This episode is available on:* Spotify* YouTube* Apple PodcastsIn this episode, we talk about the big trends that shaped 2022, so you can prepare for what’s to come in 2023. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrarianmarketingpodcast.com

This episode is available on:* Spotify* YouTube* Apple PodcastsToday we discuss the future course of one of the most addictive, engaged, and controversial social media platforms: TikTok.Increasing privacy risk and disappointing revenues have raised questions about TikTok’s sustainability and position as a leading social platform.As the US government bans the app from government-issued cell phones and its users gain visibility on its privacy concerns, will TikTok lose its sheen to get permanently banned?✅Eli says TikTok will never get banned by the government, but maybe by the big app stores⛔Kevin says TikTok will get banned by the US government by November next yearIn this episode of Contrarian Marketing, we discuss:* How TikTok can acquire serious and talented creators* Whether TikTok might get banned in the US* How marketers can use TikTokKey Takeaways* TikTok cannot replace Google search* TikTok should adopt a revenue-sharing-based monetization model with creators (like YouTube does) to attract quality creators* TikTok is an undervalued channel for B2B Marketing* Use TikTok for content repurposing and advertising* TikTok provides a first-mover advantage opportunity for niche creatorsKevin’s take: TikTok has no futureKevin states how rising privacy concerns with the US government and beyond can strongly put an end to TikTok:“I don't think TikTok has a future, not because of the product and the platform, but more so because of regulation.The US government already imposes sanctions on lots of companies, especially Chinese companies, manufacturers, and creators. So I don't think it's completely unrealistic that the US government would put a sanction on Bytedance or force the company to sell TikTok.”Even with its popularity and addictive algorithm, TikTok indeed faces competition with many other platforms like Google, Netflix, YouTube, etc. But this doesn’t mean it can replace Google.Eli:“I tried a bunch of searches and the quality is terrible. Let's say you do a search for the top place in the city. You're going to find content, you're going to find engaging videos. If you are the kind of person that is led by influencers, by all means, you will find the greatest things to do.But if you are the kind of person that really wants to curate your experience, TikTok does not offer that to you. You have to go through so many videos before you find something that's not on the popular list on Google.”TikTok also has an opportunity to share revenue with its creators to truly make them stick to the platform.“The monetization is very different (than YouTube). I don't know how much exactly Charli D’Amelio got, but she got some money from TikTok and also made a ton of money from just influencer gigs.Whereas Mr. Beast gets a lot of money from YouTube itself. YouTube shares about 50% of its revenue with creators. And I think that's what TikTok has to do as well in order to keep the creators and make sure they're not making money in other ways. This could also raise and groom the next wave of creators on TikTok.”Eli’s take: TikTok might get shadowbannedEli predicts that TikTok will get shadow banned:“My prediction is that the government's gonna make it very uncomfortable for the platforms, which are Apple and, and Google to host the TikTok app and provide TikTok updates to people that have the TikTok app on their phones. Apps like that have been dropped from the app stores and then it's effectively bent. Then in order to get TikTok on your phone, you have to sideload it and no one's going to do that. So that's done.I just think that if they go this regulation route, it will be challenged. Trump tried really hard and he wasn't successful. I just don't know that we have tools in our system of laws to ban things –  like FTX could have been banned, and Crypto could have been illegal. So they don't have the tools to make things illegal like that. To make something really stop, you just tell Google and Apple to do it, so that there's no pathway for them to be successful.”Rev share is key to keeping quality creatorsEli states how TikTok has reduced the entry barrier to becoming a ‘creator’. But it needs to become a platform that makes it worthwhile for genuinely talented creators to come and stay.