Thinks Out Loud: E-commerce and Digital Strategy

My friend Mark Schafer just asked a brilliant question on LinkedIn about whether small and mid-sized businesses are destined to fall behind when it comes to AI. It's a beautiful… The post Is It Impossible for Marketers to Keep Up With AI? (Thinks Out Loud 459) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

This is a huge week around here. I've just announced the release of my new book, Digital Reset: Driving Marketing and Customer Acquisition Beyond Big Tech. Which, yay, and all.… The post Digital Reset: Build Customer Relationships Big Tech—and AI—Can't Touch (Thinks Out Loud 458) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Google may have just told marketers they can never use AI to create content. Or… maybe not. Their actual recommendations are somewhat more nuanced than simply “AI bad” or “AI… The post Google Says You Should Not Use AI To Create Content… Kind Of (Thinks Out Loud 457) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

So, the economy has been going through it over the last couple months — and especially over the last week in particular. That's a plain fact. But it's more than… The post Here We Go Again: Marketing in Another Bizarre Economy (Thinks Out Loud 456) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

If there's one thing I hate to see, it's marketers, e-commerce, and customer acquisition folks who talk about AI as if it's going to solve every problem their business has.… The post AI Can't Save Bad Strategy: Why Fundamentals Still Matter in 2025 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 455) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Artificial intelligence plays an ever-increasing role in marketing, e-commerce, and customer acquisition. Loads of companies and marketers use AI to plan, create, personalize, and measure their marketing activities. In general,… The post Should You Use AI to Create Your Content? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 454) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

I've long believed that AI won't steal your job, but rather that smart people who put AI to work will. After all, marketing, e-commerce, and customer acquisition roles are simply… The post What If I'm Wrong About AI and Marketing Jobs? (Thinks Out Loud 453) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Content marketing plays a crucial role in driving results for your business. Done well, it's your organization's 24/7/365 ” salesperson and your 24/7/365 customer service rep. But the emergence of… The post Best of Thinks Out Loud: Will AI Kill Content Marketing for Customer Acquisition? appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

I've long argued that artificial intelligence won't take your job, but that smart people who use AI might. What you might want to think about though is what “smart people… The post AI and the Future of Marketing and E-commerce — How You Stay Relevant appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

With all of the discussion around ChatGPT, generative AI, and large language models, you'd think that OpenAI's tools — or those from Perplexity or Anthropic — are crushing Google. It… The post Google vs. ChatGPT: Who's Really Winning… And Why It Matters for Your Business (Thinks Out Loud Episode 451) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Is it possible that clicks are overrated in digital marketing and in marketing more generally? Isn't the point of marketing to drive revenue? I think so, in both cases. You… The post AI, Content, and Revenue: Why Clicks Are Overrated (Thinks Out Loud Episode 450) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

There's only one way to succeed this year & and every year. Success is more than just what you do in digital or marketing. Success goes far beyond just your… The post Revisiting “The Only Way to Succeed Next Year” (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

We're living through an evolving landscape around content marketing in the age of AI. This evolution raises the question of whether AI will kill content marketing for customer acquisition. What… The post Will AI Kill Content Marketing for Customer Acquisition? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 449) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Google's AI Overviews show up regularly for lots of search queries. Plenty of people also use ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and others for “search” (albeit, with different behaviors than we've long… The post How Should You Think About Website SEO for AI? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 448) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Do you still need a website in an age of AI? More broadly, what is the point of your business's website in an age of AI? As AI becomes more… The post What's the Point of Your Website in an Age of AI? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 447) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Artificial intelligence is part of marketing today. But, to hear most people tell it, it's a frustrating part. AI is either the thing that will put all marketers out of… The post When Will AI Get Good at Marketing? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 446) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

