[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":3973},["ShallowReactive",2],{"podcast-marketing-leaders-building-marketing-from-scratch-without-burning-out":3,"header-articles":686,"updatesSection-all":2339,"updatesSection-all-team":2987},{"_path":4,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":8,"description":9,"date":10,"audio":11,"guest":14,"iframe":15,"series":16,"authors":17,"episode":19,"minutes":20,"guestimg":21,"guesturl":22,"seotitle":8,"guestabout":23,"body":24,"_type":680,"_id":681,"_source":682,"_file":683,"_stem":684,"_extension":685,"category":5},"/podcasts/marketing-leaders/building-marketing-from-scratch-without-burning-out","marketing-leaders",false,"","Building Marketing from Scratch Without Burning Out","In this episode, Aerin Paulo discusses what it takes to become the first marketing hire at an early-stage company and how to build sustainable marketing systems from the ground up. She shares how to prioritize channels, work effectively with contractors, create scalable processes, and balance the pressure of doing “all the things” while still building intentional, impactful marketing programs.","2026-04-29T19:26:00Z",{"url":12,"length":13},"https://share.transistor.fm/s/71b58880","65675894 ","Aerin Paulo","https://share.transistor.fm/e/71b58880","Back on T-R-A-C-K",[18],"Kerry Guard","217","57","/images/podcast/Aerin-Paulo.webp","https://www.linkedin.com/in/aerinpaulo/","Aerin Paulo is a marketing strategist who helps early-stage companies turn scattered ideas into clear, sustainable marketing that drives growth.",{"type":25,"children":26,"toc":675},"root",[27,40,46,55,60,65,70,75,80,85,90,95,100,105,110,115,120,125,130,135,140,145,150,155,160,165,170,175,180,185,190,195,200,205,210,215,220,225,230,235,240,245,250,255,260,265,270,275,280,285,290,295,300,305,310,315,320,325,330,335,340,345,350,355,360,365,370,375,380,385,390,395,400,405,410,415,420,425,430,435,440,445,450,455,460,465,470,475,480,485,490,495,500,505,510,515,520,525,530,535,540,545,550,555,560,565,570,575,580,585,590,595,600,605,610,615,620,625,630,635,640,645,650,655,660,665],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":30,"children":32},"element","h2",{"id":31},"overview",[33],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":35,"children":36},"strong",{},[37],{"type":38,"value":39},"text","Overview:",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":42,"children":43},"p",{},[44],{"type":38,"value":45},"Aerin explains how being the first marketing hire often means stepping into ambiguity, asking the right questions, and building processes before campaigns. She highlights the importance of understanding what already exists, identifying gaps, and using customer insights to shape marketing strategy and messaging.The conversation also explores the role contractors play in helping lean teams scale, why generalists are critical in early-stage environments, and how clear communication, documentation, and prioritization help prevent burnout while building sustainable marketing practices.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":47,"children":49},{"id":48},"transcript",[50],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":51,"children":52},{},[53],{"type":38,"value":54},"Transcript:",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":56,"children":57},{},[58],{"type":38,"value":59},"Kerry Guard 0:11",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":61,"children":62},{},[63],{"type":38,"value":64},"Hello. I'm Kerry Guard. Welcome to Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders. Welcome back to the show. This episode was brought to you by MKG Marketing, the digital marketing agency that helps complex brands build trust with their complex audiences via SEO and digital ads. Complex brands like Extra Hop Networks, a cybersecurity company that mkg, went on a seven-year journey that accumulated in a $900 million exit to Bain Capital and CrossPoint Ventures. Thank you, mkg. We are live on LinkedIn and YouTube. If you're here with us, say hello. We look forward to hearing your questions and your and answering all of them. It's the beauty of being alive. We want you to know you're here with us, and we want to make sure you're part of the conversation. So chime in. Chime in with me. Today is Aerin Paulo, a marketing strategist and leader. She loves helping early stage companies build marketing functions and teams, and she comes with a book of stellar contractors ready to go as the head of marketing at complyant, her previous company, she built out the marketing function focusing on taking a complex topic and creating a brand content and strategy that kept things simple and easy to understand for the user, she built and led a small but mighty team that was passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small businesses navigate the complex world tax Yeah, to say the least, she's been a team of many times. So she's learned a ton, but she excels the most in marketing strategy, communication, content marketing, go-to-market, social media, and demand generation. She is certified in agile marketing, meaning she's super organized, analytical, and able to pivot when needed. She's on a mission to help early-stage companies and startups build and scale sustainable marketing practices and develop nimble, amazing teams. Aerin, welcome to the show.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":66,"children":67},{},[68],{"type":38,"value":69},"Aerin Paulo 2:04",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":71,"children":72},{},[73],{"type":38,"value":74},"Thank you. Nice to be here.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":76,"children":77},{},[78],{"type":38,"value":79},"Kerry Guard 2:06",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":81,"children":82},{},[83],{"type":38,"value":84},"I'm sort of kicking myself for not getting your name right, because I grew up in a household of Depaolo, so I'm like, I just needed to drop the D, and I was there, and like, how did I mess it up? So yes, it happened as you do, as you do. So excited to have you here with me before we get into the heart of our conversation, which I cannot wait to unpack. You have joined companies, one after the other, as the first marketing hire and helped them build a full marketing team, and that journey to help others along the way. I want to know your story. I mean, that's sort of like what you do, but like, how'd you get there, right? Like, that's the brilliance of it all. So whether marketing found us or you found marketing, it's always an interesting, interesting journey. So why don't you tell Trevor and me hello, Trevor, thank you for joining us. Tell Trevor and me your story. Aerin, what do you do, and how did you get there?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":86,"children":87},{},[88],{"type":38,"value":89},"Aerin Paulo 3:02",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":91,"children":92},{},[93],{"type":38,"value":94},"Sure, so I think, to answer your question, I found marketing, but I fell backward into it. So I was in college when social media was becoming a thing. I think our school was in the top 100 schools; the first 100 schools to get added to Facebook and YouTube were becoming a thing. And I was at school for this thing called New Media that nobody really knew how to define, but there were elements of film, photo editing, online storytelling, and all these different mishmashes of new media. And I really took to the Facebook and the YouTube of it all. And once I graduated, I got a job in retail and decided to ask them if I could run social media for them, if I could set up their accounts and post for them, and run their email newsletter. And they weirdly said Yes, I got the opportunity to start doing that, and from there, I was able to get marketing jobs. I'm from Central Maine originally, which is a pretty small local area, so there weren't a lot of job opportunities. So, as I got marketing jobs, I tended to be the first or the only marketing person. So it kind of just snowballed from there. And I kept getting the opportunity to build, which I found out I really like, so I keep doing it.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":96,"children":97},{},[98],{"type":38,"value":99},"Kerry Guard 4:32",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":101,"children":102},{},[103],{"type":38,"value":104},"That's amazing. Let's talk about the startup energy of it all, especially being in Maine, which isn't necessarily known for its startup.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":106,"children":107},{},[108],{"type":38,"value":109},"Aerin Paulo 4:38",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":111,"children":112},{},[113],{"type":38,"value":114},"See it? Nope, no at all.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":116,"children":117},{},[118],{"type":38,"value":119},"Kerry Guard 4:43",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":121,"children":122},{},[123],{"type":38,"value":124},"But apparently, it is. Have you been remote all the time to find that startup scene? Or did you start in Maine at companies that were startups, what was sort of like that journey and transition from into those into those companies",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":126,"children":127},{},[128],{"type":38,"value":129},"Aerin Paulo 4:57",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":131,"children":132},{},[133],{"type":38,"value":134},"Yeah, so when I was in Maine. That was mostly small businesses, which you could call a startup, but there's no VC backing. There's no startup mentality. But small businesses aren't that far off. If you ask me, especially a lot of them, you have to convince them that they need to spend money on marketing. It's very difficult to get them to understand how important it is and that you can't; it's pay-to-play, and getting them to understand that was a challenge. And then I ended up moving to Connecticut eventually, and around here, there, there really isn't a startup culture either, not much of one, anyway, but I found a remote role through a startup or at a startup, and kind of got into the official startup world from there.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":136,"children":137},{},[138],{"type":38,"value":139},"Kerry Guard 5:45",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":141,"children":142},{},[143],{"type":38,"value":144},"Was a little bit culture shocking, going from like a small business to an actual to a to a startup, or was it pretty similar?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":146,"children":147},{},[148],{"type":38,"value":149},"Aerin Paulo 5:53",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":151,"children":152},{},[153],{"type":38,"value":154},"No, yes, and no. I think there are a lot of similarities between small businesses and startups, and the way that they're run and the messes and the fires that you're constantly putting out because nothing is well organized. But at the same time, I think the startup culture is very different. The expectations are much, much higher, the need to not even need, the necessity to track everything is really important. Not only do you know the KPIs for the activities that you're doing, the tactics and the channels, but you, you as a marketer. How are you doing? How can you prove your value to the executive suite and therefore the VCs, to make sure that you get to stay and keep going?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":156,"children":157},{},[158],{"type":38,"value":159},"Kerry Guard 6:43",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":161,"children":162},{},[163],{"type":38,"value":164},"That's sort of like trying to understand, you know, I'm a small business, but I'm not a startup, right? I don't have the same necessary I have my own pressures, not necessarily the same pressures. I have, like a byproduct of pressures, right? Because I work with clients who are in the start, right, scale up stage, and so they have those pressures, and I want to support them, but it's not as direct as it is. And so in navigating that world and going from the small business pressures to that kind of mentality, what was the shift there for you, of like, how did, of how you sort of show up in the space? Was it like, was there a different kind of urgency? Was it like we got this? What was paint? Is it like a feeling picture for a second?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":166,"children":167},{},[168],{"type":38,"value":169},"Aerin Paulo 7:35",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":171,"children":172},{},[173],{"type":38,"value":174},"Yeah, my experience, I think, was a bit unique. I actually felt less stressed than when I worked at the small businesses, and it was very much because of the group that I worked with at the company that I was working at. Unfortunately, it folded in September this past year, but they built with culture in mind from the start, and the founder had a very clear vision: like, I don't care when you get your work done; I don't care how you get your work done. I don't care where you get your work done. I want you to do your work. Want you to do your best work. If you're not doing your best work, figure out how to do your best work. Take a break if you need to. It was all very modern, and I felt empowered to do that. It was also one of the first roles where I was given not just autonomy but trust. I was hired to do a thing. I had experience doing that thing, and the founder and my teammates put trust in me that I knew what I was doing, and there was no micromanagement. There was no hand-holding necessary. It was nothing but support. It was a really good environment to be in. So I'm sure that's not the same for a lot of folks who joined startups. Unfortunately, I kind of wish that was everybody's experience joining every company, but I recognize that's not necessarily possible. So yeah, a little different, I think, for me than most.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":176,"children":177},{},[178],{"type":38,"value":179},"Kerry Guard 9:02",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":181,"children":182},{},[183],{"type":38,"value":184},"How did you find so, you know, going from the Small Business sort of in person, how you said that you sort of, like, fell into that, that remote position. So did you just go online and start looking for jobs? Did you find it through a friend? Like, how did you make that leap? It feels like pre-COVID; mind you, it feels like a kind of leap to go into that and be intentional about it.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":186,"children":187},{},[188],{"type":38,"value":189},"Aerin Paulo 9:31",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":191,"children":192},{},[193],{"type":38,"value":194},"So I think it was all kind of happenstance. I was fairly unhappy at the role I was in; all of those things I just mentioned to you were not really happening at that company, and so I was looking for new roles. We had just gone remote in March of 2020, and so I had been kind of like passively looking, but conveniently, when you're remote, it's a lot easier to look for a job while you're working. So I was able to do. That was actually really beneficial to my mental health, because I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have gone so well if I had stayed so. I ended up finding this job on LinkedIn, or indeed, or something, and I had a meeting with the founder, and she was great. I kind of knew it was a fit right off. She actually asked me, in my initial interview with her, what I did to keep track of my mental health and make sure that I was, like, in a good place. And I was like, That's a weird first interview question, but also amazing.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":196,"children":197},{},[198],{"type":38,"value":199},"Kerry Guard 10:37",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":201,"children":202},{},[203],{"type":38,"value":204},"Writing that one down.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":206,"children":207},{},[208],{"type":38,"value":209},"Aerin Paulo 10:39",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":211,"children":212},{},[213],{"type":38,"value":214},"And we just got along really well. It was actually funny. So she had, she was, it was for a head of marketing role, and at the time I was at like a marketing manager level, and we chatted, and she came back to me, and she was kind of ready to offer me the role. And I said, Look, I'm not really a traveler. Travel is a thing that I enjoy doing occasionally with my family. But I'm not. I'm not someone who wants to be on the road 1020, 30% of the year, and the head of marketing role that she was thinking of at the time was going to require that. And she said, You know, I appreciate that. You know that about yourself. And she went with somebody else come to find out they were working their own freelance job full-time at the same time as trying to do a full-time job with the company. So she came back to me and said, You know, I think we should try to figure this out. So she actually hired me on as a marketing manager there and gave me the time and the freedom to, like, grow, make mistakes, and figure out how to get to my next step. And I grew to the head of marketing role there, and the rest is history, I suppose, at that company, at least.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":216,"children":217},{},[218],{"type":38,"value":219},"Kerry Guard 11:55",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":221,"children":222},{},[223],{"type":38,"value":224},"Yes to all that. I mean, I think on, you know, now that we're now that we're all remote, generally speaking, now that we're, you know, four years in post, I guess technically, three years post covid, mental health playing a really significant role in us, sort of putting our stake in the ground, of this being important to us, of what we're all looking for. It's nice to see that companies are leaning into that. So thank you to that lovely human who started that company and brought in people in a world that offered them that kind of support. Yes to all of that. I'm striving for that, that's amazing. Let's talk about where you are now. You got it. You were you, you had a bit of a break, and now you have found a new job. Congrats. Thank you. Your first weekend. How's it going?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":226,"children":227},{},[228],{"type":38,"value":229},"Aerin Paulo 12:48",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":231,"children":232},{},[233],{"type":38,"value":234},"It's going well. I am. I actually found this at my last role as well. I'm stressed in a good way, which, like you don't want to feel stressed, but also it's because I see all of the possibilities. I see all of the things that could be done that isn't, aren't being done yet, all of the impact that I could make myself, or that I could help the team make together. And I think I'm an anxious person, unfortunately, by design, so that I am seeing all of these things, I'm like, yes, let's do them now, that's not how that works. So I'm very I'm trying to balance, you know, the anxious excitement and all of the things that I'm going to get to do with the reality of like, okay, at the end of each week, let's make a task list. Let's prioritize all those great ideas and make sure we're not trying to do all the things in a week, because that's when burnout happens. Let me tell you.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":236,"children":237},{},[238],{"type":38,"value":239},"Kerry Guard 13:45",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":241,"children":242},{},[243],{"type":38,"value":244},"Yes, it is how burnout happens. And I love feeling the same way. I have a few companies I'm working with as their head of marketing, and I just want to, like, do it all. And they're slowing me down by design, and I appreciate that, because they want to get very specific things right. And it's, it's hard because I'm like, but let's go all these things we want to do, like, go time. And they're like, Well, yes, and there's, we get certain things about this, right? It's okay to fail in other ways. But like these things you want to get, like, okay, fine, you're right. So I love that, and I feel it. I'm with you, Aerin. I'm totally with you and the challenge. I'm feeling it. I'm feeling it. Let's talk about so you've joined this company. Are you the primary marketer, the only marketer who paints a picture of the team that you're on?