These Are the 3 First Marketing Hires You Should Make
Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/
Want to recruit great marketers? Find them here: https://marketingschool.io/hire
Neil and Eric break down the three must-have marketing hires for 2026, why influencer marketing is shifting to micro creators, how data and analytics unlock real ROI, and why digital PR and citations matter in the AI search era. They also explore the rise of the vibe growth marketing manager, the changing expectations for modern marketers, the evolving CMO role, and the underrated power of email as a revenue engine.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-Micro influencers drive massive ROI
-Data clarity beats bigger budgets
-Email remains the strongest profit lever
CHAPTERS
(0:00) Building a 2026 marketing team
(01:02) Influencer hire essentials
(02:24) Micro influencer ROI
(04:20) Data and analytics hire
(05:59) Digital PR importance
(07:15) Vibe growth marketing manager
(08:40) Skills modern marketers need
(09:50) CMO role evolution
(11:56) Email as revenue engine
(14:34) Enterprise marketing strategy
(15:59) Final marketing lessons
𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟
Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer.
🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts
Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial
Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel
📩 Free Resources
Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/
Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/
✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!
--------
18:24
--------
18:24
Why GEO Startups Are F**ked
Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/
Want to recruit great marketers? Find them here: https://marketingschool.io/hire
Neil and Eric break down the surge of AI GEO startups, why funding far outpaces ARR, and how services still outperform SaaS. They compare Profound, AirOps, Peak AI, BrightEdge, Moz, and SEMrush while revealing why compounding, ownership, and real relationships matter more than hype. They also discuss bootstrapped billionaires, declining businesses, and the difference between real friends and transactional ones.
Key takeaways:
• AI GEO funding is outpacing proven revenue
• Services outperform pure SaaS long term
• Real relationships drive business success
Chapters:
(00:00) AI GEO startups funding
(02:30) Services vs SaaS scaling
(05:40) Bootstrapped billionaire examples
(14:20) Compounding wealth mindset
(17:30) Real vs transactional friends
𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟
Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer.
🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts
Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial
Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel
📩 Free Resources
Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/
Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/
✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!
--------
24:44
--------
24:44
If I Wanted Enterprise Leads From Podcasts I’d Sponsor These
For fast, affordable business insurance as low as $29/mo, go to http://nextinsurance.com/ms
Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Ever wonder which podcasts are worth sponsoring for serious business growth? Neil and Eric discuss how to get a podcast sponsor and generate enterprise leads for your business. They explore the nuances of podcast advertising and b2b lead generation, offering insights into podcast monetization and making money podcasting.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Enterprise leads from podcast sponsorships
(04:47) Awards, judges, and RFP opportunities
(07:16) Single Grain’s AI marketing pitch
(09:05) AI stock analysis fails live
(14:14) Semrush vs Ahrefs vs BrightEdge
𝗔bout the Channel
Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and a Forbes Top 10 Marketer.
🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts
Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial
Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel
📩 Free Resources
Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/
Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/
--------
19:04
--------
19:04
Why Elon, Bezos and US Generals Ban PowerPoint from Meetings
To get ad placements on premium websites, go to https://discover.taboola.com/ms
In this episode, Neil and Eric break down why top leaders like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and U.S. generals ban PowerPoint from critical meetings — and what to do instead. They unpack how six-page Amazon-style memos drive deeper thinking, when slides do make sense for all-hands or client presentations, and the hidden cost of lazy bullet-point culture. They also shift into personal branding, key-man risk, burnout, and how founders can scale beyond their own name while still using content to fuel enterprise growth.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Why leaders ban PowerPoint
(01:00) Bezos memos vs slide decks
(03:30) When slides actually make sense
(06:30) Six-page memos and deep work
(14:50) Personal brand, burnout, and scale
𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟
Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and a Forbes Top 10 Marketer.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HOSTS
Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial
Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel
FREE RESOURCES
Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/
Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/
--------
25:36
--------
25:36
Why Our Thoughts On Influencer Marketing For Ourselves Have Changed
Hosted by Neil Patel and Eric Siu, this Marketing School episode breaks down why their mindset on influencer marketing flipped, how they use influencer deals to fund rising content costs, and the real numbers behind their content budget.
Key takeaways:
-Use influencer deals strategically to offset growing content production costs
-Treat your podcast like a B2B media asset and sell sponsorships directly
-LLM SEO will reward real authority, not short term spammy tactics
Chapters:
(00:00) Why our influencer marketing stance changed
(01:00) Using influencer deals to fund content
(02:20) What we really spend on content teams
(05:24) Turning a money losing podcast into profit
(09:51) How marketers game ChatGPT and LLM rankings
(12:10) Our blueprint to fix ChatGPT style algorithms
(18:49) Final thoughts, lessons and next steps
🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts
Eric Siu – Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficial
Neil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel
📩 Free Resources
Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/
Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/
✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!
About Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips
Neil Patel and Eric Siu bring you daily ACTIONABLE digital marketing lessons that they've learned through years of being in the trenches. Whether you have a new website or you're an established business, you'll learn the latest SEO, content marketing, social media, email marketing, conversion optimization and general online marketing strategies that work today from people that actually practice marketing and operate business. Approaching 100M downloads with 2,500+ episodes, you're sure to find something that will help you grow faster. Also don't forget to subscribe to our Marketing School Youtube channel to get more marketing goodness.
Listen to Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips, Prof G Markets and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
Canada - english