Marketing Against The Grain

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471

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (Hubspot's SVP of Marketing), lead you down the rabbit hole of marketing trends, growth tactics and innovation. On the way you’ll pick up undiscovered strategies to give you that slight edge for success. These are not your typical twitter thread regurgitated marketing tactics that everyone is doing. These are new methods, with unfiltered examination of successful fresh ideas.

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60 recent

November 3, 202630 min

I Automated 90% of My Content Creation with Claude (Copy My System)

Copy an AI Expert’s Claude Content Factory: https://clickhubspot.com/khgo Ep. 466 The latest Claude models are even better than you think! Kieran and guest Saj Adib (CEO at Skill Leap AI) dive intodive into the jaw-dropping power and accessibility of the latest AI models and what most people are missing about their true capabilities. Learn more on how anyone can leverage tools like Claude and local models to build custom productivity apps, the power of live dashboards and proactive agents for business automation, and why approaching AI with creativity—not just business utility—can take your work and personal projects to a whole new level. Mentions Saj Adib linkedin.com/in/sajadib Skill Leap AI https://skillleap.futurepedia.io/ Futurepedia 2.0 https://www.futurepedia.io/ Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Claude https://claude.ai/ Lovable https://lovable.dev/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 29, 202628 min

We’ve Spent 20+ Years in Marketing. Here’s What We Learned

Kipp & Kieran's 6 marketing lessons (that actually matter): https://clickhubspot.com/wrlg Ep. 465 What actually matters in marketing today? Kipp and Kieran dive into the timeless lessons from classic marketing books and explore how strategies from decades ago are more relevant than ever in today’s landscape. Learn more on why verisimilitude (the appearance of truth) is the cornerstone of copy that sells, the importance of drawing inspiration from outside your industry for true originality, and why building the right audience—and making work that’s remarkable, not mediocre—will always beat chasing the latest trending tactics. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Direct Mail Copy that Sells https://a.co/d/03Q1FsbX The Art of Scientific Investigation https://a.co/d/0b06vEBT Reality in Advertising https://a.co/d/0jbp4k5o Tribes https://a.co/d/00qK62do How to Win Friends and Influence People https://a.co/d/0deaaQoR Obvious Adams https://a.co/d/0aOVCpdg Scientific Advertising https://a.co/d/0eEV7GgY Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 27, 202639 min

You're Not Behind Yet: Learn 97% of Claude (From an AI Expert)

Framework + 6 Prompts to use Claude like an AI Expert: https://clickhubspot.com/bpsv Ep. 464 Is 95% of today’s writing influenced by AI? Kipp, Kieran, and guest Ruben Hassid (author of “How to AI” and founder of GPC) dive into how AI is transforming marketing, the future of software, and why human connection still matters more than ever. Learn more on how to master Claude with must-have settings, why writing is thinking (and why that matters in an AI world), and how the next era of enterprise marketing will blend invisible technology with personal connection for real business growth. Mentions Ruben Hassid https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-hassid/?isSelfProfile=false GPC https://www.gpc.consulting/ How To AI https://ruben.substack.com/ Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Claude https://claude.ai/ Grok https://grok.com/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 22, 202616 min

How Marketers Can Make $20K/Month With Tiny Apps

Build your own AI Business in 3 Hours with < $500: https://clickhubspot.com/jgwf Ep. 463 There's never been a better time for marketers to become millionaires through a simple, actionable formula. Kieran dives into how a new generation of marketers can leverage AI, microbehaviors, and rapid prototyping to build and grow profitable businesses. Learn more on the 5-step microbehavior business formula, real-world examples of niche SaaS making $10K+ MRR, and why marketing and distribution—not building—are the new competitive moat in the AI era. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Launch Fast https://launchfastlegacyx.com/ Cursor https://cursor.com/ Legacy X http://legacyxfba.com/ 1,000 True Fans https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 15, 202617 min

The Marketing Teams Of 2027 Will Look VERY Different...