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":246,"children":247},{},[248],{"type":38,"value":249},"Aerin Paulo 14:39",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":251,"children":252},{},[253],{"type":38,"value":254},"Yeah. So I have a great former, now current colleague that I worked with a previous e-commerce company, and he pulled me on board. I am the first official, I suppose, marketing hire. They had some folks that are kind of like marketing adjacent, but it's. So this is a D to C E comm company that previously did a lot, or actually still does a lot, on like QVC and wholesale. So they're really just building this D to C arm pretty recently. So they have some folks who do marketing, marketing adjacent to marketing, very like things, but they're currently on a creative team, so they're not called marketing, right? So I'm the first official, like I am. I am a marketer. That's me. That's what I do. And I think we're trying. That's one of the things we're starting to figure out, like, how do we all work together? How can I help them? What can I help improve? Because I'm coming in from this position, I've been the first person a bunch of times, so I have, I know what to look for. I know what to ask. So far, it's been really good. Everyone's got amazing feedback, and they're being really candid out of the gate, which is great. That's kind of hard to find sometimes. Yeah, it's exciting. Everyone's been incredibly nice to like help.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":256,"children":257},{},[258],{"type":38,"value":259},"Kerry Guard 16:02",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":261,"children":262},{},[263],{"type":38,"value":264},"Yay. More hands on board. Let's do this. Yes, in terms of starting out as the first marketing hire, which you mentioned, you've done a couple of times now, a bunch of times. Where do you start? You know you. Is it always the same channels, the same playbook, or does it vary, like, where do you figure out where you can make the most impact right out of the gate?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":266,"children":267},{},[268],{"type":38,"value":269},"Aerin Paulo 16:30",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":271,"children":272},{},[273],{"type":38,"value":274},"Sure. So I usually start by asking a metric ton of questions, and typically that will be, do you do this yet? What exists here? What processes do we have for this? Is there one, and then I will usually ask to see any assets that they have that are relevant, like a brand book or something like that, and data that they can show me how things are. You know, if they already have social channels, for example, a lot of companies will set up their profiles and do nothing with them, or set up their profiles and do the whole spray and pray across them thing. So in those cases, it's helpful to look and see, like, Okay, did any of that work? So it's a lot of questions. It's a lot of digging into what exists and then looking for opportunities that I've seen work elsewhere.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":276,"children":277},{},[278],{"type":38,"value":279},"Kerry Guard 17:27",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":281,"children":282},{},[283],{"type":38,"value":284},"It's the baseline, right? So, establishing benchmarks, yes, benchmarks, Fanta benchmarks, I feel like they get a bad rap. Yeah, is that fair to say that they get a bad rap? I feel like,",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":286,"children":287},{},[288],{"type":38,"value":289},"Aerin Paulo 17:41",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":291,"children":292},{},[293],{"type":38,"value":294},"I mean, I think it's like anything, you it's not the gospel. Don't take it as gospel. It's a guideline. It's a place to start, rather than starting with something instead of nothing. So I think if you look at it as gospel, then yes, I agree, they probably would get a bad rap.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":296,"children":297},{},[298],{"type":38,"value":299},"Kerry Guard 17:58",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":301,"children":302},{},[303],{"type":38,"value":304},"But baseline, yeah, somewhere to like, say, I always find data is wonderful and useful if you can actually compare it to something. But if you're just looking at a number, we got our 2000 visits to our website, cool.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":306,"children":307},{},[308],{"type":38,"value":309},"Aerin Paulo 18:17",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":311,"children":312},{},[313],{"type":38,"value":314},"Yeah. And let me tell you, those numbers are not necessarily available on the internet either for you to compare them to. So do your best, is my recommendation. Yeah. So you",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":316,"children":317},{},[318],{"type":38,"value":319},"Kerry Guard 18:29",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":321,"children":322},{},[323],{"type":38,"value":324},"need to compare them to something. So having those baselines in 2000 is a great start. Okay, great. Now let's look at next month and see where we go from there, right? So I love baseline and benchmarks as to that. So, where you said that you generally know where opportunities are. Do you have, like, obviously, every company is a little different, and so you'll have to play it by ear, to your point, understanding the lay of the land, but you've done this a couple times. So, do you have general places you tend to start out around the gate?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":326,"children":327},{},[328],{"type":38,"value":329},"Aerin Paulo 19:06",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":331,"children":332},{},[333],{"type":38,"value":334},"Yeah, my background is mainly in social media and content. So those are the places that I typically start. And honestly, that's a lot of marketing. It all trickles down some way or another. So I usually look there first. I've done paid before, not long enough for me to feel confident that I'm an expert by any means. But I know you know a few triggers or levers you can pull for paid, and I'm also very comfortable asking other people who are actual experts for their opinion and going with that. So usually that might look like getting someone like a paid contractor, before doing too much with paid, because they're going to know more than me, so I'm going to take their word.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":336,"children":337},{},[338],{"type":38,"value":339},"Kerry Guard 19:54",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":341,"children":342},{},[343],{"type":38,"value":344},"Yeah, contracts. Contractors are definitely a blessing. Let's talk about this. Thanks. We're getting into the people side. Design of it, in regards to the team you build. So you start off, it sounds like you know a lot about social, you know a lot about analytics, you know a lot about content. Do you consider yourself a specialist in that regard, or a generalist? Let's define those for folks.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":346,"children":347},{},[348],{"type":38,"value":349},"Aerin Paulo 20:20",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":351,"children":352},{},[353],{"type":38,"value":354},"Yeah, I would consider myself a generalist in that I have never had the opportunity to focus on any one thing in a job, and I very often, because I've either been a team of one or I've been the person with the most experience across the most things, I've been asked to do things I've never done before to figure it out. So, you know, I've done email, and I did a Product Hunt launch a couple of times. I done events, all kinds of stuff, all over the board for marketing. So I would call myself a generalist. And I would say that's, that's generalist, is you've, you've put your fingers in a bunch of pies, to use a really weird phrase, and it's a specialist, would be more like there's just one guy, yeah, go figure it out. Or social, yes, I'm a figure-it-out.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":356,"children":357},{},[358],{"type":38,"value":359},"Kerry Guard 21:10",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":361,"children":362},{},[363],{"type":38,"value":364},"I think there's beauty to being a figure it outer. Do you? I'm gonna make a statement. You're gonna tell me what you think, because I could have more experience here. I think there's power in going from being a figure it out or to becoming a specialist.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":366,"children":367},{},[368],{"type":38,"value":369},"Aerin Paulo 21:29",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":371,"children":372},{},[373],{"type":38,"value":374},"Yeah, for sure. I mean, it translates right like you're you're figuring out, instead of figuring out an entire channel or an entire tactic that you've maybe never done before. You're figuring out something more deep or specific that can actually move needles. Yeah, I think that's fair.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":376,"children":377},{},[378],{"type":38,"value":379},"Kerry Guard 21:51",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":381,"children":382},{},[383],{"type":38,"value":384},"And I feel like the channels have gotten more complex over the years, too.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":386,"children":387},{},[388],{"type":38,"value":389},"Aerin Paulo 21:55",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":391,"children":392},{},[393],{"type":38,"value":394},"Yes, absolutely. I actually just was setting up a Twitter account for the company I now work for. And come to find out, I think they this used to be the case, and then they went back on it, and now it's the case again, but handles can only be 15 characters, and I it was news to me. It had been a while, I suppose, since I set one up, but Twitter is just like, I feel like that's the massive example.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":396,"children":397},{},[398],{"type":38,"value":399},"Kerry Guard 22:25",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":401,"children":402},{},[403],{"type":38,"value":404},"Can't call it. The other thing, it is Twitter best to that when you're talking about being in general. So it's basically like being a T-shaped marketer, right? You know, you just figure out the stuff up here mostly, and then you have some expertise in an area or two, to your point, social and content. So when you're showing up to a new company, do you generally immediately go into social and content, because that's really what a company needs, and you know that? And then you layer in these other things in terms of contractors and what to bring in, or does it really? It really depends. And then you're able to bring in those content, you know, that contractor expertise and social, and content can wait, like, what are sort of your go-to initiators out of the gate? And does it change?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":406,"children":407},{},[408],{"type":38,"value":409},"Aerin Paulo 23:11",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":411,"children":412},{},[413],{"type":38,"value":414},"Yeah, I think it depends. It depends on where the company is and how much they've got. If they've got nothing, then it's a pretty efficient use of budget for me to set up the things that I know well and get those rolling. If they've got something, then it makes more sense to me to do what I talked about kind of at the top, which is like, dig into who are you? Why should anyone care? What does that mean? What are we saying to who is our audience? Why did why do they want to listen to us? What are we saying and getting answers to questions like that, and therefore using that to drive, okay? What channels do we use to reach those people and how?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":416,"children":417},{},[418],{"type":38,"value":419},"Kerry Guard 23:58",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":421,"children":422},{},[423],{"type":38,"value":424},"Yeah, I think that's a really important step, right? If, like, hopefully they have that figured out. But it sounds like that's not always the case, or they think they have it figured out. That's always my favorite, where they're like, this is our audience. But then you look at the customer list, you're like, is it?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":426,"children":427},{},[428],{"type":38,"value":429},"Aerin Paulo 24:15",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":431,"children":432},{},[433],{"type":38,"value":434},"And a lot of companies at the size that I joined them at, not all of them, but a lot of them, have never really done customer research. So that not only have they never done market research, they've never done customer interviews, they're not even looking at the data they have. So, like all of the questions that get submitted to customer service, that's free marketing data right there. Like, what are they asking? Why are they asking that? Is something broken? Or do they not understand something we could easily educate them on? So getting gathering all that up and figuring out what we have to work with is important as well.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":436,"children":437},{},[438],{"type":38,"value":439},"Kerry Guard 24:51",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":441,"children":442},{},[443],{"type":38,"value":444},"That's so cool. That's so cool because it's the stuff as marketers we see, like a no, it feels like a no-duh moment, but as a marketer, you wouldn't know. To use it for that, if you so yes to fresh eyes, not being so key and important. So let's talk about the transition that happens, right? So you come in, you gather the data. You understand landscape, you understand what channels they need to activate and what you know where what makes most sense for them, whether it's content and social or layering and some paid How do you at what point does it make sense to get a little more specific, I'm not saying like, fully, full on, all of a sudden, you're going, like, overnight, you're going from a one man, one person team with a bunch of contractors, to all of a sudden having a 15 person team of a bunch of specialists. Like, let's build that bridge for people, because it needs to be a thoughtful transition. So when do you start thinking about, oh, we need a person to do, like to bring in-house, to do a very specific thing? Is that, pretty early on, do you hire generalists begin with, sort of talk me through those initial steps, like it starts with you, and then what?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":446,"children":447},{},[448],{"type":38,"value":449},"Aerin Paulo 26:07",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":451,"children":452},{},[453],{"type":38,"value":454},"Yeah, so I think it depends on the structure and the plan. So not at every company that I've been at was I in the works to become leadership. So if I, if I'm just a manager, and they're not planning on making me anything above that, then it makes sense to have you know you're effectively like a player-coach. You're I see slash management. So it makes sense to do as much as you can yourself, and when you are feeling stretched too thin, get support, whether that looks like a contractor or it just like a specialist, or a marketing specialist, the title or marketing coordinator, or whatever makes sense. I will say that in the year of our Lord 2024, where we have all of these layoffs for almost two years straight, and all of these amazing humans just getting let go for what feels like no reason. I am leaning towards contractors for as long as I can, because I don't ever want to hire somebody I can't keep. So I feel like that's a that's a good start, and that's probably where I'm going to go as often as I can, just because that doesn't. That isn't to say, by the way, because I don't, I don't tend to use agencies myself. I tend to lean more towards individuals, so that isn't to say that that individual couldn't become a full-time hire. In fact, that's a perfect scenario. I actually almost had that happen a couple of times in my previous role, which would have been super cool if the company had shut down. But I think treating contractors like their employees to an extent, obviously, you can't control their time. They're still their own boss, etc, but including them in things, giving them information, you will get a really great relationship, and you will get a lot of what you get from a full-time employee, just without the full-time hours. So I think it's valuable to do contractors as much as you can. When it makes sense, you hire another generalist, but potentially someone a little bit more junior, so that the marketing manager could do a little bit more of like, here's what we're doing and why, and the junior associate can do the things. And then once you're there, you start looking at bandwidth, and you start looking at return on investment. So are the freelancers or the junior associate, whomever are, spending too much time on something that will actually move the needle on the revenue side. How much is that costing? At the point where it makes sense, or it makes no difference even, whether you have a contractor or a full-time person, then it makes a ton of sense at that point to pull someone in-house, because there's a lot to be said. Where about having someone on the team versus them being a contractor as well has benefits to both.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":456,"children":457},{},[458],{"type":38,"value":459},"Kerry Guard 29:13",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":461,"children":462},{},[463],{"type":38,"value":464},"But you said so many things there that I want to unpack. So let's talk about the coordinator first, because I think this is a lost call. It's a lost role, because I feel like I'll speak for myself as an agency owner, right? So we leaned into it as a small company, hiring experts, primarily because they can hit the ground running, and they can go, and there's no hand-holding that's sort of necessary in that, in doing so, though we left a generation behind. We didn't bring people up and through. And so there was a time, to your point, Aerin, there's been a total layoff. So it's not so much at this very moment, but there was a time when hiring felt impossible because there was a huge gap between i. Experts do not want to leave their current jobs because things were so unstable, and then not having a pull to pull from because we all were hiring experts. So I'd love that you're talking about the coordinator. Let's paint that picture a bit better in terms of what a is, it somebody right? You know, how many years of experience do they have? Or they write at a college. And then what types of things do you do? You personally lean on a coordinator for?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":466,"children":467},{},[468],{"type":38,"value":469},"Aerin Paulo 30:31",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":471,"children":472},{},[473],{"type":38,"value":474},"Yeah, I think it depends on the company that you're working at and how much flexibility you have if you if they're not expecting you to do all the things, and you can focus on, let's use social media as an example, because it's easy. If they're not expecting you to be on every channel and post to every channel. They're allowing you to focus on one or two channels and get really good at doing a good job on those. Then the coordinator can come in out of college. It depends on your bandwidth of yourself as well, right? Because it depends on how much training and teaching you have the ability to do. I really enjoy that piece of it, so I didn't mind. We had a few interns in my last role that we were helping learn the ropes effectively. But then if you don't have the bandwidth to train and teach quite as much than a couple of years of experience, I would say, it works just fine.