“I'm saying the creators are the future stars. They're not just TikTok stars - they're actual stars and real artists. TikTok needs to get them to stick to the platform. Here’s an interesting parallel – Think about Facebook or Meta - five years ago, who was going to compete with Facebook? Well, no one can, as all the users in the world are on Facebook.Now look at them today - they're declining in users because users have found somewhere else to go, and that place happens to be TikTok. So TikTok needs to make the platform sticky for the people that create the content because, without the right content, you don't get the users.”Eli further stresses how TikTok needs creators who are true subject matter experts to keep the content quality high:“If you want to go onto TikTok and learn about something complex, do they have the most complex person that's truly the expert? Has that person been incentivized to put that content on TikTok for free? Or do they keep it on their own website, which is where Google brings them?TikTok has to get those experts on there sharing their knowledge before this becomes the go-to platform to learn. It certainly has grabbed the attention, but if it has staying power, I think it's about the creators and not the users. Users, yes, they're sticky and users do things for a long time, but they can be, they can be taken.”Kevin also adds how TikTok needs to bring in more niche creators on a revenue-sharing basis to raise the quality of content created on the platform:“The interesting thing about TikTok versus YouTube is that TikTok recommendation algorithm is so much better in my mind than YouTube – and that's why it's such a stickier product most of the time. They need to enter the niche creator area, and they need to do that by sharing revenue directly with the creators.”How marketers can use TikTok?Eli suggests that TikTok has proven the case for short-form videos.When you think about creating a short-form video, don't do it to build social engagement, do it to build a conversion funnel. So showcase your product and don't just build a following of people that want to see your employees dancing or your employees say funny things or your employee culture – unless hiring is your challenge. Use TikTok to build your brand and get people to buy your core products.Kevin mentions how TikTok still has the potential for niche creators to become first-movers, and you can use Tiktok for content repurposing:“I think there is an opportunity to create some cool content on TikTok for lots of niche fields. You would want to be one of the first movers on that app for your specific field, whatever that is within the marketing or even if it's outside of marketing.Here's how I would do it - I would use TikTok as a repurposing channel. I see a lot of popular podcasts using TikTok for repurposing by uploading clips similar to YouTube shorts. That seems to work really well. I know some people with large podcasts who tell me that is one of their biggest drivers of new subscribers and new audiences.”Kevin also adds how TikTok is also an underestimated channel for B2B marketing:“A lot of people have faulty assumptions about TikTok – it's not just young kids dancing on this platform anymore. There's legit content. One of my clients ran advertising on TikTok, and they're a B2B company. The product is neither super techy nor close to a consumer product. And they got some legit leads and a legit pipeline from TikTok.So I think it's underestimated, and that underestimation leaves a little bit of a window of opportunity for companies to be present there and create some good content. But finding sponsoring content creators is still very undervalued.”Shownotes* Miss Excel on TikTok - takes a boring topic like MS Excel and creates actionable content* Charli D’Amelio on TikTok - has almost equal followers as Mr. Beast (YouTube creator)* Inna Kanevsky on TikTok - debunks psychology misinformation by young TikTok creatorsJoin the conversationSubscribe to the newsletter for a free summary, key takeaways, and community content once a week.Have opinions on TikTok’s future? Or do you want us to cover any topic of your interest? Let us know in the comments!Thank you,Eli and Kevin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrarianmarketingpodcast.com

This episode is available on:* Spotify* YouTube* Apple PodcastsToday we cover one of the requested topics by our listeners - AI Content.ChatGPT took over the internet to reach 1 million users within 5 days - and many wondered about their next business idea, feared job security or simply poked holes in it.We also checked the search demand for crypto versus ChatGPT, and it already shows a very different trend compared to Crypto.So, is AI content the next big tool, or will it fizz out as a trendy toy?✅Kevin says yes, AI content tools are valuable to help work better, faster, and smarter⛔Kevin says no, AI content tools are a cool technology toy, where utmost they can be used for applications having defined boundaries.In this episode of Contrarian Marketing, we discuss:* How is AI content used today?* What are the limitations of using AI for content?* How will AI content shape in the next 12 months?Key Takeaways* AI content tools can already solve small problems like writer’s block today.* AI content opens up many possibilities for new tools, job roles, and business ideas.* AI content cannot think or conduct original research on your behalf.