In part two of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst continues his conversation with marketing experts Navah Hopkins (Microsoft) and Shawn Walker (Symphonic Digital) on how AI is transforming paid search strategy.
They dive into:
If you missed part one, catch up to hear their discussion on AI’s truly disruptive trends vs. efficiency gains, and predictions for the next 12–24 months in paid search.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:11 – Welcome back & episode overview
01:22 – When to plan with AI from day one
03:28 – Differentiation in an AI-driven market
04:34 – Brand positioning and being where competitors aren’t
07:07 – Strategy shifts: reporting, funnel growth & brand control
10:07 – Dunning-Kruger effect in campaign evaluation
12:32 – Trusting AI insights vs. human verification
15:04 – Critical thinking in prompting & data interpretation
18:10 – Predictive modeling: promise vs. reality
22:42 – Budget planning in the AI-first world
26:14 – Accounting for learning periods & runway
27:59 – Focusing spend for better results
29:45 – Targeting by time zone & campaign consolidation
31:47 – Closing thoughts & guest info
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