Likely Marketing

Hosted by Shivendra Lal

Business Marketing

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Episodes

140

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Exploring possibilities in Marketing.

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60 recent

June 16, 202624 min

#141: Why thoughtful marketing wins in a tiered social media world

For years, brands could win on social media by publishing more content, chasing algorithms, and buying reach. But that era is fading. Subscription models, declining organic reach, stricter regulations, platform fragmentation, and audience fatigue are creating a new reality: a tiered social media world. In this episode, we explore how platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, Substack, Discord, and Bluesky are reshaping the economics of attention. As discovery, conversation, and community split into separate layers, brands can no longer rely on volume or virality alone. The winners will be those with clear perspectives, meaningful conversations, trusted communities, and direct audience relationships. Tiered social media marketing isn't changing how content gets distributed. It's changing what kind of marketing succeeds.(00:00) Intro(01:10) Social media has turned to the subscription model…(04:46) Reasons behind social media going subscription-based(06:25) The regulatory oversight wave is making subscribed social media necessary(09:07) Does this mean that organic social media is dead?(13:32) Are subscription-based social and decline in social media opening doors to alternative social media platforms?(19:22) Layering of social media has happened and is changing the course of social media marketing…(22:20) Subscription-based social media offers a hidden opportunity for founders, brands and marketers…

June 9, 2026Episode 14019 min

#140: Vibe design makes everything faster. That's the problem.

A marketer has an idea—a landing page, a campaign, a new brand direction. Not long ago, turning that idea into reality meant weeks of briefs, revisions, approvals, and waiting. Today, a prompt can generate it in minutes. Welcome to the era of Vibe Design.In this episode, we explore how AI-powered design workflows are collapsing the distance between ideas and execution, transforming marketers from creators into curators, strategists, and decision-makers. But as design becomes faster, a new problem emerges: speed amplifies everything—including weak strategy, vague positioning, and average thinking.Why is vibe design becoming the default way of working? What changes for marketers, founders, and brands? And why are taste, customer understanding, creative risk, and human judgment becoming more valuable than ever? Because when execution becomes abundant, differentiation becomes scarce.(00:00) Intro(01:03) What is vibe design?(03:46) Why is vibe design exploding right now?(07:07) How is vibe design changing (and has changed) the role of marketers?(09:40) What vibe design can’t replace in marketing, yet?(13:02) When to use vibe design, and when not to…(15:37) A take on the duality of vibe design…

June 2, 2026Episode 13916 min

#139: RCS marketing is solving a problem social media created

For years, marketers chased audiences across social media feeds, battled changing algorithms, watched email open rates decline, and begged users to download yet another app. Then, an old technology quietly evolved.In this episode, we explore how RCS Marketing is solving a problem social media created: the loss of direct access to customers. Combining the reach of SMS with the rich experience of modern messaging apps, RCS enables brands to send interactive messages, product carousels, videos, verified business profiles, and conversational experiences—without requiring app installs.We unpack the rise of Rich Communication Services (RCS), its growing global adoption, real-world brand success stories, business results, challenges, and why it could become the next major direct-to-consumer marketing channel. Is RCS the future of customer communication, or simply SMS finally catching up with the modern internet?(00:00) Intro(01:17) What is Rich Communication Services or RCS, exactly?(03:21) What makes RCS different from SMS?(05:30) How big is RCS adoption, right now?(07:21) Few examples of how brands are already using RCS for marketing(11:16) Key challenges and things to remember before using RCS(14:50) Parting thoughts…

May 26, 2026Episode 13811 min

#138: RAG for AI search visibility: Why good content still gets ignored

A brand invested in great content, strong SEO, and a consistent online presence. By traditional search standards, everything looked right. Yet when AI search tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity generated answers, the brand kept disappearing. Why? Because AI search has changed the rules. AI no longer simply finds webpages. Through Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), it decides which sources are trustworthy enough to retrieve, cite, and build answers from.In this episode, we explore why good content still gets ignored and how AI search visibility now depends on trust, authority, citations, structured content, brand consistency, and external credibility signals. For marketers and brands preparing for the future of AI SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), this episode breaks down how retrieval works inside AI systems and what marketers can do to become retrievable. Because in AI search, visibility is no longer enough. Your brand must be trusted enough to be retrieved.(00:00) Intro(01:08) The challenge AI’s source selection process poses(02:45) How AI actually builds an answer to a user query? Hint: Retrieval-Augmented Generation or RAG(04:17) Retrieval is a filtering mechanism, not a search process(06:16) Authority is now a retrieval signal for AI(07:27) Where should marketers focus to get their brand retrieved by AI?(09:36) A few more thoughts…

May 19, 2026Episode 13716 min

#137: AI visibility isn’t built on content alone - It’s built on citations

In a world obsessed with publishing more content, brands are learning a hard truth: AI doesn’t trust what brands say about themselves as much as what others say about them. In this episode of Likely **Marketing, we explore why AI visibility is no longer built on content alone, but on citations, credibility, and repeated validation across the web.From Reddit discussions and podcasts to digital PR, analyst reports, and industry directories, AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Perplexity learn from the wider information ecosystem around your brand. Because in the AI era, visibility isn’t earned by publishing more. It’s earned when your brand becomes repeatedly cited, discussed, and trusted across the Internet.(00:00) Intro(01:12) The information environment AI actually learns from(03:07) How to ensure that your brand registers with AI, not just exist online(04:38) So, which channels can help brands register with AI?(09:15) Single mention is not enough, AI looks for pattern as an indicator of influence(11:36) Here’s a quick list of things to do to get cited by AI(13:52) A broader view on getting mentioned by AI