Get our playbook to redesign your marketing team for the AI era: https://clickhubspot.com/qwfl Ep. 462 How different will your marketing team be in the age of AI? Kieran dives into how the evolution of marketing teams is being shaped by AI—and why your next hires may look nothing like yesterday’s marketers. Learn more on why every team needs a growth producer to create entertaining content that drives awareness, the game-changing role of an internet comedian to make your product shareable, and the tactical power of a creator dealmaker to turn creators into your greatest advocates. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Ramp https://ramp.com/ Alexandr Wang linkedin.com/in/alexandrwang Muse https://ai.meta.com/muse/ Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 13, 202618 min

Marketing Experts Turn GrokBot Into an AI Content Team

Build a Grok Bot content team w/ these 5 agent prompts + templates: https://clickhubspot.com/lwhf Ep. 461 Can Grok Bot really build your whole content team in minutes? Kieran dives into how to harness Grok Bot and powerful AI tools to automate content creation, from idea generation to drafting, for any platform. Learn more on automating content team structures, leveraging Monit for unlimited API access, and optimizing AI models for each step of your content process. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Grok Bot http://x.ai/news/introducing-grok-bot Claude https://claude.ai/ Codex https://openai.com/codex/ Opus 5.5 https://www.anthropic.com/claude-opus-5-5 Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 8, 202617 min

How to Turn Instagram Into a Sales Machine With Muse AI

Free guide to automate your Instagram marketing with Muse AI: https://clickhubspot.com/dlvm Ep. 460 “You don’t have a reach problem, you have a repeatability problem.” Kipp dives into why Meta’s new Muse assistant is the game-changing marketing tool you’re not using to grow your audience and drive revenue from Instagram. Learn more on unlocking deep audience intelligence, turning post engagement into sales opportunities, and building a magical marketing workflow that connects your content directly to customers. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Meta’s Muse https://ai.meta.com/muse/ Grok Bot http://x.ai/news/introducing-grok-bot Nano Banana https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ Apollo http://apollo.io/ Sabrina Ramonov Marketing Against the Grain episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OS4m5Kajt0 Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 6, 202636 min

We Tested What AI Personal Assistants Can Actually Do

Free guide: how to get AI to recommend your business https://clickhubspot.com/pwcl Ep 459 Is your next website visitor an AI agent with a credit card?  Kipp and Kieran dive into the explosive rise of personal AI agents and how they're making traditional marketing strategies obsolete. Learn more on how AI agents like Muse, Instinct, and Grokbot are changing the buying process, why marketers must adapt for a world where agents—not humans—are the main customers, and what new marketing strategies you need to stay ahead in the age of delegation. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Meta’s Muse https://ai.meta.com/muse/ Instinct https://instinct.com/ Grok Bot http://x.ai/news/introducing-grok-bot Claude https://claude.ai/ ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

October 1, 202630 min

HubSpot Execs: What Marketing Teams Look Like in 2027

Get our free playbook to redesign your marketing team in 2027: https://clickhubspot.com/svoh Ep. 458 Did you know that despite all the noise about shrinking marketing teams, data shows the proportion of marketing roles hasn’t really changed? Kipp and Kieran dive into the future of marketing teams, why the shape—not the size—of your team is what really matters, and how you can thrive in the new landscape. Learn more on why marketing roles aren’t disappearing, how AI is reshaping teams (not replacing them), and why pod models and zero-to-one marketers are key to the next wave of marketing success. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Claude https://claude.ai/ ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/ Codex https://openai.com/codex/ Opus 5.5 https://www.anthropic.com/claude-opus-5-5 Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

September 29, 202630 min

Train Your AI to Write Like a Human With Just 3 Files

Free: make AI content sound like you (Prompts + 3 Files) https://clickhubspot.com/ilhf Ep. 457 AI is now a pretty good content creator—and that’s actually a problem. Kieran dives into why today’s wave of AI-generated content is flooding the internet with sameness, and what marketers can do to stand out from the noise. Learn more on building your own Creative Context OS in just three files, how to teach AI your unique perspective and taste, and the critical difference between content that’s truly “you” versus commodity work everyone else is churning out. Mentions Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow https://www.hubspot.com/loop-marketing-book Nicolas Cole, Commodity Content https://artandbiz.substack.com/p/the-right-way-to-write-with-ai Codex https://openai.com/codex/ Dharmesh Shah linkedin.com/in/dharmesh Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind https://a.co/d/08UXJ6E1 Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matgpod  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingatg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.