Netmarketing Courses
AI for Advertising Professionals

AI for Advertising Professionals

So you're an advertising professional, whether that's in an agency, an independent, a freelancer or client-side. Over the last year or so, you've heard all the hype about artificial intelligence, and how it's transforming the creative and communications industries (and many more), and you think you definitely should learn more about it, to see if it can really help you do your job more effectively.

But where do you start?

That's who this course is designed to help, with informative hands-on training designed to demystify AI and make it accessible to NZ marketers and advertising professionals. It's been developed by a New Zealand advertising professional with decades of experience in both traditional and digital marketing.

Welcome to this ten-part course on AI FOR ADVERTISING PROFESSIONALS.

AI for Advertising - Course Contents

Here's what the course covers:

Lesson One: Prompt Engineering

“Prompt engineering” refers to the process of writing briefs ("prompts") for AI software, in order to generate the desired output. A well-crafted prompt helps guide the AI model to produce more accurate, relevant, and contextually appropriate responses. The lesson covers:

  • Understanding Prompt Engineering: Learn what prompt engineering is and why it is crucial in AI-powered marketing.
  • Hands-On Practice: Participate in practical exercises to design prompts for various marketing scenarios, providing you with first-hand experience.

 

Lesson Two: AI for Content Creation (Writing)

 

 

Content creation is a vital aspect of marketing, and AI can make this process more efficient and effective. This lesson will introduce AI content generation tools (specifically, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude and Meta AI, all with free versions) and demonstrate how they can be used to write persuasive copy, generate content ideas, and proofread and edit content. We will also discuss methods for measuring content effectiveness.

Lesson Two covers:

  • AI Content Generation Tools: Get introduced to the latest AI tools that can automate and enhance the process of content creation.
  • Writing Persuasive Copy: Learn how AI can be utilized to craft compelling and persuasive marketing copy.
  • Content Idea Generation: Discover AI-powered methods for generating fresh and engaging content ideas to keep your marketing strategy dynamic and relevant.
  • Proofreading and Editing: Understand how AI can assist in proofreading and editing content, ensuring high quality and professionalism.

Lesson Three: AI for Design

 

Design plays a crucial role in marketing campaigns, and AI-powered tools can simplify the design process. In this lesson, we will explore various AI design tools (such as MidJourney, DALL-E3, Stable Diffusion, Leonardo and AI additions to Canva, Microsoft Designer and the Adobe suite of products) for creating custom visuals, branding, and logo designs. We will also discuss best practices and guidelines for personalizing designs using AI technology.

In Lesson Three, we feature:

  • AI Design Tools: Learn about various AI-powered tools (such as MidJourney, DALL-E3, Stable Diffusion, Leonardo and AI additions to Canva, Microsoft Designer and the Adobe suite of products) that can assist in creating custom visuals, branding, and logo designs.
  • Creating Custom Visuals: Discover how AI can simplify the process of generating unique and eye-catching visuals for your marketing campaigns.
  • AI for Branding: Understand how AI can be used to create cohesive and professional branding elements, ensuring consistency across all marketing channels.
  • Logo Design with AI: Explore AI's capabilities in logo design, enabling you to create impactful logos that resonate with your target audience.
  • Design Personalization: Learn best practices for personalizing designs using AI, enhancing customer engagement and brand recognition.
  • AI-Powered Website Builders: Learn about AI-powered website builders and their capabilities in creating professional and optimized websites.

Lesson Four: AI for Video

 

Video creation can be amongst the most labour-intensive of marketing tasks. AI has been at work behind the scenes of many video programs for a number of years but now the curtain has been lifted, many new tools have been released, and marketers can leverage AI to dramatically enhance the creation process. In this lesson, we take you through some of the latest tools and techniques available to help you make marketing magic.

Lesson Four examines:

  • AI-assisted videomaking tools that will turn a small amount of information (even just a keyword or web page URL) into complete videos
  • Instant AI video generation applications that transform your text prompts into immediate visual content.
  • AI-enhanced video editing solutions designed to accelerate the editing workflow.
  • AI-Powered video productivity tools for swift content creation and distribution across various marketing outlets and platforms.

Lesson Five: AI for Audio

Audio creation has developed dramatically in recent years. We introduce you to various AI tools designed to transform your audio expectations, including:

  • Text-to-speech AI tools that will bring your words to life using either your own AI-cloned voice increasingly realistic human-sounding voices.
  • AI music creation tools that will allow you to create background music or even full-blown songs (including composition, lyric writing, vocals and full performances), based on text prompts.

Lesson Six: AI for Search

 

 

Search engine marketing is critical for online visibility, and AI can enhance marketers’ efforts in this area. This lesson will cover AI applications for keyword research, search engine optimization (SEO), voice search, and search advertising strategies. We will learn how AI can improve search performance and increase organic traffic.