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":476,"children":477},{},[478],{"type":38,"value":479},"Kerry Guard 31:25",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":481,"children":482},{},[483],{"type":38,"value":484},"Yeah, I think that's really important, because it is huge. It doesn't feel like a huge difference. But somebody straighta College who's never had a job before where you literally have to tell them everything that they have to do and like minuscule step by step process is night and day from somebody who's had at least a year of experience, who are starting to get that figure it out, mentality of anticipating and taking things to that next step, I think is, is very interesting to your point. Aerin, I don't think it matters which way you go. It's just what, what's right for you, and the company and the budget are all things to take into consideration. Let's talk about the contractor piece, because, to your point, and I agree, oh my gosh. Are there some phenomenal humans out there right now who are in between and are, you know, while we all can't hire full-time right now? There are lots of folks who can jump in. So I Gen I'll speak for me, and I'd love to hear from you. Obviously, is for me, the contractor piece is the specialist. I don't need a generalist. From a contractor standpoint, I needed somebody who can come in. I'd rather have a couple of different contractors all specializing in different areas, because I can control the hours, than bringing in one contractor who can do a couple of things relatively okay. Is that fair? How do you do that?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":486,"children":487},{},[488],{"type":38,"value":489},"Aerin Paulo 32:58",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":491,"children":492},{},[493],{"type":38,"value":494},"Yeah, I think that there's something to be said for bandwidth here as well. I think I haven't done this myself, but I've thought, I thought it would be interesting to, when you join early on as a first marketer, or something similar, to hire a generalist contractor to get their thoughts on what the company should be doing. So, not saying you don't do that work as well, but you kind of like, what did you miss? Like, it's two heads are better than one type scenario, and that can be a temporary situation, or you could bring them on to do something more specific once you get their feedback, because that's the nice thing about generalists, is that theoretically, they can become a specialist if you need them to, they've done email, therefore you can say, Okay, can you focus on email for us, you've already got this person. But I do agree that that's the typical route I go as well, which is, like you have, we have a PPC specialist, we have an email specialist, we have a social specialist, and contractors. So I depend. Again, that's, that's, I think I saw that the other day. That's marketing, a marketer's favorite phrase.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":496,"children":497},{},[498],{"type":38,"value":499},"Kerry Guard 34:12",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":501,"children":502},{},[503],{"type":38,"value":504},"It's okay, it is. It really is, and it does. I think what's fascinating and helpful in these conversations is hearing your what, what you've done in the past to work for you. So it's helpful to see, like, Okay, this is how you've used these particular roles. And I love that you're talking about contractors in particular in a way that's like a gut check, especially as a single, as a single hire, like, you know, as an island, you need a thought partner. You need to bounce. We are out loud. I don't know about all marketers, but generally, I feel like we're out loud. Processors don't need to hear things like, but together, am I correct through it? Yeah. Talk through it. Hear their points of view, their expertise. Yes, the other thing I heard you say that I really loved was when you're thinking about contractors, you might need a specific thing, but you might find a generalist who can start there, or maybe they see a bigger picture, and then they hone in there. But there are interesting ways to start thinking about generalists versus specialists, and that it's not necessarily a person being a generalist or a specialist, but a thing being a general strategy, overarching navigation, and then being able to hone in on a specific area to get something done. So it's an interesting way of thinking about the conversation in that way, as well as what I hear you saying, which I love, in terms of that first hire. When you do start getting more specific, let's, I feel like content is probably a really great area to start, because it's so time-consuming. Right to do it.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":506,"children":507},{},[508],{"type":38,"value":509},"Aerin Paulo 36:00",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":511,"children":512},{},[513],{"type":38,"value":514},"Well, yes, and that is an area that I like. I can write. I enjoyed English in all of school, but I wouldn't call myself a copywriter, and I would not say that I am anywhere near as good as the contractors that I've worked with, either. So I tend to do for myself. I focus on the what we are talking about. How do we get there? How do we talk to these people? How do we answer the questions? How do we educate them, the question, the big questions. And then the contractor tends to help me with, you know, maybe they can help with what the best channels are. They'll, they'll be a gut check for me. They are very often, if they're not experts in SEO, they're knowledgeable enough where you can do something good. And SEO, I feel like you would know. I feel like it's been changing to the point where you don't need to be quite so technically knowledgeable about it, because the whole point is search intent. The whole point is getting the right content to the person who needs it in the right place. And AI is doing weird things with that. Now, the point being, don't rely on me and oh no, no, just like, it's going to be real interesting to see what that does to content, considering what's showing up above the fold now and then ads, and then organic contractors, the content contractors I've worked out with have all been fantastic, and they all have they're almost generalist, specific, specific, generals or something like that, where they like, they know a little SEO, they know a little strategy, they know a little content, they know a little analytics and distribution, and all of the things that are encompassed under Content, which is very helpful to someone like me, who's I've got a bit of expertise in some of those areas, but not in all of them. And again, when you're a solo marketer, you need gut checks. You need folks to talk to. I think it's my community, my marketing community, has really grown, really just like in the last six or eight years. I didn't know any other marketers for so long, and I can't tell you how lonely that was and how hard it was to get work done. I relied on the internet so much. HubSpot, blog, like your friend.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":516,"children":517},{},[518],{"type":38,"value":519},"Kerry Guard 38:18",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":521,"children":522},{},[523],{"type":38,"value":524},"I don't know what the catalyst was. Maybe it was LinkedIn, but it does feel like maybe it was COVID. But the community has definitely stepped itself up in terms of how we navigate the marketing world and lean on each other a bit more, which I am so grateful for. It's how we met. We met the marketing women's community. If you are a woman in marketing and you're not part of this community, hop on in. I will share a link. Yes, that is fantastic. The women who run it, we're actually on my podcast, Gabrielle and Natalie, wonderful humans who've built a wonderful network. And I think that has been an absolute fuel to how we find each other and find great people to work with. I just found somebody, I don't know if you know Matt Delman. He was on my podcast while ago. He's also a content writer in cybersecurity, specifically. I know you're more in the B2B SaaS and tax space, but these worlds collide all the time. Anyway, he just made a reference for me to somebody in his network who's a PPC contractor who's amazing. I can't wait to work with this human, so yes, to our network becoming so important, and thank goodness for that, because Google could only get you so far back at the desk. So yes to that, something that's coming up for me, Aerin, as you're talking about all these different channels, all these different activation areas, is I as one person. I. I don't know how your men are managing it all. You got a little PPC over here. You got some social channels activated. You got your content creators. Like, how is, how is one person? Are you keeping all of these things going? Are they all happening at the same time? Or do you generally, like, layer them? Talk to me about a little bit about your process, like, how you get these things up and running? It feels like it's all happening at once. I don't know if that's the case, though.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":526,"children":527},{},[528],{"type":38,"value":529},"Aerin Paulo 40:28",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":531,"children":532},{},[533],{"type":38,"value":534},"Yeah, I mean, simultaneously is probably fair to say I, because I'm an anxious person. I got really good at reminding myself to do things because I was very worried I would forget, and that has somehow translated into me being very, very organized. So I typically have a project management system, whatever they allow me to get, or whatever I could get for free, depending on the budget, and I try to put everything in there. And since, like you mentioned, being agile certified and learning more about how that system works. I will very often do like a now, next, later list, and then have like a backlog, future log type thing for all my ideas, because I want to do all the things. And when I get contractors in the group, I add them to that, and we start having stand-ups. I typically, especially if they're at least part-time. If I have, like, a 20-hour-a-week or more contractor, we have a one-on-one, and then I try to do a stand-up with everybody. So all the contractors, we find the time that it works for all of them, plus me, or all of them, plus, you know, the couple other humans on my team, plus the contractors also. They're not humans, but you know what I mean? And we try to have a one-on-one and a stand-up every week so that everyone knows what everyone's working on. It's the opportunity to chat and get to know each other, because you're still a team, even if you're not officially on the team. It's an opportunity to ask for support. Sometimes you have to, kind of like, bug people to ask for help, and that's a thing that's a good reason to get in there. And it's also a really good time to bring up blockers. Like, is somebody else not getting something done, which is blocking you, or is there some red tape that I could help cut through? So yeah, to answer your question, a project management system. I'm also a huge fan of notion, or some similar tool for documentation, so that the next time you bring a contractor on, you have it all written down and you can just share it with them. Yeah, it's just been a lot of Yes. It's been a lot of anxious organizing, I guess is what can say about that?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":536,"children":537},{},[538],{"type":38,"value":539},"Kerry Guard 42:41",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":541,"children":542},{},[543],{"type":38,"value":544},"Yes, I think that's so key. I love that you bring contractors in, too, in terms of a team-oriented way; I do the same thing. I have them join stand-ups. We have a retro every week, every other week, that I have them join. I even have them join all hands. Like, here's what's going on in the company, and here's how you're impacting it. Like, I think that's so key to making sure that they don't feel, I don't think, like contractors are just, they're not outsiders. They just have less hours, right? They y'all still need to get along and work together. And so I love that you're think that you plan that way, and you do the strength, you do the stand up, you do the one on ones, and you bring them into the fold. I think that's necessary to have a productive, organized team. So hats off to you, Aerin, for figuring that out. In terms of one of the questions I had for you in terms of writers, and I think this is hard to do, is capturing the brand's voice as a contractor.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":546,"children":547},{},[548],{"type":38,"value":549},"Aerin Paulo 43:53",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":551,"children":552},{},[553],{"type":38,"value":554},"Yes, I agree. It's very hard to do. So the most experience I have doing that is in my most recent role, where I was at the startup for three years. I You can ask. I don't know if you've met Jess, but she was my contractor at compliance, so she can tell you more, but I think some of the things that helped us were getting super clear on the brand voice. We had a four to six-page document that talked about, yeah, it had examples, like, that's the thing. If you can visualize it or duplicate it, then it's a lot easier. So it wasn't just like, we're friendly, we want to educate people. It was, in fact, I think this was actually the brand voice we are, the aunt or uncle that you look forward to seeing at Christmas every year, and is an absolute expert in their field. They're super fun-loving. They're very relaxed. And you know that you can talk to them about sports or your kids, or you can ask them about their expertise in. In my case, tax, and they will totally give you no BS advice, and they'll break it down in a way that you can really understand it, rather than using a lot of jargon or confusing talk. So it was that specific. And then we would have examples, and we would say, like, here's what we don't want, because that's really important as well. And so we worked together. I believe Jess was a part of that, and we built out that document. And then I try very hard to give autonomy even to my contractors. I don't want to micromanage anyone. I want to. I'm holding people accountable, of course, but I don't want to, like be looking over your shoulder. So it's the first, you know, however long it takes for them to get comfortable with that voice, I or someone on my team is reviewing their work to make sure it fits, and then eventually they get the hang of it. You don't need to do that. You can spot check if you want to or if it feels necessary. But the idea is, they've become enough of an expert where they can switch gears. They have this document that you've built out that's really clear, and you also ask them regularly, \" Is there anything that came up that felt unclear or that we should add to the brand document? I think those things make it better. It's not going to be perfect, because you're right. Being in-house is really helpful if you're a content writer, but I think that's a good way to go.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":556,"children":557},{},[558],{"type":38,"value":559},"Kerry Guard 46:23",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":561,"children":562},{},[563],{"type":38,"value":564},"I love the like, aunt uncle piece, like actually attaching it to sort of a persona, like a person that you could feel like you were sitting next to and having a conversation with. Like, that's so cool. I'm thinking about that for a brand that is, I will ask that I feel away. I'm totally sealing that. That is fantastic. Aerin, I love this conversation, and I could clearly keep going help people make that leap. Now they've, they've been the first hire. They've brought on their hoard of contractors to help them get started. They're on their way now. They need to scale, and they need to go. Do they keep staying the course with bringing in the contractors, maybe a higher here or there? Or do they have to switch gears?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":566,"children":567},{},[568],{"type":38,"value":569},"Aerin Paulo 47:16",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":571,"children":572},{},[573],{"type":38,"value":574},"It depends. It depends on where your company is. If you're a startup and you're you just went for your Series C, and you have a bazillion dollars, then it's a lot easier to say, take a look at the contractors. Ask them how much more they could be doing if they were doing it full-time. Assuming you trust your contractors, they will give you a good, solid answer on that, and you will be able to do the math of what's their hourly how does that translate to 40 hours a week, plus benefits, and then figure out the math of this that, if that makes sense, otherwise, I mean, honestly, if you can go and find contractors that will stick with you For a while, then that's great. I would keep doing that. If you have the bandwidth and you've triple-checked the numbers so that there won't be layoffs in the future. Ideally, then, I think hiring on a couple of in-house folks is always helpful, especially just because you have someone else available to help or answer questions or do a thing at the same hours you're working, for the most part.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":576,"children":577},{},[578],{"type":38,"value":579},"Kerry Guard 48:23",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":581,"children":582},{},[583],{"type":38,"value":584},"That's a good point. That's not something we've touched on. Let's, let's, let's wrap this up with that. In terms of how you navigate the accountability piece with contractors, it's a lot easier to hold internal people accountable. They're subject to working with you and only you of everything that needs to go on within the company. But when you have people who are also working for other clients and their hours are a bit restricted, how do you communicate in a way that makes sure that those deadlines are hit? How do you communicate in a way that's probably a bit more asynchronous? I'm assuming that the project management system is a huge piece to that, but",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":586,"children":587},{},[588],{"type":38,"value":589},"Aerin Paulo 49:01",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":591,"children":592},{},[593],{"type":38,"value":594},"Yeah, slack in the project management system, so we communicate on Slack, and I personally, for my team, always set the expectation that, like, I do not expect that you're sitting on top of Slack waiting to answer me. Like that's not even for my full-time people, I'm not expecting that of you, but I would ask that you respond in a reasonable amount of time, typically a few hours. And for contractors, the ask is basically like, I'm going to leave you messages. I do not expect you to respond immediately, but I would appreciate you answering within a day or so, assuming we haven't already talked about you're going to be off your it's a weekend like those situations, and we include them in the project management system so that they know what to do when, if something's missed, we used clickup, which I really enjoyed, so it will send me an email, and then I can touch base with them and say, like, what happened? How can we prevent this in the future? And in my case, our contractors were so fantastic that we kept a lot of them for a long time, and they had their own OKRs that they were kind of responsible for, obviously, with me as a backup. So our PPC folks, they were trying to hit specific numbers, specific users onboarded through the ads. So they spoke to that every time we had a meeting as a group,",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":596,"children":597},{},[598],{"type":38,"value":599},"Kerry Guard 50:24",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":601,"children":602},{},[603],{"type":38,"value":604},"I love it. Wow. That's a lot of trust putting that on contractors to actually own numbers, I mean, as vendors, that happens to us, but I guess it's similar. That's awesome. I think that again, that brings it into the fold, that makes them feel empowered, that holds him accountable naturally. Oh my gosh, I love this conversation. And Aerin, I am. Ah, it's so helpful to just think about a different way to do it, especially when you're in a crunch right now, where there was probably a ton of layoffs that happened, and you went from having a whole team at your fingertips to being a team of one, and how you might navigate that. And this is a brilliant way to think about this lovely web of contractors that you bring in on very specific hours to do very specific things, to get things off your plate, you are don't have to do it all. It's really hard to like, navigate, and to feel you don't have to do it all. It's so true.