Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies cover image

Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies

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Jan 12, 2025 • 34min

Unlock Your Podcasting Potential as an Amazing Host or Guest with Traci DeForge | Ep #757

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Are you leveraging the power of podcasting to grow your agency? Whether through guest appearances on industry shows or hosting your own podcast, this medium offers unique opportunities to showcase expertise and connect with potential clients. However, while appearing on established podcasts can help spread your message, creating your own show ultimately provides greater control over brand messaging and client conversion. For marketing agencies, podcasting has become an essential marketing tool that can drive significant conversions. Today's featured guest, a podcast expert, specializes in helping clients navigate the complex balance between audience value and revenue generation. She tackles crucial questions many business owners face in their podcasting journey: optimal timing for monetization, strategies for brand partnerships, and most importantly, maintaining focus on audience benefit. Her insights reveal how to build a podcast that not only generates revenue but also provides lasting value to listeners. Traci DeForge is the founder and CEO of Produce Your Podcast, an award-winning podcast and marketing agency that is well-known for helping clients leverage their podcasts for revenue growth. She discusses the significant role podcasts play in driving revenue for business owners and consultants and shares her insights on best practices for pitching to get on podcasts, tips for being an effective podcast guest, and why the best call to action is leading people back to your own podcast. In this episode, we’ll discuss: The easiest way to be a great podcast guest. The importance of storytelling to capture your podcast audience. AI-generated podcast content and it’s limitations. How to re-energize a stale podcast. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Smart Pricing Table: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by Smart Pricing Table, an award-winning proposal software built just for marketing agencies and designed to handle your unique challenges and cut down the time you spend on proposal as much as 90%. Go to smartpricingtable.com/smartagency to see if this is the missing piece your agency needs. Schedule a demo and get 50% OFF for the first two months. Don't Be That Guest: Listen First, Pitch Later As a professional who helps clients maximize their podcast opportunities, Traci emphasizes that while podcasts can be powerful platforms for business owners to share expertise and promote their ventures, success requires a strategic approach. The most critical step before pitching yourself as a guest, she insists, is to actually listen to the show you're targeting. Nothing frustrates podcast hosts more than receiving pitches from people who clearly haven't invested time in understanding their show or audience. A potential guest can immediately stand out simply by demonstrating familiarity with the podcast's format, tone, listener base in their outreach, and more importantly, what value they can bring to that audience. Each show has its unique style and requirements, making a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective. The rise of AI-generated mass outreach has only heightened the importance of personalization. Many people send automated messages with text easily identified as something drafted by AI to be sent to maybe hundreds of people. A personalized approach reflects genuine interest and sets you apart from the countless generic pitches that inundate podcast hosts daily while also establishing rapport. This initial investment of time and effort significantly increases your chances of securing a guest spot and creating valuable content for the show's audience. Tips to Prepare to Be a Great Podcast Guest Once you get in and are set to be a podcast guest, there are ways you can ensure you’ll be a great guest who provides great value to the show while making sure you also drive business. First, you want to be prepared for how a host usually runs their show. Ideally, Traci recommends you listen to a few episodes so you’ll be familiar with the most important questions they ask and be prepared to answer in a thoughtful way. At the same time, you want to make sure you can come across to the audience as someone who is sharing relevant information about yourself and your business without it becoming an entire infomercial about your business. In this regard, Traci also mentions the importance of having a good call to action. Don’t list fifteen different ways people can get in touch with you, but rather one specific request that enables you to continue the conversation with your audience after they’ve consumed the podcast. Ideally, send people to listen to your own podcast, since there’s no better way to grow a show than appearing as a guest on other shows and being exposed to an audience who’s already consuming podcast content similar to what you share. Using Storytelling to Captivate Your Podcast Audience As a podcast guest, another good way to get the audience interested in what you do is to sprinkle some relevant stories throughout the conversation in a way that’s not staged or phony. People like to hear stories, and if they’re success stories this steps up a way for you to connect