“It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” These words from one of the 20th century's most sagacious philosophers, Yogi Berra, take hold of my mind every new year… The post Predicting the Future of Your Business (Thinks Out Loud Episode 445) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Your business likely depends on Google, whether you like it or not. The whole reason I'm so focused on the role of gatekeepers — and how you can bypass them… The post Revisiting Is Google Doomed in 2025? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 440) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

One of the big themes behind Thinks Out Loud over the course of its 400-plus episodes is how you can bypass gatekeepers and still grow your business. The emergence of… The post Revisiting Is AI a Gatekeeper? Or is it a Key? (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

As far as I'm concerned, there's only one way to succeed next year. And, truth be told, it goes beyond success just in your business. I don't mean to say… The post The Only Way to Succeed Next Year (Thinks Out Loud Episode 444) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

I'm having a ton of conversations lately about how AI will affect the future of work and employment. Many of these conversations start off with questions like “What will AI… The post AI Is Not the Future. You Are (Thinks Out Loud Episode 443) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Google faces the most serious challenges in its history right now. And any stumble Google suffers also hurts your business. Organic search, paid search, local search, metasearch, product search, and… The post How Google Loses (Thinks Out Loud Episode 442) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

It's Thanksgiving time again. Which means it's time for me to share what I'm thankful for in 2024… and what I'm looking forward to in 2025. What am giving thanks… The post Giving Thanks 2024 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 441) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Just a few months after its 26th anniversary, Google faces more threats heading into next year than ever. The rise of artificial intelligence provides users with an alternative way to… The post Is Google Doomed in 2025? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 440) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

It's time for Big Tech's earnings once again. And, this time around there were some notable updates, particularly from Meta Platforms (i.e., Facebook) and Microsoft that hint at the future… The post The Future of Computing? Big Tech Earnings and the State of Digital Q3 2024 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 439) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Do artificial intelligence and digital more broadly scare you? Do their potential harms keep you up at night? In short, are these tools evil? I don't think they are. Truly.… The post Are AI and Digital Evil (Thinks Out Loud Episode 438) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Some folks think that artificial intelligence is a white knight, coming to rescue their businesses from gatekeepers such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, and the rest. But is that true? Is… The post Is AI a Gatekeeper? Or is it a Key? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 437) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

AI might kill your brand — but probably not. It's far more likely that AI will kill Big Tech's brands, and in particular, Google. The search giant faces more threats… The post Four Big Threats (Plus a Bonus Threat!) To Google's Dominance Next Year (Thinks Out Loud Episode 436) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Artificial intelligence will shape the way your customers interact with your brand. That's undoubtedly true. In fact, it's possible we'll see cases where the customer might not interact directly with… The post Will AI Kill Your Brand (Thinks Out Loud Episode 435) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Digital gatekeepers always work to get between you and your customers. That was true five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago. And it's still true today. They kill… The post Revisiting Why Digital Gatekeepers Kill Organic Traffic (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Consumers are adopting AI at a remarkable pace, as fast as they adopted computers and the internet. And we're only starting to see how that might shape our businesses in… The post An AI Day in the Life of a Marketing and Digital Strategy Consultant (Thinks Out Loud Episode 434) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

A listener of this show told me recently that, “People are already overwhelmed with the amount of social media they manage.” That's a real challenge, on that can make it… The post Revisiting How to Diversify Your Marketing Mix When There's Too Much to Do (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Google faces enormous threats to its business. New entrants using artificial intelligence may provide a better search experience for their customers. Those same new entrants are also competing for Google's… The post Will Marketers Bet that Google Wins the AI Economy? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 433) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Is AI destined to make content, music, art, and marketing worse? Almost certainly. Truly. It's also almost certainly going to help many people create many great works that they had… The post Is AI Destined to Make Marketing — and Music — Worse? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 432) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Google makes immense amounts of money. It is, by far, the biggest website in the world. Its size and success, though, can mask deeper issues. Its size and success can… The post Revisiting Google Big AI Problem (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Building Plans for an Uncertain Future — Big Tech Earnings Q2 2024 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 431) Big Tech announced their earnings for Q2 2024 and, to be honest, not… The post Building Plans for an Uncertain Future — Big Tech Earnings Q2 2024 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 431) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

