Building Your First AI-Powered Campaign
You’ve heard the promise: AI agents can create entire marketing campaigns in minutes instead of days.
But when you actually sit down to use one, you hit a wall.
“What do I even tell it?” “How do I make sure it sounds like our brand?” “What if it generates garbage?”
This playbook walks you through building your first AI-powered campaign from start to finish. No fluff. Just the practical steps that actually work.
What You’ll Learn
- How to build a knowledge base that makes AI output on-brand
- The anatomy of an effective AI campaign brief
- Generating multi-channel content from a single brief
- Quality control workflows that catch issues before they go live
- Iteration patterns that improve output over time
The 5-Step Framework
| Step | Phase | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knowledge Base | Brand foundation - document your voice, messaging, and positioning |
| 2 | Campaign Brief | Goals and context - define what you want to achieve |
| 3 | Generate | Multi-channel content - create variations for each platform |
| 4 | Review | Quality control - check accuracy, brand alignment, and effectiveness |
| 5 | Launch | Deploy and measure - track performance and capture learnings |
Step 1: Build Your Knowledge Base
Before you write a single prompt, you need to give your AI agent context. This is the difference between generic output and on-brand content.
What Goes in a Marketing Knowledge Base?
| Category | What to Include | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Voice | Tone descriptors, writing style, words to use/avoid | Ensures consistent personality across all content |
| Messaging Pillars | Core value props, key differentiators, proof points | Keeps content focused on what matters |
| Product Info | Features, benefits, use cases, pricing | Enables accurate product references |
| Target Personas | Pain points, goals, objections, language they use | Makes content resonate with your audience |
| Competitive Positioning | How you compare, what to emphasize, what to avoid | Prevents generic claims, enables differentiation |
Start Small: You don’t need everything on day one. Start with brand voice + one persona + your core value prop. Add more as you go.
Brand Voice Document Template
Here’s a simple structure that works:
# Brand Voice Guidelines
## Tone
- Professional but approachable
- Confident, not arrogant
- Clear and direct, avoid jargon
## Writing Style
- Short sentences, short paragraphs
- Active voice preferred
- Use "you" to address the reader
## Words We Use
- "Platform" not "solution"
- "Teams" not "organizations"
- "Launch" not "deploy"
## Words We Avoid
- "Revolutionary" (overused)
- "Synergy" (corporate speak)
- "Best-in-class" (meaningless)
## Example Sentences
Good: "Launch campaigns 3x faster with AI that knows your brand."
Bad: "Our revolutionary solution enables organizations to deploy best-in-class campaigns."How Much Context Is Enough?
| Knowledge Base Size | Best For | Typical Results |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal (1-2 pages) | Quick experiments, testing | 60-70% on-brand |
| Standard (5-10 pages) | Regular campaign work | 80-90% on-brand |
| Comprehensive (15+ pages) | High-volume, multi-team use | 90-95% on-brand |
Step 2: Write Your Campaign Brief
The brief is where most AI campaigns succeed or fail. A vague brief produces vague content. A specific brief produces usable content.
The Campaign Brief Framework
Campaign Brief Template
-
Campaign Goal - What specific outcome are you trying to achieve? (e.g., “Generate 50 demo requests for our new analytics feature”)
-
Target Audience - Who are you talking to? Reference your persona. (e.g., “Marketing ops managers at B2B SaaS companies, 50-500 employees”)
-
Key Message - What’s the one thing you want them to remember? (e.g., “Cut reporting time by 80% with automated dashboards”)
-
Channels - Where will this content appear? (e.g., “Email sequence, LinkedIn posts, Google Ads”)
-
Call to Action - What do you want them to do? (e.g., “Book a 15-minute demo”)
-
Constraints - Any requirements or limitations? (e.g., “Don’t mention competitor X, stay under 150 words for ads”)
Example: Complete Campaign Brief
## Campaign: Q1 Analytics Feature Launch
**Goal:** Generate 50 demo requests in 30 days
**Audience:** Marketing ops managers at B2B SaaS companies (50-500 employees)
who currently spend 5+ hours/week on manual reporting
**Key Message:** Cut reporting time by 80% with dashboards that build themselves
**Proof Points:**
- Automated data sync from 50+ marketing tools
- Custom reports generated in under 60 seconds
- Used by 200+ marketing teams
**Channels:**
- Email: 3-email nurture sequence
- LinkedIn: 5 posts (mix of educational + promotional)
- Google Ads: 4 headlines + 2 descriptions
**CTA:** "See it in action - book a 15-min demo"
**Constraints:**
- Don't mention pricing (sales handles)
- Avoid comparison to [Competitor X] directly
- All claims must be supportableCommon Mistake: Briefs that are too vague. “Write content for our new feature” will produce generic output. Be specific about who, what, and why.
