Artificial intelligence has quickly become one of the most valuable marketing tools available, especially for building materials dealers who don’t have a dedicated marketing person or department.
But while AI can help you create marketing pieces in minutes instead of hours, it can’t replace what makes your business unique to you!
Builders value expertise. Designers look for inspiration. Homeowners want confidence they’re making the right decision. If your marketing sounds like everyone else’s, you’ve lost one of your greatest advantages.
The key is using AI to amplify your expertise, not replace it.
1. Use AI to Get Started, Then Make It Sound Like You
The hardest part of marketing is often getting started. AI is excellent at generating ideas, organizing thoughts, and creating a first draft for almost any marketing piece.
Use it for:
- Email newsletters
- Printed flyers
- Product announcements
- Website copy
- Facebook and Instagram posts
- Event invitations
Then take a few minutes to personalize the content.
Does it sound like your company? Does it visually match your brand? Does it reflect how your salespeople talk with customers? Does it include details only your team would know?
Those final edits are what turn generic content into authentic marketing.
Example Prompt
Write a customer email announcing our spring decking event. Our audience is builders and contractors. Mention TimberTech decking, free lunch, product demonstrations, and that our staff will be available to answer installation questions. Keep the tone friendly and informative.
2. Give AI Plenty of Details
AI isn’t a mind reader. The quality of its output depends on the information you provide.
Instead of asking it to “write a social media post about cabinets,” include details such as:
- Cabinet brand
- Target customer
- Style or finish
- Current promotion
- Why customers choose it
- What makes your service different
The richer your prompt, the more useful the result.
Instead of this…
Write a Facebook post about wood paneling.
Try this…
Write a Facebook post promoting accent walls and ceilings with Great American Spaces to homeowners. Highlight trends in colors and applications, the new End Match offering, and the opportunity to visit our showroom to see samples. Keep it under 100 words.
3. Repurpose One Idea Across Every Marketing Channel
One of AI’s biggest time-saving benefits is turning a single piece of content into multiple marketing assets.
Imagine you’re hosting an open house featuring your new Kitchen and Bath Showroom.
Instead of creating everything from scratch, ask AI to generate:
- A printed flyer
- An email invitation
- Three Facebook posts
- An Instagram caption
- Website event copy
- A follow-up thank-you email
The message stays consistent while saving hours of work.
4. Use Your Own Photos and Projects Whenever Possible
One mistake many businesses make is filling their marketing with generic stock images and generic wording.
Instead, combine AI with your own work.
Upload photos of:
- Completed kitchens
- Deck installations
- New front doors
- Your showroom
- Customer appreciation events
Then ask AI to help write captions or project stories around those images.
Example Prompt
We recently had a customer install these quartz countertops in a modern farmhouse kitchen. Write a Facebook post that highlights the warm color palette, durability, and why quartz continues to be a popular choice for busy families.
Real projects build trust in a way AI-generated images and generic marketing never can. A bonus is that you can tag a customer, which they will most certainly appreciate!
5. Always Fact-Check Before You Publish
AI writes confidently, even when it’s wrong.
It may accidentally invent product features, warranty details, building code information, lead times, or manufacturer specifications.
Always verify:
- Product specifications
- Dimensions
- Warranty information
- Pricing
- Availability
- Installation requirements
This is especially important in the building materials industry, where inaccurate information can create expensive misunderstandings.
AI is an excellent writer, but your team remains the product expert.
In closing, AI won’t replace relationships. The companies that will benefit most from AI aren’t the ones producing the most content; they’re the ones producing the most helpful content.
Your customers don’t buy from you because you wrote the perfect Facebook post. They buy because they trust your recommendations, appreciate your service, and value your expertise.
Use AI to eliminate repetitive work, speed up content creation, and generate fresh ideas. Then add the one thing AI can never replicate: your experience, your people, and your relationships.
That’s the combination that creates marketing that customers believe and remember.
A final note of caution: When interacting with platforms like ChatGPT or Claude, it is important to be conscious of what info you share. Ensure that you and your customers’ data is not used for training by these publicly accessible models. As a good rule of thumb, don’t enter any data that you wouldn’t share with a contact outside of your company.
Need more guidance related to your marketing efforts? The marketing team at Lumbermen’s can help! Connect with us here.
– Written by Jill Carroll, Director of Marketing





















































