We talk a lot on this show about diversifying away from Big Tech generally, and about diversifying away from Google, specifically. Which is great in theory. But it can be… The post Diversifying Your Marketing Mix When There's Too Much to Do (Thinks Out Loud Episode 430) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

The big news story this week is that Google lost (the first round of) its antitrust case in Federal court. While it's way too soon to know for sure how… The post Google Loses its Antitrust Case: Why That Matters for Your Business (Thinks Out Loud Episode 429) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Big Tech and AI are the biggest threats to your business. At the same time, they're also the biggest enablers of your business. Putting them to work for your business… The post How to Put Big Tech and AI — the Biggest Threat and Biggest Enablers of Your Business — to Work (Episode 428) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Peter Drucker said it years ago: Your job is to create a customer. But creating a customer can be hard, especially as media and creators and influencers get bought out… The post Revisiting Bundling, Unbundling, and Customer Acquisition (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Smart companies are using AI to improve their sales, marketing, and customer service. Even where the tools aren't transformational, they're helping businesses large and small drive greater effectiveness and efficiency.… The post Why AI Makes Customer Experience Even More Important for Your Business (Thinks Out Loud Episode 427) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Are you still bullish on artificial intelligence for marketing? I am, even despite the AI hype cycle starting to run its course. Yes, more people are asking, “What's the point… The post Revisiting What Marketers Really Need to Know About Putting AI to Work (Thinks Out Loud appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

The world is changing quickly. Artificial intelligence and Big Tech and changing customer behaviors are advancing rapidly. It can feel like they're running us down like a hungry bear and… The post Revisiting AI is the Bear: Learning to Be a Better Marketer in the Age of AI (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

The AI hype cycle is running its course, with more people starting to ask, “What's the point of artificial intelligence for our marketing and our business anyway?” That's good. That's… The post What Marketers Really Need to Know About Putting AI to Work (Thinks Out Loud Episode 426) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

In a recent episode, we looked at how Google is using artificial intelligence to change the search experience and why that's ultimately a risk to your business. To offset that… The post The CORE Methodology: How to Build Traffic and Revenue Beyond Google — Part 2 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 425) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Google is changing search. The company's AI Overviews features increasingly puts answers in front of customers, bypassing the need for a click. The problem for you is that those clicks… The post Google is Changing Search. How to Build Traffic and Revenue Beyond Google — Part 1 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 424) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

In the immortal words of Omar Little, “You come at the king, you best not miss.” And we all know that Google is the king, right? But history shows what… The post Google AI Overviews in Search Highlights Its Big AI Problem (Thinks Out Loud Episode 423) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

The world is changing quickly. Artificial intelligence and Big Tech and changing customer behaviors are advancing rapidly. It can feel like they're running us down like a hungry bear and… The post AI is the Bear: Learning to Be a Better Marketer in the Age of AI (Thinks Out Loud Episode 422) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

AI might be in the “trough of disillusionment” among some people but it's far from dead. Not only have Google and OpenAI made amazing advancements to their tools in recent… The post The Best AI is Now Free For Everyone: Revisiting Will Your Customers Use AI? (Thinks Out Loud) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Just as we do every quarter, it's time to review Big Tech's earnings. We do this because you'll always learn something about the state of digital from what Amazon, Google,… The post Taking the Long View: Big Tech's Earnings and the State of Digital Q2 2024 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 421) appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.

Despite a long-standing history in marketing, Scott Cohen of InboxArmy lives in the future. He knows why email marketing is so important in a marketing landscape increasingly affected by artificial… The post AI, Email, and Marketing in the Future: Revisiting the Thinks Out Loud Interview with Scott Cohen from InboxArmy appeared first on Tim Peter & Associates.