Step 3: Generate Multi-Channel Content
With your knowledge base loaded and brief written, you’re ready to generate. Here’s where the magic happens - one brief, multiple channel-specific outputs.
Single Brief to Multi-Channel Output
From a single campaign brief, your AI agent can generate:
- Email Sequence: 3 emails, subject lines, preview text
- LinkedIn Posts: 5 posts with hooks and CTAs
- Google Ads: Headlines, descriptions, extensions
- Landing Page: Hero copy, benefits, social proof
Channel-Specific Considerations
| Channel | Key Constraints | What to Request |
|---|---|---|
| Subject line under 50 chars, preview text around 90 chars | Subject lines, preview text, body copy, CTA buttons | |
| 3,000 char limit, hook in first 2 lines | Multiple post variations, engagement hooks, hashtags | |
| Google Ads | Headlines 30 chars, descriptions 90 chars | Multiple headlines, descriptions, callout extensions |
| Landing Pages | Scannable, benefit-focused | Hero headline, subhead, bullet points, social proof |
Prompting for Multi-Channel Output
Instead of generating each channel separately, request everything at once:
Using the campaign brief above, generate:
1. EMAIL SEQUENCE (3 emails)
- Email 1: Problem awareness
- Email 2: Solution introduction
- Email 3: Social proof + hard CTA
For each: subject line, preview text, body (150-200 words), CTA button text
2. LINKEDIN POSTS (5 posts)
- 2 educational (pain point focused)
- 2 product-focused (feature/benefit)
- 1 social proof (customer result)
For each: hook, body, CTA, 3 relevant hashtags
3. GOOGLE ADS
- 6 headlines (max 30 characters each)
- 4 descriptions (max 90 characters each)
- 2 callout extensionsStep 4: Review and Refine
AI-generated content needs human review. But not all review is equal. Here’s how to do it efficiently.
The 3-Pass Review System
| Pass | Focus | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Pass 1: Accuracy | Facts and claims | Claims are true, product details correct, no hallucinated features, pricing/terms accurate |
| Pass 2: Brand | Voice and tone | Tone matches voice, no forbidden words, messaging aligned, feels like “us” |
| Pass 3: Quality | Effectiveness | Compelling hooks, clear value prop, strong CTAs, would you click? |
Giving Effective Feedback
When content needs work, be specific about what to fix:
| Vague Feedback | Specific Feedback |
|---|---|
| ”Make it better" | "The hook is weak - lead with the 80% time savings stat" |
| "Sounds too salesy" | "Remove ‘revolutionary’ and ‘game-changing’ - use concrete outcomes instead" |
| "Not quite right" | "Email 2 jumps to product too fast - add a paragraph about the pain point first" |
| "Try again" | "The CTA is buried - move it above the fold and make the button text more action-oriented” |
Pro Tip: When you find recurring issues, add them to your knowledge base. “Never use ‘game-changing’” prevents the same feedback loop next time.
How Many Iterations Should You Expect?
| Scenario | Typical Iterations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strong knowledge base + detailed brief | 1-2 | Minor tweaks only |
| Minimal knowledge base + good brief | 2-3 | Brand voice adjustments |
| Good knowledge base + vague brief | 3-4 | Direction finding |
| Minimal knowledge base + vague brief | 4+ | Consider investing in setup first |
Step 5: Launch and Learn
Your first AI-powered campaign is live. Now capture what you learned.