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":606,"children":607},{},[608],{"type":38,"value":609},"Aerin Paulo 51:24",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":611,"children":612},{},[613],{"type":38,"value":614},"I think getting to the point where you're comfortable calling out when you're overloaded is really important as well. Hopefully, you have leadership that supports that. But even with contractors, sometimes you can't do it all. Sometimes things have to be deprioritized. And when, inevitably, when people come to you and say, Hey, can you do this thing? Getting comfortable saying, absolutely, what can I push off in order to get it done? And also, when do you need it? By asking for dates, ask for dates, and ask for prioritization always and every time, very helpful. It's so helpful.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":616,"children":617},{},[618],{"type":38,"value":619},"Kerry Guard 52:00",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":621,"children":622},{},[623],{"type":38,"value":624},"I'm terrible at that, and yes, to the importance of that. So, about Aerin, where can people before I ask you my last question, we do my people's first question? Where can people find you? Where can they learn more about if they want to become a contractor, maybe with you. What's the best place to get in touch? LinkedIn, yeah, good.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":626,"children":627},{},[628],{"type":38,"value":629},"Aerin Paulo 52:20",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":631,"children":632},{},[633],{"type":38,"value":634},"Good home base for us all. For us all. My other stuff is all personal because I have a kiddo, and I keep that private for him.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":636,"children":637},{},[638],{"type":38,"value":639},"Kerry Guard 52:29",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":641,"children":642},{},[643],{"type":38,"value":644},"Yes to that, yes, that I love. Ah, Aerin, last question for you before you are more than a marketer. In 2024, we've figured out this COVID thing. It's here to stay. We're navigating it. It is what it is, but we're traveling the world is open again. Remote work is here to stay. What are you most looking forward to in this new era, this new dot?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":646,"children":647},{},[648],{"type":38,"value":649},"Aerin Paulo 52:59",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":651,"children":652},{},[653],{"type":38,"value":654},"That is a great question that I don't have because it's the answer is not nothing. I know that I you know, I am trying to. I don't do New Year's resolutions. I do words, focus words, and this year, my focus words are curiosity and balance. So balance to figure out, making sure I have that work-life balance. I'm signing off at the end of the day and not thinking about work, that sort of thing, and curiosity, both in learning new things and also questioning my own mindset when I'm thinking, you know, when you catastrophize, think about, why are you, why are you doing that? Does it need to happen? That sort of thing? And those words are, I'm hoping, going to help me grow as a person, maybe get out of my comfort zone, and do something interesting. I don't know what it is yet, though.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":656,"children":657},{},[658],{"type":38,"value":659},"Kerry Guard 53:52",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":661,"children":662},{},[663],{"type":38,"value":664},"Well, I'll follow up with you and find out, because that's important work, and it's hard work, and I commend you for putting those words to work and figuring those out. It's yes to that we all, we all need to be doing both of those things, and good for you for putting intention behind it. Aerin, I cannot say it enough. I'm so grateful for this conversation. Thank you so much. Thank you, me too. If you liked this episode, please like, subscribe, and share again. This episode is brought to you by mkg marketing, the digital marketing that helps complex brands build trust with complex audiences through SEO and digital ads. Is hosted by me, Kerry Guard, CEO of MKG Marketing. And if you'd like to be a guest, ping me. Let's hang out. I'd love to have you on the shelf.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":666,"children":667},{},[668,672],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":670,"children":671},"br",{},[],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":673,"children":674},{},[],{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":677},2,[678,679],{"id":31,"depth":676,"text":39},{"id":48,"depth":676,"text":54},"markdown","content:podcasts:marketing-leaders:building-marketing-from-scratch-without-burning-out.md","content","podcasts/marketing-leaders/building-marketing-from-scratch-without-burning-out.md","podcasts/marketing-leaders/building-marketing-from-scratch-without-burning-out","md",[687,944,1258,1528,1960],{"_path":688,"_dir":689,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":690,"description":691,"_schema":692,"authors":693,"date":694,"img":695,"imgAlt":696,"body":697,"_type":680,"_id":940,"_source":682,"_file":941,"_stem":942,"_extension":685,"category":689,"minutes":943},"/blog/seo/google-is-cracking-down-on-back-button-hijacking","seo","Google is Cracking Down on Back Button Hijacking","Google’s latest spam update targets websites that interfere with normal browser navigation.\n","default",[],"2026-04-28T17:59:00Z","/images/blog/mkg-blog-back-button-hijacking.webp","back button hijacking",{"type":25,"children":698,"toc":933},[699,704,713,718,723,743,748,757,762,767,785,790,799,804,820,834,839,844,849,858,863,868,873,878,887,892,897,902,907,925,930],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":700,"children":701},{},[702],{"type":38,"value":703},"Back button hijacking has always been a frustrating, if obscure, part of the web. Now, Google is making it clear: if your site uses it, your site could take a hit.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":705,"children":707},{"id":706},"what-is-back-button-hijacking",[708],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":709,"children":710},{},[711],{"type":38,"value":712},"What is back button hijacking?",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":714,"children":715},{},[716],{"type":38,"value":717},"Back button hijacking is when a website interferes with your browser’s back button, preventing you from easily leaving the page.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":719,"children":720},{},[721],{"type":38,"value":722},"Instead of returning to the previous page, clicking “back” might:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":725,"children":726},"ul",{},[727,733,738],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":729,"children":730},"li",{},[731],{"type":38,"value":732},"Reload the same page",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":734,"children":735},{},[736],{"type":38,"value":737},"Send you to a different page on the same site",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":739,"children":740},{},[741],{"type":38,"value":742},"Redirect you to an ad or pop-up",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":744,"children":745},{},[746],{"type":38,"value":747},"It’s usually done with scripts that manipulate the browser’s history. But for users, it feels like getting stuck, or worse, being manipulated.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":749,"children":751},{"id":750},"why-do-sites-use-it",[752],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":753,"children":754},{},[755],{"type":38,"value":756},"Why do sites use it",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":758,"children":759},{},[760],{"type":38,"value":761},"Sites use back button hijacking to force users to stay on their website longer, artificially inflating page views and ad impressions while preventing them from leaving.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":763,"children":764},{},[765],{"type":38,"value":766},"The goals are usually:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":768,"children":769},{},[770,775,780],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":771,"children":772},{},[773],{"type":38,"value":774},"Increase pageviews",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":776,"children":777},{},[778],{"type":38,"value":779},"Boost time on site",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":781,"children":782},{},[783],{"type":38,"value":784},"Push users toward ads or conversions",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":786,"children":787},{},[788],{"type":38,"value":789},"It can make engagement numbers look better on paper. But it does that by forcing behavior, not by improving user experience.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":791,"children":793},{"id":792},"googles-new-spam-policy-update",[794],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":795,"children":796},{},[797],{"type":38,"value":798},"Google’s new spam policy update",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":800,"children":801},{},[802],{"type":38,"value":803},"All that to say, steps to curb back button hijacking are finally being taken.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":805,"children":806},{},[807,809,818],{"type":38,"value":808},"Recent ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":811,"children":815},"a",{"href":812,"rel":813},"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-punish-websites-browser-back-button-hijacking-annoying/",[814],"nofollow",[816],{"type":38,"value":817},"reporting",{"type":38,"value":819}," confirms that Google is now treating back button hijacking as a policy violation.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":821,"children":822},{},[823,825,832],{"type":38,"value":824},"In its official announcement, ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":826,"children":829},{"href":827,"rel":828},"https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/04/back-button-hijacking",[814],[830],{"type":38,"value":831},"Google says",{"type":38,"value":833},":",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":835,"children":836},{},[837],{"type":38,"value":838},"“Back button hijacking is a deceptive practice that interferes with the user’s ability to navigate the web and creates a frustrating experience. Pages that engage in this behavior may be subject to ranking demotions or removal from search results.”",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":840,"children":841},{},[842],{"type":38,"value":843},"What’s changed is the level of enforcement. Google has addressed shady UX tactics before, but this update clearly ties back button hijacking to search penalties. That means it’s no longer just a bad practice, but rather something that can directly impact visibility.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":845,"children":846},{},[847],{"type":38,"value":848},"This also aligns with Google’s broader push to reduce manipulative behaviors in search. As its systems get better at evaluating real user experience, tactics that artificially inflate engagement are becoming easier to identify and penalize at scale.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":850,"children":852},{"id":851},"why-this-matters",[853],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":854,"children":855},{},[856],{"type":38,"value":857},"Why this matters",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":859,"children":860},{},[861],{"type":38,"value":862},"This update is a clear signal about how Google evaluates site quality.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":864,"children":865},{},[866],{"type":38,"value":867},"Back button hijacking works by blocking normal user behavior. When someone clicks “back,” they’ve already decided the page didn’t meet their needs. Preventing that action creates friction and frustration, which is exactly what Google is trying to avoid in its results.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":869,"children":870},{},[871],{"type":38,"value":872},"It also undermines the reliability of engagement metrics. If users are being forced to stay on a site, metrics like time on page or pages per session no longer reflect real interest. That makes those signals less trustworthy, and makes sites using these tactics stand out for the wrong reasons.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":874,"children":875},{},[876],{"type":38,"value":877},"There’s also a compounding effect. Poor user experience can lead to lower trust, fewer return visits, and weaker brand perception. Combined with potential ranking drops, the downside is much bigger than any short-term gain.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":879,"children":881},{"id":880},"the-mkg-pov",[882],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":883,"children":884},{},[885],{"type":38,"value":886},"The MKG POV",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":888,"children":889},{},[890],{"type":38,"value":891},"Our view at MKG is simple: don’t use tactics that work against the user.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":893,"children":894},{},[895],{"type":38,"value":896},"Back button hijacking tries to force engagement rather than earn it. That approach doesn’t hold up, especially now that Google is actively penalizing it.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":898,"children":899},{},[900],{"type":38,"value":901},"If users are leaving a page, that’s useful feedback. It usually points to an issue with content, intent, or usability. Fixing those problems is what improves performance over time.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":903,"children":904},{},[905],{"type":38,"value":906},"The safest approach is still the best one:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":908,"children":909},{},[910,915,920],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":911,"children":912},{},[913],{"type":38,"value":914},"Follow Google’s guidelines",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":916,"children":917},{},[918],{"type":38,"value":919},"Focus on useful, clear content",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":921,"children":922},{},[923],{"type":38,"value":924},"Make it easy for users to navigate",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":926,"children":927},{},[928],{"type":38,"value":929},"Shortcuts like this may offer a temporary lift, but they create long-term risk. Sites that stick to best practices are the ones that keep their rankings and their audience.",{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":931,"children":932},{},[],{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":934},[935,936,937,938,939],{"id":706,"depth":676,"text":712},{"id":750,"depth":676,"text":756},{"id":792,"depth":676,"text":798},{"id":851,"depth":676,"text":857},{"id":880,"depth":676,"text":886},"content:blog:seo:google-is-cracking-down-on-back-button-hijacking.md","blog/seo/google-is-cracking-down-on-back-button-hijacking.md","blog/seo/google-is-cracking-down-on-back-button-hijacking",3,{"_path":945,"_dir":689,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":946,"description":947,"_schema":692,"authors":948,"date":949,"img":950,"imgAlt":951,"body":952,"_type":680,"_id":1254,"_source":682,"_file":1255,"_stem":1256,"_extension":685,"category":689,"minutes":1257},"/blog/seo/recalibrating-the-lead-bridging-the-2026-measurement-gap-in-paid-social","Recalibrating the Lead - Bridging the 2026 Measurement Gap in Paid Social","Click-through rates are shifting as buyers change how they browse. Here is how to audit zero-party data and bridge the CRM-to-platform gap.\n",[],"2026-04-15T17:59:00Z","/images/blog/mkg-blog-recalibrating-the-lead-hero-image.webp","Recalibrating the Lead",{"type":25,"children":953,"toc":1245},[954,959,964,969,982,991,996,1001,1006,1015,1020,1025,1030,1041,1050,1055,1060,1065,1070,1079,1091,1096,1129,1134,1139,1148,1153,1158,1170,1179,1184,1189,1194,1203,1242],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":955,"children":956},{},[957],{"type":38,"value":958},"The B2B marketing landscape has outgrown traditional attribution. For years, paid social depended on frequent touchpoints and linear tracking: run an ad, get a click, capture a form fill, and mark a conversion. In 2026, that straight line is gone.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":960,"children":961},{},[962],{"type":38,"value":963},"Buyer behavior on social has fundamentally shifted. People are browsing in a more filtered way, often using generative tools to summarize feeds and strip out irrelevant content. As a result, traditional click-through rates look different. Strong engagement metrics no longer guarantee a healthy pipeline. In many cases, lean marketing teams are pouring budget into disconnected tactics that perform well on-platform but fail to produce qualified leads in the CRM.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":965,"children":966},{},[967],{"type":38,"value":968},"This is the measurement gap—the distance between what a social platform calls a “conversion” and what your sales team recognizes as a qualified opportunity. When those data points don’t match, your strategy becomes reactive. Closing that gap requires moving beyond surface-level metrics and anchoring your decisions in revenue. Metrics that don’t connect to the pipeline won’t revive a stalled funnel. It’s time to confront the data honestly and recalibrate your approach.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":970,"children":971},{},[972,975],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":973,"children":974},{},[],{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":977,"children":981},"img",{"height":978,"width":979,"src":980},563,1000,"/uploads/mkg-blog-recalibrating-the-lead-image-1.jpg",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":983,"children":985},{"id":984},"the-evolution-of-the-b2b-buyer-journey",[986],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":987,"children":988},{},[989],{"type":38,"value":990},"The Evolution of the B2B Buyer Journey",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":992,"children":993},{},[994],{"type":38,"value":995},"In 2026, B2B buyers are more self-directed than ever. They complete most of their research before speaking with a brand, gathering information in small, scattered moments across multiple channels. By the time they reach your landing page, they’ve often already formed an opinion—shaped by automated summaries, peer recommendations, and private community conversations.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":997,"children":998},{},[999],{"type":38,"value":1000},"The problem begins when marketers try to force this non-linear behavior into an outdated measurement model. If you rely solely on last-click attribution, you overlook the most important parts of the journey. You see the final action but miss the steps that actually built trust. As a result, budgets get funneled into the last touchpoint while the early-stage awareness that started the process is undervalued or ignored.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1002,"children":1003},{},[1004],{"type":38,"value":1005},"Many teams respond by simply turning up the volume—more ads, more spend, more generic content. But more noise isn’t the fix. What’s needed is a consistent system that connects social engagement to real business outcomes.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1007,"children":1009},{"id":1008},"bridging-the-crm-to-platform-gap-with-accuracy",[1010],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1011,"children":1012},{},[1013],{"type":38,"value":1014},"Bridging the CRM-to-Platform Gap with Accuracy",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1016,"children":1017},{},[1018],{"type":38,"value":1019},"To bridge the measurement gap, we anchor on the Truth pillar of our operating system. This isn’t about tracking every pixel perfectly—it’s about aligning platform data with CRM reality. The goal is to ensure that leads from your social campaigns are highly likely to convert into revenue.