As humans, our minds are wired for story. That means that as a tech marketer, if you want to connect with your audience, you need to tell a great story. That’s true whether you’re creating a video tutorial, an explainer, a product demo—or even text-based content, like blogs and case studies.

This reality gives human creators a natural edge over AI. We know best what video content will resonate with human viewers. 

But that doesn’t mean there’s any harm in using AI to simplify the content production process. New AI “co-pilot” tools are springing up every day that promise to bring a blank page to life more easily than ever before. 

Let’s explore some of the best tools out there in four distinct categories and find out how AI can help your tech brand produce authentic, deep technical content that will resonate with the practitioner audiences you need to engage.

1. AI-Based Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Text-to-speech tools have been around for a while, but today’s voices, using AI technology, aren’t just more natural-sounding than previous generations—they’re almost a world apart. 

Now, you can use these TTS tools to add instant professional voiceover to read scripts you’ve created for marketing videos—maybe even using AI tools to create the scripts themselves!

With TTS for professional narration, you’ll save time and money over studio recordings with human professionals while grabbing viewers’ attention with accent-free English, even if you’re not a native speaker. 

Plus, many TTS tools offer simplified localization into a variety of languages with multilingual voices. As a bonus, AI-generated speech is usually very clear, meaning it works well with auto-captioning features on video sites like YouTube and on Zoom. 

This generation of TTS tools also lets you tweak the output to play around with different narrators and styles (formal, casual, outrageously silly) to find the best fit for your business and your message.

TTS Tools to Consider

• • Murf AI: With over 120 different voices, this tool lets you customize narration by varying pitch, emphasis, and background music. Faster and less expensive than hiring a human voice actor, Murf also create more personalized messages faster in a variety of languages. Free intro plan does not permit downloads.

• • Speechelo: Cloud-based TTS tool offering a variety of human-sounding voices in over 23 languages, with options to control inflection and tone along with fun features like the ability to take breaths and pauses, or to speak in a more serious or more joyful tone. Unlike most cloud-based products, Speechelo offers a one-time payment option.

• • PlayHT: Ultra-realistic, human-sounding AI voices—including a wide range of accents and character-type voices for a wider range of emotional and stylistic options. Provides a free plan with limited features along with paid plans that provide access to a larger library of voices and more customization options.

2. Video Editing with AI

Now, you don’t need extensive video production or editing experience to create polished, professional content. Tools like these can clean up raw footage, automate repetitive tasks like background removal, and generate dynamic transitions and titles. 

AI can even streamline workflows by integrating transcription, editing, and collaboration features—all within a single platform. AI tools save you time by helping optimize your content pipeline, transforming existing content—like blog posts or scripts—into captivating marketing videos.

Editing Tools to Consider

• • Descript: Uses familiar text editing features to create and edit videos while prebuilt templates and layouts make video creation faster and easier. AI features include finding viral moments in your clips, adding AI-generated eye contact, and removing background noise. Unlike similar products, Descript’s free trial tier does not watermark your content.

• • Lumen5: Specifically designed for video marketing, Lumen5 offers a wide range of predesigned templates to quickly create compelling videos. AI features help create scripts from existing content, such as blog posts. Lumen5 focuses on simplicity and ease of use, but this results in fewer options to fine-tune videos.

3. AI Avatar Generators

Being able to put a human face on your product or service can make it that much more relatable and trustworthy—even if that human face is actually an AI-generated video avatar or virtual actor. Transform scripts or existing text and images into high-quality marketing videos in minutes, while customizing video content for a global audience through simplified, affordable auto-translation into a range of popular languages.

Avatar-Generation Tools to Consider

• • Synthesia: Quickly create videos starring AI avatars and voiceovers using pre-made templates, diverse AI-generated presenters, and text-to-video generation with no video editing experience required.

• • D-ID: Using what the company calls “Natural User Interfaces” (NUI), D-ID powers natural AI-based conversation with machines. Beyond marketing videos, NUI let D-ID offer a broader range of applications, including education and customer service.

• • DeepBrain: Offers lifelike digital avatars with full-body movements, making your videos and digital experiences more immersive and engaging, including real-time interaction for natural conversation flow. Flexible pricing plans based on anticipated output and number of users.

4. AI Storyboarding

Go from video concepts to a finished visual storyboard in minutes with AI-powered storyboarding tools. Transform brainstorming sessions into polished video roadmaps, freeing creators to focus on production. Plus, AI-generated story suggestions and plot points mean you’ll never have to deal with writer’s block again.

Storyboarding Tools to Consider

• • StoryboardHero: AI-powered storyboard generator that helps video creators and agencies develop compelling video concepts and storyboards that will appeal to tech audiences faster and cheaper. All pricing plans include unlimited AI-generated images and storyboards; StoryboardHero also offers hand-drawing options for more complex projects.

• • RawShorts: Transforms text into animated explainer videos, including advanced storyboarding and animation tools. This tool is made with marketing in mind and promises professional-quality videos with a fraction of the effort normally involved. Offers a no credit card 7-day trial period, but output is limited and will be watermarked.

When to Call in a Human Content Partner

AI offers impressive capabilities to boost your tech marketing video content creation; but it can’t do everything for you.

Understanding what will really resonate with your audiences, whether they’re DevOps or security engineers or CTOs, takes a team of highly skilled humans—from subject-matter experts and PMMs to script writers to animators to video producers.

For the foreseeable future, there’s no AI out there that can get to know your tech brand and help plan your content needs strategically—or shepherd your content from start to finish on time and within budget.

Plus, a single tech marketing video is never enough. You need to be able to produce at scale.

This requires content research analysis and editorial planning, including a calendar of fresh content to keep your brand front of mind for all your audiences—from technical practitioners to executives and everyone in between. 

And that takes a human content partner with hands-on technical experience who understands your business goals.

IOD serves the world’s leading tech brands in cloud, DevOps, cybersecurity, data engineering, AI, and other fields, offering professional tech marketing capabilities at scale.

The IOD creative video team, including a vetted network of experienced tech practitioners and strategists, work hand in hand with your R&D, product, marketing teams, and executives to produce technically accurate scripts, layouts, storyboards, and animations.

IOD video content packages can accommodate every level of production and budget to craft customized videos that communicate complex technical information. 

Want to learn more? See how IOD helped Bright Data engage tech audiences and drive results through video or book your free video consult.