Lesson Six reveals:

  • AI and Keyword Research: Learn how AI can simplify and enhance keyword research, leading to more effective search engine marketing strategies.
  • AI for SEO: Discover how AI tools can optimize your website for search engines, improving your website's visibility and ranking.
  • AI and Voice Search: Understand the role of AI in optimizing for voice search, a rapidly growing trend in the digital world.
  • AI in Search Advertising: Explore how AI can enhance search advertising strategies, maximizing the return on advertising spend.
  • Improving Search Performance: Learn how AI can improve overall search performance, resulting in increased organic traffic and potential customer base.

Lesson Seven: AI for Social Media

 

 

Social media is a powerful marketing platform, and AI can help marketers optimize their social media efforts. This lesson will discuss AI’s role in social media content creation, management, social listening, and sentiment analysis. We will also explore AI’s potential in influencer marketing and audience targeting.

Lesson Seven drives the conversation about:

  • AI and Social Media Content: Learn how AI can assist in creating engaging and relevant social media content, increasing audience engagement.
  • AI for Social Media Management: Understand how AI can simplify and enhance social media management, leading to more efficient and effective campaigns.
  • Social Listening and Sentiment Analysis: Discover how AI can be used for social listening and sentiment analysis, providing valuable insights into your audience's needs and opinions.
  • AI and Influencer Marketing: Explore the role of AI in influencer marketing, including identifying potential influencers and measuring their impact.
  • AI for Audience Targeting: Understand how AI can enhance audience targeting on social media, resulting in more personalized and effective marketing efforts.

Lesson Eight: AI for Email

 

Email marketing continues to be a highly effective marketing channel, and AI can help maximize its potential. In this lesson, we will explore AI applications for email subject line generation, personalization, segmentation, and targeting. We will also discuss AI-driven strategies to improve email deliverability and performance.

Lesson Eight delivers:

  • AI and Email Subject Lines: Discover how AI can craft compelling email subject lines, leading to higher open rates and engagement.
  • Email Personalization with AI: Learn how AI can enhance email personalization, increasing relevancy and improving customer relationships.
  • AI for Segmentation and Targeting: Understand how AI can streamline segmentation and targeting in email marketing, ensuring your messages reach the right audience.
  • Improving Email Deliverability: Explore AI-driven strategies to improve email deliverability, maximizing the reach of your email marketing efforts.
  • AI-Driven Performance Improvement: Learn how AI can optimize your email marketing performance, leading to higher click-through rates and conversions.

Lesson Nine: AI for Media Buying

 

 

In this lesson, we will explore both existing and fast developing AI tools designed to enhance advertising performances, offering such capabilities as:

  • Hyper-targeting: AI can analyze vast amounts of customer data to identify ideal audiences with laser precision. This allows you to target your ads to users most likely to convert, maximizing your return on ad spend (ROAS).
  • Automated bidding and budget allocation: AI algorithms can continuously analyze campaign performance and adjust bids and budget allocation in real-time. This ensures your ads are shown at the most opportune moments and in the most cost-effective way.
  • Dynamic creative optimization: AI can personalize ad copy, landing pages, and creatives based on user data and behavior. This ensures your message resonates with each individual user, leading to higher click-through rates (CTRs) and conversions.

Lesson Ten: AI Agents

AI agents have now emerged as pivotal tools in the marketing landscape, offering unprecedented capabilities in automation, personalization, and efficiency. Unlike traditional AI tools, these agents can perceive, reason, and take action across multiple platforms and systems, revolutionizing how marketers approach their strategies and campaign. This lesson explores the significance of AI agents, their transformative impact on marketing strategies, and essential insights for marketers to harness their full potential.

Lesson Ten will help you:

  • Understand the concept and evolution of AI agents.
  • Recognize the significance of AI agents for today and tomorrow.
  • Understand the benefits of AI agents for marketers.
  • Increase efficiency and productivity across your operations.
  • Improve decision-making.
  • Explore practical applications of AI agents across various marketing functions.
  • Identify challenges and considerations in implementing AI agents.
  • Learn best practices for integrating AI agents into marketing strategies.

 

 

————————

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE

Any advertising professional who wants to take advantage of the latest developments and insights in AI for Advertising. Leverage the knowledge gained from this course to drive your business and advance your career.

————————

HOW THE COURSE WORKS

This course is browser-based and can be accessed through Chrome, Firefox or other web browsers.

The course is a blend of text, images and videos.

Each section includes recommended Action Steps and Exercises to help you implement what you have learned.

Individual advice and assistance is available if required from the course tutor, Michael Carney, typically in the first instance via email.

————————

OUTCOMES

Once you complete the course, we provide you with a certificate of achievement confirming your participation in the course. We can also provide certified CPD hours if required.

————————

TIMING

The next course begins on Thursday 04 September, 2025.

We release course lessons every week, on Thursdays (we operate on a timed-release timetable so that we can ensure the content is as up-to-date as possible, since AI marketing changes so much).

