How to effectively use HubSpot's AI assistants to create ad campaigns (and where they fall short)

Let's be real about the built-in AI tools popping up in platforms like HubSpot. They promise the world: saving time, sparking creativity, and just generally making our marketing lives easier. But if you’ve actually tried them, you might have felt that the reality is…

No. I think its so deeply undercooked. Hubspot, like almost every company out there, is launched nearly useless and undercooked AI tools to keep up with the trend. Very few company's are actually offering USEFUL AI tools, most just throw jargon around.

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I'm not here to sell you on the AI hype. This is a practical, no-fluff guide on how to use HubSpot's AI assistants to create ad campaigns the right way. We'll go through the exact steps to generate ad copy that actually works. I'll also be upfront about the tool's limitations so you know what you’re getting into and how to get the best possible results from it.

What you'll need to get started

Before we jump in, let's get our ducks in a row. The process is pretty simple, but having these things ready will make it a whole lot smoother.

• A HubSpot account with a Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise subscription.

• Connected ad accounts: You’ll need to have your Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn ad accounts hooked up to HubSpot already.

• A clear campaign objective: You should have a good idea of what you want to achieve (like generating leads or driving website traffic) and who you're trying to reach.

A step-by-step guide to creating ad campaigns with HubSpot AI

HubSpot’s AI assistant works for a few different ad types, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google ads. The process is basically the same for all of them, so I’ll use a Google Search Ad as our example to walk you through it.

1. Find the ads tool and pick your campaign type

Alright, first things first, you need to navigate to the right spot in your HubSpot account. Just head over to Marketing > Ads.

Once you’re there, click the Create ad campaign button in the top right corner. You'll get a list of the different ad types you can build. For this walkthrough, let's choose Search ad, but feel free to pick whatever fits your goal, whether it's a Facebook lead generation ad or one meant to get website visits. From there, you'll click through a few setup screens to connect the right ad account and link it to a HubSpot campaign.

2. Write your first prompt

You should now be in the ad creation editor. This is the most important part of the whole process. Find the Headlines or Text/Body copy section and click that little AI assistant icon.

Seriously, don't rush this step. The quality of the ad copy the AI spits out is a direct reflection of the quality of your instructions. A lazy prompt gets you a lazy, generic result. Here’s what I’ve found makes a good prompt:

• Get specific: Don't just say, "Write an ad for our CRM." That's way too broad. Try something more like, "Write three snappy headlines for a Google Search Ad targeting small business owners. Emphasize that our CRM is easy to use, affordable, and connects with the tools they already use."

• Set the tone: Give the AI some direction on the vibe you're going for. Use words like "professional," "friendly," "witty," or "urgent" to help it find the right voice.

• Give it the details: Don’t make the AI play a guessing game. Mention your specific offer, what problems your audience is facing, and the exact call-to-action you want them to take.

3. Tweak the AI-generated copy

Once you’ve put together a solid prompt, hit Generate. The AI will churn for a second and then give you several copy options to look through.

You can use the little arrow icons to flip through the different suggestions. It’s so important to remember that the first draft is almost never the final draft. Think of the AI as a starting point, not a finished product. If the first batch of ideas isn't hitting the mark, try using the "More like this" or "Generate again" buttons to nudge it closer to what you're looking for.

When you find an option that has potential, click Insert to pop it into your ad. From there, you absolutely should edit the text yourself. Adjust it to match your brand's voice, make it clearer, and punch it up so it has the impact you need.

4. Finish and publish your ad

With your headlines and descriptions locked in, the only thing left is to fill out the rest of the ad details. This includes stuff like the final URL, your targeting settings, and your budget.

Before you set it live, take a second to look at the ad preview. HubSpot does a nice job of showing you how your ad will look on different platforms, which is great for catching any weird formatting issues. Once you’re happy with how it all looks, click Publish, and you're good to go.

This video provides a quick walkthrough of how you can use HubSpot's campaign assistant to build a campaign in just a few minutes.

Pro tips and common mistakes to avoid

So now you know the basic steps. But using HubSpot’s AI well is about more than just clicking the right buttons. It’s about knowing what it’s good at, what it’s not so good at, and when you might need something more powerful.

Pro tip: Treat the AI as a brainstorming partner, not a copywriter

For copy that really connects with people and gets them to act, you need insights that come from your actual customer interactions. This is where the simple, built-in AI tools start to hit a wall. More specialized platforms like eesel AI are designed differently. Instead of just working off a prompt, eesel actually learns from your company’s own data, like thousands of past support tickets and internal docs. It picks up your brand voice from real conversations and gets what your customers truly care about. While it isn't a direct ad copy generator, using an AI that learns from your real-world data is the secret to creating messaging that resonates across the board.

Pro tip: Think about the full funnel, not just the ad

You have to think about what happens after someone clicks your ad. You need total control over how new leads are routed, tagged, and answered. This is where a dedicated AI automation engine really shows its value. For instance, eesel AI provides a fully customizable workflow engine with a powerful simulation mode. You can test your automation on thousands of your own past tickets to see exactly how it’ll behave before it ever touches a live customer. That gives you peace of mind that every single lead is being handled the right way.

Common mistake: Trusting the first draft blindly

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is just taking whatever the AI generates first and running with it. That’s a fast track to creating bland, forgettable ads that just don't convert.

Always, always have a human look it over. Here's a quick checklist:

• Brand voice: Does this copy actually sound like us?

• Clarity: Is the message simple and easy to get? Can I say it more directly?

• Accuracy: Are the prices, features, and claims in this ad 100% correct?

HubSpot's AI assistants: A good start, but not the whole story

HubSpot's AI assistant is a handy feature for getting ad campaigns off the ground. It can help you brainstorm headlines, draft some body copy, and save you a decent amount of time during that initial setup. For simple, day-to-day marketing tasks, it’s a solid helper.

But it’s not a substitute for strategic thinking or deep customer knowledge. The AI is working with limited information and just doesn't have the rich context that a specialized tool can develop. It helps you create the ad, but it doesn't help you solve the much bigger problem of managing the entire customer journey that follows.

For true automation that feels smart, reliable, and perfectly suited to your business, you need an AI that learns from your unique data and gives you complete control over its workflows.

Creating great ads is just one piece of the puzzle. The real measure of success is how you handle the customer conversations they start. While HubSpot helps you get the word out, eesel AI can automate the support that comes next. By learning from your past tickets, help docs, and internal knowledge, eesel acts as a purpose-built AI agent that can resolve issues, triage tickets, and draft perfect replies for your team.

See how you can go live in minutes and automate your support with an AI that's built for the job.