* AI content doesn’t yet have clearly defined boundaries, which is why you should fact-check and copyright-check its output before using it.Kevin’s take: AI content tools are valuable and can make you better, faster, and smarterKevin mentions how AI tools already provide practical use cases for content creation today:* Create content for topics with clear definitions, like glossary blogs* Write product descriptions and category text for e-commerce sites* Unblock writer’s block with tools like Lex* Draft article outlines* Add schema markup* Improve grammar and spelling* Suggest images or graphics* Adopt the writing style or tone of famous writers or personalities* Auto-completion of sentences for emailsKevin further adds how it also opens up new possibilities and fields for individuals and brands to explore:“It might be true that when everybody has access to the same technology, then the output is not valuable anymore. But I think it will open up the door to a lot of new possibilities. The central question in my mind when we talk about AI, generative AI, and content is when you can create anything – what do you create?”"Prompt engineering will be a new, hot field. Some people and companies will have an advantage, and others won't.An interesting question is: what new fields of work all of a sudden open up when others have been solved by AI?AI content receives a lot of press and excitement from the public, but one should be careful about how they plan on using the tool:“I think the AI tools that are coming out create hype not because AI is good enough to do all these things perfectly today, but because the next step is so clearly visible. But I would not outsource something completely to AI that does not have incredibly clear boundaries.”Speaking about boundaries, Eli shares an example of how AI doesn’t work well in poorly defined conditions:I asked ChatGPT if Kanye West was an anti-Semite, and it told me definitively no. But that's probably because it's not updated with the latest news. Still, I don't think you can completely rely on AI for things that don't have defined boundaries.Eli’s take: AI content tools are a cool tech toyEli states that in the existing sea of content, AI content tools may be more useful for learning and simple fact-finding purposes.I think these AI tools are great foundations. They're research tools the same way you use Ahrefs or SemRush – you do some keyword research to find ideas and then build on top of it. That's what I think AI content and AI tools are good at, but it's not the end.Eli also mentions that many people make buying decisions when they consume content online - and bad AI content will lead to a terrible purchase or customer experience.“If people have to make buying decisions and look at this terrible content that's written by bots, to make that buying decision, that doesn't make a lot of sense.But, if we live in a world where bots buy from bots, that's totally different. If you just say to your Siri or Google Assistant that ‘I need soft toilet paper’, then Siri and Google can just look at what Amazon has, and choose it for you. But again, if it makes a mistake, you're the one using the toilet paper. So it's always going to be hard to live in a world where AI is just working with AI.”Eli also highlights how you cannot make AI do original research, nor can it replace human intuition.“I think you can use AI for text-related content, for which you were already going on Upwork and paying someone ridiculously low amounts of money to just write little bits of content. But if it's writing a book or writing a journalistic research piece, I don't think we're there.ChatGPT, Google Assistant, or Siri also can’t help you decide who is the best plumber based on their distance, pricing, or services. Or it can’t decide where you should go on vacation or the things you should do. This is because you need to understand your own personal needs. No AI or no engine will ever do that - it can’t be you.”PredictionsWhere do you see AI content 12 months from now?Kevin: “80% of marketers will use an AI tool every day that they haven't used until the release of chatGPT.”Eli: “Google and other search engines will be able to identify and label AI content published.”Shownotes* Lex - an AI writing tool* Byword - app for efficient writing on plain text for creating article outlines.* Eli purchased a Google Pixel 7* Kevin purchased a clip to attach a pen to any book* Movie and series recommendation:* The Matrix directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski* Her - written and directed by Spike Jonze* Westworld by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan on HBOJoin the conversationSubscribe to the newsletter for a free summary, key takeaways, and community content once a week.We intend to cover many interesting topics like TikTok vs Search, paid advertising channels other than Google/Facebook, the state of eCommerce shopping, etc.If you want us to cover any topic of your interest, do let us know in the comments!Enjoyed this episode? – Subscribe to Contrarian Marketing on Spotify/Apple podcasts/Youtube to listen to past episodes and get notified of upcoming releases.Thank you,Eli and Kevin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrarianmarketingpodcast.com

