Is your marketing team still measuring success the old way?

In this episode, Matt Bertram, Head of Digital Strategy at EWR Digital, fractional CMO, and podcaster, shares how the digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet. Traffic is down. Impressions are up. Buyers are more informed than ever — but most of the buying journey now happens before anyone lands on your website.

Sara and Matt dig into how AI, off-page search behavior, and frictionless web experiences are changing the rules of digital strategy. They also explore why it’s time to retire outdated KPIs and focus on building brand equity, not just lead funnels.

Matt:
“They're true buyers if they're coming to your website because 75% of search is happening before it even gets to your website. So, your digital PR needs to be strong.”

Links & Resources:
Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
Connect with Matt: linkedin.com/in/mattbertramlive
Listen to The Unknown Secrets of Internet Marketing
Listen to Oil & Gas Sales and Marketing Podcast
Learn more about Progress: progress.com

Timestamps:
00:30 –  Changing Landscape of Search
02:20 – Adapting to New KPIs and Metrics
03:10 – The Role of AI in Digital Strategy
09:35 – Navigating Negative SEO
12:40 – Inspiration for Martech Insights

In a MarTech landscape saturated with tools and AI-powered everything, Phil Gamache offers a timely reminder: the tech only matters if the humans using it are empowered. He and Sara dive into the rise of “counterculture” marketing—where brands win by spotlighting the people behind the process, not just the tools that power them.

Phil:
" It's not a differentiating factor to say that you're AI-powered. It's the default now. You should be, and it shouldn't really be part of your messaging.”

Links & Resources:
Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
Connect with Phil: linkedin.com/in/gamacp
Explore The Humans of MarTech: humansofmartech.com
Learn more about Progress: progress.com

Timestamps:
00:30 –  Spotlighting Martech Tools
03:15 – The Human Element in Martech
04:55 – Innovative Uses of AI in Martech
07:05 – AI Advice for Beginners
09:05 – Industry Leaders for Inspiration

Hazem El Zayat, Chief Experience Officer for the MENA region at Ogilvy, joins Sara to challenge the status quo of how AI is used in marketing today. From content generators to so-called chatbots, Hazem argues we’ve only scratched the surface of what AI can and should be doing. Hazem discusses why strategy must always come before tech selection, how brands can co-design relationships with customers, and why predictive modeling and next-best-action frameworks are the future of AI-powered experience.

Hazem:
"Is writing emails what AI was meant for? Not really. Let’s talk about predictive modeling, natural language processing, and elevating healthcare, travel, and more."

Links & Resources:
Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
Connect with Hazem: linkedin.com/in/hazem-el-zayat-ccxp-2871593
Learn more about Progress: progress.com

Timestamps:
00:20 – The overwhelming MarTech landscape: too many tools, not enough strategy
01:40 – AI misuse: What it’s doing vs. what it should be doing
04:30 – Why chatbots often disappoint
05:00 – True CX: Relationship co-design, not customer “management”
07:45 – CX done right: Banks, airlines, and even a luxury retailer
08:35 – MarTech hot take: CX is everyone’s job
10:05 – Go-to sources for MarTech inspiration

Juan Mendoza, CEO of The Martech Weekly, joins the show to unpack a major shift in customer experience: volitional personalization. As consumers increasingly rely on AI agents like ChatGPT to guide purchase decisions, marketers are losing control over the touchpoints that once defined the buyer journey. Juan and Sara dive into how this pull-based model flips the script on traditional campaign strategies and forces brands to rethink their approach to data, content, and visibility.

Juan:
“Consumers actually using AI agents to do their bidding for them is an entirely new channel that we have no idea how to grapple with yet.”

Links & Resources:
Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
Connect with Juan: linkedin.com/in/juan-mendoza-2b3a63a4
Read The Martech Weekly: themartechweekly.com
Learn more about Progress: progress.com

Timestamps:
00:25 – The rise of agentic AI in marketing
01:15 – Navigating the hype vs. harm of AI agents
02:45 – Real-world example: AI-driven real estate personalization
03:50 – Volitional personalization vs. speculative personalization
05:30 – Why combining push and pull strategies matters
07:00 – Alarm clocks, AI, and the new search experience
08:10 – Juan’s hot take: The death of marketing visibility
10:20 – Where Juan goes to learn: Hacker News & hands-on experimentation

Mallory Russell, an award-winning content marketing strategist, joins the show to share why marketers need to lean into AI experimentation and rethink traditional playbooks. As the lines between content, MarTech, and AI continue to blur, Mallory explores how to make smart, strategic bets without losing sight of brand, quality, or human connection.