with someone’s pain points or aspirations. This is something that will also greatly help you as a podcast host. At its core, podcasting is about storytelling. Listeners are drawn to narratives that evoke emotions, inspire, and offer relatable experiences. The ability to weave personal stories into discussions creates a sense of intimacy and relatability. Even if you don’t consider yourself a natural storyteller, the key is to identify a few authentic stories that you feel comfortable sharing. This approach fosters a genuine connection with listeners who may be grappling with similar pain points or aspirations. When a host shares a success story, it not only provides hope but also establishes credibility, allowing listeners to envision themselves achieving similar outcomes. Why AI-Generated Content Can't Replace Authentic Podcasting Nowadays with AI it’s possible for someone to just save a couple of interesting articles about a certain topic, have an AI read it while replicating their voice and tone, and then post it as a podcast episodes after adding their intro and outro music. That’s how far the technology has come. However, Traci warns that although these tactics to get episodes out quickly with the least amount of effort can get you into the top of the funnel it’ll never replace the trust you build by having an authentic conversation with a guest. Listeners crave authenticity, and the fear remains that reliance on AI-generated content could lead to a robotic and impersonal experience. The podcasting community thrives on the unique perspectives and experiences that individuals bring, and it is this authenticity that sets successful podcasts apart. The ability to engage in sincere conversations about your expertise and passion creates an environment where listeners can truly understand what it would be like to work with you. Unlike written blog posts or advertisements, a podcast allows for a more nuanced and dynamic exchange of ideas. The natural energy of a host's voice, along with their unique inflections and pauses, conveys emotions that text alone cannot replicate. This authenticity becomes a powerful vehicle for connection, enabling listeners to feel as if they are part of a shared journey. How to Reenergize Your Podcast As more creators enter the space, the challenge of standing out and reaching new audiences has intensified. The podcasting world is no longer just about producing quality content; it’s equally about ensuring that content is accessible and easily found by potential listeners. This is why if you feel your show is in need of a boost Traci recommends digging into the discoverability, which refers to how easily listeners can find your podcast. As a creator, you must consider how your content appears in search results and how it can be promoted across various platforms. The key elements which affects your podcast’s appearance to new listeners goes from simple elements like its name and accompanying description, to how you’re utilizing podcast platforms. One of the first steps in enhancing discoverability is conducting a thorough podcast audit. A well-rounded audit should spend a significant amount of time analyzing the state of the podcast, including its format, production value, and how potential listeners are searching for content similar to what the podcast offers. This perspective shift can illuminate gaps in the podcast’s visibility and provide a roadmap for improvement. Once you’ve optimized your content, you could turn to surveying your audience to ensure the content you’re putting out is the content they’re interested in listening to. You can also look at the way you’re putting out that content, paying attention to aspects like whether you should prioritize short-form content over long-form content and what are you doing on each side to convert listeners to the other. Can Small Creators Monetize Their Show? The short answer is, yes. The question of when to monetize a podcast often creates anxiety among creators, particularly those with smaller audiences. However, Traci challenges the common assumption that successful monetization requires massive download numbers. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of strategic planning from the outset – understanding your content direction and identifying potential brand partnerships that align with your message. The power of podcasting as a marketing tool is backed by compelling data: 73% of podcast listeners take action based on their favorite hosts' recommendations. This remarkable statistic highlights both the significant influence podcasters wield and their responsibility to their audience. Understanding this impact should guide creators to prioritize meaningful, high-quality content while strategically integrating promotional elements in ways that feel natural and valuable to listeners. Traci's experience has shown that successful monetization is possible even for podcasts with seemingly limiting factors, such as niche subjects or geographic restrictions. She's witnessed effective pre-launch monetization strategies and profitable small podcasts, proving that audience size isn't the only path to success. The key lies in developing a comprehensive strategy that addresses both audience growth and monetization opportunities. In her view, the only real limitations are those imposed by outdated thinking about what makes a podcast commercially viable. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.
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Jan 8, 2025 • 26min

