<![CDATA[The Connect to Market (CTM) Community]]>https://www.connecttomarket.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0Zku!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd48bd9b1-b54c-4280-9bca-52d4ee8836e4_1280x1280.pngThe Connect to Market (CTM) Communityhttps://www.connecttomarket.comSubstackFri, 03 Jul 2026 17:26:32 GMT<![CDATA[Melissa Beck: AI Is Changing How Buyers Buy, Is Your Marketing Keeping Up? - Episode #54]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/ai-is-changing-how-buyers-buyhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/ai-is-changing-how-buyers-buyThu, 02 Jul 2026 09:00:45 GMTAre your buyers building shortlists with AI before they ever talk to your sales team?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Melissa Beck, VP of Corporate Marketing at Sumo Logic, to explore how marketers can connect to their market by staying “relentlessly close” to the buyer journey as AI reshapes how prospects discover, research, and decide. Beck makes the case that buyers increasingly use AI tools, communities, peer recommendations, analyst reports, and review sites to form shortlists before engaging any vendor, making AI visibility and presence in the right channels critical for any company that wants to stay in the conversation.

Beck walks through how Sumo Logic is responding, from experimenting with tools like Profound to measure AI visibility to investing in organization-wide AI proficiency through an internal AI marketing summit and collaborative sharing of prompts and projects. She shares practical use cases including using AI for analyst report comparisons and building agents like a “brand guardian” workflow, while emphasizing that human connection and storytelling still matter because people buy from people. Beck also reflects on her path from aspiring journalist to comms and marketing leader, shaped by teamwork, curiosity, and continuous learning.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why buyers are forming shortlists using AI tools, communities, and peer recommendations before ever engaging a vendor, and what that means for marketing’s role

  • How Sumo Logic measures AI visibility with tools like Profound and why tracking your presence in AI-generated answers is now a marketing priority

  • Building organization-wide AI proficiency through internal summits, collaborative prompt sharing, and practical agent workflows like a “brand guardian”

  • Why human connection and storytelling remain irreplaceable competitive advantages even as AI transforms every other part of the marketing stack

If you’re a B2B marketing leader wondering where your buyers are actually spending time and whether your brand is showing up in the AI-driven research channels that matter, Beck’s framework for staying relentlessly close to the evolving buyer journey is the strategic reset your team needs.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Simon Wilhelm: Active AEO, From Analytics to Content - Lightning Speaker - June 26, 2026]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/simon-wilhelm-active-aeo-from-analytics-to-contenthttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/simon-wilhelm-active-aeo-from-analytics-to-contentTue, 30 Jun 2026 09:01:40 GMTHow can marketers turn AI search into a reliable source of qualified pipeline instead of just chasing visibility?

Our latest CTM lightning talk featured Simon Wilhelm introducing the concept of Active AEO, a practical framework for moving from analytics to content that actually drives business results. Simon explains why traditional SEO tactics and AI-generated content alone are no longer enough as clicks decline and search continues to evolve. Instead, he emphasizes building content around real customer intent by analyzing sales conversations, social listening, and the questions buyers are actually asking. Drawing from research across thousands of published articles and dozens of enterprise clients, Simon shares why unique, experience-driven content consistently outperforms generic AI content, survives search algorithm updates, and earns visibility in large language models. Rather than optimizing for rankings alone, Active AEO focuses on creating content that leads to the metric that matters most: booked meetings.

In this lightning talk, we cover:

  • Why unique, human-driven content is becoming more valuable as AI search evolves

  • Using sales conversations and social listening to uncover real search intent

  • Building content around bottom-of-funnel prompts that drive qualified pipeline

  • Measuring AEO success through customer attribution and booked meetings instead of visibility alone

Huge thank you to Simon Wilhelm for sharing a practical framework that helps marketers move beyond AI hype and build an Active AEO strategy focused on real customer intent, measurable impact, and pipeline growth.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Active AEO, From Analytics to Content: Takeaways from our June CTM Event]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/active-aeo-from-analytics-to-contenthttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/active-aeo-from-analytics-to-contentMon, 29 Jun 2026 13:03:22 GMTLast week, our community explored one of the fastest-evolving areas in modern marketing: how Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) moves beyond rankings and into measurable business outcomes. While AI search has quickly become a priority for many organizations, the discussion focused less on theory and more on execution. How do you know where you stand? What content actually gets cited by AI? And how do you measure success beyond impressions and clicks?

From changing search behavior to practical content strategies, attendees unpacked how analytics, customer insights, and structured content are becoming the foundation for visibility inside AI-powered search experiences. Rather than treating AEO as “SEO with a new name,” the conversation centered on building a continuous feedback loop between measurement, content creation, and business impact.

💡 5 Key Takeaways on Active AEO

1️⃣ Traditional search metrics are becoming less reliable indicators of success

One of the strongest themes throughout the session was that marketers can no longer rely solely on clicks and rankings to evaluate content performance. As AI Overviews and conversational search continue reducing click-through behavior, visibility inside answer engines is becoming a meaningful performance indicator in its own right.

The discussion highlighted new success metrics such as AI appearance rates, prompt visibility, branded mentions, and ultimately business outcomes like meetings booked. Rather than asking, “Did someone click?” the more important question is becoming, “Did our expertise become part of the answer?”