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1021,"children":1022},{},[1023],{"type":38,"value":1024},"Most paid social failures in 2026 stem from misalignment between marketing and sales. Marketing optimizes for lead volume; sales is focused on real business opportunities. When those definitions don’t match, the data becomes misleading. The fix is to audit the full journey—from the first ad impression to the moment a deal closes.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1026,"children":1027},{},[1028],{"type":38,"value":1029},"Doing this right requires technical reconciliation. CRM data must be sent back into your social platforms so their algorithms can learn what a qualified lead truly looks like, not just what generates the cheapest clicks. If you’re not connecting ad interactions to sales stages, you don’t have a clear view of performance. A senior strategist understands that if the data doesn’t lead to a sales conversation, it isn’t actionable.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1031,"children":1032},{},[1033,1036],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":1034,"children":1035},{},[],{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":1037,"children":1040},{"height":1038,"width":979,"src":1039},667,"/uploads/mkg-blog-recalibrating-the-lead-image-2.jpg",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1042,"children":1044},{"id":1043},"beyond-the-click-auditing-zero-party-data",[1045],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1046,"children":1047},{},[1048],{"type":38,"value":1049},"Beyond the Click: Auditing Zero-Party Data",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1051,"children":1052},{},[1053],{"type":38,"value":1054},"As traditional tracking methods like third-party cookies have lost effectiveness, technical data has become less reliable. To find the truth in 2026, you have to prioritize why a prospect chose to engage with you. That’s where zero-party data becomes critical to your B2B tech stack.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1056,"children":1057},{},[1058],{"type":38,"value":1059},"Zero-party data is information a prospect willingly and explicitly shares. In paid social, this often shows up in “How did you hear about us?” fields on demo requests or lead forms. Automated tracking shows you the technical path; zero-party data reveals the professional reason behind the interest.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1061,"children":1062},{},[1063],{"type":38,"value":1064},"When we audit this data, we frequently uncover a disconnect. A platform may claim a lead came from a specific retargeting ad, while the prospect explains they’ve been following your team’s technical insights for months. Both views matter—but the prospect’s answer tells you how to actually replicate success.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1066,"children":1067},{},[1068],{"type":38,"value":1069},"By capturing this information, you move beyond superficial metrics and start identifying the real triggers that move a buyer from research to decision. It’s a practical approach grounded in the buyer’s lived experience, focused on insights that actually change business outcomes.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1071,"children":1073},{"id":1072},"b2b-revenue-attribution-2026-the-new-standard",[1074],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1075,"children":1076},{},[1077],{"type":38,"value":1078},"B2B Revenue Attribution 2026: The New Standard",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1080,"children":1081},{},[1082,1084,1089],{"type":38,"value":1083},"The standard for ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1085,"children":1086},{},[1087],{"type":38,"value":1088},"B2B Revenue Attribution in 2026",{"type":38,"value":1090}," is a consistent discipline, not just a software tool. It is the practice of combining automated tracking with human observation. Leading with insight means admitting when data is unclear and having a specific plan to fix it.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1092,"children":1093},{},[1094],{"type":38,"value":1095},"To achieve marketing and sales alignment, your attribution model must include:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":1097,"children":1098},{},[1099,1109,1119],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1100,"children":1101},{},[1102,1107],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1103,"children":1104},{},[1105],{"type":38,"value":1106},"The Filtered Search Reality:",{"type":38,"value":1108}," Acknowledging that buyers use automated tools to screen content, making your brand’s technical authority as important as your direct ads.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1110,"children":1111},{},[1112,1117],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1113,"children":1114},{},[1115],{"type":38,"value":1116},"Platform-to-CRM Sync:",{"type":38,"value":1118}," Ensuring every dollar spent on social media is tracked to a specific stage in the sales funnel.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1120,"children":1121},{},[1122,1127],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1123,"children":1124},{},[1125],{"type":38,"value":1126},"Self-Reported Data:",{"type":38,"value":1128}," Using zero-party data to verify or challenge what the automated dashboards are reporting.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1130,"children":1131},{},[1132],{"type":38,"value":1133},"When these elements are connected, you move from reactive decision-making to a systematic process. You stop asking if an ad worked and start asking if a specific channel is increasing your revenue velocity.",{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":1135,"children":1138},{"height":1136,"width":979,"src":1137},648,"/uploads/mkg-blog-recalibrating-the-lead-image-3.jpg",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1140,"children":1142},{"id":1141},"a-practical-plan-for-recalibration",[1143],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1144,"children":1145},{},[1146],{"type":38,"value":1147},"A Practical Plan for Recalibration",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1149,"children":1150},{},[1151],{"type":38,"value":1152},"If your Paid Social performance is not improving, it is likely because your measurement model does not match how buyers behave today. You are dealing with technical inefficiencies caused by a disconnected system.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1154,"children":1155},{},[1156],{"type":38,"value":1157},"It is time to look at your strategy clearly. Recalibrating for 2026 is not about finding a new tool; it is about creating a reliable process for your data. It requires professional operations and a sharp strategy. We help marketers by providing a direct and practical plan to fix these issues.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1159,"children":1160},{},[1161,1163,1168],{"type":38,"value":1162},"The ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1164,"children":1165},{},[1166],{"type":38,"value":1167},"Paid Social Measurement Gap",{"type":38,"value":1169}," is a risk only if it is ignored. By connecting your CRM and social platforms and making zero-party data a primary metric, you protect your marketing budget. You ensure your spending is a direct investment in the company's growth.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1171,"children":1173},{"id":1172},"final-thoughts-from-clicks-to-reality",[1174],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1175,"children":1176},{},[1177],{"type":38,"value":1178},"Final Thoughts: From Clicks to Reality",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1180,"children":1181},{},[1182],{"type":38,"value":1183},"The shift in 2026 has been a significant change for B2B brands. Using social media as just a digital brochure is no longer effective. Alignment between marketing and sales is now a requirement for any successful business.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1185,"children":1186},{},[1187],{"type":38,"value":1188},"Our team is focused on providing clear and direct guidance. We are here to help you manage this complexity. We believe that when your systems are functional and your goals are clear, marketing becomes a highly effective part of your business.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1190,"children":1191},{},[1192],{"type":38,"value":1193},"Do not let your budget be wasted because of a measurement gap. It is time to move from reactive tactics to a systematic approach. Build a strategy that is verified by your dashboard and reflected in your revenue.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1195,"children":1197},{"id":1196},"summary",[1198],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1199,"children":1200},{},[1201],{"type":38,"value":1202},"Summary",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1204,"children":1205},{},[1206,1208,1212,1214,1219,1221,1226,1228,1233,1235,1240],{"type":38,"value":1207},"In 2026, B2B brands are facing a ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1209,"children":1210},{},[1211],{"type":38,"value":1167},{"type":38,"value":1213}," as buyers change their browsing habits and research journeys. Traditional engagement metrics are no longer sufficient, leading to wasted spend and disconnected tactics. By using the ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1215,"children":1216},{},[1217],{"type":38,"value":1218},"mkgOS Truth pillar",{"type":38,"value":1220},", marketing teams can connect CRM data to social platforms and use ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1222,"children":1223},{},[1224],{"type":38,"value":1225},"Zero-Party Data",{"type":38,"value":1227}," to understand why leads are engaging. True ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1229,"children":1230},{},[1231],{"type":38,"value":1232},"Marketing-Sales Alignment",{"type":38,"value":1234}," requires ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1236,"children":1237},{},[1238],{"type":38,"value":1239},"B2B Revenue Attribution",{"type":38,"value":1241}," that combines technical data with direct feedback from prospects. It is time to move toward a systematic approach that drives measurable revenue.",{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":1243,"children":1244},{},[],{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":1246},[1247,1248,1249,1250,1251,1252,1253],{"id":984,"depth":676,"text":990},{"id":1008,"depth":676,"text":1014},{"id":1043,"depth":676,"text":1049},{"id":1072,"depth":676,"text":1078},{"id":1141,"depth":676,"text":1147},{"id":1172,"depth":676,"text":1178},{"id":1196,"depth":676,"text":1202},"content:blog:seo:recalibrating-the-lead-bridging-the-2026-measurement-gap-in-paid-social.md","blog/seo/recalibrating-the-lead-bridging-the-2026-measurement-gap-in-paid-social.md","blog/seo/recalibrating-the-lead-bridging-the-2026-measurement-gap-in-paid-social",6,{"_path":1259,"_dir":689,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1260,"description":1261,"_schema":692,"authors":1262,"date":1263,"img":1264,"imgAlt":1265,"body":1266,"_type":680,"_id":1525,"_source":682,"_file":1526,"_stem":1527,"_extension":685,"category":689,"minutes":1257},"/blog/seo/the-invisibility-trap-why-page-1-ranking-is-failing-the-ai-agent-test","The Invisibility Trap - Why Page 1 Ranking is Failing the AI-Agent Test","Your SEO metrics are green, but your pipeline is flat. Here is how to stop chasing clicks and start winning the AI Overview.\n",[],"2026-04-08T17:59:00Z","/images/blog/mkg-blog-the-invisibility-trap-hero-image.webp","The Invisibility Trap",{"type":25,"children":1267,"toc":1515},[1268,1273,1278,1283,1288,1300,1309,1314,1319,1324,1333,1338,1343,1348,1357,1362,1380,1390,1399,1404,1409,1414,1423,1428,1433,1438,1442,1451,1456,1461,1466,1471,1480,1485,1490,1495,1502,1507,1512],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1269,"children":1270},{},[1271],{"type":38,"value":1272},"For a decade, Page 1 was the promised land. If you held a top-three spot for your core commercial keywords, the math was simple: high rankings equaled high traffic, which equaled a healthy pipeline. You could take those green arrows in your SEO dashboard to the board and confidently declare victory.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1274,"children":1275},{},[1276],{"type":38,"value":1277},"But in 2026, that math is broken. We’ve entered the era of the Invisibility Trap.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1279,"children":1280},{},[1281],{"type":38,"value":1282},"Today, B2B marketing teams are reporting a baffling paradox: their keyword rankings are at an all-time high, yet their organic lead flow is flat—or worse, declining. Traditional SEO metrics have become a vanity project. While you’re celebrating a #1 ranking, AI Overviews (SVO) and generative agents are capturing your prospect's intent before they ever have a reason to click your link.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1284,"children":1285},{},[1286],{"type":38,"value":1287},"Your audience isn't scrolling past you; they are getting the answer they need from an AI-generated summary that has scraped your expertise and served it up without the referral credit. If your strategy is still built on Keyword Tracking, you are effectively invisible to the agents that now gatekeep the B2B buyer’s journey. At MKG, we speak like a senior strategist who’s been in the mess and knows how to clear the fog. We know that marketing-muddled metrics won't save a stalling pipeline. It’s time to get your brain back.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1289,"children":1290},{},[1291,1294],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":1292,"children":1293},{},[],{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":1295,"children":1299},{"height":1296,"width":1297,"src":1298},1536,2816,"/uploads/mkg-blog-the-invisibility-trap-image-1.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1301,"children":1303},{"id":1302},"the-death-of-the-click-and-the-rise-of-the-agent",[1304],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1305,"children":1306},{},[1307],{"type":38,"value":1308},"The Death of the Click and the Rise of the Agent",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1310,"children":1311},{},[1312],{"type":38,"value":1313},"The B2B buyer has changed. They are no longer interested in opening multiple tabs while they hunt through ten different blue links to find a lead-scoring model or a B2B tech stack audit. They are asking LLMs to do the heavy lifting for them. When a prospect asks, \"What are the best lead scoring models for Series B SaaS?\", they aren't looking for a list of blogs; they are looking for a definitive answer.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1315,"children":1316},{},[1317],{"type":38,"value":1318},"If an AI Overview provides that answer using your data but fails to cite you—or worse, cites your competitor—you’ve lost. Traditional SEO was about traffic; Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) is about authority.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1320,"children":1321},{},[1322],{"type":38,"value":1323},"We see overwhelmed marketers meeting this challenge with more of the same: more keywords, more blogs, more \"B2B brochure\" content. But you don't need another channel; you need a compounding rhythm. You need to shift from being a link to being an entity that the AI recognizes as the primary source of truth. We have our systems dialed, our values straight, and our heads on.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1325,"children":1327},{"id":1326},"shifting-from-keywords-to-entity-visibility",[1328],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1329,"children":1330},{},[1331],{"type":38,"value":1332},"Shifting from Keywords to Entity Visibility",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1334,"children":1335},{},[1336],{"type":38,"value":1337},"In the mkgOS, we don't talk in trends; we talk in tactics and systems. To escape the Invisibility Trap, we use the Knowledge pillar of our system to move beyond the Keyword Tracking of the past. This isn't just about being strategic, not sterile; it’s about B2B Generative Engine Optimization.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1339,"children":1340},{},[1341],{"type":38,"value":1342},"AI agents don't just read keywords; they map entities and relationships. They are looking for the senior strategist voice—the one who has done the reps and knows the acronyms. To win the AI Overview Ranking, your brand must be institutionalized as the definitive source in the LLM’s training data and real-time search index.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1344,"children":1345},{},[1346],{"type":38,"value":1347},"This requires a fundamental shift in how you build content. We lead with insight, not ego. Instead of asking \"What keywords should we rank for?\", we ask \"What unique information gain are we providing that an LLM can't hallucinate?\" We skip the fluff.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1349,"children":1351},{"id":1350},"institutionalizing-authority-via-the-mkgos",[1352],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1353,"children":1354},{},[1355],{"type":38,"value":1356},"Institutionalizing Authority via the mkgOS",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1358,"children":1359},{},[1360],{"type":38,"value":1361},"The mkgOS (Tech + Strategy) approach is built for humans but proven in dashboards. When we tackle SVO, we aren't just \"polishing\" your content; we are re-engineering your digital footprint to be AI-Agent ready. This involves three core tactical shifts:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":1363,"children":1364},{},[1365,1370,1375],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1366,"children":1367},{},[1368],{"type":38,"value":1369},"Entity-First Content Architecture: We stop treating pages as isolated islands. We build a web of interconnected entities that define your expertise.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1371,"children":1372},{},[1373],{"type":38,"value":1374},"The Accountability of Citations: We ensure your data is so specific and crisp that an AI agent has no choice but to cite you as the primary source.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1376,"children":1377},{},[1378],{"type":38,"value":1379},"Operator Energy in Metadata: We speak fluently in ops because we live in operations. From Asana to OKRs, we apply technical rigor to your schema and backend data structures so LLMs can ingest your insights with zero friction.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1381,"children":1382},{},[1383,1386],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":1384,"children":1385},{},[],{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":1387,"children":1389},{"height":1296,"width":1297,"src":1388},"/uploads/mkg-blog-the-invisibility-trap-image-2.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1391,"children":1393},{"id":1392},"why-volume-is-a-random-act-of-marketing",[1394],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1395,"children":1396},{},[1397],{"type":38,"value":1398},"Why Volume is a Random Act of Marketing",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1400,"children":1401},{},[1402],{"type":38,"value":1403},"Most SEO strategies in 2026 are Random Acts of Marketing dressed up in expensive reporting tools. They focus on volume over value. If you’re experiencing tactical inefficiencies where your traffic is up but your demo requests are down, you are likely a victim of the content inflation crisis.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1405,"children":1406},{},[1407],{"type":38,"value":1408},"AI agents are trained to filter out fluff. If your content sounds like a generic B2B brochure, the agent will summarize the basic points and move on. However, if your content provides specific, field-tested tactics and unique operational insights, you add real value that an AI can recognize and prioritize.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1410,"children":1411},{},[1412],{"type":38,"value":1413},"We show personality through accuracy and tone, not through forced jokes or loud branding. In the world of generative search, being clear and authoritative is what gets your brand cited.