The AI hype cycle is running its course, with more people starting to ask, “What’s the point of artificial intelligence for our marketing and our business anyway?” That’s good. That’s a super healthy development. Why is that a healthy development? Because it means more people are looking past the hype of AI and instead asking “how can we put this to work?” The key point to note is that you can put AI to work in marketing for your business. And what’s most important is looking at how you do...

In a recent episode, we looked at how Google is using artificial intelligence to change the search experience and why that’s ultimately a risk to your business. To offset that risk, we started a brief series on how to build traffic and revenue beyond Google. Today, we’re expanding that series by introducing you to our CORE Methodology, a framework for choosing the right channels to market your company. What is the CORE Methodology? How does it help you? And how do you put it to work to...

Google is changing search. The company’s AI Overviews features increasingly puts answers in front of customers, bypassing the need for a click. The problem for you is that those clicks often drive traffic and revenue for your business. Even if you can do cool SEO activities to figure out how to be the answer presented, that’s still no guarantee that customers will end up on your website or app. And that’s potentially very bad for your business. What can you do about it? It starts with...

In the immortal words of Omar Little, “You come at the king, you best not miss.” And we all know that Google is the king, right? But history shows what happens when kings move too slowly or make too many mistakes. Google’s new AI Overview feature in search might be one of the bigger missteps the king has taken. It’s also not their first (I’m looking at you, Gemini Launch earlier this year). These new AI products highlight a big problem for Google. And they might be an even bigger problem for...

The world is changing quickly. Artificial intelligence and Big Tech and changing customer behaviors are advancing rapidly. It can feel like they’re running us down like a hungry bear and that we have to keep running… or face the consequences. There is a way to ensure you can outrun the bear though. And that’s by continuing to learn. The question is, what are the best ways to improve your learning? How can you keep up with the amount of information necessary to learn, stay informed, and...

AI might be in the “trough of disillusionment” among some people but it’s far from dead. Not only have Google and OpenAI made amazing advancements to their tools in recent days, they’re making those tools available to most people for free, right now. As such, an increasing number of customers are using AI every single day. What’s even better is that most savvy marketers aren’t spending their time thinking about the artificial intelligence; they’re thinking about their customers. That’s what...

Just as we do every quarter, it’s time to review Big Tech’s earnings. We do this because you’ll always learn something about the state of digital from what Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft tell Wall Street. And, despite no significant announcements, that’s just as true this quarter as any other. So, what did we learn from Big Tech’s earnings calls this quarter? Why is it remarkable that their messages were not so remarkable? What did that tell us about the state of digital right now?...

Despite a long-standing history in marketing, Scott Cohen of InboxArmy lives in the future. He knows why email marketing is so important in a marketing landscape increasingly affected by artificial intelligence. What is the future of email marketing? How can marketing professionals use AI and email marketing to improve their connections with customers? And, more importantly, how can you get your customers to open, click, and buy when an AI minds their inbox? That’s why this episode of the...

With all the changes that artificial intelligence is bringing to the marketplace, it can feel awfully tough to keep up. As marketers and strategists, though, we need to look beyond just the latest headlines to see the deeper trends shaping our customers’ behaviors — and the responses to those trends from our competitors and from Big Tech. For instance, I’ve been relatively bearish lately on Google’s articulated vision — or lack thereof — for artificial intelligence. And I’ve been much more...

If you’re like most people, you might think of anniversaries as a time for looking back. Not me. Usually, I prefer to look ahead. But, this year, I’m making an exception. Only, I’m not looking back to celebrate the thirteen years that Tim Peter & Associates has existed. Nope, I’m looking back… well, just a little bit further. 45 years, in fact. Why 45 years? Why so far? And what does that have to do with marketing, digital or otherwise? Well, that’s what this episode of Thinks Out...

AI has the potential to make our teams faster and more effective. But will this power also make marketers dumber? Will it hurt their ability to learn and to grow? Turns out the answer depends entirely on how we use it. We learn by doing, by thinking, and, yes, by sometimes failing. Senior marketing leaders — and business professional of all kinds — need to think about how they and their teams are using AI to ensure we help our teams get smarter while they’re also getting faster. Because,...

AI might be entering the “trough of disillusionment,” but that doesn’t mean it’s dead. Far from it. In fact, an increasing number of customers are using AI every single day. And, yet, despite this increased use, savvy marketers aren’t spending their time thinking about the artificial intelligence; they’re thinking about their customers. That’s what you should do too. Because AI isn’t what matters. Your customers are what matters. And AI only matters if your customers are willing to use...

