For The Daring Growth Seekers - Marketing In The AI Era

We're marking a special milestone over the next month - 5 years of building our business, Done By Nine!

In this episode, we turn the tables and invite my wife and business partner, Jacqueline, into the studio to reflect on our journey of building a digital marketing agency from scratch.

From our humble beginnings during COVID lockdowns (with a newborn baby on the way!) to selling Jacqueline's salon business to running our agency remotely from Mexico for three months - we open up about the real challenges and triumphs of building a business as a married couple.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The pivotal moment when we realised our business was viable (hint: it involved a vulnerable LinkedIn post)
• How we managed family life while recording content with toys shoved in corners during lockdown
• The significance of our first office space and that all-important coffee machine
• The delicate balance of working together as spouses and business partners
• Our vision for the future

Whether you're running a business with your partner or simply curious about our origin story, this episode offers an honest look at what it takes to build something meaningful together, both in business and in life.

Join us for part one of this special reflection as we celebrate five years of Done By Nine!

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While most business owners are obsessed with using AI to create content, they're missing something far more significant: AI is completely transforming how customers discover businesses.

In this episode, we reveal how tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are already deciding whether to recommend your business to potential customers without you even knowing it.

You'll discover:

• How AI referral traffic is already driving conversions for businesses with strong digital footprints
• What determines whether AI tools "know" your business exists (hint: it's not luck)
• Three practical strategies to position your brand for AI-driven discovery
• Why this isn't just another marketing trend, but a fundamental shift in business discovery

If you're still just using ChatGPT to write your social posts while ignoring how AI is reshaping customer behavior, your competitors may already be steps ahead.

Listen now to ensure your business stays visible in this AI-driven future.

01:03 The Real Disruption: AI and Business Discovery
01:33 Understanding AI's Impact on Traffic and Conversions
04:13 How AI Tools Like ChatGPT Work
09:06 Why Some Businesses Get AI Attention
12:35 Strategies to Increase AI Visibility

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We're exploring how businesses are getting AI content creation completely wrong and the hidden cost it's having on marketing teams and creativity.

Recent research from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University reveals a disturbing trend: as marketing teams become more reliant on AI tools, their critical thinking and creativity are quietly declining. While AI promises increased efficiency, it might be creating a generation of lazy marketers.

In this episode, we'll uncover why increased AI efficiency could be damaging your marketing team's creativity, and dive into surprising research that shows how AI is fundamentally changing how marketers think. 

You'll learn how to spot the warning signs of over-reliance on AI in your team, discover practical frameworks to balance AI tools with human creativity, and walk away with action steps to build stronger, more capable marketing teams in 2025.

Whether you're a business owner trying to modernize your marketing or a marketing team leader navigating AI implementation, this episode provides the roadmap you need to leverage AI without losing your creative edge.

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Is the traditional 'marketing funnel' dead - and what's replaced it in 2025?

Taking my 6-year-old to the toy store revealed something fascinating about modern customer behavior: the path to purchase isn't linear anymore. Instead, it's a chaotic web of AI recommendations, social proof, and endless options.

Google calls this the "messy middle" - that space between first interest and final purchase. While this concept isn't new, it's taken on a whole new meaning in our AI-driven world.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• Why traditional marketing funnels are failing in 2025
• How AI is transforming the way customers discover and choose businesses
• The six psychological triggers driving purchase decisions
• Practical strategies for showing up at every stage of your customer's journey
• Why embracing chaos might be your best marketing strategy

Whether you're struggling to understand how AI is impacting your marketing or looking to better connect with today's constantly-distracted customers, this episode will help you navigate the new reality of customer discovery.

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Love it or hate it, it appears that we can't ignore the powerhouse that is TikTok, and today we're exploring a fascinating paradox in modern marketing: as AI tools become more sophisticated, TikTok's 2025 Trend Report that they just released reveals that authentic, human-driven content matters more than ever.

With 1.8 billion monthly active users and recent political challenges, TikTok's influence on global marketing is undeniable. But beyond the platform's success lies a crucial lesson for every business: the delicate balance between AI efficiency and human authenticity is the key to marketing success in 2025.

The real power isn't in choosing between AI tools and authentic content - it's in mastering how they work together to enhance your marketing strategy.