The takeaway: as AI increasingly answers questions directly, measurement is shifting from traffic-first reporting toward influence, visibility, and downstream business impact.

2️⃣ The best AEO strategy starts with customer questions, not keywords

Several attendees described moving away from traditional keyword-first planning toward analyzing the real questions customers ask. One recommendation that resonated throughout the discussion was using sales calls, podcast interviews, customer conversations, support tickets, and transcripts to identify recurring questions before creating content.

This aligns with how large language models retrieve information. Rather than matching isolated keywords, they increasingly surface content that directly answers natural-language questions with clarity and authority.

The takeaway: organizations producing content around genuine customer conversations are creating assets that perform better across both traditional search and AI-powered discovery.

3️⃣ Human expertise is becoming a competitive advantage again

The conversation repeatedly returned to one important shift: AI can dramatically accelerate content production, but it cannot replace original expertise. Participants shared workflows where AI handles research, drafting, repurposing, and formatting, while subject matter experts remain responsible for original thinking, validation, and final review.

This reflects broader industry changes. Google has continued emphasizing high-quality, original content through recent search updates, while expanding AI-powered search experiences that prioritize trustworthy sources with demonstrable expertise.

The takeaway: AI scales execution, but original experience, proprietary knowledge, and authentic perspectives remain the inputs that create differentiated content.

4️⃣ Structure matters just as much as substance

One of the more tactical discussions focused on how content should be organized for answer engines. Rather than relying exclusively on long-form articles, attendees explored breaking content into clearly defined sections, direct answers, FAQs, bullet points, summaries, and logical internal linking that reinforces topical authority.

The goal is not simply writing more content. It is making expertise easier for both humans and AI systems to understand, retrieve, and reference accurately.

The takeaway: content that is easy to scan, logically organized, and built around specific questions gives answer engines more opportunities to surface your expertise.

5️⃣ AEO is becoming an ongoing operating system, not a one-time optimization project

Perhaps the biggest mindset shift discussed was treating AEO as a continuous process instead of a publishing checklist. The framework presented throughout the session emphasized repeatedly measuring visibility across AI platforms, identifying content gaps, creating new content based on those findings, and monitoring how visibility changes over time.

Several attendees also shared increasingly sophisticated workflows where AI assists with competitive analysis, content gap identification, research, drafting, and distribution, while humans remain responsible for strategy and quality control.

The takeaway: organizations seeing the strongest results are building continuous measurement and iteration into their content strategy rather than viewing AEO as a single optimization initiative.

]]><![CDATA[Anne Murlowski: How to Personalize B2B Marketing Without Being Creepy - Episode #53]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/how-to-personalize-b2b-marketing-without-being-creepyhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/how-to-personalize-b2b-marketing-without-being-creepyThu, 25 Jun 2026 09:01:23 GMTWhat if the key to better marketing isn’t more automation but more empathy?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire welcomes Anne Murlowski, VP of Marketing at Claravine and Host of the SaaSy podcast, to explore how marketers can connect to their market by focusing on individuals, not just companies or personas. Anne makes the case that in an AI-driven “do more with less” environment, the most effective messaging ties directly to a buyer’s personal pain points, goals, and career motivators. She explains why account-level assumptions are easier but far less effective, and why narrowing your focus to a small set of high-fit accounts and partnering closely with sales is the real unlock for authentic personalization.

Anne walks through practical tactics for researching buying committees without crossing the line, including summarizing a prospect’s public LinkedIn activity with private AI tools, active listening for personal details, and thoughtful follow-up that builds trust instead of triggering alarm bells. She also dives into why clean marketing data is essential for reliable reporting and better AI outputs, shares how podcasting can be a powerful relationship-building tool beyond just content, and reveals the learning sources that keep her sharp, from LinkedIn thought leaders to curated Substacks.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why focusing on individual buyers instead of company-level personas drives stronger engagement and advocacy

  • How to research prospects authentically using AI tools and active listening without being creepy

  • The critical role clean marketing data plays in powering reliable reporting and AI-driven personalization

  • Why narrowing your target account list and partnering with sales unlocks more effective outreach

If you’re a marketing leader looking to cut through the noise of generic outreach and build real connections with buyers in an increasingly automated landscape, Anne’s approach to empathy-driven, data-informed personalization is a playbook worth adopting.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Tim Hillison: The 4S Go-to-Market Framework: State, Scale, System, Signal - Episode #52]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/the-4s-go-to-market-frameworkhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/the-4s-go-to-market-frameworkThu, 18 Jun 2026 09:02:23 GMTWhat happens when AI can replicate your marketing overnight, and your competitors sound exactly like you?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Tim Hillison, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Entry Point 1, to explore how companies can connect to their market by building defensible advantage as AI accelerates output and risks turning every brand into a commodity. Hillison argues that the smartest companies hire storytellers over playbook followers, and poses a powerful guiding question: what would your customers lose if they couldn’t do business with you?

