AI in B2B Marketing: Why the First Step Matters (and Why Canva’s Report is a Must-Read)

Last week, I had the pleasure of moderating the State of Adoption in B2B Marketing panel with Carrie Smith; Jodie Sangster and Jen Thomson; at the B2B Marketing Leaders Forum in Sydney. It was a packed room, full of energy, curiosity, and—let’s be honest—a bit of uncertainty.

Because while everyone’s talking about AI, not everyone knows what to do with it.

That’s why I want to spotlight Canva’s 2025 Marketing & AI Report. It’s one of the most accessible, practical, and insight-rich pieces I’ve read on how marketers—especially in B2B—can start integrating AI into their workflows today.

And I do mean start.

We Don’t Need to Master AI Overnight

One of the biggest blockers I see is the pressure to “get it right” from day one. But the truth is, AI adoption isn’t a binary switch—it’s a journey. And the first step is often the hardest.

What I love about Canva’s approach is that it meets marketers where they are. You don’t need to overhaul your tech stack or hire a team of prompt engineers. You just need to be willing to experiment.

Canva as a Campaign Engine (Not Just a Design Tool)

Let’s talk about what that first step could actually look like.

Imagine you’re launching a campaign. Here’s how Canva can support you, end to end:

• Kick off with strategy: Use Canva’s Brand Hub to align your team on messaging, tone, and visual identity. Everything lives in one place—no more chasing down assets in Slack threads.

• Generate your creative: Need a campaign headline? A social caption? A product explainer? Canva’s Magic Write can draft it for you. Want a visual to match? Use Text to Image to create something unique in seconds.

• Build your assets: From LinkedIn carousels to email headers to landing page mockups, Canva’s Magic Design and Magic Resize let you create and adapt content for every channel—fast.

• Launch and schedule: With Canva’s Content Planner, you can schedule posts directly to your social platforms. No exporting, no extra tools.

• Localize and optimize: Need to translate your campaign into multiple languages? Canva’s Translate feature has you covered. Want to tweak your video to match the beat of your soundtrack? Beat Sync does it automatically.

This is what I mean by end to end. It’s not just about creating content—it’s about running campaigns, from concept to execution, all in one platform.

AI That’s Built for Marketers (Not Engineers)

What makes Canva’s AI tools so powerful is that they’re designed for us. For marketers. For creatives. For people who want to move fast, stay on brand, and still have time to think strategically.

And that’s the real opportunity here: AI as an enabler, not a replacement.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by AI, you’re not alone. But the best way to build confidence is to start small, start now, and start with tools that are built for how we actually work.

Canva’s report is a great place to begin. It’s not just about trends—it’s about action.

Let’s stop talking about AI like it’s a future state. It’s already here. And with the right tools, we’re more than ready.

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