In this episode, we dive deep into TikTok's 2025 Trend Report, exploring:

• Why authentic content is becoming more crucial in an AI-driven world
• How to build genuine community engagement while leveraging AI tools
• Understanding the balance between AI efficiency and human creativity
• Practical ways to experiment with content while maintaining your brand's authentic voice
• Real insights into why some businesses are failing with AI-generated content

Whether you're a business owner trying to navigate the AI revolution or a marketing team leader looking to scale your content strategy, this episode will show you exactly how to balance AI capabilities with authentic human connection for maximum impact - even if you never plan to post on TikTok.

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On this episode we're exploring how businesses are getting AI content creation completely wrong - and how to fix it.

With Google's recent shifts towards AI-organised search results and the rising importance of video content, understanding how to use AI tools strategically has never been more crucial for your marketing success.

The key to winning with AI content tools isn't about replacing human creativity - it's about finding the sweet spot where AI enhances your authentic voice rather than overshadowing it.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of AI content tools, exploring:

• Why most AI-generated content is failing to engage audiences
• Understanding Google's evolving strategy and what it means for your content
• Learning how to implement a video-first content strategy for 2025
• Mastering the strategic use of AI tools to enhance (not replace) human creativity

Whether you're a marketing team leader trying to scale content production or a business owner looking to stay competitive in the AI era, this episode will show you exactly how to use AI tools the right way while maintaining your authentic voice and growing your brand presence.

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Welcome to 2025's first episode of Marketing Mindset, where we're tackling the biggest shift in marketing since the internet: AI's transformation of how customers find and choose businesses.

This is going to mark the year where AI stops becoming just like a buzzword that you see on LinkedIn every now and then.

It's not just going to be a fancy shiny object tool that you're going to be using every now and then. It is going to become a fundamental part of how customers find and how customers choose to work with your business.

In this episode, we dive deep into how AI is revolutionising the B2B landscape, exploring:

- Why traditional keyword-based search is being replaced by conversational AI
- How to prepare your marketing foundations for the AI revolution
- Essential steps to optimise your digital presence for AI understanding
- Why quality content matters more than ever in the age of AI
- Practical strategies for diversifying beyond Google

Whether you're a marketing professional or business owner, this episode provides crucial insights into preparing your business for the massive changes AI will bring to marketing in 2025.

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The social advertising landscape has transformed dramatically, and what worked even six months ago might be costing you money today. 

Today's episode is a must-listen if you're managing ad budgets between $500 to $50,000 per month and feeling overwhelmed by all the changes - many driven by AI and Advantage +

We're bringing you actionable insights on what's actually working right now in Facebook and Instagram advertising, and more importantly, how to position your business for success in 2025.

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Today I want to look into the changing landscape of digital marketing and the rise of "zero-click" content.

Inspired by the declining website traffic many businesses are experiencing, I want to explore why traditional metrics may no longer tell the whole story of marketing success. In this episode, we'll cover:

1. The concept of "zero-click" content and why it's becoming increasingly prevalent in the digital marketing world.
2. How search engines and social media platforms are evolving to keep users on their sites, reducing traffic to individual websites.
3. The shift in consumer behavior, including the growing reliance on AI and platform-specific content consumption.
4. Why multi-channel marketing strategies are crucial in this new era, and how they can lead to better ROI and engagement.
5. Common mistakes businesses make when implementing multi-channel strategies, and how to avoid them.
6. The importance of understanding your customer persona and meeting them where they are, not where you want them to be.
7. How to measure marketing success beyond website clicks, focusing on brand building, lead generation, and sales across multiple channels.

My intention with this episode is to challenge the notion that website traffic is the ultimate measure of marketing success. Instead, I aim to provide insights into how businesses can adapt their strategies to thrive in the zero-click era.

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This episode was Inspired by a viral meme suggesting that today's business owners are uniquely burdened with content creation, and I wanted to explore whether this perception was accurate.

Joined by Aarti Desai, we'll look at:

1. Historical examples of successful content marketing from well-established brands like Edmonds, John Deere, and Yates.
2. How these companies used cookbooks, magazines, and gardening guides to build trust, community, and brand loyalty long before the digital age.
3. The parallels between traditional content marketing strategies and modern digital approaches.
4. Why the core principles of content marketing remain unchanged, despite technological advancements.
5. The importance of strategic thinking in content creation, focusing on audience needs and business goals rather than simply producing content for its own sake.

My intention here is to challenge the notion that content creation is a new burden for business owners, demonstrating instead that it's a time-tested marketing strategy that has simply evolved with technology. 

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