This study was conducted with the aim of identifying and analyzing the key components of artificial intelligence–based content marketing in startups and of proposing an integrative model of the implications of this approach for creating sustainable employment opportunities, with an emphasis on leveraging technological development and employing mechanisms of transparency and information dissemination. The present research adopts a mixed‑methods design (exploratory–descriptive), which was implemented in two qualitative and quantitative phases .In the qualitative phase, data were collected through the netnography method, utilizing more than two thousand comments from startup users in online environments, through cluster random sampling, and were examined using thematic analysis at three levels: the extraction of components, dimensions, and core concepts. Content validity was confirmed using the Lawshe index, and reliability was verified through test–retest procedures and inter‑coder agreement. Based on the qualitative findings, an initial conceptual model was designed consisting of five domains and eleven dimensions, including content production, automation tools, efficiency enhancement, content interaction and distribution, and intelligent decision‑making. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was developed to test the proposed model and, after confirmation of content validity, was distributed among users of Iranian startups. Data obtained from 489 questionnaires were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. Overall, the purposeful application of artificial intelligence in content production, analysis, distribution, and decision‑making can enhance the marketing effectiveness of startups and, through strengthening human capabilities, organizational innovation, market orientation, and flexibility, provide the conditions necessary for the realization of sustainable employment.