AI-Driven Marketer: Master Practical AI Marketing Skills 3-Signal Test to Spot the Next AI Mega Trend (Before Everyone Else)
Jan 12, 2026
Dan Sanchez talks with Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner, who shares decades of insights on digital trends. They discuss how to identify lasting megatrends through consumer excitement, resistance, and sustained adoption. Michael analyzes the rise and fall of Clubhouse as a trend cautionary tale. The conversation highlights three major AI breakthroughs, contrasts corporate investment with grassroots movements, and emphasizes the importance of human discernment in marketing. He also predicts a shift towards a single-best-answer model in search by 2030.
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Three Signals That Reveal Real Megatrends
- Megatrends show three signals: broad excitement, strong resistance, and sustained organic adoption over time.
- Michael Stelzner uses these signals to separate hype (like Clubhouse) from lasting shifts like AI.
Clubhouse As A Cautionary Tale
- Michael recounts Clubhouse's viral rise during COVID as a cautionary example of a trend that peaked then faded.
- He contrasts that with social media and AI, which produced sustained growth and broad consumer evangelism.
Differentiate Agent Hype From Real Adoption
- Not all AI sub-topics are equal; agent hype was driven by paid marketers rather than organic consumer adoption.
- Stelzner treats those cases as hype cycles, not genuine trends until users show real excitement and use.