Hillison introduces his “Four S” framework for building lasting competitive moats. He breaks down State (owning the language around a problem before anyone else, citing Samsara and Gong), Scale (compounding data that improves with every customer interaction, citing Vertiv and Duolingo), System (making your product so embedded in how customers work that leaving means reorganizing everything, citing Rippling and Stripe), and Signal (building data intelligence that explains why customers buy, stay, and expand, citing Harvey and Datadog). He also tackles the ethical implications of “AI-first” layoffs and urges leaders to be intentional about prioritizing human relationships even as they adopt new technology.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why naming the problem first and owning the category language is the most underrated competitive advantage in B2B

  • How compounding data and customer interaction loops create scale moats that competitors can’t shortcut

  • Building system stickiness so deep that switching costs protect your business better than any feature ever could

  • Using signal intelligence to understand not just what customers do, but why they buy, stay, and expand

If you’re a marketing leader navigating the pressure of AI-driven commoditization and looking for a strategic framework to build real, defensible differentiation, Hillison’s Four S model is a recipe worth studying.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Phill Keaney-Bolland: How to Be Remembered for Your Brand, Not Just Your Stunt - Episode #51]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/how-to-be-remembered-for-your-brand-not-just-your-stunthttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/how-to-be-remembered-for-your-brand-not-just-your-stuntThu, 11 Jun 2026 09:01:55 GMTIs your cybersecurity marketing failing because you’re trying to say too much to too many people?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Phill Keaney-Bolland, Co-Founder of Yaya and a brand and design strategist specializing in cybersecurity, to explore how marketers can connect to their market by doing less and getting radically clearer on the fundamentals. Phill argues there is no single hack for better market connection. Instead, leaders need to return to the basics: crisp alignment on target audience, niche, differentiation, and value proposition, something many companies only realize they lack when forced to commit to one message on a website, ad, or trade show booth.

Phill walks through why website projects are the ultimate alignment test, revealing that most stall not because of design or development but because teams cannot agree on content and messaging. He shares how effective positioning requires genuine empathy and real customer input, citing an example of a company’s practice of speaking with 200 target customers before locking in their messaging. The conversation also dives into why cybersecurity marketing is uniquely noisy and competitive, from the RSA spectacle to the flood of AI-driven startups, and why bold, coherent messaging with a clear through-line is the antidote. Phill also shares his entrepreneurial origin story, early failures, and belief that non-linear learning and embracing mistakes are essential to building something meaningful.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why “doing less” and returning to fundamentals like audience, niche, and value proposition is the fastest path to marketing clarity

  • How website projects expose hidden misalignment on messaging, and why content, not design, is what stalls most builds

  • The power of talking to 200 target customers before locking in positioning, and why empathy beats assumptions every time

  • What makes cybersecurity marketing uniquely difficult and how bold, coherent messaging cuts through the noise of RSA spectacles and AI startup hype

If you’re a B2B marketing leader in cybersecurity or any crowded category struggling to differentiate when everyone sounds the same, Phill’s “do less, get clearer” framework is the reset your messaging strategy needs.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Simon Wilhelm: You've Mastered GEO, But Have You Mastered LLMs & HLLMO? - Episode #50]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/youve-mastered-geo-but-have-you-mastered-llms-and-hllmohttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/youve-mastered-geo-but-have-you-mastered-llms-and-hllmoThu, 04 Jun 2026 09:02:06 GMTWhat if the AI answers your buyers trust are already ignoring your brand?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Simon Wilhelm, Co-Founder of SCAILE Technologies to explore how companies can connect to their market by showing up where buyers are actually looking: inside the answers generated by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Wilhelm’s core thesis is counterintuitive: to win with AI, you need to “be more human and make mistakes,” creating unique, valuable content that LLMs want to cite rather than churning out generic AI-generated filler.

Wilhelm draws a sharp distinction between AEO (Answer Engine Optimization, focused on appearing in AI-generated summaries and answers) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization, a broader cross-functional competency that aligns marketing, sales, customer success, and product around a unified value proposition across platforms). He walks through a practical workflow: gather FAQs from sales and support, map buyer intent, pull competitor and community questions into a data lake, generate bottom-of-funnel prompts, test them across multiple LLMs, then publish structured content both on-site and off-site on platforms like Reddit and YouTube. Wilhelm notes that GEO results can appear in as few as 6 to 14 days, warns that mass AI-generated content without real value or EEAT signals can trigger Google spam updates, recommends refreshing existing content before creating new pages, and shares tactical tools including Bing Webmaster Tools for AI query visibility and Google Analytics for tracking AI crawler traffic.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why “being more human” is the counterintuitive key to getting cited by LLMs, and how unique, imperfect content outperforms polished AI-generated filler

  • The critical difference between AEO (appearing in AI answers) and GEO (a company-wide competency aligning teams and platforms around a unified value proposition)

  • A step-by-step workflow for building a “question lake” from sales calls, support tickets, and community forums to generate content LLMs actually pull from

  • How to measure AI visibility using Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics AI crawler data, and why refreshing existing content beats mass-publishing new pages

If you’re a B2B marketing leader watching your organic traffic decline as AI answers replace clicks, Wilhelm’s GEO framework is the playbook for making sure your brand is the one getting cited, not your competitor.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Eric Robertson: Why CLV Beats Personas for Smarter Marketing Spend - Episode #49]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/why-clv-beats-personas-for-smarter-marketing-spendhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/why-clv-beats-personas-for-smarter-marketing-spendThu, 28 May 2026 09:02:03 GMTWhat if the “average customer” your marketing targets doesn’t actually exist?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Eric Robertson, Head of Partnerships & Sales at Theta, to explore why building marketing strategies around average customer personas and demographic trivia leads teams to waste budget on the wrong people. Robertson makes the case that customers vary dramatically in value, following Pareto’s rule, and that marketers who want to connect to their market need to stop treating spend as a budget line item and start treating it as capital deployed to buy future cash flows from their highest-value relationships.