May 12, 202611 min

#136: AI search can’t trust a brand it doesn’t understand. Here’s what to do

In the age of AI search, brands are no longer competing only for rankings. They’re competing to be understood. When someone asks ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, or Perplexity about a company, the machine first asks: “Who exactly is this brand?” In this episode, Shivendra explores Entity SEO — the invisible layer shaping visibility in AI search. From vague positioning and confusing brand names to schema markup, structured data, and consistent digital signals, discover why AI trusts clarity over noise. Because before AI can recommend your brand, mention it, or rank it, it needs to confidently understand who you are. AI search doesn’t reward the loudest brand. It rewards the clearest identity.(00:00) Intro(01:33) How AI solves the confusion of brand identity(05:13) How can brands reduce AI’s confusion?(08:14) How unclear positioning makes AI hesitate and what more can marketers do?(09:32) Bringing it all together: How to make sure AI understands your brand clearly

May 5, 202624 min

#135: AI browsers are re-writing Marketing - From clicks to decisions

The first version of the web gave us clicks. This one quietly takes them away. In this episode, we explore how AI browsers like Dia Browser, Comet Browser, Opera Neon, Atlas Browser, and Google Chrome are turning the internet into an intent-driven system where decisions happen before clicks. What starts as a search becomes a conversation, then an action—summaries replace scrolling, agents compare options, and workflows replace journeys. While cookies still exist, real power is shifting to context, memory, and AI-led actions. For marketers, this means your audience may never visit your site, yet still choose you. Visibility is no longer about ranking—it’s about being selected inside an answer. This is marketing for AI browsers—where influence happens before the click.(00:00) Intro(01:19) A snapshot of what’s new across each AI browser, so far(11:50) What are the AI browsers doing to lock-in the users?(13:58) How are AI browsers tracking user journeys, and how can marketers use that to their advantage?(17:35) How are AI browsers handling cookies?(20:24) What’s next for AI browsers and marketers?

April 28, 2026Episode 13419 min

#134: From ads to entertainment: Why brands using music videos are re-writing marketing

It starts as a pattern you almost ignore—until it repeats. A clothing brand releases a music video. Then a fintech app. Then an airline. Not ads or placements, but full-scale productions with original songs, choreography, and stories. This episode explores the rise of brands using music videos to become culture, not just commercials. As audiences skip ads, brands are shifting from buying attention to earning it through entertainment-first storytelling. Music becomes the medium because it sticks, moves people, and gets shared—turning a single video into a campaign, a remix, a memory. From fashion to tech, brands are acting like studios, collaborating with artists and creating for participation, not just reach. The real question is no longer how to advertise, but what a brand is willing to create to truly matter.(00:00) Intro(01:06) What is this trend of brands creating music videos, exactly?(03:48) Why are brands creating their own music videos?(07:31) What kind of brands are leaning into music videos, and who are they targeting?(09:06) How does the economics of creating music videos look like? Is there a play for smaller brands?(11:41) Is a brand creating a music video similar to a scripted social series?(15:20) Patterns across brands using both, music videos and scripted social series(16:54) Where this leaves you as a marketer or brand…

April 21, 2026Episode 13321 min

#133: Do brands still need a website in the AI search era? The answer has changed

AI didn’t kill websites, it made them invisible. There was a time when platforms like Google defined discovery, and ranking meant relevance. Websites were the internet’s home. But today, AI search, social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and voice assistants intercept intent before a click ever happens. Answers are delivered instantly, journeys are compressed, and clicks are disappearing. Yet behind every AI-generated response lies a source, and that source is still a website. The role has shifted from destination to infrastructure: powering AI, building trust, and owning data. In the future of websites with AI search, your site isn’t the front door, it’s the engine.(00:00) Intro(01:12) How a website became “home” for businesses(04:47) Now, there are forces that are pulling discovery away from websites(10:57) So, what is the value of having a website now?(15:23) Should brands be investing in a website?(18:55) What is the likely future of websites in times to come?

April 14, 2026Episode 13222 min

#132: From booth traffic to brand immersion: The new power of VR in events marketing

A quiet trade show aisle changes in seconds: one ordinary booth becomes a portal, and curious passersby step into branded worlds they can see, touch, and remember. In this episode, “From booth traffic to brand immersion: The new power of VR in events marketing,” we explore how VR for events marketing is transforming static booths into immersive experiences that attract crowds, deepen engagement, and generate measurable ROI. From virtual test drives and digital showrooms to gamified product storytelling, discover why brands are using VR to turn footfall into qualified leads, extend event reach beyond venue walls, and create unforgettable brand moments. As headset costs fall and immersive tech improves, VR is no longer event hype, it is becoming the next essential layer of experiential marketing.(00:00) Intro(01:19) What is VR for events? And how does it work?(04:24) Is adoption of VR for events really growing? What’s driving it?(07:46) Who’s using VR for events?(11:08) What is the ROI of using VR for events?(13:48) Is there a future where VR can replace in-person events?(16:23) What are the barriers to adoption of VR at trade shows?(19:12) What does the future for VR activations at events look like?