Post-Campaign Knowledge Base Updates
After each campaign, update your knowledge base with:
- What worked: Phrases, hooks, or formats that performed well
- What didn’t: Content patterns to avoid in the future
- New terms: Industry language or product terminology the AI missed
- Feedback patterns: Common corrections you made during review
Building Your Prompt Library
Save effective briefs as templates:
## Template: Feature Launch Campaign
**Use when:** Launching a new feature to existing audience
**Standard channels:** Email (3), LinkedIn (5), Google Ads
**Brief structure:**
- Goal: [X] demo requests in [Y] days
- Audience: [Primary persona] who [pain point]
- Key message: [Specific outcome with number]
- Proof: [3 supporting proof points]
**Lessons from past launches:**
- Lead email subject lines with the outcome, not the feature name
- LinkedIn posts with questions outperform statements
- Google ad headlines with numbers get higher CTRCommon Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Mistake 1: Skipping the Knowledge Base
Symptom: Generic content that could be for any company Fix: Invest 2-3 hours upfront building your knowledge base
Mistake 2: Vague Briefs
Symptom: Multiple rounds of “that’s not what I meant” Fix: Use the brief template, be specific about audience and goals
Mistake 3: Expecting Perfection on First Try
Symptom: Frustration, abandoning the tool Fix: Plan for 2-3 iterations, budget review time accordingly
Mistake 4: Not Updating the Knowledge Base
Symptom: Making the same corrections repeatedly Fix: After each campaign, add learnings to your knowledge base
Mistake 5: Over-Editing
Symptom: Spending more time editing than you saved generating Fix: If you’re rewriting more than 30%, improve your brief instead
Your First Campaign Checklist
| Phase | Task | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Prep | Create brand voice document | |
| Prep | Document primary persona | |
| Prep | List key product messages | |
| Brief | Define specific campaign goal | |
| Brief | Specify target audience | |
| Brief | Write key message + proof points | |
| Brief | List channels and content types | |
| Generate | Load knowledge base | |
| Generate | Submit brief | |
| Generate | Request multi-channel output | |
| Review | Pass 1: Accuracy check | |
| Review | Pass 2: Brand check | |
| Review | Pass 3: Quality check | |
| Launch | Deploy to channels | |
| Learn | Update knowledge base | |
| Learn | Save brief as template |
Key Takeaways
| What You Learned | How to Apply It |
|---|---|
| Knowledge base quality determines output quality | Invest 2-3 hours upfront before your first campaign |
| Specific briefs produce usable content | Use the 6-part brief framework every time |
| One brief can power multiple channels | Request all channel content in a single generation |
| Structured review catches issues efficiently | Use the 3-pass review system |
| Each campaign improves the next | Update your knowledge base after every campaign |
What’s Next?
You’ve got the playbook. Now it’s time to run your first campaign.
Start with something small - a single feature launch or a targeted nurture sequence. Use what you learn to build your knowledge base and refine your process.
By your third campaign, you’ll wonder how you ever did it the old way.
Ready to build your first AI-powered campaign?
Try Marqeable: marqeable.com
Your AI marketing agent with built-in knowledge base and multi-channel generation.
Related Resources
How AI Marketing Agents Are Replacing Copy Workflows
Understand the shift from AI tools to AI agents.
How to Create a 30-Day Content Calendar in 5 Minutes
Apply AI-powered planning to your content calendar.
Content Calendar for Small Marketing Teams
Resource-optimized approaches when you’re running lean.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to set up a knowledge base?
Plan for 2-3 hours for a basic knowledge base (brand voice, one persona, core messaging). A comprehensive knowledge base might take 8-10 hours but pays off with higher-quality output across many campaigns.
What if the AI generates inaccurate information?
Always run an accuracy check (Pass 1 in the review system). If you find recurring inaccuracies, add correct information to your knowledge base. Most accuracy issues come from missing context, not AI limitations.
How many channels can I generate content for at once?
Most AI agents can handle 3-5 channels in a single brief (email, LinkedIn, ads, landing page, etc.). For larger campaigns, you might split into 2-3 briefs to maintain quality.
How do I know if my brief is specific enough?
If you can answer “who exactly is this for?” and “what specific outcome do they get?” your brief is probably specific enough. If those answers are vague, add more detail.
About Marqeable
Marqeable is your AI marketing agent - autonomously executing content workflows while you focus on strategy and creativity.