Robertson breaks down customer lifetime value (CLV) as the present value of expected net cash flows from an individual customer relationship, drawing a sharp distinction between CLV and the historical, blended LTV metrics most teams rely on. He walks through Theta’s practical approach using behavioral data, specifically RFM (recency, frequency, monetary value), to model retention and value at the individual level, showing how these outputs inform smarter offers like avoiding discounts for full-price buyers and improve allocation across acquisition and retention. Robertson also addresses the role of AI in predictive analytics, noting that it amplifies capability but cannot ignore changing conditions like seasonality or market shocks, and shares his career journey along with advice for marketing leaders: keep learning, partner with finance, and “if you’re the smartest person in the room, leave the room.”

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why marketing to the “average customer” wastes budget and how Pareto’s rule reveals the customers actually worth investing in

  • How CLV differs from historical LTV and why treating marketing spend as capital deployed to buy future cash flows changes allocation decisions

  • Using RFM (recency, frequency, monetary value) behavioral data to model individual customer retention and value without relying on demographics

  • Where AI amplifies predictive analytics and where it falls short when conditions like seasonality or market shocks shift the landscape

If you’re a B2B marketing leader still building strategy around blended averages and demographic personas, Robertson’s CLV-first framework is the wake-up call to start treating your customer base like a portfolio and investing where the returns actually are.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[George Smith: Human Connection Is the Only Marketing AI Can't Fake - Episode #48]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/human-connection-is-the-only-marketing-ai-cant-fakehttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/human-connection-is-the-only-marketing-ai-cant-fakeThu, 21 May 2026 09:02:20 GMTIf everyone is using AI to create content, what actually makes your brand stand out?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with George Smith, Community Engagement Manager at Rewst, to explore how marketers can connect to their market by doubling down on what AI cannot replicate: genuine human connection. Smith argues that as AI-generated content becomes noisier and easier to spot, the competitive advantage shifts to marketers who listen deeply, slow down, and make customers and communities feel heard and valued rather than processed through a funnel.

Smith shares practical ways to build those human touchpoints, from picking up the phone for relationship check-ins unrelated to tickets or renewals, to capturing personal details that show customers they matter beyond the transaction. He illustrates the power of plain-language communication with an RFP pitch that was saved by focusing on timelines, budget, risk, and commitment rather than technical jargon. Smith then breaks down what makes community work, explaining that it succeeds when it is genuine, non-transactional, and built around shared interests, citing Rewst’s Discord community and the Flow Conference as examples of in-person and digital spaces where real connection drives loyalty and advocacy.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why AI-generated noise is making human connection the new competitive moat for marketers

  • How simple, non-transactional touchpoints like phone check-ins and personal detail capture build lasting customer relationships

  • Translating technical solutions into plain language to win over decision-makers who care about timelines, budget, and risk

  • What separates thriving communities from dead ones, and why genuine, shared-interest spaces like Rewst’s Discord and Flow Conference drive real loyalty

If you’re a B2B marketing leader watching AI flood every channel with sameness and wondering how to cut through, Smith’s playbook for human-first marketing and community building is the differentiation strategy no algorithm can replicate.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Making Your CEO a Thought Leader That Gets Heard: Takeaways from our May CTM Event]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/making-your-ceo-a-thought-leaderhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/making-your-ceo-a-thought-leaderMon, 18 May 2026 19:37:26 GMTLast week, our community explored a topic that many companies know matters but still struggle to execute well: executive thought leadership. What started as a discussion about helping CEOs build visibility quickly expanded into conversations around consistency, executive buy-in, storytelling, ROI, and the growing importance of authentic human perspectives in an AI saturated market.

From tactical execution challenges to broader conversations about trust and credibility, marketing leaders unpacked what makes executive thought leadership resonate, what causes programs to stall internally, and why the companies seeing traction are treating it as a long-term brand strategy instead of a short-term content initiative.

💡 5 Key Takeaways on Executive Thought Leadership

1️⃣ Thought leadership only works when it is rooted in a real point of view

Across discussions, one theme was clear: thought leadership is not just executives posting content more often. Participants consistently described strong thought leadership as sharing a unique perspective, helping audiences understand industry change, and talking about customer problems without overtly selling. The strongest executive voices are the ones who consistently teach, challenge, or clarify something meaningful.

There was also broad agreement that effective executive thought leadership stays closely tied to the company’s purpose and positioning. Generic commentary and trend chasing rarely stand out. The executives who break through are the ones who can clearly communicate what they believe and why it matters to their audience.

The takeaway: audiences can quickly tell the difference between content created to promote and content created to genuinely provide value. The strongest executive voices consistently offer insight people cannot easily get elsewhere.

2️⃣ Executive buy-in is usually the biggest challenge

A recurring challenge throughout the discussion was that getting executives to consistently participate in thought leadership efforts is difficult for reasons that go beyond scheduling. Some leaders dislike being on camera. Others feel uncomfortable being publicly visible or vulnerable. Several attendees also pointed out that many executives struggle to see a direct connection between thought leadership and measurable business outcomes.