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1415,"children":1417},{"id":1416},"search-visibility-optimization-svo-the-new-metric-of-success",[1418],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1419,"children":1420},{},[1421],{"type":38,"value":1422},"Search Visibility Optimization (SVO): The New Metric of Success",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1424,"children":1425},{},[1426],{"type":38,"value":1427},"You have to say things that stick. An AI agent is more likely to cite a source that provides a direct, clear, confident, and no-B.S. plan than one that waffles through 2,000 words of jargon. We’re not afraid to say things the way our clients are thinking them. That directness is exactly what an AI looks for when it’s trying to provide a Verified Human answer.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1429,"children":1430},{},[1431],{"type":38,"value":1432},"In 2026, we don't just track where you sit on a page; we track your \"Share of Model.\" SVO measures how often your brand is cited in AI Overviews and generative responses across ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Search.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1434,"children":1435},{},[1436],{"type":38,"value":1437},"This is the heart of the MKG approach. We care deeply about people—and that means we care about where they are getting their information. If they are getting it from an agent, we make sure the agent speaks your language. AI Overview Ranking is not about luck; it’s about a system. We meet overwhelmed marketers with empathy and a plan.",{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":1439,"children":1441},{"height":1296,"width":1297,"src":1440},"/uploads/mkg-blog-the-invisibility-trap-image-3.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1443,"children":1445},{"id":1444},"getting-your-brain-back-from-the-algorithms",[1446],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1447,"children":1448},{},[1449],{"type":38,"value":1450},"Getting Your Brain Back from the Algorithms",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1452,"children":1453},{},[1454],{"type":38,"value":1455},"If you feel like you’re treading water with your current SEO agency, it’s probably because they’re still playing a 2022 game. They’re giving you sterile reports when what you actually need are strategic insights.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1457,"children":1458},{},[1459],{"type":38,"value":1460},"Let’s get your brain back.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1462,"children":1463},{},[1464],{"type":38,"value":1465},"The Invisibility Trap is only a trap if you refuse to see the walls. When you shift your focus to B2B Generative Engine Optimization, you stop chasing the ghosts of clicks past and start building a moat around your brand’s authority. You become the senior strategist the AI agents want to quote.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1467,"children":1468},{},[1469],{"type":38,"value":1470},"We don’t need to be zany to be memorable. We just need to be the most reliable, grounded, and sharp source in the room. When an LLM goes looking for an answer to a complex marketing operations question, mkgOS makes sure it finds you.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1472,"children":1474},{"id":1473},"final-thoughts-stop-ranking-start-being-cited",[1475],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1476,"children":1477},{},[1478],{"type":38,"value":1479},"Final Thoughts: Stop Ranking, Start Being Cited",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1481,"children":1482},{},[1483],{"type":38,"value":1484},"You aren't broken; the system is. The transition from \"Page 1\" to \"AI Citation\" is the most significant shift in the history of search, and it requires more than just \"more content.\" It requires Operator Energy.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1486,"children":1487},{},[1488],{"type":38,"value":1489},"It requires a partner who has been in the mess and knows how to clear the fog. At MKG, we are warm, not waffling. We are here to help you navigate the Generative Engine era with a plan that actually works.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1491,"children":1492},{},[1493],{"type":38,"value":1494},"Don't let your brand fall into the Invisibility Trap. Let's move from \"reactive mode\" to a \"rhythm that compounds\". We're human. We're here to help.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1496,"children":1497},{"id":1196},[1498],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1499,"children":1500},{},[1501],{"type":38,"value":1202},{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1503,"children":1504},{},[1505],{"type":38,"value":1506},"In 2026, traditional SEO metrics are drifting further away from what actually drives the pipeline. As AI Overviews (SVOs) capture search intent at the very top of the results page, many B2B brands are getting caught in an “Invisibility Trap”—they still rank on Page 1, but lose conversions to the generative summary above them.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1508,"children":1509},{},[1510],{"type":38,"value":1511},"With the mkgOS Knowledge pillar, MKG helps brands shift from chasing “keywords” to building true “entity visibility,” so large language models recognize your company and cite it as the authoritative source. It’s time to think beyond the click and start winning in the generative era with B2B Generative Engine Optimization.",{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":1513,"children":1514},{},[],{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":1516},[1517,1518,1519,1520,1521,1522,1523,1524],{"id":1302,"depth":676,"text":1308},{"id":1326,"depth":676,"text":1332},{"id":1350,"depth":676,"text":1356},{"id":1392,"depth":676,"text":1398},{"id":1416,"depth":676,"text":1422},{"id":1444,"depth":676,"text":1450},{"id":1473,"depth":676,"text":1479},{"id":1196,"depth":676,"text":1202},"content:blog:seo:the-invisibility-trap-why-page-1-ranking-is-failing-the-ai-agent-test.md","blog/seo/the-invisibility-trap-why-page-1-ranking-is-failing-the-ai-agent-test.md","blog/seo/the-invisibility-trap-why-page-1-ranking-is-failing-the-ai-agent-test",{"_path":1529,"_dir":689,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1530,"description":1531,"_schema":692,"authors":1532,"date":1533,"img":1534,"imgAlt":1535,"body":1536,"_type":680,"_id":1957,"_source":682,"_file":1958,"_stem":1959,"_extension":685,"category":689,"minutes":943},"/blog/seo/monthly-search-industry-report-march-2026","Monthly Search Industry Report - March 2026","Stay updated with the March 2026 search landscape: AI Overviews, zero-click trends, algorithm volatility, and key SEO strategies shaping modern search visibility.",[],"2026-04-02T16:25:00Z","/images/blog/mkg-monthly-search-report-march.webp","Monthly Search Industry Report",{"type":25,"children":1537,"toc":1946},[1538,1547,1590,1599,1604,1684,1693,1698,1761,1770,1780,1801,1810,1841,1850,1860,1869,1879,1884,1917,1925,1943],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1539,"children":1541},{"id":1540},"executive-summary-the-tldr",[1542],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1543,"children":1544},{},[1545],{"type":38,"value":1546},"Executive Summary (The TL;DR)",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":1548,"children":1549},{},[1550,1560,1570,1580],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1551,"children":1552},{},[1553,1558],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1554,"children":1555},{},[1556],{"type":38,"value":1557},"Google’s \"Double Update\":",{"type":38,"value":1559}," Google released two major ranking changes back-to-back this month, causing significant shifts in who shows up at the top of search results.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1561,"children":1562},{},[1563,1568],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1564,"children":1565},{},[1566],{"type":38,"value":1567},"The Citation Shift:",{"type":38,"value":1569}," Being #1 in organic search no longer guarantees you'll be cited in AI Overviews. Data now shows that most AI sources come from pages ranked outside the top 10.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1571,"children":1572},{},[1573,1578],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1574,"children":1575},{},[1576],{"type":38,"value":1577},"Video is Winning:",{"type":38,"value":1579}," YouTube has become the most-cited domain in Google’s AI results, making video a required part of any search strategy.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1581,"children":1582},{},[1583,1588],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1584,"children":1585},{},[1586],{"type":38,"value":1587},"AI Search Goes Premium:",{"type":38,"value":1589}," Perplexity AI has stopped using ads to focus on a subscription model, while ChatGPT has started adding location-based features to compete with local search.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1591,"children":1593},{"id":1592},"algorithm-technical-seo-updates",[1594],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1595,"children":1596},{},[1597],{"type":38,"value":1598},"Algorithm & Technical SEO Updates",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1600,"children":1601},{},[1602],{"type":38,"value":1603},"March was a high-intensity month for Google's core systems, with updates moving faster than we’ve seen in years.",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":1605,"children":1606},{},[1607,1641,1662],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1608,"children":1609},{},[1610,1615,1617,1628,1630,1639],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1611,"children":1612},{},[1613],{"type":38,"value":1614},"Overlapping Updates:",{"type":38,"value":1616}," On March 24, Google launched a ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":1618,"children":1621},{"href":1619,"rel":1620},"https://coalitiontechnologies.com/blog/the-march-2026-google-core-algorithm-update-what-you-need-to-know",[814],[1622],{"type":28,"tag":1623,"props":1624,"children":1625},"u",{},[1626],{"type":38,"value":1627},"(Global Spam Update)",{"type":38,"value":1629},", followed just three days later by the ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":1631,"children":1633},{"href":1619,"rel":1632},[814],[1634],{"type":28,"tag":1623,"props":1635,"children":1636},{},[1637],{"type":38,"value":1638},"(March 2026 Broad Core Update)",{"type":38,"value":1640},". This \"double-tap\" approach means ranking volatility is currently at an all-time high.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1642,"children":1643},{},[1644,1649,1651,1660],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1645,"children":1646},{},[1647],{"type":38,"value":1648},"Focus on Comparative Value:",{"type":38,"value":1650}," Google is no longer just looking at your page in isolation. It is increasingly ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":1652,"children":1654},{"href":1619,"rel":1653},[814],[1655],{"type":28,"tag":1623,"props":1656,"children":1657},{},[1658],{"type":38,"value":1659},"(ranking content based on how it compares)",{"type":38,"value":1661}," to every other result for that same topic.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1663,"children":1664},{},[1665,1670,1672,1682],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1666,"children":1667},{},[1668],{"type":38,"value":1669},"The End of \"AI Bait\":",{"type":38,"value":1671}," The spam update specifically targeted low-effort content created just to \"trick\" AI models into citing it. Quality signals like E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) are being ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":1673,"children":1676},{"href":1674,"rel":1675},"https://www.quantifimedia.com/march-2026-google-core-update",[814],[1677],{"type":28,"tag":1623,"props":1678,"children":1679},{},[1680],{"type":38,"value":1681},"(weighted more heavily)",{"type":38,"value":1683}," than ever.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1685,"children":1687},{"id":1686},"the-geoaeo-frontier",[1688],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1689,"children":1690},{},[1691],{"type":38,"value":1692},"The GEO/AEO Frontier",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1694,"children":1695},{},[1696],{"type":38,"value":1697},"Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) is diverging from traditional SEO. Where you rank and where you are cited are now two different battles.",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":1699,"children":1700},{},[1701,1723,1742],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1702,"children":1703},{},[1704,1709,1711,1721],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1705,"children":1706},{},[1707],{"type":38,"value":1708},"The Citation Gap:",{"type":38,"value":1710}," New research shows a massive drop in \"Top 10\" overlap. In 2025, 76% of AI Overview citations came from the top 10 organic results. 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If a query can be answered with a video, Google's AI is increasingly choosing that over a text-based article.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1743,"children":1744},{},[1745,1750,1752,1759],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1746,"children":1747},{},[1748],{"type":38,"value":1749},"ChatGPT Location Tracking:",{"type":38,"value":1751}," OpenAI introduced ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":1753,"children":1756},{"href":1754,"rel":1755},"https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes",[814],[1757],{"type":38,"value":1758},"(optional location sharing)",{"type":38,"value":1760}," this month. This allows ChatGPT to provide local recommendations (like \"best coffee near me\"), putting it in direct competition with Google Maps for local intent.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1762,"children":1764},{"id":1763},"strategic-implications-for-leaders",[1765],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1766,"children":1767},{},[1768],{"type":38,"value":1769},"Strategic Implications for Leaders",{"type":28,"tag":1771,"props":1772,"children":1774},"h3",{"id":1773},"what-to-ignore",[1775],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1776,"children":1777},{},[1778],{"type":38,"value":1779},"What to ignore:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":1781,"children":1782},{},[1783],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1784,"children":1785},{},[1786,1791,1793,1799],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1787,"children":1788},{},[1789],{"type":38,"value":1790},"Keyword-Only Reporting:",{"type":38,"value":1792}," Stop obsessing over being \"Position 1\" for a specific word. 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Move your most important insights, data points, and \"bottom line\" conclusions to the top of your content.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1832,"children":1833},{},[1834,1839],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1835,"children":1836},{},[1837],{"type":38,"value":1838},"Build Video Assets:",{"type":38,"value":1840}," If you aren't creating helpful, short-form video content on YouTube, you are effectively invisible to 18% of the AI citation market.",{"type":28,"tag":1771,"props":1842,"children":1844},{"id":1843},"looking-ahead",[1845],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1846,"children":1847},{},[1848],{"type":38,"value":1849},"Looking Ahead:",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1851,"children":1852},{},[1853,1858],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1854,"children":1855},{},[1856],{"type":38,"value":1857},"Predictive Search:",{"type":38,"value":1859}," As location sharing becomes the norm for AI assistants, expect \"Search\" to become \"Proactive Suggestions.\" The win for brands in April will be that their content appears in the \"Recommendations\" feed before a user even types a query.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1861,"children":1863},{"id":1862},"optimize-for-the-future",[1864],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1865,"children":1866},{},[1867],{"type":38,"value":1868},"Optimize for the Future",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1870,"children":1871},{},[1872,1874],{"type":38,"value":1873},"The updates this month prove that the old SEO playbook is being rewritten. High rankings are no longer enough; you must be ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1875,"children":1876},{},[1877],{"type":38,"value":1878},"citeable.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1880,"children":1881},{},[1882],{"type":38,"value":1883},"MKG helps VC-backed companies bridge this gap with:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":1885,"children":1886},{},[1887,1897,1907],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1888,"children":1889},{},[1890,1895],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1891,"children":1892},{},[1893],{"type":38,"value":1894},"GEO/AEO Gap Analysis:",{"type":38,"value":1896}," We find exactly where AI is ignoring your brand and fix it.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1898,"children":1899},{},[1900,1905],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1901,"children":1902},{},[1903],{"type":38,"value":1904},"Technical Entity Guardrails:",{"type":38,"value":1906}," We structure your site so AI models can read and trust your data instantly.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":1908,"children":1909},{},[1910,1915],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1911,"children":1912},{},[1913],{"type":38,"value":1914},"Full-Funnel Attribution:",{"type":38,"value":1916}," We track the value of AI citations, even when they don't lead to a traditional click.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1918,"children":1919},{},[1920],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1921,"children":1922},{},[1923],{"type":38,"value":1924},"Ensure your brand isn't left out of the answer.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1926,"children":1927},{},[1928,1941],{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":1929,"children":1932},{"href":1930,"rel":1931},"https://www.google.com/search?q=https://mkgmarketinginc.com/book-a-call/&authuser=2",[814],[1933],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":1934,"children":1935},{},[1936],{"type":28,"tag":1623,"props":1937,"children":1938},{},[1939],{"type":38,"value":1940},"Book a Discovery Call",{"type":38,"value":1942}," with an MKG expert today.",{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":1944,"children":1945},{},[],{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":1947},[1948,1949,1950,1951,1956],{"id":1540,"depth":676,"text":1546},{"id":1592,"depth":676,"text":1598},{"id":1686,"depth":676,"text":1692},{"id":1763,"depth":676,"text":1769,"children":1952},[1953,1954,1955],{"id":1773,"depth":943,"text":1779},{"id":1803,"depth":943,"text":1809},{"id":1843,"depth":943,"text":1849},{"id":1862,"depth":676,"text":1868},"content:blog:seo:monthly-search-industry-report-march-2026.md","blog/seo/monthly-search-industry-report-march-2026.md","blog/seo/monthly-search-industry-report-march-2026",{"_path":1961,"_dir":689,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1962,"description":1963,"_schema":692,"authors":1964,"date":1965,"img":1966,"imgAlt":1967,"body":1968,"_type":680,"_id":2336,"_source":682,"_file":2337,"_stem":2338,"_extension":685,"category":689,"minutes":1257},"/blog/seo/the-trust-dividend-why-ai-governance-is-the-new-competitive-advantage","The Trust Dividend - Why AI Governance is the New Competitive Advantage","In a world of AI-generated noise, trust is the only currency that still compounds. Here is how to institutionalize human expertise.\n",[],"2026-04-01T17:59:00Z","/images/blog/mkg-blog-the-trust-dividend-hero-image.webp","The Trust Dividend",{"type":25,"children":1969,"toc":2325},[1970,1975,1980,1985,1990,2000,2009,2014,2019,2037,2042,2051,2056,2061,2066,2085,2094,2099,2104,2109,2135,2145,2154,2159,2164,2182,2187,2196,2201,2206,2218,2227,2232,2250,2255,2259,2268,2273,2278,2283,2292,2297,2302,2307,2314,2319,2322],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1971,"children":1972},{},[1973],{"type":38,"value":1974},"We’ve reached the tipping point. In 2026, the B2B landscape isn't just crowded; it’s buried under a mountain of synthetic mediocrity. For the last two years, brands have been \"feeding the machine\" with high-volume, low-insight AI content, and the result is a massive trust deficit.