Navigating the Unexpected Sale of Your Agency by Thoughtful Negotiating with Kelsey Dixon | Ep #756

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Would your agency be ready for an unexpected acquisition opportunity? Could you make it work if the time and offer were right? One boutique agency owner faced this question when an unexpected offer transformed her lifestyle business into an acquisition prospect. Though she and her partner had no immediate plans to sell, they recognized the potential and methodically prepared for a successful transition. Learn about their experiences finding their niche in the industry, preparing for acquisition, their ‘no regrets’ attitude regarding the sale, and the reason why they approached negotiations with a thoughtful mindset that would benefit everyone involved. Kelsey Dixon is the co-founder of Davies and Dixon, an organic social media agency based in Seattle. She shares her journey into entrepreneurship, highlighting the transition from the events and hospitality industry to digital marketing, the way her agency’s niche organically changed as she and her partner found the right audience, and more recently, her agency’s acquisition process, including why she chose to lead negotiations with kindness and their successful earn-out story. In this episode, we’ll discuss: Going from full service to finding focus. An unexpected opportunity to sell. Negotiating with kindness and thoughtfulness to ensure future success. How to negotiate an earn-out. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Accidental Agency: When Adaptability Meets Opportunity Kelsey never saw herself as an entrepreneur and had no plans of starting her own business. a chance meeting during an internship in New York would change her career trajectory. There, she met Mackenzie, a fellow intern who years later, would convince her to move to Seattle and start a business with her. As an agency owner, Kelsey found there were new surprises around the corner every quarter and every year. At age 24, she started out with no idea what she was doing; everything seemed new and unexpected. However, she believes this worked to her benefit since she approached the experience with naiveté and willingness to learn. With Kelsey's background in hospitality and travel, and Mackenzie’s expertise in digital marketing, the two women initially planned to build an agency serving the hospitality sector. However, upon arriving in Seattle, they faced the significant challenge without a network in their new city. Their proactive networking efforts unexpectedly led them deeper into the local tech industry, naturally evolving their agency's focus and creating a new niche that differed from their original vision. Finding Focus: From Doing It All to Intentional Hiring In their early days, Kelsey and Mackenzie approached client acquisition with an eager, full-service mindset, taking on everything from PR to organic social media and branding. While they managed these diverse projects through talented contractors, Kelsey now realizes their determination to win clients' trust sometimes led them into areas beyond their expertise. As their agency evolved, they naturally discovered their true strengths through client feedback and successful outcomes. The organic process of finding their niche allowed them to recognize and pursue opportunities where their work could truly stand out. For eight years, both partners remained deeply involved in every aspect of the business, from client work to day-to-day operations. The preparation for acquisition marked a significant turning point, prompting them to narrow their roles as founders and delegate responsibilities. Though both partners initially struggled with the emotional challenge of stepping back from daily operations, their strategic approach to hiring made the transition successful. They built a team of talented individuals who often exceeded their own expertise in specific areas. This decision proved transformative – by placing trust in their capable team and focusing on their own areas of expertise, they not only improved the quality of work but also created a more efficient organization. Embracing the Opportunity to Sell Their Agency Selling the agency was not initially part of Kelsey’s overall vision, at least not at the eight-year mark. However, a buyer agency reached out with an interest in acquiring Davies and Dixon, which prompted a thorough evaluation of their current circumstances and future aspirations. With two co-founders, Kelsey admits it’s difficult to get on the same page in any decision. They were at a crossroads, having invested nearly eight years into building their agency so they laid out the pathways and concluded that, although they were looking for an exit along the ten-year mark, they could push to be ready before that. It was 2021, they were coming out of a tumultuous year with the pandemic and had lost key team members to offers they couldn’t match as a small boutique business. Faced with burnout and the strain of navigating an unpredictable economy, they weighed the potential benefits of pursuing the acquisition against the option of pushing through to a planned exit around the ten-year mark. As they explored the acquisition, they concluded the move would align with their overarching goal of supporting their lifestyle while also presenting solutions to the challenges they faced. The integration promised enhanced opportunities for their team, addressed immediate concerns, and positioned the agency for long-term success within a larger framework. So they decided to embrace the opportunity. Maintaining a “No Regrets” Mindset About an Agency Sale The decision to sell their agency came at a pivotal moment. Unlike many agency owners who accept acquisition offers out of exhaustion or overwhelming pressure, Kelsey and her partner approached the opportunity strategically. While the loss of key team members influenced their timing, the decision wasn't made in haste. It was grounded in careful data analysis and thoughtful consideration of future opportunities. Looking back, Kelsey believes there wasn't truly a wrong choice to make, as both paths – selling or continuing independently – offered potential for success. She maintains a strong belief in trusting her gut, embracing a no-regrets mindset that has consistently served her well throughout her career. The acquisition proved to validate their decision-making process: the integration proceeded smoothly, their team found new growth opportunities, and their clients received enhanced services. Lead Negotiations with Kindness to Create the Foundation for Success Kelsey’s acquisition deal had an ‘acqui-hire’ portion, which means Kelsey and her partner would continue to serve in leadership for two years following the purchase to be a key element in the integration process and in helping scale the agency. According to Kelsey, this changed the negotiation process a bit since she had to consider that she’d be working with the acquirer for some time once a deal was reached. For her, this unique scenario required a thoughtful approach to negotiation where she led with kindness and thoughtfulness, keeping in mind the future success of the agency—and the well-being of its employees—depended on the relationship established during the negotiation process. However, this doesn’t mean she said yes to the first offer, they just negotiated with the greater good in mind. They negotiated not only for their own interests but also for the cultural values and benefits that defined their agency. By advocating for policies that prioritized employee welfare—such as PTO policies, work-from-anywhere options, and signing bonuses—they ensured that their team members would continue to thrive in the new environment. By treating the negotiation process with respect and integrity, recognizing that their legacy would be tied to the success of the agency they were joining, Kelsey and her partner were able to create a foundation for success that would extend far beyond the immediate financial implications of the deal. Walking a Fine Line to Negotiate Earn-Out Terms Carefully Kelsey’s acquisition deal did include an earn-out, which thankfully they were able to meet after a successful first-year integration. In their case, they decided to maintain open communication with both their team and clients during the earn-out process, which contributed to an impressive retention rate post-acquisition. By fostering trust and transparency, they were able to ease the transition and ensure that clients felt secure in their ongoing relationships with the agency. However, while earn-outs can provide a financial incentive for sellers to ensure the success of the acquired business post-sale, poorly structured earn-out terms can lead to frustration, financial loss, and strained relationships between the parties involved. To avoid this scenario, secure control over client relationships and business operations until the earn-out conditions are met. This involves negotiating terms that keep the acquisition confidential until the seller has fully transitioned and received the agreed-upon compensation. By maintaining control, sellers can ensure that their clients remain engaged and satisfied, which is crucial for achieving the performance metrics tied to the earn-out. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.
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Jan 5, 2025 • 19min