Timing emerged as another major factor. Participants noted that organizations often have the easiest time building executive thought leadership habits early, especially during earlier growth stages before calendars become overloaded and routines become fixed.

The takeaway: successful executive thought leadership programs depend heavily on understanding what motivates individual leaders and making participation feel strategically valuable and manageable.

3️⃣ Consistency matters more than polish

If there was one operational theme repeated throughout the discussion, it was consistency. Multiple attendees acknowledged that most executive thought leadership efforts fail not because leaders lack expertise or strong ideas, but because publishing becomes inconsistent. Content slows down, competing priorities take over, and momentum disappears before audiences ever associate executives with a recognizable point of view.

Several participants shared practical ways to maintain consistency, including committing to one flagship content piece each week, repurposing ideas across multiple channels, and carrying themes through several formats instead of treating every post as standalone content.

The takeaway: thought leadership compounds over time. Repetition and sustained visibility build trust far more effectively than occasional bursts of activity.

4️⃣ The hardest part is translating expertise into narrative

One particularly interesting discussion centered around highly technical executives and the challenge of helping them communicate strategically instead of tactically. Several marketers described situations where CEOs defaulted into discussing product features and technical details instead of framing broader market narratives audiences could connect with.

For complex industries especially, attendees emphasized that executive thought leadership starts with translating what makes a company valuable into a clear and accessible narrative. Once that narrative exists, formats like podcasts, webinars, videos, and LinkedIn posts become much easier to execute consistently.

The takeaway: executives rarely lack expertise. The bigger challenge is helping them shape that expertise into stories and frameworks audiences can quickly understand and remember.

5️⃣ Authentic executive perspectives are becoming more valuable in the AI era

A broader undercurrent throughout the conversation was growing fatigue around low quality AI generated content and repetitive messaging. Several attendees pointed out that as more organizations automate content production, audiences are becoming increasingly sensitive to generic language and recycled insights.

That shift is making authentic executive thought leadership more valuable as a trust signal. Participants connected this directly to SEO, AEO, and discoverability trends, noting that buyers are increasingly looking for recognizable voices and real expertise instead of faceless brand content.

The takeaway: AI may accelerate content creation, but authentic human perspective is becoming a stronger differentiator. The companies building trust fastest are the ones consistently putting real expertise and recognizable voices into the market.

]]><![CDATA[Brian C. Reed: How Community Storytelling Builds Brands That Stand Out In The AI Era - Episode #47]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/how-community-storytelling-builds-brands-in-the-ai-erahttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/how-community-storytelling-builds-brands-in-the-ai-eraThu, 14 May 2026 09:01:47 GMTDoes AI make every brand sound exactly the same?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Brian C. Reed, Chief Market Officer at Corsha and veteran B2B tech marketing executive, to explore why marketers who lean on AI for differentiation are actually flattening their messaging into sameness, and how authentic, human storytelling rooted in community is the real engine for memorability and brand preference. Reed makes the case that AI is essential for speed and analytics but cannot replace the kind of stories that come from, flow through, and are amplified by real communities, giving marketers a powerful framework to connect to their market in ways algorithms simply cannot replicate.

Reed walks through the sources of strong stories, from founder origin narratives to practitioner communities, drawing on examples ranging from Mad Men-era advertising and Steve Jobs’ MacBook Air launch to modern standouts like All Day DevOps, OWASP, and Wiz’s memorable RSA presence. He explains how community-led evangelism helps grow credibility, why communities fail when vendor pitching overwhelms peer value, and how organizations like CMO Coffee Talk and the Cybersecurity Marketing Society model authentic community building. Reed also shares his own career journey from engineering to product marketing and offers advice on learning business mechanics beyond building technology.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why AI “flattens” marketing messaging into sameness and where human storytelling becomes the true competitive advantage

  • How to source authentic stories from founder origins and practitioner communities that build lasting brand preference

  • The three paths to community building and what separates vendor-proof communities from ones that collapse under self-promotion

  • Lessons from Reed’s engineering-to-marketer career arc on understanding business mechanics to become a more effective marketing leader

If you’re a B2B marketing leader wrestling with how to stand out when every competitor has access to the same AI tools, Reed’s community-first storytelling framework offers a differentiation playbook that no algorithm can copy.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[David Kosloski: Stop Prompting, Start Building AI Systems That Scale - Episode #46]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/stop-prompting-start-building-ai-systemshttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/stop-prompting-start-building-ai-systemsThu, 07 May 2026 09:00:44 GMTWhat if the real threat to your marketing isn’t falling behind on AI, but not having the systems to use it?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with David Kosloski, VP of Marketing at SNUC and host of the Edge Tech Podcast, to explore how marketers connect to their market by building experience, expertise, authority, and trust before chasing tools or tactics. David makes the case that in emerging categories like edge computing, relationships and problem-solution expertise consistently outperform product specs, and that the marketers who win are the ones who start with content and customer insight rather than keyword lists.

