Digital First AI Review: Why It Falls Short for Small Businesses

Marketing consultant for women solopreneurs. 25+ years experience. Expert advisor, featured in marketing documentary Click the Link Below.

I took a flyer on an AppSumo lifetime deal (LTD) called Digital First AI.

I was intrigued because the reviews in Ken Moo’s Facebook Group and the limited reviews in AppSumo were incredibly positive.

And it could be something I could pass along to my customers. Why? Because it claims to generate a digital marketing strategy using artificial intelligence.

Here’s where the Digital First AI AppSumo LTD fell short:

1. When I logged in, the plans were called “AppSumo plans” tier 1, 2, and 3. In my experience, that typically means: we’ll not be updating this after the initial few updates and after we get cash and good reviews. (No, it doesn’t say that. Years of buying deals tell me this is often the case.)

2. And here’s the big one: the results were .. meh? I’m not sure I can call it a digital marketing strategy. Or a funnel (as they also call it). It generated a list of tactics that amounted to gobbledygook unless you were already deeply engaged in marketing.

3. It’s ABSOLUTELY bonkers the price starts at $67/mo. or for more features $99/mo. (for all features it’s Enterprise and a price isn’t listed).

I don’t have any screen grabs because I turned around and refunded the deal about 15 minutes after I redeemed it.

Great AI Software Requires Human Intervention

One of the reasons I’m an ardent cheerleader?) for Lately.ai is that Kate and her team understand at a fundamental level that AI isn’t a standalone product.

Meaning it needs human intervention to be effective.

And this is the problem with Digital First AI, Jasper (formerly Jarvis and before that Conversion.ai), and the like. There are too many companies who *seem* to think that AI alone will do the job.

I was an early adopter of Jasper (when it was called Conversion.ai). It was a decent product (the “Bossmode” upgrade produced awful results, and I bailed), but it required a great deal of human intervention to create anything halfway decent.

What I saw in the Jasper Facebook group were a bunch of “content creators” who would blast out 4,000-word blog posts on the daily that were complete hot garbage and then boast about how well their SEO was performing.

No doubt Google is onto these tricks, which is why website quality is a ranking factor (or will be soon). Google is smart.

Meaning, create good, high-quality stuff, even if it’s not as often, and you’ll rank on Google.

The same is true of your marketing strategy.

You can’t expect a computer to kick out what you, the business owner, should do based on a few high-level factors.

Digital First AI gives you a few tactics, but nothing earth-shattering (unless creating a blog and sharing carousel Instagram posts are considered cutting edge <ehem. nope.>)

Bottom Line: Digital First AI is a no-go for small business owners.

BUT… if you want to get great marketing strategy insight via AI AND tools for how to do it, we like Clickminded (you can also get a free AI marketing strategy — we have an account and it blows the doors off Digital First AI).

(PS – be careful before buying any AI products. It’s insanely easy for people to develop “AI software,” and not everyone is creating a high-quality product like Lately.ai).

Digital First AI

Starting at a jaw-dropping $99/mo., this all-AI “marketing strategy” platform that creates a funnel (icebreaker, cheeseburger, main product, upsell) for your product or business. You fill out a brief questionnaire and it produces tactics. The tactics aren’t earth-shattering. After a few tests, there wasn’t any rhyme or reason to what it produced. It could be useful for brainstorming, but not a standalone product you can use to build a reliable strategy.

Digital First AI Website

FAQs

Does Digital First AI work for email marketing?
Digital First AI focuses on overall marketing strategy rather than specific tactics like email campaigns. If you’re looking for a tool to sharpen your email copy, try an email subject line tester to evaluate your subject lines before sending—just one example of how human creativity still plays a vital role in AI-assisted marketing.

What should small business owners look for in AI marketing tools?
The best AI tools augment your efforts rather than replace them. Look for solutions that require human input to reach their full potential—like an AI that generates content but still needs your brand voice to make it resonate. Be wary of tools that promise to do everything with zero effort on your end.

How can I improve my marketing without relying on AI alone?
Focus on high-quality, consistent content that reflects your expertise. Combine AI assistance with solid strategy: use AI for brainstorming and drafting, then apply human judgment to refine and personalize. A balanced approach consistently outperforms fully automated outputs.