How to Overcome Proposal Anxiety and Win More Clients with Joe Ardeeser | Ep #755

In this engaging discussion, Joe Ardeeser, a former agency owner turned entrepreneur, reveals his journey from running a web design shop to creating Smart Pricing Table, a proposal software designed for marketing agencies. He tackles the overwhelming anxiety that often accompanies proposal writing. Listeners will learn the two essential keys to crafting impactful proposals swiftly, the importance of clear communication with clients, and how strategic delegation can drive agency growth. Joe's insights are invaluable for anyone looking to enhance their proposal process!
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Jan 1, 2025 • 19min

From Chaos to Clarity: Reaching Your Agency Goals for the New Year with Stacey Green | Ep #754

Stacey Green, the Director of Happiness at Jason Swenk and Agency Mastery, shares insights from her decade-long journey supporting agency growth. She discusses the importance of teamwork and community in navigating agency challenges. Stacey highlights the need to evolve as a leader, adapt team dynamics, and recognize ideal clients. The conversation also emphasizes reigniting passion in sales through collaboration and the value of shared values over mere profit. Expect playful banter and a focus on celebrating agency successes!
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Dec 29, 2024 • 26min

Mastering Financial Literacy to Set Up a Successful Exit with Brian Rodriguez | Ep #753

Brian Rodriguez, founder of GatorWorks, shares his incredible journey from a high school website builder to a successful agency owner. He highlights the transformative power of financial literacy in shaping an effective exit strategy. Rodriguez reveals how guidance from an outsourced CFO changed his understanding of business finances, culminating in a favorable exit deal. He discusses the importance of knowing your agency's value, setting clear goals, and navigating the emotional complexities of selling a business.
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Dec 25, 2024 • 34min

A Year of Smart Agency Masterclass Wisdom: Best of 2024 | Ep #752

Natalie Hogg, who has successfully scaled a multimillion-dollar agency, discusses the crucial role of trust and delegation in preventing burnout. Gino Wickman shares three transformative discoveries that empower entrepreneurs to uncover their true selves while finding balance and drive. They dive into overcoming self-doubt and creating supportive communities as foundations for success. Personal stories highlight the impact of shifting from micromanagement to accountability, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries and fostering a culture of empowerment.
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Dec 22, 2024 • 21min