David walks through his approach to building authority in a new market, from launching podcasts and conducting customer interviews to creating mind maps and repurposing content across formats. He then dives into his perspective on AI, arguing that it won’t save teams that lack strong systems, management discipline, and the ability to pressure-test their own work. He shares his framework for agentic workflows, breaking down the difference between skills and agents, the importance of validation loops and structured data (RAG), and how voice-first input is reshaping his personal productivity. He also reflects on his unconventional path from touring music and healthcare into marketing leadership, and shares his take on AI’s impact on jobs and the SaaS landscape.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trust) matters more than product specs when marketing in emerging categories

  • How to build market authority from scratch using podcasts, customer interviews, and content repurposing

  • Why AI amplifies existing systems instead of replacing them, and how to build agentic workflows with validation loops

  • Using voice-first input and a “second brain” RAG approach to unlock personal productivity with AI

If you’re a B2B marketing leader navigating a new or technical category and wondering how to layer AI into your workflow without losing the human judgment that makes your marketing credible, David’s systems-first framework is the reality check you need.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Aaron Bean: Arm Your Buyer Champion to Win CFO Approval - Episode #45]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/arm-your-buyer-champion-to-win-cfo-approvalhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/arm-your-buyer-champion-to-win-cfo-approvalThu, 30 Apr 2026 09:01:37 GMTWhat if your biggest competitor isn’t another vendor, but your buyer’s fear of making the wrong decision?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Aaron Bean, Co-Founder and Head of Go-to-Market at Supercase.ai, to explore why the most dangerous competitor in B2B isn’t a rival product, but buyer indecision. Aaron makes the case that marketers need to connect to their market by focusing on the late-stage buyer journey, equipping champions to win the internal sale in a room the seller will never be in, especially when the CFO starts asking what the problem is costing and why it can’t be fixed internally.

Aaron shares research showing 61% of deals are lost to indecision and breaks down the three options every buyer weighs: do nothing, build, or buy. He walks through a framework for building decision confidence by quantifying the cost of inaction, creating CFO-credible business cases, and mapping internal advocacy moments into the buyer journey. He also introduces tracking “business case attach rate” as a leading indicator of deal health, and shares lessons from his background in philosophy, entrepreneurship, and global go-to-market work at Lenovo.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why 61% of B2B deals are lost to buyer indecision, not competitors, and how to fight back

  • How to arm buyer champions with CFO-credible business cases that quantify the cost of doing nothing

  • Adding internal advocacy moments to your buyer-journey map so champions aren’t left unsupported

  • Tracking “business case attach rate” as a leading indicator of deal confidence and close rates

If you’re a B2B marketing leader watching qualified deals stall in committee and losing to “no decision,” Aaron’s framework for building decision confidence and arming your buyer champions is the playbook you’ve been missing.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Brandon Pittser: Drink Your Own Kool-Aid to Build Marketing That Converts - Episode #44]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/brandon-pittser-drink-your-own-koolhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/brandon-pittser-drink-your-own-koolThu, 23 Apr 2026 13:05:20 GMTIs your marketing falling flat because you don’t actually believe in what you’re selling?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Brandon Pittser, VP of Marketing and Funding Development at Filament Games, to explore how marketers can connect to their market by leading with authenticity instead of automation. Brandon makes the case that the most effective marketing starts with genuinely believing in your organization’s value, and explains why formulaic, AI-templated outreach is eroding trust with buyers. He shares why humility, honesty, and respecting your audience’s intelligence are the real competitive advantages in a landscape flooded with generic messaging.

Brandon walks through his playbook for internalizing a company’s story, from interviewing discipline leaders to synthesizing perspectives and aligning teams around core value. He then breaks down how Filament Games drives growth through a disciplined inbound content engine, including long-running SEO-driven blogging, a structured editorial calendar, and an expanding video strategy built around repurposing livestreams into short-form clips. He also shares how to build modular content campaigns, maintain editorial flexibility, and lean into your organization’s existing strengths to create content that compounds over time.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why authentic belief in your product is the foundation of marketing that resonates and converts

  • How to align your team around a unified company story by interviewing internal leaders and synthesizing their perspectives

  • Building a disciplined inbound content engine with SEO-driven blogging and a flexible editorial calendar

  • Expanding into short-form video by repurposing livestreams and leaning into organizational strengths

If you’re a marketing leader tired of watching templated outreach fall flat and looking for a more genuine, sustainable approach to content and demand generation, Brandon’s framework for authentic, inbound-first marketing is one worth stealing.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[ABM Isn’t Broken… But It’s Definitely Misunderstood: Takeaways from our April CTM Event]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/abm-isnt-broken-but-its-definitely-misunderstoodhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/abm-isnt-broken-but-its-definitely-misunderstoodMon, 20 Apr 2026 16:58:49 GMTLast week, our community tackled a topic that everyone claims to be doing, but few feel confident they are doing well: Account-Based Marketing. What started as a conversation about ABM quickly expanded into something bigger, how it overlaps with AEO, where AI fits and doesn’t, and whether the term ABM even still means anything. From philosophical debates to tactical experiments, marketing leaders unpacked what is working, what is overhyped, and where things are heading next.

💡 5 Key ABM + AEO Takeaways for Marketing Leaders

1️⃣ “Everything is ABM” is both true and completely unhelpful

Across discussions, one theme was clear: ABM has become too broad to be useful. Some leaders argued that all marketing is inherently account based, especially in B2B where audiences are niche by default. Others pushed back, pointing out that true ABM requires intentionality, defined target lists, tailored outreach, and coordinated sales alignment.