I’m calling it: We’ve reached “peak AI.” There’s too much hype. With over $50B in venture capital investment in 2023 and literally thousands of “AI focused companies” in marketing technology alone, that’s a bubble that needs to let at least some air out and soon. And when that happens, we usually see a serious backlash. My advice to you if and when that happens for artificial intelligence is simple: Ignore it. Seriously. You need to ignore any AI backlash. Not because it won’t be justified…...

As noted in the past, with all the hype and hope attached to artificial intelligence, it’s worth asking, is it time for your marketing team — is it time for many of your teams — to use AI? The simple answer to the question is, “yes.” As it happens, the more complicated answer is yes, too. Why is it time for your team to use AI? Where are the areas where AI can provide the greatest value to your organization? How can it help you improve your marketing — and your business? And, most...

The Information reports that Amazon and Google are quietly tamp ing down generative AI expectations, noting that it’s tough to make the case for AI benefits “because of the high cost of the software and the difficulty of measuring productivity gains.” That echoes the comments I’d made in this “Best of Thinks Out Loud” episode that “We’re past the point of AI pilots in marketing. Instead, in 2024, it’s time to put AI to work in your marketing.” Why is this reality important for your brand...

In our latest Thinks Out Loud interview, company founder and president Tim Peter sat down to talk with Howard Chang, CEO of The Turn Lab and CEO of Just Boardrooms. In this thoughtful and insightful discussion, Howard and Tim discussed: * Artificial Intelligence and its effects on the future of work * Remote work, loneliness, and the need for belonging * Managing anxiety in a rapidly changing, often remote workplace * Increasing productivity * Improving business as a force for social...

You’ve probably heard about Google’s messy launch of its Gemini AI product. Commentators with political axes to grind across the spectrum have pounded the search giant for its mistakes, leading CEO Sundar Pichai to call the tool’s responses “completely unacceptable.” As entertaining as it might be for some folks, though, to watch Google get pummeled, there’s a larger story that we seem to be missing. The Gemini debacle highlights serious lessons about artificial intelligence that matter to...

I’ve been relatively bearish lately on Google’s articulated vision — or lack thereof — for artificial intelligence. I’ve been much more bullish about Microsoft and Amazon and OpenAI. But here’s the thing. We’re in the early days of generative AI in practice. Yes, it’s getting used every day. At the same time, I’d challenge most people to name 10 great products that depend solely on generative AI, let alone 10 great companies that that do. Yes, we’re seeing gen AI features incorporated into...

You’ve heard me say many times that “gatekeepers gonna gate.” That’s what they do. Woudln’t it be great if there was an easy, inexpensive way to bypass Big Tech’s gatekeepers? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could extend your brand’s awareness and reach without having to rely too heavily on Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, or Microsoft? Would you believe me if I said there might be an option you’re overlooking? What is that option? Podcasting. Now, I want to be fair. Podcasting takes some...

If we learned anything from Big Tech’s earnings this quarter, it’s that Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Apple have a clear vision for the future & and that Google doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong. They have a vision. It’s just a bad one. Their vision: Ads, ads, and more ads. The only thing they seem to know how to talk about, the only thing they seem to know how to do, is sell ads. Their grand vision for artificial intelligence is about how to improve the ad experience and use AI to place ads...

Peter Drucker said it years ago: Your job is to create a customer. But creating a customer can be hard, especially as media and creators and influencers get bought out or burned out. Essentially, media is continually in a process of being bundled or unbundled, of integrating and dis-integrating. So, how are you supposed to acquire customers — to create customers — in that world? The simple fact is that the world we all live in changes constantly. It’s true for your customers. It’s true for...

Scott Cohen of InboxArmy knows email marketing inside and out. Scott started as a copywriter and focuses on driving revenues for his clients. In particular, he knows why email marketing is so important in a marketing landscape increasingly affected by artificial intelligence. What is the future of email marketing? How can marketing professionals use AI and email marketing to improve their connections with customers? And, more importantly, how can you get your customers to open, click, and...

Artificial intelligence is everywhere in marketing right now. But there’s a sharp breakdown between AI as a test or a pilot and AI that’s doing real work. We’re past the point of AI pilots in marketing. Instead, in 2024, it’s time to put AI to work in your marketing. Why is that important? What does putting AI to work in your marketing mean? And, most importantly, how can you get started? That’s what this episode of the Thinks Out Loud podcast is all about. Want to learn more? Here are...

Happy New Year, Big Thinkers! It’s time once again to look at the top digital trends that will shape the year ahead. And, two questions that we keep hearing about are A.) Is Google doomed and B.) what the answer means for your business. But, those aren’t the only top trends you need to think about. In fact, despite their importance, they’re not even the number one trend you should focus on. What are the top digital trends you need to think about for 2024? Why do they matter to your...