Afraid to Make Cold Calls? How an SEO Agency Built Success On Them with Marc Brookland | Ep #751

Marc Brookland, owner of SEO Locale, shares his journey from a small project to a thriving SEO agency. He reveals how cold calling helped him land 17 clients in just the first month. Brookland emphasizes hiring for culture fit over resumes, believing it's key to a strong team. He also discusses the shifting dynamics of SEO, moving from keyword stuffing to sophisticated strategies for traffic improvement. Open communication with clients emerges as a vital component for building trust and lasting relationships.
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Dec 18, 2024 • 18min

From Startup to Sale: Liberating Yourself from Your Agency with Robert Royer | Ep #750

Robert Royer, Founder and President of Building Brands Marketing, shares his fascinating journey from launching an agency to its successful sale. He discusses the often-overlooked complexities of agency leadership, including the juggling of legal, financial, and HR tasks. Royer emphasizes the importance of establishing effective processes to enable growth without constant involvement. He also addresses the common challenges faced by agencies in 'no man's land' and highlights the critical role of hiring talent and transitioning from startup to established business.
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Dec 15, 2024 • 21min

Stop Being the Bottleneck! How to Delegate in Order to Scale Your Agency with Steve Phipps | Ep #749

Steve Phipps, founder of Wayfine Marketing, shares his journey from VP to agency owner, focusing on strategies for service-based B2B growth. He emphasizes the critical role of effective delegation to eliminate bottlenecks and empower teams. The conversation dives into the importance of aligning team strengths, managing projects efficiently, and understanding the visionary vs. integrator roles. Phipps offers actionable insights for agency owners on how to transition responsibilities and foster a culture of self-sufficiency, paving the way for sustainable growth.
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Dec 11, 2024 • 30min