The takeaway: when everything is labeled ABM, nothing is differentiated. Teams need to be explicit about what kind of ABM they are actually executing, whether that is 1:1, 1:few, or industry based, or risk spinning in circles.

2️⃣ Personalization sounds great until you factor in cost, scale, and signal noise

There was broad agreement that 1:1 personalization can be powerful, but it is also complex, expensive, and often impractical. Several leaders called out the reality that most personalization today is still industry level at best, not truly account or individual specific. Layer in AI, and the challenge compounds. With so much low quality, AI generated outreach flooding the market, it is becoming harder to tell what actually resonates.

The takeaway: personalization only works when it is meaningful, and most teams overestimate their ability to execute it well at scale.

3️⃣ The biggest gap is not tools, it is target selection and focus

Across the board, teams are experimenting with tools like AI SDRs, intent data, and enrichment platforms, but many admitted their ABM programs still feel loose or uncoordinated. The consistent friction point is who to target and why. Some teams are working from tightly defined lists of 20 to 40 accounts, while others are casting wider nets without clear prioritization.

The takeaway: ABM success is less about better execution and more about sharper focus. If your target list is not right, nothing downstream will fix it.

4️⃣ AEO and ABM are not naturally aligned, yet

A recurring tension was that ABM is outbound and controlled, while AEO is inbound and unpredictable. Many leaders struggled to connect the two. That said, early experiments are emerging, including using AEO insights like prompts, queries, and visibility gaps to inform ABM messaging, identifying the conversations target accounts are likely having in AI tools, and feeding those insights into content and outreach strategies.

The takeaway: AEO is not replacing ABM, but it may become a critical input into how you prioritize and engage accounts.

5️⃣ AI is accelerating experimentation, but not replacing fundamentals

From building internal AEO scanners to testing AI appointment setters and chatbot driven outreach, teams are moving fast. But there was a clear reality check. AI can help with research, content, and scale, but it does not solve poor targeting, weak messaging, or lack of sales alignment. There was also skepticism around emerging areas like LLM advertising, where early signals suggest that without strong organic presence, paid placements in AI driven environments will not perform.

The takeaway: AI is a multiplier, not a strategy. The teams seeing traction are using it to enhance fundamentals, not shortcut them.

The through line: ABM has not failed, it has been overgeneralized, overpromised, and underdefined. When targeting is tighter, intent is clearer, and engagement is more thoughtful, ABM becomes more effective and better aligned to how buyers actually discover and evaluate solutions today.

]]><![CDATA[Max Maurier: Essential Marketing Adaptation Skills in the AI Age - Episode #43]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/max-maurier-essential-marketing-adaptationhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/max-maurier-essential-marketing-adaptationThu, 16 Apr 2026 09:01:49 GMTHow can marketers stay adaptable, leverage AI effectively, and earn a true seat at the table?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire welcomes Max Maurier, VP of Marketing at Absolute Security, to explore why adaptability is the most critical skill for modern marketing teams. Max shares how marketing is uniquely positioned to pivot faster than other functions, and why leaders must continuously evolve their strategy, channel mix, and team capabilities in response to shifting buyer behavior, company priorities, and emerging technology.

He dives into the importance of aligning deeply with company-wide goals (not just reacting to sales requests), and how strong analytics and system fundamentals can help marketers build credibility and trust at the executive level. From rethinking event-heavy strategies to creating a more balanced, targeted digital approach, Max outlines what it takes to operate as a truly strategic marketing function. He also unpacks practical AI use cases, like account research and planning, while emphasizing the need to keep humans in the loop to avoid low-quality, “AI slop” outputs.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why adaptability, not rigid planning, is the key to modern marketing success

  • How to align marketing with broader business objectives to increase impact and influence

  • Practical ways to apply AI across marketing teams without over-relying on it

  • How to use data, analytics, and systems to earn trust and a seat at the executive table

If you’re a marketing leader looking to stay ahead of constant change, better integrate AI, and elevate your role within the organization, Max’s insights will challenge how you think about strategy, execution, and leadership.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Alex Schutte: 6 Ways To Drive Revenue & Earn Executive Trust - Episode #42]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/alex-schutte-6-ways-to-drive-revenuehttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/alex-schutte-6-ways-to-drive-revenueThu, 09 Apr 2026 09:01:47 GMTWhat if the fastest way to improve your marketing performance isn’t better messaging but better data?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire welcomes Alex Schutte, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Hubstaff, to explore how marketers can connect to their market by prioritizing data clarity before refining messaging. Alex explains why many B2B teams struggle with alignment and trust due to inconsistent definitions and fragmented reporting, and how fixing these foundational issues can unlock stronger decision making and revenue impact. He shares why marketers who lead with data, not just campaigns, are better positioned to earn executive trust and drive meaningful growth.