This episode is available on:* Spotify* YouTube* Apple PodcastsFirst, a word of gratitude: The Contrarian Marketing Podcast has hit 1,100+ downloads and 150+ newsletter subscribers from just the first 2 episodes. All thanks to you!Personal branding helps entrepreneurs raise funds, job seekers get offers and salespersons close leads. Being out there can be overwhelming but also incredibly rewarding.So, should you pull any strings to build your personal brand or stay within limits?✅Eli says yes, do anything and everything to build your personal brand!⛔Kevin says no, there are limits to what you should do to not hurt your reputation.In this episode of Contrarian Marketing, we discuss:* The limits of personal branding* How to not kill your reputation* 10 tips to build your personal brandKey Takeaways* Personal branding helps you stand out from the crowd and elevates you as an expert in your professional domain.* To avoid unnecessary attention, draw boundaries about how you present yourself by knowing your target audience’s mindset and trigger points.* Ensure you maintain a positive perception about yourself within the industry peer circle and not just your audience.Eli’s take — Building a personal brand helps accelerate your professional goalsEli shares what it means to build a personal brand –“A personal brand doesn't have to be something that you're super famous for and everyone knows about you in the industry. It just means that you carry more weight than just your resume – that when you are introduced to someone, they already know who you are.”He mentions how one should focus on gaining the perception of an ‘expert’ with your personal branding efforts –“Personal brand should be a deliberate process of how one would like to appear as something – like, I would like to be known for something, and these are the actions that I'm going to take because I want to be known for doing that.”Sharing the example of Neil Patel’s personal brand, Eli states how in the end, the way your target audience perceives your brand is what matters irrespective of what everyone else thinks or says –“Neil Patel has built a fantastic brand, and the negative attributes of his brand are within the digital marketing industry. But his tribe is not these people – his tribe are the corporations. When they hear of SEO or digital marketing, they're like – I've seen Neil Patel everywhere and he did SEO for TechCrunch, so now I too want to hire him. Fortune 50 brands are working with Neil Patel Digital, and that's because of that brand. So, he knows his tribe includes people in these corporations that will hire his agency.He focuses on his audience and doesn’t care about the other audience, because that doesn't really support what he's trying to do. Thus, he doesn't care if the digital marketers that maybe are on the same level as him hate him. The power of his brand is what makes those negative people look like the minority and not the majority.”To this, Kevin highlights how many corporates vet agencies or partners by asking for opinions from other industry professionals –“Everybody knows each other. Even if you have many clients but everybody in the industry doesn't have a higher opinion of you – over time you fade out. Hence, it's important to have a good reputation with other people in the industry and with your peers.”Kevin’s take — Personal branding may attract the wrong kind of attention or audience that may hurt your overall credibilityKevin warns about being mindful about how one conducts themselves since being known exposes you to criticism or unnecessary attention.“There are limits to what you should do when building a personal brand because it's all about getting attention. But remember that getting attention at any price can get really expensive – and it can get very expensive very quickly.”Eli agrees to be careful when putting yourself out there – “You shouldn't do things that are dumb unless it's a part of your strategy.”Kevin shares how one can draw a line while building a personal brand –* Define your moral limits* Define your audience and understand their mindset as to what they like or dislike* Know what your audience stands for and its limits. Align yourself as needed.Kevin shares the example of Gary Vaynerchuck’s personal brand when it comes to staying within your limits –“Gary Vaynerchuck stays within the boundaries of his tribe. He admits that he's a workaholic, curses and he shows how he fits that into his life. He owns that. It surely triggers people, but those people are not his tribe. He is respectful and doesn't care about that too much. So, I would say that Gary Vaynerchuck is a perfect example of staying within your limits and knowing where the boundaries are, and not doing everything.”10 Tips to build your personal brand* Use storytelling frameworks in your content to speak with your audience.