Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

Meta Muse is now recommending products, and in one example it picked Beehiiv over Substack for a newsletter. Eric Siu and Neil Patel break down how to get recommended by AI: keep doing AEO and SEO, and get into new AI marketplaces and plugins early.Plus how Grok helped Neil's co-founder beat a $7,600 Google quote with one under $5,000.

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Eric and Neil start with Rob Hoffman's example of Meta Muse recommending a client's product as the best option on the market, and Muse choosing Beehiiv over Substack for a newsletter. Eric says to get listed you still have to do more AEO and more SEO, and calls Muse, Grok and OpenAI the next surface for it. Neil shares how his co-founder got a $7,600 water softener quote from Google, then had Grok find more companies and chose a quote under $5,000. He says most businesses never see that revenue because they do not track it. They debate whether AI platforms will sell paid leads, and Eric says to get into new marketplaces and plugins the moment they open. They then turn to Meta's AI spending, the data center race, Karpathy's numbers on AI users, and AI capital spending as a share of GDP.

Key takeaways◾To get recommended by AI, you still have to do more AEO and SEO◾Get into new AI marketplaces and plugins as soon as they open◾AI-driven leads are hard to track, so many businesses miss the revenue

Chapters00:00 Meta Muse picks Beehiiv over Substack01:01 Muse, Grok and OpenAI: the next surface for AEO01:09 The revenue lost by not optimizing for AI01:46 A $7,600 Google quote vs a Grok quote under $5K03:16 The cost of not optimizing for new channels04:36 Will AI tools offer businesses more leads?06:07 Paid marketplaces inside AI platforms06:56 Will AI platforms keep results pure?08:13 Get into new marketplaces and plugins early08:58 Meta's AI spending and the stock drop10:05 Zuckerberg's all-in data center bet10:54 Will AI demand outrun data centers?11:54 AI in toilets, fridges and robots13:00 Marketing to the robot that shops for you13:17 Karpathy's numbers and why demand keeps growing14:51 AI build-out as a share of GDP15:36 Jevons paradox and autonomous ABM

𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer.

🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel

📩 Free Resources Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/ Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/

✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!

An internet marketer cut his team from a couple hundred people to under 100 and credits AI and OpenClaw. Eric Siu and Neil Patel explain why AI cannot handle marketing work alone, and why clients pay for results, not effort.

They cover a $17K a month content agency, Gary Vee on the monetization of random content, and how Meta Muse recommended a client's product, which is why getting recommended by AI is the new AEO. They also get into paid marketplaces inside AI platforms, Zuckerberg's all-in data center bet, marketing to robots and agents, Forrester's prediction that agents will influence 75% of B2B buying, and Marc Andreessen on the AI-native gap.

They close on hiring people who are AI native and why the biggest AI ROI is getting recommended.

Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/Want to recruit great marketers? Find them here: https://marketingschool.io/hire

Key takeaways◾AI cannot handle marketing work alone, human judgment still matters◾Getting recommended by AI is the new AEO and the biggest ROI◾Hire for AI fluency, and spend on AI where it makes money

Chapters00:00 Internet marketer says AI replaced his staff01:46 OpenClaw is unreliable03:45 Neil's call about acquiring an agency06:22 Why the agency is losing clients08:47 AI cannot handle marketing work alone11:21 AI feedback creates a bias toward views13:57 Clients pay for results, not effort16:23 Two types of consultants18:38 A $17K a month helper asks for more21:56 What the helper's team takes home24:32 Under $100K a year for years25:59 Equity upside at fast-growing companies28:16 An agency that kept growing for decades31:25 No right or wrong way to build a business32:24 Gary Vee: the monetization of random content35:11 How algorithms find interested viewers38:25 Being filmed at Web Summit40:58 A bakery's authentic viral post41:53 Meta Muse recommends a client's product43:38 A water softener search story45:30 The cost of not optimizing for new channels47:59 Paid marketplaces inside AI platforms50:07 Get into new marketplaces and plugins early51:24 Zuckerberg's all-in data center bet54:41 Marketing to robots and agents56:46 AI build-out as a share of GDP58:33 Forrester: agents will influence 75% of B2B buying1:00:06 Do you still need an assistant?1:02:00 What makes a good assistant1:05:48 Marc Andreessen on the AI-native gap1:09:03 Hiring people who are AI native1:10:57 Eric wants both skills in one hire1:13:36 Did Eric ever want to replace all humans?1:16:52 The biggest AI ROI is getting recommended1:18:13 What a low AI spend can still mean

𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer.

🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel

📩 Free Resources Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/ Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/

✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!

Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/Want to recruit great marketers? Find them here: https://marketingschool.io/hire

Accenture found some staff spending $1,000 a month on AI, so it set a $29 monthly limit per employee, and Eric and Neil both think the cap is smart. They point out that reported AI revenue can be gross rather than net, then cite Ramp's AI spend index, where the median is $11. They agree a policy needs exceptions for people who prove value, while Neil shares how he downgraded his ChatGPT plan. The back half covers two-slice teams, Bending Spoons' model of cutting most of a company, and Evernote going from 433 staff at its peak to about 30 today. They close on Berkshire Hathaway's $330M stake in Bending Spoons and the 41% jump in the stock. Spend with a reason.

Key takeaways◾Accenture's $29 cap is smart, but proven high spenders should get exceptions◾Most people pay for top models to do basic work, so match the model to the task◾Evernote went from 433 staff at its peak to about 30 under Bending Spoons

Chapters00:00 Accenture caps AI spend at $29 a month00:23 Did staff really spend $1,000 a month?01:53 Reported AI revenue is often gross, not net03:31 Ramp's AI spend index: median is $1104:14 Set a policy, then talk to top spenders04:56 Exceptions for people proving value05:45 Neil downgrades his ChatGPT plan06:39 A 45-minute AI session that is worth it08:26 Two-slice teams, not two-pizza teams09:30 Pirate and architect: coordination drag10:25 Small teams ship faster12:00 Meta's 200 people out of 70,00012:39 Bending Spoons: a private equity model14:04 A layoff post that also launches features15:24 Evernote: 433 staff at peak, about 30 now16:18 Why public markets accept deep cuts17:07 Berkshire's $330M stake, stock up 41%

𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer.

🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel

📩 Free Resources Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/ Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/

✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!

Eric and Neil say the rule of 7 has grown toward the rule of 28, and that buyers touch a brand 8 times for a sub-$100 B2C buy and 23 times at $10K-plus. A gelato shop stranger who knew them from different places makes the case that you never know where people will find you. They cover why YouTube drives leads that nobody can attribute, then Meta's $14.9B deal for 49% of Scale AI and the 200-person AI team that Alexander Wang, the former Scale AI CEO, leads. Zuckerberg's line that talent density beats big teams for AI is tested against Meta's 70,000 staff. Neil explains his private equity mindset and his debt at SOFR plus 2%, and they close on the failures that come with big bets. Attention, talent and the cost of big bets.

Key takeaways

◾Buyers touch a brand 8 times for a cheap B2C buy and 23 times at $10K-plus

◾Meta built a 200-person AI team out of 70,000 staff, which Zuckerberg calls talent density

◾Meta paid $14.9B for 49% of Scale AI, and Eric says the bet looks like it is paying off

Chapters

00:00 Rule of 7 is now the rule of 28

00:44 Touches before buying: 8 cheap, 23 at $10K+

01:34 A gelato shop stranger, and where people find you

03:53 YouTube drives leads you cannot attribute

04:27 Platforms stop sharing data

06:23 Meta's 200-person AI team, talent over size

07:36 Neil's private equity mindset

09:18 Zuckerberg asks peers what they would do

10:44 Neil's debt: SOFR plus 2%

13:14 Pain now for a bigger company later

14:17 Failures: rockets, timelines and the metaverse

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Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

Eric and Neil start with X Money, which pays 3% cash back and 6% interest, and argue that the offer is under marketed and would get more people investing. They test an AI-written blog post on a client, who took it for human writing, then cover a time-on-page chart that compares human and AI content. They debate whether writing is thinking and whether a real name still beats AI copy. Dan Shipper's claim that newsletters are dying, from a writer with over 120,000 subscribers, leads to a debate on email, AI summaries in the inbox and whether YouTube is S-tier. They close on every channel getting more competitive over time. Human voice still earns the trust.

Key takeaways

◾X Money pays 3% cash back and 6% interest, but the 3% has fine print

◾A human byline near the title held readers longer in their time-on-page test

◾Eric and Neil dispute Dan Shipper's claim that newsletters are dead

Chapters

00:00 X Money: 6% interest

04:07 The AI blog post test

10:01 Potato, SpaceX and GrokBot

10:33 Writing is thinking

14:26 Which channels are S-tier

15:47 Are newsletters dead?

17:06 AI summaries and the inbox

18:46 Every channel gets more competitive

Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/