What is AI image generation, and can you use it for marketing?
Written lesson · about 3 minutes to read
The short answer
AI image generation makes a picture from a written description, and it is useful for backgrounds, simple graphics, concept sketches and images for social posts. Do not use it to fake your products, your finished work, your premises or real people, because that misleads customers, and real photos of real jobs usually do better.
Three things to remember
- 01Image tools make pictures from written descriptions, and suit backgrounds, simple graphics and concept sketches.
- 02Never use a generated image to show your finished work, your premises, your products or real people.
- 03Ownership of AI images is unsettled, so keep them away from logos and anything you must own.
What it is and what it is good for
You type a description, such as 'a plain blue background with space for text on the left', and the tool draws an image in seconds. You can ask again with different wording until it suits, so testing several versions costs little time. Some tools can also change or extend a photo you upload.
It works well for backgrounds behind text, simple graphics for a flyer or post, and concept sketches, such as how a garden layout or a shop sign might look. It also fills the gap when a post needs a picture and you have no photo.
What not to use it for
Do not use it to show your products, your finished work, your premises or real people. A generated 'finished kitchen' that you did not build, or a team photo of people who do not work for you, tells customers something untrue. They expect a photo of your work to show what they will get. Every claim in your marketing should be true, and every photo of your work should be yours.
Look closely at any generated image you do use. Text, hands and tools can come out wrong, and one odd detail is enough to make people doubt the rest. If it is a concept picture, label it as an illustration so nobody mistakes it for a finished job.
Ownership and the rules
Who owns an AI-made image, and whether copyright protects it, is still unsettled and differs by country. For a logo, or anything you need to own outright, use a designer or your own artwork. If losing the image would hurt the business, make sure you own it another way.
The tool's own terms say what you may do with its images in your business, so read them before you publish. If the image matters to the business, check with a lawyer for your own case.
Where to start this week
Take your next social post that has no photo. Ask the tool for a simple background or graphic, and add the words yourself in your normal design tool. Read the tool's terms on business use before you post it.
For anything that shows your work, take a real photo. A phone picture of a finished job, taken with the customer's permission, usually does better than a generated one. Start a folder for them now so you never run short.
More in part 7
- 1Can AI answer your phone?
- 2What is speech-to-text?
- 3What is text-to-speech?
- 4Can AI transcribe and summarise your calls?Written
- 5Can AI translate for your customers?Written
- 6What is document parsing (OCR)?
- 7How does AI read invoices, purchase orders and forms?Written
- 8Machine vision vs. AI vision
- 9What is AI image generation, and can you use it for marketing?WrittenYou are here
- 10What is AI video, and where does it help a small business?Written
Next step
Where does this fit your business?
Six quick questions about your business, then your AI plan: what to start with, what a person still checks, and the lessons that go with it. Or bring it straight to a free thirty-minute call.