hundreds of jobs with AI. But here’s the deal: AI doesn’t kill creativity—it needs it. By using AI to handle routine tasks, you get more time to dream up campaigns that stick.

The catch? You’ve got to adapt. Prove you’re worth more than a bot by focusing on strategy, stories, and relationships. That’s how you’ll keep your edge.

Your Next Step: Look at your to-do list. Pick one task—like sorting customer data—that AI could do. Try a tool to handle it this week. Then spend the saved time brainstorming a bold new campaign idea. Let us know how it goes—we’re all in this together!