We typically recommend that you allow an average of 2-3 hours per lesson — less in the early stages of the course, more in latter stages as we explore more detailed topics.

Once you have access to a course lesson, you can take it whenever you wish, anytime 24/7. There is no requirement to complete the course over any particular timeframe.

————————

INVESTMENT

This ten-part online training course is available for $897+GST. However we offer an EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT of $100 — pay just $797+GST for bookings received by the end of Thursday 28 August, 2025. Bookings are confirmed on receipt of payment. We can raise an invoice in advance if you need it.

To reserve your place in this course, please click here to enrol:

Enrol Now

If you need more information, or require an invoice in advance, please send an email to info@socialmedia.org.nz with your requirements.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

You’ll receive our emailed confirmation of your booking. Then on the first day of the course we’ll follow up with details of your Login and Password for the AI for Advertising Professionals online training course.

Your instructor for this course is Michael Carney, one of New Zealand’s most experienced digital marketing practitioners and educators. As the founder and director of Netmarketing Courses, Michael has dedicated the last fifteen years to researching, creating, and delivering practical, relevant online training designed specifically for the Aotearoa market. His mission is to empower Kiwi organisations and marketers with the skills they need to thrive in a competitive digital landscape. To date, he has trained over 3,000 students through partnerships with leading industry bodies including the NZ Marketing Association, NZ Retailers Association, Tourism Industry Association NZ, and Hospitality NZ.

Course participants range from absolute beginners just starting to come to grips with digital marketing through to senior marketing professionals looking for Continuing Professional Development and seeking to stay up-to-date with the latest changes in the ever-evolving digital environment. Specific courses are offered for organisations of all sizes, from solopreneurs and small businesses through to local and central government bodies and large corporate businesses.

Michael has practical, hands-on experience with all aspects of digital marketing, from website creation to social media advertising, from strategic guidance and trend analysis to thought leadership. He has been online since 1987 and involved with digital marketing in all its aspects since the mid-1990s. He was an early adopter of Generative AI when ChatGPT launched in late 2022, and now has extensive experience with using AI for research, brainstorming, content creation, design, video creation and editing and what's become known as "vibe coding", using AI to develop web applications.

Michael’s expertise is built on a career spanning more than four decades, during which he has developed marketing and advertising strategies for many of New Zealand's most iconic brands. His extensive client list includes The Warehouse, ANZ Bank, Lion Breweries, Griffins Foods, Sony New Zealand, Honda New Zealand, and Heinz Wattie. This deep, hands-on experience at the highest levels of the industry ensures that every course is grounded in real-world application, not just academic theory. He has held senior strategic roles in major advertising agencies, including National Media Director at HKM Advertising and Strategic Planning Director for The Media Counsel. He currently also is Digital and Strategic Director of the creative agency Good Gravy. 

Beyond his client work, Michael is a respected thought leader, published author, and industry contributor. He wrote the bestselling book "Trade Me Success Secrets," which sold out its first printing in just six weeks, and has ghost-written several other business books on topics like digital transformation. For years, he chaired the Network of Digital Marketers for the NZ Marketing Association and he has been a regular magazine columnist for Marketing Magazine and other titles. This unique combination of in-the-trenches experience, proven teaching ability, and strategic insight makes him the ideal guide to help you master digital marketing.

Feedback from previous digital marketing training course and workshop participants:

  • It is great that we have managed to get an external perspective on marketing in the digital space – your expertise in this area is greatly appreciated. – Hazel T.
  • I really enjoyed the [Digital Marketing Workshop] today and got a lot out of it  – Nikki H.
  • Thanks for a great [Digital Marketing] session yesterday, really enjoyed it and learnt lots – Izi W
  • “this was the best professional development course I have done in many years” – Mark R, senior Agency Exec responsible for social media
  • “thought the information within was outstanding” – Ed P, General Manager
  • “What I loved was that I started with a fairly rudimentary understanding of social media but have learned a lot – including where to find more information as I need it.” – Fiona W, Marketing Manager
  • “I found it relevant, informative, topical, insightful and a bloody good read. It’s never evangelical, too techy, patronising, assumes that you know too much or too little about digital and has a warm sense of humour in the communication throughout which helped faciliate the learning process for me.” — Adrienne B, new media senior executive
  • “Thanks for pointing me in the direction of this course! It’s been extremely enlightening” — Shayne P, design agency director
  • “Rapt with what I have seen of the course” — Julia R, fashion editor
  • “I’m really enjoying the course – learning a lot – and I know the two friends I persuaded to join us are also loving it.” — Lavinia C, designer
  • “Am thoroughly enjoying the content!” – Kara B, magazine co-ordinator
  • “I was already engaging with social media and have been doing so for about 6 years or so. But, did I know how to use social media in a marketing and business sense? No, I simply did not. This course was a great way to show me how to do that.” — Sheryl K, online marketer