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1976,"children":1977},{},[1978],{"type":38,"value":1979},"Buyers are exhausted. They are drowning in 2,000-word guides that say absolutely nothing new. When every LinkedIn post and white paper sounds like it was written by the same polite, slightly detached algorithm, the market begins to retreat. They aren't looking for more \"content\"; they are looking for \"Verified Human\" signals.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1981,"children":1982},{},[1983],{"type":38,"value":1984},"This is the chaos of the current moment: Your prospects are no longer just skeptical of your product—they are skeptical of your very information. They are looking for the marketing leader they’d actually want to work with: sharp, grounded, a little funny, and always focused on what actually works.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1986,"children":1987},{},[1988],{"type":38,"value":1989},"If your strategy is still focused on volume, you aren't building authority; you’re just contributing to the fog. To win in this era, you need to pivot from volume to Information Gain—adding data and perspectives that an AI simply cannot hallucinate. This is where AI Governance for Marketing stops being a legal hurdle and starts being your primary competitive advantage.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":1991,"children":1992},{},[1993,1996],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":1994,"children":1995},{},[],{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":1997,"children":1999},{"height":1296,"width":1297,"src":1998},"/uploads/mkg-blog-the-trust-dividend-image-1.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2001,"children":2003},{"id":2002},"the-content-inflation-crisis-and-the-flight-to-quality",[2004],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2005,"children":2006},{},[2007],{"type":38,"value":2008},"The Content Inflation Crisis and the Flight to Quality",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2010,"children":2011},{},[2012],{"type":38,"value":2013},"We’ve said it before: marketing should not feel like you’re treading water with a laptop, which is what can happen when teams use AI to churn out generic thought leadership articles. When you recite a B2B brochure, you sound dry and detached.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2015,"children":2016},{},[2017],{"type":38,"value":2018},"The trust deficit has created a demand for quality, and B2B buyers are now prioritizing:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":2020,"children":2021},{},[2022,2027,2032],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2023,"children":2024},{},[2025],{"type":38,"value":2026},"First-Party Data: Real numbers from real campaigns, not \"industry averages\".",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2028,"children":2029},{},[2030],{"type":38,"value":2031},"Hard-Won Lessons: Experiences that a senior strategist has actually lived through and knows how to navigate.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2033,"children":2034},{},[2035],{"type":38,"value":2036},"Contrarian Insights: The willingness to say things the way clients are actually thinking them.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2038,"children":2039},{},[2040],{"type":38,"value":2041},"If your AI isn't governed by a human system that prioritizes these B2B trust signals, you are essentially invisible. It’s not you, it’s the lack of a system. At MKG, we lead with insight, not ego.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2043,"children":2045},{"id":2044},"institutionalizing-accountability-the-mkgos-approach",[2046],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2047,"children":2048},{},[2049],{"type":38,"value":2050},"Institutionalizing Accountability: The mkgOS Approach",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2052,"children":2053},{},[2054],{"type":38,"value":2055},"At MKG, we don’t talk in trends; we talk in tactics and systems. To address the trust deficit, we turn to the Accountability pillar of our operating system. We believe that AI Governance for Marketing isn’t about restriction; it’s about creating a disciplined, thoughtful approach to generative technology.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2057,"children":2058},{},[2059],{"type":38,"value":2060},"True governance means having your systems dialed and your values straight. It means moving beyond the \"prompt and post\" mentality and building a rhythmic engine that compounds trust over time.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2062,"children":2063},{},[2064],{"type":38,"value":2065},"When we talk about the TRACK (Accountability) pillar, we are talking about:",{"type":28,"tag":2067,"props":2068,"children":2069},"ol",{},[2070,2075,2080],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2071,"children":2072},{},[2073],{"type":38,"value":2074},"Verification Layers: Every piece of output must be stress-tested by someone who has \"done the reps\".",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2076,"children":2077},{},[2078],{"type":38,"value":2079},"Information Gain SEO: Shifting the focus from keyword density to unique insight density that AI can't mimic.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2081,"children":2082},{},[2083],{"type":38,"value":2084},"Human-in-the-Loop Operations: Ensuring that personality comes through truth and tone, not through forced jokes.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2086,"children":2088},{"id":2087},"information-gain-adding-what-the-machine-cant-hallucinate",[2089],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2090,"children":2091},{},[2092],{"type":38,"value":2093},"Information Gain: Adding What the Machine Can't Hallucinate",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2095,"children":2096},{},[2097],{"type":38,"value":2098},"The secret to Information Gain SEO in 2026 is simple: speak like a senior strategist who’s been in the mess. AI can summarize the internet, but it cannot tell you how a specific lead-scoring model failed or why a certain OKR structure fell apart in Asana.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2100,"children":2101},{},[2102],{"type":38,"value":2103},"This mix of compassion for the overwhelmed marketer and clarity about the plan is our superpower. Governance is the \"hold the line\" part of that equation. It ensures that we never sound like we’re reciting a brochure.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2105,"children":2106},{},[2107],{"type":38,"value":2108},"To achieve Information Gain, your governance model must mandate:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":2110,"children":2111},{},[2112,2117,2130],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2113,"children":2114},{},[2115],{"type":38,"value":2116},"Proprietary Frameworks: Like the \"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast\" mentality that adds flavor, not fluff.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2118,"children":2119},{},[2120,2122,2128],{"type":38,"value":2121},"Negative Constraints: Explicitly stating what ",{"type":28,"tag":2123,"props":2124,"children":2125},"em",{},[2126],{"type":38,"value":2127},"not",{"type":38,"value":2129}," to do, based on actual failures.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2131,"children":2132},{},[2133],{"type":38,"value":2134},"Operator Energy: Speaking fluently in operations because you actually live in them.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2136,"children":2137},{},[2138,2141],{"type":28,"tag":669,"props":2139,"children":2140},{},[],{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":2142,"children":2144},{"height":1296,"width":1297,"src":2143},"/uploads/mkg-blog-the-trust-dividend-image-2.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2146,"children":2148},{"id":2147},"operationalizing-trust-the-use-this-not-this-of-ai-governance",[2149],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2150,"children":2151},{},[2152],{"type":38,"value":2153},"Operationalizing Trust: The \"Use This, Not This\" of AI Governance",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2155,"children":2156},{},[2157],{"type":38,"value":2158},"To institutionalize trust, your team needs to understand the difference between tactical efficiency and strategic impact. We don’t need to be zany to be memorable, but we do say things that stick.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2160,"children":2161},{},[2162],{"type":38,"value":2163},"Here’s how AI governance changes your output in practice:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":2165,"children":2166},{},[2167,2172,2177],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2168,"children":2169},{},[2170],{"type":38,"value":2171},"Instead of: “Maximize your ROI with smarter marketing systems.”\u2028Use: “Let’s get your brain back.”",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2173,"children":2174},{},[2175],{"type":38,"value":2176},"Instead of: “Marketing agility requires proactive planning.”\u2028Use: “Still stuck in reactive mode?”",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2178,"children":2179},{},[2180],{"type":38,"value":2181},"Instead of: “You may be experiencing tactical inefficiencies.”\u2028Use: “You’re not broken. The system is.”",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2183,"children":2184},{},[2185],{"type":38,"value":2186},"By leading with \"Clear, Confident, and No B.S.\" communication, you skip the fluff. Your words remain tight, thoughtful, and human—not marketing-muddled or loaded with jargon. This directness is what buyers are craving in an era of AI-generated waffling.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2188,"children":2190},{"id":2189},"why-volume-is-the-enemy-of-authority",[2191],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2192,"children":2193},{},[2194],{"type":38,"value":2195},"Why Volume is the Enemy of Authority",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2197,"children":2198},{},[2199],{"type":38,"value":2200},"In the early days of AI, the goal was efficiency—how many articles can we produce? But that mindset leads to \"random acts of marketing\". When your competitors are flooding the market with 10% variations of the same ChatGPT response, your high-density, experience-backed insight stands out like a lighthouse.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2202,"children":2203},{},[2204],{"type":38,"value":2205},"We lead with insight, not ego. The \"Truth Deficit\" occurs when marketing teams prioritize the appearance of authority over its substance. They want \"Personality Without Performance\".",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2207,"children":2208},{},[2209,2211,2216],{"type":38,"value":2210},"But in a market where everyone is using the same LLMs, your personality ",{"type":28,"tag":2123,"props":2212,"children":2213},{},[2214],{"type":38,"value":2215},"is",{"type":38,"value":2217}," your performance. We show that personality through \"Kerry-isms\" and direct, no-B.S. communication. We aren't afraid to tell a client, \"You're doing too much\". Let's replace those random acts with something that actually works.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2219,"children":2221},{"id":2220},"the-logistics-of-governance-from-asana-to-okrs",[2222],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2223,"children":2224},{},[2225],{"type":38,"value":2226},"The Logistics of Governance: From Asana to OKRs",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2228,"children":2229},{},[2230],{"type":38,"value":2231},"AI Governance isn't a PDF that sits on a shared drive; it’s a compounding rhythm. We speak fluently in ops because we live in operations. For governance to work, it must be baked into your project management tools.",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":2233,"children":2234},{},[2235,2240,2245],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2236,"children":2237},{},[2238],{"type":38,"value":2239},"In Asana: Every AI-assisted task includes a “Human Truth Check” subtask, where a subject-matter expert validates the output against real-world lead-scoring models or OKR results.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2241,"children":2242},{},[2243],{"type":38,"value":2244},"In Brand Voice: We use our voice pillars to audit AI output. If it sounds “cutesy,” “waffling,” or “cold,” it goes back to the drawing board.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":2246,"children":2247},{},[2248],{"type":38,"value":2249},"In SEO: We audit for Information Gain by asking, “Does this article provide information that wasn’t present in the top 10 search results yesterday?”",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2251,"children":2252},{},[2253],{"type":38,"value":2254},"By implementing this strict framework, you ensure that every touchpoint reinforces your brand as a human entity. You move from \"Still stuck in reactive mode?\" to \"Built for humans. Proven in dashboards\".",{"type":28,"tag":976,"props":2256,"children":2258},{"height":1296,"width":1297,"src":2257},"/uploads/mkg-blog-the-trust-dividend-image-3.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2260,"children":2262},{"id":2261},"the-long-term-play-trust-as-a-moat",[2263],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2264,"children":2265},{},[2266],{"type":38,"value":2267},"The Long-Term Play: Trust as a Moat",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2269,"children":2270},{},[2271],{"type":38,"value":2272},"The \"Trust Dividend\" is the measurable ROI you gain when your audience stops questioning your motives and starts following your lead. It’s what happens when you are strategic, not sterile.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2274,"children":2275},{},[2276],{"type":38,"value":2277},"When your competitors are waffling, you are warm but firm. While they are being \"cutesy\" with AI avatars, you are being experienced, not inflated. This competitive advantage isn't built overnight. It’s a rhythm. It’s about having your systems dialed and staying focused on what actually works.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2279,"children":2280},{},[2281],{"type":38,"value":2282},"It’s about recognizing that you don't need to be zany to be memorable—you just need to say things that stick. Whether it's \"Feed the machine\" or \"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast\", these anchors of truth build a bridge over the trust deficit.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2284,"children":2286},{"id":2285},"final-thoughts-get-your-brain-back",[2287],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2288,"children":2289},{},[2290],{"type":38,"value":2291},"Final Thoughts: Get Your Brain Back",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2293,"children":2294},{},[2295],{"type":38,"value":2296},"If your team is currently \"treading water with a laptop,\" trying to keep up with the AI content arms race, it’s time for a pivot. You aren't broken; the current system is.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2298,"children":2299},{},[2300],{"type":38,"value":2301},"Let's get your brain back. By institutionalizing AI Governance through the lens of accountability and information gain, you stop being a producer of noise and start being a source of truth. You move from \"reactive mode\" to true \"Operator Energy\".",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2303,"children":2304},{},[2305],{"type":38,"value":2306},"In 2026, the most valuable thing you can own is a buyer’s trust. Don't let an ungoverned algorithm cannibalize it. We're human. We're here to help.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2308,"children":2309},{"id":1196},[2310],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":2311,"children":2312},{},[2313],{"type":38,"value":1202},{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":2315,"children":2316},{},[2317],{"type":38,"value":2318},"The rise of generative AI has created a \"Content Inflation Crisis,\" leading B2B buyers to tune out generic, synthetic marketing. 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The band spent the entire evening trying to convince her, then 15-year-old, brother to drop out of school.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3040,"children":3041},{},[3042],{"type":38,"value":3043},"She once spent 3 hours convincing a famous country singer to get off his tour bus to shoot a commercial that her client had contracted him to be in.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3045,"children":3046},{},[3047],{"type":38,"value":3048},"Her family is a big fan of True Crime, and they binge Crime Junkie on every road trip.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":3050},[3051],{"id":3027,"depth":943,"text":3030},"content:team:alanna-moman-rawden.md","team/alanna-moman-rawden.md","team/alanna-moman-rawden",{"_path":3056,"_dir":2990,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3057,"description":3058,"name":3057,"ref":3059,"jobTitle":3060,"team":3060,"images":3061,"linkedIn":3063,"quoteCite":3000,"sequence":3064,"body":3065,"_type":680,"_id":3126,"_source":682,"_file":3127,"_stem":3128,"_extension":685,"category":2990,"minutes":3129},"/team/alicia-antonow","Alicia Antonow","Meet Alicia Antonow, one of MKG Marketing’s saavy digital ads experts, bringing 15+ years of hands on execution and strategy to the table.","alicia-antonow","Digital Advertising Experts",{"landscape":3062},"alicia-antonow.webp","alicia-a-36459bb5",54,{"type":25,"children":3066,"toc":3124},[3067,3075,3080,3088,3093,3101,3106,3114,3119],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3068,"children":3069},{},[3070],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":3071,"children":3072},{},[3073],{"type":38,"value":3074},"How I Got Into Digital Advertising",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3076,"children":3077},{},[3078],{"type":38,"value":3079},"With a background as a nurse, my journey into digital advertising began unexpectedly when I back to Ann Arbor, Michigan. A Google Partner approached me to assist with healthcare content and ads. I quickly discovered a passion for the field, and with Google Ads sales training followed by SEM training, I was hooked.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3081,"children":3082},{},[3083],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":3084,"children":3085},{},[3086],{"type":38,"value":3087},"What I Love About Paid Search",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3089,"children":3090},{},[3091],{"type":38,"value":3092},"Every campaign is like a unique puzzle, even within the same industry. Variations in geography, audiences, and keywords make each project different. I enjoy leveraging the full suite of Google products—Search, Display, Demand Gen, and YouTube—because they work best when integrated. The ever-evolving nature of the work keeps me inspired and challenged.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3094,"children":3095},{},[3096],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":3097,"children":3098},{},[3099],{"type":38,"value":3100},"Why I Chose MKG Marketing",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3102,"children":3103},{},[3104],{"type":38,"value":3105},"I was drawn to MKG Marketing for its people-first culture. The company recognizes that we are all human, with lives outside of work, and fosters a supportive environment that values balance and well-being.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3107,"children":3108},{},[3109],{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":3110,"children":3111},{},[3112],{"type":38,"value":3113},"Fun Facts About Me",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3115,"children":3116},{},[3117],{"type":38,"value":3118},"I’m an avid traveler and love immersing myself in different cultures. Before having kids, my husband and I spent at least three months each year exploring the world.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3120,"children":3121},{},[3122],{"type":38,"value":3123},"I take cooking classes with locals wherever I go and love scuba diving whenever there’s water nearby.