* Get logos and testimonials to bring credibility to your personal brand.* Be open to being a student by sharing what you see, learn and understand about your domain.* Get a headstart by buying followers on social media.* Find 10 axioms for your industry, then develop a point of view around them, and then share content around these points of view with your audience.* Increase your reach with guest spots on podcasts. You can start with smaller podcasts to hone your narrative for larger ones.* Pick and work on a specific brand archetype that fits your voice and helps you differentiate.* Set end goals for your personal brand and focus on working towards them.* Find your content format for yourself.* Get quoted in the media to build credibility.PredictionsEli – “Creators will have more power. Companies need to flip the script and find ways to associate themselves with these creators.”Eli – “We're in the early days of building a personal brand. So if you wait five years, the concept of a personal brand will be quite saturated. It will be harder to make a name for yourself.”Kevin – “If you want to have a career, you may have to put yourself out there. I'm not saying everybody has to post on LinkedIn every day, but that the power has shifted from companies to people. This will create a new ecosystem where people will be able to improve their career chances by putting themselves out there.”Shownotes* Perennial Seller - The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts by Ryan Holiday: the book shares how one can build and market their work that gets remembered for decades.* Pomp Podcast #358: Shaan Puri on Building Companies & Riding Trends* Entrepreneurial You - Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive by Dory Clark: the book teaches you how to take a leap into the entrepreneurial world by making money doing what you love.* Audience Building course by Demand Curve* Follow Amanda Natividad and observe her tweets to understand how she is building her audience and getting engagement.Join the conversationSubscribe to the newsletter for a free summary, key takeaways, and community content once a week.Do you have any personal branding tips that worked for you? Do share them with the community in the comments!Enjoyed this episode? – Subscribe to Contrarian Marketing on Spotify/Apple podcasts/Youtube to listen to past episodes and get notified of upcoming releases.Thank you!Eli and Kevin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrarianmarketingpodcast.com

Is LinkedIn truly becoming the next hot social network or will its creator-first pivot lead to the path of Facebook?✅Kevin says — Yes, LinkedIn has all the tools it needs to become the next hot social platform beyond professional communities.⛔Eli says — No,  Linkedin has become too much like Facebook and is moving away from its goal of being a professional social network. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrarianmarketingpodcast.com

Will new devices fundamentally change marketing?71% of Americans say they check their phones within the first 10 minutes of waking up — Reviews.orgWhile we’re busy being addicted to smartphones, the tech industry is pushing more devices like smartwatches, fitness bands, pods and glasses. Tech research firm IDC predicts that the AR/VR market will grow by 8x to $26b by 2025.The explosive growth of smart devices raises the question, “will devices fundamentally change marketing or not?”✅Eli says yes, devices remove friction and make reaching consumers easier.⛔Kevin says no, the fundamentals of marketing remain the same, only the format changes.In this episode, we talk about:* the impact of new devices on marketing* whether new devices open new marketing channels* the role of privacy for devices This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrarianmarketingpodcast.com

Many marketers are crafting their 2023 marketing plans right now and like every year, they have initiatives on things they will build, optimize and expand. But there's a surprise brewing: most of these marketers are going to fail if their goals are tied to top-line acquisition.We are either in the midst of or entering an economic downturn which means demand is going to be on the decline. Marketers who don't get ahead of communicating this now are going to find themselves falling short of their goals to no fault of their own.Without communication on how demand factors into marketing performance, marketers are going to be asked to tactically recover the losses in traffic. That is an impossible task and will only lead to further disappointment. No amount of tweaks on content, titles and links are going to make people search if they aren't searching.In this episode, Eli and Kevin Indig discuss how marketers can still win in 2023 when the macro realities are likely going to overpower micro initiatives. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.contrarianmarketingpodcast.com