Transforming Agency Sales and Marketing Using AI with Andrew Eklund | Ep #748

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Is your team leveraging AI beyond basic content creation? Did you know your sales process can be more efficient with the help of AI? While many agencies focus on AI's obvious applications, today's guest reveals a more innovative approach: using artificial intelligence to mine the wealth of unstructured data generated during sales interactions. By capturing and analyzing these often-overlooked conversations, his agency has discovered valuable insights that are transforming their sales process. In our fascinating discussion, we'll explore how AI is revolutionizing not just data analysis, but the entire advertising landscape. This interview is an in-depth conversation about the convergence of technology, community building, and cutting-edge marketing strategies. Andrew Eklund is the founder and CEO of Ciceron, a digital agency that excels at amplifying brands by creating bespoke audiences and activating them in the places they are. He shares insights from his journey in the digital landscape, starting from the dawn of the public internet and his early experiences with AOL. He discusses the evolution of his agency from his first clients to now specializing in applying advanced AI to audience segmentation and modeling, and shares what he predicts will and won’t change about our current use of AI in advertising and sales. In this episode, we’ll discuss: Turning sales conversations into strategic assets with AI. Why unlocking the capabilities of AI requires engagement. Harnessing AI for sales success. How AI could change advertising for good. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Educating Clients to Embrace New Technology Andrew’s pioneering spirit led him to start his agency almost thirty years ago at the dawn of the public internet, back when a digital agency basically set up people’s first email address and websites. Starting out when people still didn’t know very much about the internet, Andrew often had to overcome skepticism about the viability of online business. His determination to prove that people would eventually embrace e-commerce, despite widespread hesitance to share credit card information online, led him to establish IndieSonic, one of the first independent music online portals. This venture not only validated his predictions but also provided a tangible example to clients of the digital marketplace's potential. Even with this willingness to engage clients in e-commerce during a time of skepticism, it took many years for most to start embracing it. During the dotcom crash, many predicted the internet's demise and a return to traditional business models. Yet ironically, this period coincided with the emergence of today's tech giants, who would ultimately transform the digital landscape forever. Turning Daily Sales Conversations into Strategic Assets Back in 2022, when ChatGPT 3.5 came out, Andrew gathered his team and explained that whatever the future with AI was, they had to be all in on it. To him this was without a doubt the direction things were headed as soon as the technology became available. He wanted his team to be prepared for a future where platforms like Google and Meta would have features to basically automate their jobs. Instead of rejecting that future, they should embrace it before clients did. Initially, his team used ChatGPT in the obvious ways, like creating the ad copy. However, it wasn’t the most exciting way to use this technology. Andrew wanted to put it to work in areas where humans struggled so he focused on using it on the often-overlooked and unstructured data generated during human interactions, particularly in sales environments. When salespeople engage with clients, they gather valuable insights about customer perceptions, needs, and preferences—information that is rarely documented in formal data sets. This intellectual capital, if left unharvested, evaporates daily, representing a missed opportunity for organizations to refine their strategies and improve their offerings. Now Andrew’s team has implemented a system known as the "intelligence hub," which serves as a central repository for various data sources, including recordings of sales calls. By utilizing AI to analyze these recordings, he can extract meaningful insights that inform sales training, marketing strategies, and product development and captures intellectual capital to transform it into actionable intelligence that drives business success. Why Experimentation is the Key to Unlocking the True Capabilities of AI Like many of these AI innovations ChatGPT seems to have gone down in quality over the past year. AI models are not static entities; they require active engagement and adaptation to deliver meaningful results and while it can process vast amounts of data, the quality of its output is heavily dependent on the input it receives and the manner in which queries are structured. Andrew's approach to these language models is to address them like he would any employee and letting them know they’ve failed at effectively answering a prompt, so it’ll record that failure and provide better results next time. Moreover, his perspective on the integration of AI models is that there’s no need to stick to just one when they each have varying capabilities. Models like Llama and Gemini offer superior integration with platforms like Google Drive, but may also lack essential features. Hence, businesses must remain agile, willing to explore different models and their functionalities to find the best fit for their specific needs. Don’t shy away from experimenting with different setups and integrations, especially if you run a small or medium-sized business and don’t have a deep IT infrastructure. Maintain an open mind towards the evolving capabilities of AI. Many users may dismiss a model based on a single poor experience, failing to recognize that AI technology is continually advancing. The technology will get better with time and, meanwhile, remember that longer, more nuanced prompts yield better results and experimentation is the key to unlocking the full potential of AI tools. Harnessing AI for Sales Success One area where not enough agency owners are using AI to improve their agency’s performance is sales, where they can use AI insights to significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the sales processes. One of the primary advantages of utilizing AI in sales is its ability to analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and trends that human analysts might overlook. Sales managers can employ AI to examine recorded sales calls alongside performance metrics from CRM systems like Salesforce. This way, your team can analyze which calls led to conversions and which did not and sales leaders can gain insights into effective communication strategies and customer preferences. Moreover, AI can assist in filtering and analyzing leads more effectively so sales teams can prioritize their outreach to those with the highest likelihood of conversion, thereby improving overall efficiency. The Future of AI and Data Privacy Since the 1990s, when Andrew began helping businesses establish an online presence, he has encountered a common concern among clients - the fear of exposing sensitive information on the internet, where competitors could access and leverage it. However, as clients learned the importance of SEO and realized their lack of content was hindering website traffic, they became more willing to embrace digital marketing strategies. Looking ahead, Andrew foresees a future where AI models could replace traditional search engines. Instead of searching, consumers will rely on AI assistants that not only answer queries but also provide relevant context. As AI-driven insights become more prevalent, often informed by user-generated content rather than brand narratives, companies will have greater incentives to share their data with these models. Yet, Andrew cautions that not all information should be openly shared with AI. He advocates for the use of private AI platforms, where companies can download and apply open-source models like Llama to their internal networks. While this is not yet widespread, Andrew believes it represents the future of AI-driven business intelligence. Will People See Less Advertisement? In Andrew’s opinion, people will continue to be bombarded by advertising for the time being. While advertising agencies must reach their audience, they should do so without being intrusive. He points to Instagram as a successful example, where users actually embrace advertising because of its relevance to their interests. The platform's ability to understand user preferences and recommend desired products has transformed it into a shopping destination, delivering real value to consumers. Looking ahead, Andrew predicts that over the next five years, AI will revolutionize the economics of advertising. This technology will enable more precise targeting at current cost levels, shifting the focus from broad, low-quality impressions to highly targeted advertising aimed at the individuals who matter. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

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