Marketing Meetup Podcast

Ryan Law, Director of Content Marketing at Ahrefs, brings research-led SEO and content strategy chops. He breaks down how AI overviews are slashing clicks and which search intents still hold up. Short wins include content refreshing, title tests, and filling topic gaps. He also explains scoring topics by business potential and platform-native social tactics like LinkedIn PDFs and carousels.

You can have all the tools in the world… and still feel like your day disappears into pings, meetings, and status chasing. This session is about getting that time back with simple, repeatable habits that actually stick.Joe is joined by Dani Spires, VP of digital at Asana, to unpack the biggest productivity drains teams face right now and how to fix them with clearer processes, better meeting discipline, and AI that supports (rather than amplifies) chaos.Key topics include:- Why AI can create more “work about work” if you layer it onto broken processes- How to build focus time rituals that work across whole teams (not just individuals)- A practical way to stop reactive Slack pings by enforcing a clear intake and escalation process- Using AI for research, synthesis, first drafts, routing and summaries while keeping strategy and judgement human- Meeting rules that save hours: agendas, outcomes, documented decisions, and when to confidently decline- How to create clarity by tying work to impact and making ad hoc requests self-serveTimestamps:00:00 Building a personal AI assistant02:24 Where teams waste time most05:07 Protecting focus from constant pings10:01 Staying organised outside of work12:09 AI agents in real workflows18:04 Meetings that actually work35:03 Finding clarity through impactWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they’ve been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

If your paid budget is shrinking, every click suddenly feels personal. And when Google Ads keeps changing, it’s easy to lose confidence in what’s actually driving results.In this session, Joe is joined by Rebecca Pilkington, Head of PPC at Exposure Ninja, to break down what modern PPC looks like in 2026 - from fixing tracking and improving signal quality, to using guardrails, feeding lead quality back into Google, and deciding when to go manual vs letting automation learn.Key topics include:- How to audit the last 90 days to spot wasted spend in locations, devices, audiences, and non-converting queries- The tracking essentials in 2026 including GA4, consent mode v2, server-side tracking, and why it all impacts performance- How to feed offline lead quality and revenue back into Google Ads using offline conversions and enhanced conversions for leads- What AI Max actually is (and isn’t) plus when to avoid it if your landing pages aren’t strong- How to approach a slashed budget by stripping campaigns back to high-intent keywords, tighter themes, and better landing pages- What to look for when spam leads appear and how to troubleshoot match types, intent, and optimisation signalsTimestamps:00:00 Finding wasted spend fast03:30 Efficiency and signal quality in 202607:20 Tracking changes you can’t ignore10:50 Feeding CRM data back into Google15:55 What AI Max does in search20:45 Using PPC for full-funnel brand impact24:40 How to rebuild when budgets get cut32:00 Starting PPC without big datasets41:50 When to trust automation53:10 Handling spam leads and learning periods57:05 Choosing the right PPC partnerWatch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they’ve been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Email and SMS work best as a duo, but only when the message is relevant, timed well, and earned through proper consent.In this session, Ali Wood (Head of Partnerships, UK & Ireland at Mailchimp) breaks down how to use SMS alongside email to create a more joined-up customer journey, from getting phone-number opt-ins (without being creepy) to segmentation, automation triggers, and what’s coming next with RCS (Rich Communication Services) and WhatsApp.We cover when SMS is a great fit (nudges, reminders, transactional updates), when email does the heavy lifting (story, detail, trust), and how to avoid turning your audience into full-time “STOP” typers.Key topics include: • Email vs SMS: what each channel is best for • How to collect phone numbers (quizzes, surveys, value exchange) • Segmentation beyond demographics (behaviour, intent, price sensitivity) • Automations: welcome, cart abandonment, VIP flows, reminders • Compliance essentials: consent, unsubscribe, timing rules • RCS: “SMS on steroids” (verified sender, rich media, buttons) • Q&A: emotional response to SMS, best send times, pop-ups that don’t convert______Timestamps:00:00 SMS marketing overview03:20 Email vs SMS marketing10:43 SMS automation examples11:42 SMS opt-in & list growth14:33 SMS segmentation & testing25:16 SMS compliance, timing & RCS29:50 Q&A: SMS marketing in practice_______Watch / listen:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-meetup-podcast/id1365546447Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QvmFdxg5pMwsfPkKjhXl9_______Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Mailchimp - The all-in-one marketing platform that helps teams turn emails, automation, and now SMS into smarter, more connected customer journeys (and they’ve been longtime friends of TMM!).Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