Sara and Mallory discuss approaching AI as a tool - not a strategy. They also cover the shifting landscape of SEO, how zero-click search is impacting content distribution, and why composable MarTech stacks are the future.

Mallory:
“There’s no playbook for AI yet. That makes it exciting. Everyone is experimenting… and that’s exactly what we should be doing.”

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
• Connect with Mallory: linkedin.com/in/malloryrussell
• Learn more about Progress: www.progress.com

Timestamps:
00:20 — MarTech’s Role in Scaling Content
01:30 — From “More Content” to Better Content
03:00 — New Metrics for the AI Era
04:30 — Zero-Click Search & Brand Visibility
06:00 — AI as a Tool, Not a Strategy
07:45 — Experimentation Over FOMO
09:10 — Composable MarTech Stacks & Citizen Developers
12:00 — Building Tools for Non-Technical Teams
13:00 — Where Mallory Finds Her Inspiration

Karen Steele, Founder of Steele-Alloy and seasoned Fractional CMO, joins the show to talk about the future of B2B marketing and why data quality is more important than ever.

Karen and Sara explore how account-based marketing (ABM) has evolved into more sophisticated strategies centered on buying groups and behavioral signals. They also dive into the challenges of data integration, the critical role of marketing ops in maintaining data hygiene, and how AI can elevate human creativity when fed with the right data.

Karen:
“You can only do smart AI and get great content and results if you have good data that you're using with the AI… You’ve got to get the data right, and somebody has to be the shepherd of that data. Marketing ops, sales ops, revenue ops—they hold the keys to the kingdom.”

Links & Resources:
Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
Connect with Karen: linkedin.com/in/karenmsteele
Learn more about Progress: www.progress.com
Learn more about Steele-Alloy: www.steele-alloy.com

Timestamps:
00:20 - Current MarTech Trends: Data and AI
01:35 - SEO and AI: The Future of Search
04:00 - Marketing Metrics and Data Quality
06:10 - AI Tools and Sales Enablement
07:30 - Evolution of Buyer Journeys

Scott Brinker, VP of Platform Ecosystem at Hubspot and Editor at chiefmartec, joins the show to break down what not to do with AI agents, and why the ever-expanding martech landscape is actually a win for marketers.

Scott and Sara also dig into the transition from siloed databases to more integrated data warehouses, the growing role of AI in enhancing customer service and content production, and the importance of maintaining human oversight.

Scott:

“I understand the complex landscape is challenging to navigate but if you pull back the cover of the capitalistic engine that's at work, it is this incredible span of entrepreneurship that is focused on empowering marketers. That is a gift to marketing, not a problem.”

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
• Connect with Scott: linkedin.com/in/sjbrinker
• Learn more about Progress: www.progress.com
• Check out chiefmartec: chiefmartec.com

Timestamps:
00:35 -     The Evolution of Data in MarTech
02:15 -    AI in Customer Service and Content Production
04:10 -    The Role of Humans in AI-Driven Marketing
06:00 -    SEO, AI Agents, and Content Validation
10:00 -  Marketing Technology Landscape Report

Jennifer Ortiz, EVP of Marketing at Progress, joins 10 Minute Martech to share how marketers can keep the human touch alive in an AI-driven world.

As AI agents reshape customer journeys, Jennifer and Sara dive into why personalization still matters, how the AI era is unlocking new opportunities for marketers, and practical ways to put AI tools to work. They also explore the future of SEO—and why keeping content fresh is critical for AI-powered marketing strategies.

Jennifer:
“Talking to your customers, your communities, user groups, your peers—that's going to keep human connection. Building trust is a human element.”

Links & Resources:
Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
Connect with Jennifer: linkedin.com/in/jennifer-ortiz-8428572
Learn more about Progress: www.progress.com

Timestamps:
00:35 -  Classic, Moderate, and New MarTech Challenge
02:00 -    AI and Marketing: The Future is No
04:25 -   Human-Centered Marketing in a Tech-Driven World
06:30 -    Practical Applications of AI in Marketing
09:15 -  Content in the AI Era