\nMy kids are my world—seeing their faces light up when experiencing something new brings me the greatest joy.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":3125},[],"content:team:alicia-antonow.md","team/alicia-antonow.md","team/alicia-antonow",1,{"_path":3131,"_dir":2990,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3132,"description":3133,"name":3132,"jobTitle":3134,"team":3135,"images":3136,"ref":3138,"linkedIn":3139,"sequence":3140,"body":3141,"_type":680,"_id":3189,"_source":682,"_file":3190,"_stem":3191,"_extension":685,"category":2990,"minutes":676},"/team/avery-davis","Avery Davis","Avery Davis is an Account Superivor here at MKG Marketing.","Account Supervisor","Account Services",{"landscape":3137},"avery-davis.webp","avery-davis","avery-davis-114055191",59,{"type":25,"children":3142,"toc":3186},[3143,3149,3154,3159,3164,3168],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3144,"children":3146},{"className":3145},[3006],[3147],{"type":38,"value":3148},"\nAvery began his digital marketing career at a tech startup focused on ID scanning and facial recognition software. In addition to gaining a deep understanding of paid media and analytics, this peaked his interest in cybersecurity and tech in general. He then transitioned to agency life where he specialized in SaaS marketing.\n",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3150,"children":3151},{},[3152],{"type":38,"value":3153},"Over the years, Avery has touched a variety of verticals including health and beauty, eCommerce, medical/pharma, education, and more. He is drawn to agency life because of the variety of clients he is able to work with and, in turn, learn from.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3155,"children":3156},{},[3157],{"type":38,"value":3158},"Although he’s touched several areas of digital marketing, Avery feels most at home when doing Account/ Project Management as well as Copywriting.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3160,"children":3161},{},[3162],{"type":38,"value":3163},"As is the theme with many of our staff, Avery was drawn to MKG because of our culture. In Avery’s words “MKG shares the same values as I do in both my professional and my personal life. When I saw that we meshed so well, this was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse!”",{"type":28,"tag":1771,"props":3165,"children":3166},{"id":3027},[3167],{"type":38,"value":3030},{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":3169,"children":3170},{},[3171,3176,3181],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3172,"children":3173},{},[3174],{"type":38,"value":3175},"Avery is an avid racquetball player. Having first gotten into the sport in college, he’s had lots of fun playing over the years. He tries to get to the court at least once a week.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3177,"children":3178},{},[3179],{"type":38,"value":3180},"Avery is a hobby bartender and enjoys making, tasting, and learning about different drinks. He’s mainly a Kentucky bourbon guy but also loves Japanese whisky!",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3182,"children":3183},{},[3184],{"type":38,"value":3185},"Avery is a black belt in Pasaryu. This is a Korean mixed martial art which includes karate, kung fu, and Taekwondo. He has also trained and competed with weapons: nunchucks and samurai sword just to name a couple!",{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":3187},[3188],{"id":3027,"depth":943,"text":3030},"content:team:avery-davis.md","team/avery-davis.md","team/avery-davis",{"_path":3193,"_dir":2990,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3194,"description":3195,"name":3194,"ref":3196,"jobTitle":3197,"team":3198,"images":3199,"linkedIn":3201,"quote":3202,"quoteCite":3203,"sequence":3204,"body":3205,"_type":680,"_id":3252,"_source":682,"_file":3253,"_stem":3254,"_extension":685,"category":2990,"minutes":676},"/team/jared-gerling","Jared Gerling","Meet Jared Gerling, one of MKG Marketing’s thoughtful SEO Experts, bringing 10+ years of experience, intentionality, and creativity to the team.","jared-gerling","SEO Expert","SEO Experts",{"landscape":3200},"jared-gerling.webp","jaredgerling","The truth is, most of us discover where we are heading when we arrive.","Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)",55,{"type":25,"children":3206,"toc":3250},[3207,3212,3217,3222,3227,3232],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3208,"children":3209},{},[3210],{"type":38,"value":3211},"Jared's journey into digital marketing started with answering a classified ad for a company looking for people with writing backgrounds for a position in SEO. As a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Creative Writing, this sounded like the perfect opportunity.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3213,"children":3214},{},[3215],{"type":38,"value":3216},"This small agency taught him SEO from the ground up, and, after taking a break from digital marketing to receive his MA from DePaul University, Jared jumped back into the field at a medium-sized agency out of Chicago as an SEO analyst.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3218,"children":3219},{},[3220],{"type":38,"value":3221},"Since then, Jared has worked for large and small marketing agencies for over a decade, providing expert SEO services in almost every industry that has a website on the internet. And with his background in writing, Jared feels most at home in the content and customer facing side of SEO and digital marketing.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3223,"children":3224},{},[3225],{"type":38,"value":3226},"It was first and foremost the people that drew Jared to MKG. Everyone at MKG has been so in tune with his values and his personality, and they've made his time at MKG easily the best experience of his career.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3228,"children":3229},{},[3230],{"type":38,"value":3231},"Fun Facts:",{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":3233,"children":3234},{},[3235,3240,3245],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3236,"children":3237},{},[3238],{"type":38,"value":3239},"I love to travel with my wife. We've been to many incredible places over the years, and are always on the lookout for our next destination.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3241,"children":3242},{},[3243],{"type":38,"value":3244},"I was a college rower in my younger days. I rowed mostly eights as a port, and competed against some of the best schools in the nation...and lost to most of them.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3246,"children":3247},{},[3248],{"type":38,"value":3249},"I love a really good French Martini.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":3251},[],"content:team:jared-gerling.md","team/jared-gerling.md","team/jared-gerling",{"_path":3256,"_dir":2990,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3257,"description":3258,"name":3259,"jobTitle":3260,"images":3261,"ref":3263,"sequence":3264,"imageDescription":3265,"body":3266,"_type":680,"_id":3318,"_source":682,"_file":3319,"_stem":3320,"_extension":685,"category":2990,"minutes":676},"/team/kathy-obrien","Kathy Obrien","Meet Kathy O’Brien, MKG Marketing’s amazing executive assistant who consistently supports all of MKG across the many needs of the company.","Kathy O'Brien","Executive Assistant",{"landscape":3262},"kathy-obrien.webp","kathy-obrien",80,"Kathy O’Brien, MKG Marketing’s Executive Assistant, in front of a gray background | MKG Marketing",{"type":25,"children":3267,"toc":3315},[3268,3274,3279,3288,3293,3297],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3269,"children":3271},{"className":3270},[3006],[3272],{"type":38,"value":3273},"\nKathy loves details and has managed the finer details of business her entire career.  She started her career in Center City, Philadelphia working for several law firms.  After she was married and had her first son, she left the bustling city to work closer to home at an international publishing company.  In 1994, Kathy and her husband Bill moved with their two sons to Charlotte, North Carolina.  They eventually completed their family with two more boys born in Charlotte.\n",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3275,"children":3276},{},[3277],{"type":38,"value":3278},"In 2000 they relocated to Chester County, a suburb of Philadelphia. After a hiatus and four sons, Kathy returned to work in Chester County. This time, she gave retail a whirl so that she could be home when her school age boys were home. She quickly found out Ann Taylor was employing one of their best customers. Kathy then spent the following 10+ years in the Non-Profit arena where she did whatever needed to be done to further the mission. No job was too big, small, or unimportant to tackle.",{"type":28,"tag":3280,"props":3281,"children":3282},"blockquote",{},[3283],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3284,"children":3285},{},[3286],{"type":38,"value":3287},"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.\nMother Teresa",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3289,"children":3290},{},[3291],{"type":38,"value":3292},"By February 2020, Kathy was eager to build something for herself and her family. She set off on a new adventure of starting her own business when she was connected with Kerry, Mike, and MKG. Having commuted and worked outside of the home for 10+ years, she was ready to work from home and have a better life balance. She followed the rainbow and found MKG in her pot of gold. MKG is like no other firm or organization for which Kathy has worked. Their standard of people first is evident in every team member, every decision, every meeting, every interaction. They live their standard.",{"type":28,"tag":1771,"props":3294,"children":3295},{"id":3027},[3296],{"type":38,"value":3030},{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":3298,"children":3299},{},[3300,3305,3310],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3301,"children":3302},{},[3303],{"type":38,"value":3304},"Kathy’s dislikes: fruit & chocolate together and Tuesday.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3306,"children":3307},{},[3308],{"type":38,"value":3309},"Family: Kathy met her husband Bill in Wildwood, New Jersey after their high school graduations during “Senior Week”. They have 4 sons and 2 grandsons. There hasn’t been a girl born in the O’Brien family in 32 years! You will often hear Kathy saying her boys are the best 4 gifts she’s ever been given.",{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3311,"children":3312},{},[3313],{"type":38,"value":3314},"Special talent: Baking. Her boys’ (Bill included) favorites are Spritz Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies. There is a running family debate as to whether Ricotta Cookies are cookies or biscuits. At Christmas time, Kathy has been known to hide cookies to save some for guests.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":3316},[3317],{"id":3027,"depth":943,"text":3030},"content:team:kathy-obrien.md","team/kathy-obrien.md","team/kathy-obrien",{"_path":3322,"_dir":2990,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":18,"description":3323,"name":18,"imageDescription":3324,"ref":3325,"jobTitle":3326,"team":2996,"images":3327,"twitter":3329,"linkedIn":3329,"quote":3330,"quoteCite":3331,"sequence":3129,"body":3332,"_type":680,"_id":3380,"_source":682,"_file":3381,"_stem":3382,"_extension":685,"category":2990,"minutes":3129},"/team/kerry-guard","Meet Kerry Guard, one of MKG Marketing’s founders. She currently fills the role of CEO of MKG as well as hosting the podcast, Back on T-R-A-C-K.","Kerry Guard, MKG Marketing’s Owner/CEO, stands on a street in Guernsey with the Town Church behind her | MKG Marketing","kerry-guard","Founder & CEO",{"landscape":3328},"kerry-guard.webp","kerryguard","I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness — it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.","Brené Brown",{"type":25,"children":3333,"toc":3377},[3334,3340,3352,3365,3369],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3335,"children":3337},{"className":3336},[3006],[3338],{"type":38,"value":3339},"\nKerry Guard (she/her) is a mom of twins - boy and a girl. She understands what work life balance really looks like and is on a mission to build a company that honors parents having a career and a life. She’s out to prove you really can have both with policies like ensuring 20 days of vacation each year, no client emails after 6PM or weekends, unlimited sick days, and everyday flexibility.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3341,"children":3342},{},[3343,3345,3350],{"type":38,"value":3344},"She also hosts our podcast, ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":3346,"children":3348},{"href":3347},"/podcasts/marketing-leaders/",[3349],{"type":38,"value":16},{"type":38,"value":3351},", which brings eight digital marketing experts to your ears every quarter.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3353,"children":3354},{},[3355,3357,3363],{"type":38,"value":3356},"Kerry is responsible for HR. If you’d like to join MKG where people are first and your expertise matter, Kerry will be with you through the entire interview process ensuring each candidate meets the necessary requirements and gets a fair shot. Want to join MKG and Kerry’s mission of bringing People First to as many people as possible? Check out our ",{"type":28,"tag":810,"props":3358,"children":3360},{"href":3359},"/about/jobs/",[3361],{"type":38,"value":3362},"Jobs page",{"type":38,"value":3364}," and see if we have a position right for you!",{"type":28,"tag":1771,"props":3366,"children":3367},{"id":3027},[3368],{"type":38,"value":3030},{"type":28,"tag":724,"props":3370,"children":3371},{},[3372],{"type":28,"tag":728,"props":3373,"children":3374},{},[3375],{"type":38,"value":3376},"Kerry now lives in Guernsey — a tiny nook in the world between England and France. Come visit for a spot of tea any time!",{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":3378},[3379],{"id":3027,"depth":943,"text":3030},"content:team:kerry-guard.md","team/kerry-guard.md","team/kerry-guard",{"_path":3384,"_dir":2990,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3385,"description":3386,"name":3385,"ref":3387,"jobTitle":3388,"team":3060,"images":3389,"linkedIn":3391,"sequence":3392,"body":3393,"_type":680,"_id":3444,"_source":682,"_file":3445,"_stem":3446,"_extension":685,"category":2990,"minutes":676},"/team/leigh-snyder","Leigh Snyder","Meet Leigh Snyder, one of MKG Marketing’s amazing digital advertising experts, bringing 15 plus years of experience to the team","leigh-snyder","Digital Advertising Expert",{"landscape":3390},"leigh-snyder.webp","leighasnyder",50,{"type":25,"children":3394,"toc":3441},[3395,3401,3406,3411,3416,3421,3426,3431,3436],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3396,"children":3398},{"className":3397},[3006],[3399],{"type":38,"value":3400},"\nLeigh has over 15 years of experience of managing Paid Search campaigns. She started her career at Solid Cactus, a full service eCommerce agency in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania. Having no experience in Paid Search, she learned as she went, starting out in the earlier days of Google Adwords, when Adwords Editor wasn't even being used yet.\n",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3402,"children":3403},{},[3404],{"type":38,"value":3405},"Leigh loves to create accounts and watch them grow, even more she loves to take a poorly performing account and turn it around. Watching the KPIs increase from changes she has made or new ideas she implements, keeps her career exciting.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3407,"children":3408},{},[3409],{"type":38,"value":3410},"Managing a wide variety of accounts that include local car dealerships, worldwide clothing stores, online supplement shops to plastic surgeons and much much more, Leigh brings a vast knowledge of creative ways in managing accounts.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3412,"children":3413},{},[3414],{"type":38,"value":3415},"While working the majority of her career in local offices, the options for expanding her career were becoming less and less. She decided to apply for a remote job (before it was the norm) and was able to get experience that wasn't as prevalent in the smaller area in which she resides.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3417,"children":3418},{},[3419],{"type":38,"value":3420},"After working from home for the past 6 years the opportunities kept coming and when MKG reached out to her, she knew that there was something special about them and decided to take the leap. The people first environment is not just talked about here, but it is practiced everyday. MKG Marketing is unlike anywhere she has ever worked.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3422,"children":3423},{},[3424],{"type":38,"value":3425},"Outside of work, Leigh enjoys spending time with her husband Dustin, their blended family (Emma, Casey, Jake & Brayden) and their dog Millie.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3427,"children":3428},{},[3429],{"type":38,"value":3430},"The kitchen is where you will always find her, she loves to cook and bake all things Gluten Free and no one ever knows. When they are not at a swim meet or a baseball game they love swimming in their pool, long walks on the local trails, renovating their house and binging shows.",{"type":28,"tag":1771,"props":3432,"children":3433},{"id":3027},[3434],{"type":38,"value":3435},"Fun Facts",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3437,"children":3438},{},[3439],{"type":38,"value":3440},"Although it was just was a short time, at age 19 Leigh drove cross country from a small town in PA and moved to Hollywood Hills, CA. Her view from her kitchen window was the Hollywood sign. Not a bad first apartment.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":676,"depth":676,"links":3442},[3443],{"id":3027,"depth":943,"text":3435},"content:team:leigh-snyder.md","team/leigh-snyder.md","team/leigh-snyder",{"_path":3448,"_dir":3449,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3450,"description":3451,"name":3450,"imageDescription":3452,"ref":3453,"jobTitle":3454,"images":3455,"linkedIn":3453,"quote":3457,"quoteCite":3450,"sequence":3458,"body":3459,"_type":680,"_id":3533,"_source":682,"_file":3534,"_stem":3535,"_extension":685,"category":3449,"minutes":3129},"/team/marketing-leadership/celeste-jacroux","marketing-leadership","Celeste Jacroux","Meet Celeste Jacroux, a strategic GTM partner to MKG and Founder of Sweel Marketing Advisors. She leads Go-to-Market strategy for high-growth companies.","Celeste Jacroux, Founder of Swell Marketing Advisors and MKG Partner","celeste-jacroux","Fractional GTM Leader | Founder, Swell Marketing Advisors",{"landscape":3456},"celeste-jacroux.webp","A great product doesn't win on its own. It wins when the story, the strategy, and the sales motion all pull in the exact same direction.",7,{"type":25,"children":3460,"toc":3530},[3461,3474,3479,3491,3497],{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3462,"children":3464},{"className":3463},[3006],[3465,3467,3472],{"type":38,"value":3466},"\nCeleste Jacroux is a Go-to-Market architect for companies ready to graduate from \"random acts of marketing\" to a predictable revenue engine. As the Founder of ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":3468,"children":3469},{},[3470],{"type":38,"value":3471},"Swell Marketing Advisors",{"type":38,"value":3473}," and a strategic partner to MKG, she brings deep expertise in aligning product, sales, and marketing into a cohesive GTM strategy.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3475,"children":3476},{},[3477],{"type":38,"value":3478},"Celeste understands that for founders, the hardest phase is often bridging the gap between a great product and the market that needs it. She specializes in clarifying positioning, defining ideal customer profiles (ICPs), and building the strategic roadmap that turns vision into traction.",{"type":28,"tag":41,"props":3480,"children":3481},{},[3482,3484,3489],{"type":38,"value":3483},"At MKG, Celeste steps in as a Marketing Leader for our ",{"type":28,"tag":34,"props":3485,"children":3486},{},[3487],{"type":38,"value":3488},"Marketing Leadership + Activation",{"type":38,"value":3490}," clients. 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