AI is moving fast and many marketers are trying to keep up while still doing… everything else.In this session, Kirsty Fraser and Rich Crossley from Movable Ink break down what “AI for marketers” means (beyond the hype), and how to use it to do more with less - without losing the human bit that makes marketing work in the first place.You’ll learn the difference between machine learning, agentic AI, and autonomous marketing, why strategy matters more than tactics, and how AI can help you shift from fixed campaign calendars to responsive, individual journeys. We also dig into what “true personalisation” really looks like (and how to avoid crossing the line into “helpful vs creepy”).If you’re an AI explorer trying to become a builder - or you’re leading a team and want a sane approach to AI literacy, governance, and guardrails - this one’s for you.CHAPTERS0:00 Intro + speakers (Kirsty Fraser + Rich Crossley)2:40 What is School of AI (and how to join)4:40 Where are you on your AI journey? (skeptic → pro)7:30 Why AI literacy isn’t optional now10:30 UK vs US: AI + customer journey mapping14:20 The AI foundation: machine learning → agentic → autonomous19:00 From chatbot era to “AI teammate”23:10 Strategy over tactics: breaking the old playbook27:30 Case study: Currys + Black Friday personalisation32:20 AI is the engine — you’re the steering wheel36:10 Segmentation trap vs true personalisation41:30 AI + jobs: why marketers aren’t being replaced46:00 “Start small” + guardrails + helpful vs creepy49:20 Q&A: moving from explorer to builder52:30 Q&A: governance, privacy, and what not to put in⸻TODAY'S GUESTSMovable Ink: https://movableink.com/Kirsty Fraser | Senior Director @ Movable Ink : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstyfraser80/Rich Crossley | Senior Product Marketing Manager @ Movable Ink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richacrossley/⸻STAY IN THE LOOPJoin a community where connection, learning and support come first at over 200 events per year worldwide. You are very much invited 🙂👉 Sign up to The Marketing Meetup newsletter: https://themarketingmeetup.com/newsletter/⸻FOLLOW & JOIN THE CONVERSATIONInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarketingmeetup/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-marketing-meetup

Gene from Wistia, a senior webinar and video marketing expert, shares invaluable insights on maximizing webinar effectiveness in 2026. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on meaningful engagement metrics like revenue and product usage rather than vanity numbers. Discover tactics to keep attendees participating, the best times to host webinars, and how to repurpose recordings into attention-grabbing clips. Gene also discusses the impact of platform choice on webinars and strategies to boost audience involvement, ensuring your webinars drive real business results.

In a dynamic discussion, Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman of Ogilvy and bestselling author, shares his insights on the intersection of behavioral science and marketing. He emphasizes that marketers should sell their mindset and highlights the importance of framing in decision-making. Rory discusses how embracing messiness can lead to innovation and argues that marketing must define problems rather than react to them. He also offers valuable advice for small businesses and stresses the need for creativity in risk-averse environments.

Getting buy-in for marketing is often harder than doing the marketing itself. So how are other teams actually doing it?In this webinar, two senior marketers and two finance leaders co-present how they work together to get marketing funded, trusted, and seen as a growth driver.You’ll learn: • The three biggest reasons marketing and finance clash • How to translate campaigns into simple financial models finance can trust • How to build a shared definition of “value” (brand, pipeline, revenue, margin) • What good forecasting looks like when marketing runs in delay • Practical scorecards, budget rhythms and templates you can steal • Real-world examples from agencies and B2B SaaS (Genio, Suprpwr, Profit Sprout)Perfect if you’re a marketer who needs budget sign-off, or a finance leader who wants predictable growth without killing creativity.00:00 Why marketing + finance alignment matters03:43 Biggest blockers to buy-in07:47 Explaining budgets to finance12:31 Proving marketing’s value17:41 Forecasting both sides trust23:22 Alignment case study33:35 CAC, LTV + payback made simple40:05 Building one shared scorecard46:03 Key takeaways47:42 Q&A roundup************************************************************************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN – your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.

Most marketers are drowning in tactics and short on time. This workshop gives you a calm, practical way to build a simple strategy you can actually use - even if you’re a solo marketer with limited budget, pressure from all sides, and no idea where to start.- Set a clear, useful goal you can measure (without needing a 40-page deck)- Identify the real customer problem and the idea you want to stick in their mind- Organise your tactics with a light-touch funnel so you know what to do — and what to say no toTIMESTAMPS00:00 — Welcome & intros01:20 — Why strategy feels harder than it should04:50 — What “bare minimum strategy” really means10:32 — The 3 questions every strategy must answer16:10 — Common strategy mistakes marketers make21:58 — Setting goals that actually guide decisions27:40 — How to choose the right metrics32:12 — Turning strategy into day-to-day actions37:45 — Live build: creating a minimum viable plan44:20 — Q&A: applying this to your business52:10 — Final thoughts & takeaway summary************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify - all your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College - the best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable - the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN - your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia - a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place.

Ryan Lisk from Hybrid Legal joins us to talk about the legal side of what marketers need to know about using AI in your work.There’s a consensus in marketing that “everyone’s using AI”. Whether that’s the case or not, we do all need to be aware of the potential legal impact of using AI. Especially with client work.So, we’ve got legal eagle Ryan Lisk (Founder of Hybrid Legal) coming to talk to us all about AI and the law. In the webinar, we cover…- Examples of where marketing and AI have gone wrong- Things marketers should be considering from a legal perspective when it comes to AI- How to use AI confidently without stepping into a legal minefield0:00 – Intro 0:50 – Meet Ryan 2:05 – Is AI content legal? 4:15 – The banana story 🍌 6:00 – Key legal risks 8:10 – Tools: Canva, ChatGPT, Adobe 11:25 – Client contracts 14:40 – Chatting AI with stakeholders 17:00 – Why policies matter 19:40 – Can AI replace lawyers? 21:00 – Final advice👇Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they’re useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN – your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.