In this episode, Marc Bitanga is joined by fellow Fractional CMO, Neel Singh for a deep dive into how artificial intelligence is transforming the marketing landscape. Together, they unpack the changing expectations placed on marketing leaders—especially the increasing demand for executional excellence that predates AI but has since been amplified by it.

The conversation spans everything from how AI is reshaping advertising strategies to whether traditional marketing agencies can survive in an AI-driven world. Marc and Neel also explore what it takes to become a one-of-one brand.

👤 Guest: Neel Singh — Marketing Strategist | Brand Builder | Growth Expert Connect with Neel on LinkedIn

🎯 Key Topics Covered:

• The Evolution of Marketing Leadership:

  • How expectations for marketing executives have shifted over the years.

  • Why today’s CMOs are expected to be part visionary, part executor.

• AI's Role in Marketing Execution:

  • How AI tools are changing daily workflows.

  • What AI means for hiring, creative processes, and media buying.

• The Future of Marketing Agencies:

  • Will agencies be replaced or redefined?

  • How agencies must evolve to stay relevant in the AI age.

• Building a One-of-One Brand:

  • The value of uniqueness in a world of AI-generated content.

  • The challenge of differentiation when algorithms optimize for sameness.

• Social Media & Brand Strategy:

  • Navigating brand identity on platforms that reward trends over originality.

  • The tension between short-term performance and long-term brand building.

• Culture & Brand Integrity:

  • Why internal cultural alignment is essential for external brand consistency.

  • How brand trust is built from the inside out.

💡 Notable Quote: "AI isn’t replacing marketers—it’s replacing marketers who don’t evolve." – Neel Singh

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Marc Bitanga on LinkedIn

• Neel Singh on LinkedIn

📣 Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Got feedback or want to suggest a guest? Reach out to Marc on LinkedIn!

Mitch from Austin runs a successful consumer lending business, but lately, his once-solid stream of high-quality leads has taken a hit. In this episode, Marc digs into what could be causing the shift—even when the strategy seems unchanged.

You'll learn how to investigate drop-offs in lead quality by looking at both internal marketing changes and external channel shifts. From tweaking ad targeting to understanding changes in SEO traffic, this episode is your troubleshooting guide for diagnosing lead issues fast.

00:00 – Intro Mark sets the stage and reads Mitch’s question about declining lead quality.

01:30 – Step 1: Audit What’s Changed Internally

• Review all recent changes to your marketing strategy—even tiny ones.

• Key areas: ad targeting, website copy, form fields, blog updates.

• Tip: Ask your team for a detailed breakdown of recent changes.

04:15 – Step 2: Trace Bad Leads to the Source

• Determine which campaign, channel, or asset is producing low-quality leads.

• Paid media and organic search are likely suspects.

• Use analytics to connect the dots between traffic source and lead quality.

06:30 – Deep Dive: Paid Media Troubleshooting

• Audit targeting settings: Are you reaching the wrong audience?

• Reevaluate ad messaging: Has your positioning changed?

• Ensure alignment between ads and what the landing page promises.

08:00 – Deep Dive: SEO Traffic Shifts

• Have new blog posts outranked older, higher-converting content?

• Are lower-quality keywords bringing in more traffic?

• Use tools to analyze shifts in keyword rankings and top-performing pages.

10:15 – Final Thoughts: Diagnosis Before Prescription

• The solution starts with clear, structured troubleshooting.

• Track everything to isolate the real issue—and fix it fast.

• Even subtle marketing changes can affect lead quality—review everything.

• Always trace bad leads back to their origin (campaign, keyword, or ad).

• Inconsistent messaging or new SEO traffic can attract the wrong audience.

• You can’t fix what you can’t trace—analytics are your best friend.

• Google Search Console (for SEO insights)

• Your paid media platform (Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc.)

• Website and form analytics (GA4, Hotjar, HubSpot, etc.)

Send a Loom video or email Marc directly at heymarc@squeezethefunnel.com and your question may be featured on the podcast.

Listener Question: Chandler from San Mateo wants to take his online investing course beyond Skillshare and grow it under his own brand. He asked for help with growth marketing—and got a full breakdown of what to do next.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

• Why relying on marketplace platforms might be costing you more than you think

• A simple, powerful framework to unlock your ideal customer’s attention

• The truth about content vs. paid growth—and how to choose the right path

• One overlooked tactic that most entrepreneurs skip (and why you shouldn’t)

• And yes… the reason you should just ask for the damn sale

Got a marketing question for Marc?

Send a Loom video or email Marc directly at heymarc@squeezethefunnel.com and your question may be featured on the podcast.

In this episode, Marc takes us back to his high school days in Seattle, where being a 90-pound sophomore surrounded by NFL-sized seniors made full-size lockers a terrifying prospect. 😅

But it’s not just nostalgia. Marc answers a thoughtful listener question from Anne in Seattle, who’s crushing it with her digital product business but wondering if she should stick with Meta and Google ads or branch out.

Marc breaks down four killer reasons why:

1. Paid media only gets more expensive

2. One channel marketing strategies are risky

3. Content + SEO = cheaper, compounding growth

4. Ads aren’t evergreen

Whether you're running a solo biz or scaling a startup, this is the wake-up call to stop relying on ads alone and start building a brand that lasts.

Got a marketing question for Marc?

Send a Loom video or email Marc directly at heymarc@squeezethefunnel.com and your question may be featured on the podcast.

In this episode of Squeeze the Funnel, your host Marc Bitanga (yes, with that radio voice 😅) switches things up and dives into a listener question from John, a SaaS co-founder in Los Angeles spending $3M/year on paid media. Lately, John's noticing a decline in performance—and he's wondering: Is it time to switch agencies, or bring things in-house?

Marc shares his candid take on what typically happens behind the scenes with ad agencies, how to spot the signs of complacency or "team downgrades," and most importantly, how to hold your agency accountable without jumping ship prematurely.

💡 You’ll learn:

• The three common pitfalls agencies fall into over time

• How to diagnose paid media performance issues (and when it’s actually your fault)

• Tactical advice for protecting your account—and your results

Got a marketing question for Marc?

Send a Loom video or email Marc directly at heymarc@squeezethefunnel.com and your question may be featured on the podcast.