Because knowing how to use ChatGPT is not the same as knowing how to drive results
Let’s be honest. AI is everywhere right now. Everyone is using it to write content, test headlines, generate ad copy, and save time. But when you are hiring a digital marketer, you are not just looking for someone who knows the tools. You are looking for someone who knows how to use them well.
There is a big difference between someone who experiments with AI and someone who integrates it into their daily workflow. The second kind is the one who moves fast, makes smarter decisions, and drives actual results. So if you are trying to figure out who to hire, focus on how they think, not just what tools they have tried.
If you are already at the hiring stage and want a detailed walkthrough on how to approach the process, check out this guide on how to hire an AI savvy digital marketer. It breaks it down step by step.
Here is what to look for.
They understand marketing fundamentals
AI can speed up the work but it cannot replace basic marketing judgment. A good marketer still needs to understand positioning, messaging, funnels, and offers. They should know how to break down a product or service into benefits that resonate with the right audience.
If they cannot explain how they would structure a funnel for your business without relying on AI, that is a red flag. AI helps but it only works when it is being used by someone who already understands the strategy.
They know how to write smart prompts
This one is easy to overlook but it is one of the most important skills. Great AI marketers do not ask generic questions. They feed the model context, tone, and structure. They understand how to ask for frameworks, variations, and rewrites in a way that saves time and produces usable output.
Ask them to show you a prompt they have used to write an email, blog post, or landing page. If it sounds basic, they probably are too.
They know which tools to use and when
A real AI marketer knows their stack. They are not just playing with ChatGPT. They might be using Surfer for SEO, Jasper for copy, AdCreative for design variations, Mutiny for personalization, and Zapier to automate repetitive tasks.
But the real skill is knowing when to lean on the tools and when to use judgment. Just because AI can write twenty ad headlines does not mean you should run all of them. Knowing which one fits your brand and audience is still a human decision.
They think in systems not tasks
This is what separates a doer from a strategic marketer. You want someone who builds repeatable systems. Instead of writing content from scratch every time, they should have a process for using AI to generate first drafts, create repurposed formats, and optimize for SEO or engagement.
Ask how they take one idea and turn it into a blog, an email, a LinkedIn post, and an ad. If they have a clear workflow and use AI to speed it up, you are on the right track.
They test and analyze not just create
AI makes it easy to create more. But creating more is not the goal. Results are. So you want a marketer who uses AI to test different angles, track performance, and learn from the data.
Ask what metrics they track and how they decide what to optimize next. If they can talk about CTR, conversion rates, and bounce rates with confidence, they know what they are doing. If they just say they like using AI to write content, you should keep looking.
Final thoughts
The tools will keep changing. What matters more is how your marketer thinks, builds, and adapts. You do not need someone who is excited about AI. You need someone who is already using it to move faster, learn quicker, and drive better outcomes without adding complexity to your team.
And if you are hiring right now and want help identifying people who actually know how to use AI in real campaigns