He breaks down how leaders can move from disconnected metrics to a unified, revenue driven strategy by standardizing key definitions across the funnel, building a centralized executive dashboard, and adopting a bow tie growth model that captures the full customer lifecycle. From analyzing top customers and segmenting effectively to operationalizing LTV and aligning spend accordingly, Alex outlines practical ways to turn data into a strategic advantage. He also touches on forecasting, attribution realities, and how to lead teams with clear expectations and unbiased insights.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why data clarity is the foundation for effective go to market strategy

  • How to standardize definitions and build a single source of truth

  • Using a bow tie model to understand growth across the full customer lifecycle

  • Aligning marketing efforts to revenue and using LTV to guide smarter decisions

If you’re a marketing leader looking to improve performance, strengthen alignment, and build credibility with executives, Alex’s approach offers a clear roadmap for turning better data into better business outcomes.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[AEO Guide: We Need Your Brainpower]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/we-need-your-brainpower-help-shapehttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/we-need-your-brainpower-help-shapeWed, 08 Apr 2026 14:03:26 GMTAlright CTM… this is one of those moments where the magic of this community really shows up.

Over the past couple of months, one of our members, Ron Close, has been deep in the weeds on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), testing, learning, and pulling together a practical guide to what’s actually working right now.

And instead of just publishing it and calling it done, he did something better.

He brought it here.

Because the truth is: the best ideas don’t come from one perspective, they come from rooms like this.

So we’re turning this into a community-powered review.

This is your chance to:

  • Pressure test the ideas

  • Add your own real-world experiences

  • Challenge assumptions

  • Sharpen what’s already here

  • And help shape something that could become a go-to resource for marketers navigating AEO

Whether you’re actively experimenting with AEO, just starting to explore it, or have strong opinions about where it’s headed, we want your feedback!

As you read, think about:

  • What made you pause or rethink something?

  • What feels spot on?

  • What’s missing?

  • Where would you push this further?

Download the guide below and drop your thoughts in the comments, react to others, build on ideas!

Aeo Guide V2
552KB ∙ PDF file
Download
Download

]]><![CDATA[Melissa Moody: Concentric Circles, Empowering Teams & Customer Success as Marketing - Episode #41]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/melissa-moody-concentric-circleshttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/melissa-moody-concentric-circlesThu, 02 Apr 2026 09:02:34 GMTWhat if your most powerful growth strategy isn’t reaching more people, but starting with the ones closest to you?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire welcomes Melissa Moody, Founder of Wednesday Women and Host of the Joy of Connecting podcast, to explore how brands can drive growth by returning to authentic human relationships. Melissa introduces her “concentric circles of influence” framework, a practical approach to prioritizing the people closest to your business first, employees, leaders, and internal advocates, before expanding outward to investors, partners, customers, and ultimately the broader market. She explains why starting from the inside out creates stronger alignment, clearer storytelling, and more effective market engagement.

She breaks down how organizations can activate employees as brand storytellers, align incentives with investors and advisors to unlock opportunities, and build strategic partnerships as a scalable growth lever. Melissa also highlights the importance of customer success as a marketing function, emphasizing customer-driven content over feature-heavy messaging. From prioritizing inner circles in small teams to maintaining brand consistency at scale, she outlines a more human, relationship-first approach to modern go-to-market strategy.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why human connection outperforms automation in today’s noisy marketing landscape

  • Understanding and applying the concentric circles of influence framework

  • Enabling employees and internal stakeholders as authentic brand advocates

  • Leveraging partnerships and customer success as powerful growth drivers

If you’re a marketing leader looking to build stronger relationships, create more authentic engagement, and scale your impact from the inside out, Melissa’s framework offers a clear and actionable path to connecting with your market in a more meaningful way.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

]]><![CDATA[Ian Dowe: Building a Solid Foundation, Embracing Creativity & Data-Driven Decisions - Episode #40]]>https://www.connecttomarket.com/p/ian-dowe-building-a-solid-foundationhttps://www.connecttomarket.com/p/ian-dowe-building-a-solid-foundationThu, 26 Mar 2026 09:02:33 GMTHow can B2B SaaS companies build a strong go-to-market foundation and turn their website into a true driver of pipeline?

In this episode of Connect To Market, host Casey Cheshire welcomes Ian Dowe, Senior Vice President Marketing at HealthAxis, to explore how marketers can connect to their market through a deeply data-driven foundation. Ian explains why understanding your total addressable market, identifying active buyers, defining ICPs and personas, and mapping solutions to real pain points must come before any campaign execution. He shares how gaps in this foundation often stem from organizational maturity and why early success can create false confidence as markets inevitably shift.

He breaks down how leaders can build from the ground up by aligning product to buyer needs using frameworks like the KANO model, then layering in narrative, brand, and go-to-market strategy. From structuring MarTech stacks and internal processes to defining product marketing roadmaps and revenue metrics, Ian outlines a practical, step-by-step approach to building a scalable marketing engine. He also reframes creativity as strategic problem-solving and challenges teams to rethink websites as buyer enablement platforms that educate and qualify prospects deeper in the funnel.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why a strong data-driven foundation is critical before executing marketing campaigns

  • Aligning product, messaging, and GTM strategy using buyer needs and the KANO model

  • Reframing websites as buyer enablement platforms that drive deeper funnel engagement

  • Building scalable marketing systems across MarTech, processes, and revenue metrics

If you’re a marketing leader looking to strengthen your GTM foundation while turning your website into a true growth engine, Ian’s approach offers a clear roadmap for building, scaling, and adapting in an ever-changing B2B landscape.

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Connect To Market is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

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