Marketing has changed. Only a few years ago, we were sending out mass emails or hitting “Boost Post” on social media ads, hoping something would stick. Now we have advanced AI Agents offering human-like conversations, sophisticated tracking for every click, and automation that can retarget leads across multiple channels in a blink. This new reality is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming, especially if you look at the sheer number of AI tools flooding the market.
The race to adopt the “latest and greatest” can cause us to lose sight of a crucial point: technology is simply an enabler, not the end goal. In other words, shiny AI Agents on their own will not guarantee results if you do not have a great strategy, a coherent set of automation processes, and a clear approach to nurturing leads beyond their first contact.
Most businesses are familiar with the old school method of gathering leads. You run an ad, point people to a landing page, collect their details, and pass them to a sales team. This approach, while functional, often lacks any real engagement. Many leads are half-interested, or at best, curious. Often, they provide details for a free download then vanish. Your salespeople end up chasing names on a spreadsheet.
Consumers today have countless options, and they know it. They also have short attention spans, meaning if you do not engage them at the right moment, they will drift away. This is where AI Agents step in, bridging the gap between curiosity and genuine interest by initiating meaningful, human-like interactions. But here’s the kicker: if you throw an AI Agent on your site and walk away, you might still fail. Tools alone will not solve the problem.
A vital piece of the puzzle is ensuring you have a solid strategy for what happens after that first conversation. How do you retarget potential leads?
Which platforms do you use for follow-ups? Are your messages personalised, or just generic drip sequences?
When people hear “AI Agent,” many imagine a basic chatbot that spews out pre-scripted answers. Modern AI Agents, however, are far more advanced:
We tested hundreds—if not thousands—of AI solutions in the past couple of years. Many were impressive in demos but did not translate well to real-world lead generation. Others excelled in certain scenarios but lacked the customisability needed for diverse client needs.
Eventually, we discovered that the winning formula is not just the AI itself. It is the synergy between the AI’s ability to have a dynamic conversation and the overall marketing strategy. AI Agents need direction to achieve the correct outcomes. They need an overarching plan telling them when to prompt users, what details to collect, and when to hand them over to a real person.
In the race to adopt AI, many companies forget to ask, “What exact problem are we solving?” People often get distracted by dashboards, shiny features, or claims of quadrupled ROI. But if you do not have a strategy, if you do not know your buyer journey or your critical conversion points, an AI system, no matter how advanced, might not help.
Here are a few questions we encourage every client to consider:
By tackling these foundational questions, you can select a tool that aligns with your objectives, rather than grabbing the flashiest AI Agent and hoping it magically solves every problem. When we design solutions at GAS Marketing, we put at least as much effort into strategy and communication flow as we do into picking the right AI tools.
We have discovered that 95% of actions happen during retargeting reach-outs. This statistic might sound high, but it aligns with our experience: most people do not convert the moment they see your ad or first message. They often need a second or even third prompt—an email, an SMS, or a social media ad that reminds them why they were interested in the first place.
This “last mile” in the journey is often the trickiest. A prospect might have engaged with your AI Agent, but then they got busy, closed the tab, or simply forgot. Later, you want to reach out with just the right nudge, maybe an email highlighting the feature they asked about, or a social ad that references their previous browsing. That is where automation and carefully planned retargeting steps in.
At GAS Marketing, we use a proprietary automation platform that handles these follow-ups. It is not an off-the-shelf solution that simply blasts spam. Instead, it ties directly into the data from the AI conversations, so every retargeting message is personal and relevant. If someone asked about, say, a specific service tier or upcoming feature, we tailor the retargeting around that detail. The result? People feel heard, which is crucial for building trust and guiding them further down the funnel.
We talk to many businesses that try the “best AI chatbot of the year,” only to see no improvement in conversions. They come to us, frustrated that the technology did not live up to its hype. Usually, the underlying problem is not the technology itself. The client set it up, turned it on, and walked away, expecting it to handle everything automatically.
The missing piece is the strategy layer. AI Agents need a consistent sequence of steps to handle user inquiries, store data in a central place, and pass that data to retargeting automations. They also need a well-defined sense of the buyer journey, knowing when to switch from chat-based nurturing to a phone call or a video demo. Without these details, even the best AI solution can feel like a glorified Q&A machine that does not help you clinch the sale.
We are unabashed data nerds at GAS Marketing. To us, data provides evidence for every move we make. Some stats that highlight the power of AI-driven lead strategies:
Embracing data means we do not guess which retargeting approach works best or how many messages is too many. We run A/B tests, measure open rates, track CTR, and watch the final conversion data. That feedback loop helps us refine the funnel repeatedly.
So how does this all fit into a cohesive system? Imagine a user lands on your site after seeing an ad on LinkedIn. They poke around, talk to your AI Agent about features, and then leave. Normally, that user might be lost. But with a clear automation plan, they enter a retargeting sequence. The AI Agent’s conversation data suggests they are interested in a particular product line. The next day, they see a follow-up email or a social ad referencing that exact product.
Because they got relevant info at the right moment, they are far more likely to revisit, chat more, or even schedule a call. If that call goes well, your sales team finalises the deal. No guesswork, no spam, just a smooth journey that respects the user’s signals of intent.
This synergy is why we do not just set up AI Agents and call it done. We ensure the system can hand data off to retargeting channels like email, SMS, and paid social. We craft the messaging so it feels like a continuation of the initial conversation, not a random advertisement. Each step is calculated to gently guide the user toward action.
Looking ahead, experts predict that AI Agents will continue evolving into even more human-like interfaces, some might recognise voice commands or gestures, others might integrate with augmented reality for live product demos. As exciting as that is, the essence remains the same: technology alone cannot solve marketing pains. Strategy dictates how these advancements fit into your funnel, ensuring that every new feature, from voice recognition to hyper-personalisation, is used in service of a well-defined goal.
We see four key developments on the horizon:
Throughout these changes, the big takeaway stays constant: keep your eyes on the actual needs of your audience. A new AI feature means nothing if it does not solve a pain point or improve the buyer’s experience. Instead of chasing the “latest big thing,” remain centred on your core funnel strategy.
For businesses eager to move from hype to real outcomes, consider these steps:
Remember, the key is iteration. With AI-driven approaches, you do not just “set it and forget it.” You build, measure, learn, and repeat. That loop ensures your funnel remains agile, continuously adapting to real data rather than speculation.
In a world overflowing with tech solutions, it is easy to get swept up by the hype around AI Agents. But without a solid plan, encompassing strategy, retargeting, data integration, and human oversight, you risk losing track of what actually boosts conversions.
Yes, AI Agents can feel revolutionary, especially if you have only dabbled with basic chatbots in the past. They can handle volumes of leads, provide 24/7 coverage, and even adapt their tone to fit your brand. But they still need structure. They need a funnel that leads somewhere, plus an automation system that nurtures leads who do not convert on first contact. Most of all, they need you to keep humans in the loop, both on your team and in your audience, so that real relationships and trust can develop.
As we move deeper into 2025 and beyond, we expect AI Agents to become standard practice in marketing. However, the real differentiator will be how well businesses integrate them with a clear, data-driven funnel strategy. The future belongs to those who use AI’s power to solve real problems, not just those who jump on the next big thing.
We are excited to be part of this new dawn, where “Conversations that Count”.
