All Posts by Justin Rankin
Theft with a brand kit…
We are in a new kind of space race, and this one is not about who gets to the moon first. It is about who actually survives the next evolution of marketing. Every agency out there is screaming about AI like they just discovered fire. They are dropping words like “innovation,” “automation,” and “integration,” then […]
Is That Human… or Just ChatGPT Wearing a Mustache?
We’ve officially reached the part of the internet where no one knows what’s real anymore. Half the posts on your feed were probably written by a large language model that thinks “having a good weekend” is an acceptable personality trait. The other half? Written by someone using AI and pretending they didn’t. And that’s fine. […]
AISO 2.0
Everyone’s still out here trying to figure out how to rank on Google while the actual game is being rewritten in real time and most of you haven’t even noticed. Welcome to AISO 2.0, the era where search optimization stops being about keywords and backlinks and starts being about partnerships and pipelines. AISO 2.0 Let’s […]
AI Is Eating Everything…Except CTV
Let’s not sugarcoat it: every other ad channel you “think” you’ve mastered is being steamrolled by AI right now. Google Ads? CPCs are climbing while search volumes nosedive, and AI overviews are happily stealing the clicks you paid for. Social? You’re competing against bots, fake engagement, and platforms that change their algorithms more often than […]
How to Build an AI Death Star (Step by Step)
AI didn’t just “enter” marketing — it broke into your house, drank your last LaCroix, reorganized your fridge, and is now wearing your hoodie while running ads for your competition. This isn’t a “trend.” It’s not optional. It’s a full-scale takeover of how digital marketing and business workflows operate. And here’s the part no one […]
Google: The Greedy Beast Gorging on Your Budget
Let’s be brutally honest: Google Ads is no longer a marketing strategy—it’s a monster. One that eats your money and spits out scraps. TL;DR: That “monster” you’re feeding is weakening—and your ROI is being hollowed out. AI: The Real Monster Rising—and It Devours Content Meanwhile, a new beast is rampaging across the marketing landscape—and it […]
SEO’s in a Nursing Home. AISO Just Took the Keys to the Estate.
SEO isn’t dead… But it’s definitely been moved into a nice little assisted living facility where it plays bingo, mumbles about meta descriptions, and still thinks it runs the internet. You can visit it, sure. Maybe take it out for ice cream. But let’s be honest—you’re not trusting it to drive anymore. Because there’s a […]
AISO + GSO or GTFO: Is Your Marketing Strategy Already Obsolete?
Here’s the truth: If your brand isn’t being found by people beforethey realize they need you, then you’re not marketing—you’replaying dress-up on the internet. Let’s cut the fluff: Marketing in 2025 isn’t about just “beingonline.” It’s about being everywhere that matters—programmatically, intelligently, and automatically. That means one thing: If you’re not built around AISO (AI […]
Is LinkedIn Gaslighting Your Business Page? (Yes. Yes, It Is.)
Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off: LinkedIn business pages are about as alive as your Myspace login. And if you’ve been pouring time, effort, and budget into your company’s page hoping for organic reach, I hate to be the bearer of LinkedIn’s brutal algorithmic truth—but you’re screaming into a void. Meanwhile, your intern posts a […]
In-house marketing isn’t the flex you think it is anymore
Sure, it used to be a badge of honor. A sign that you were“investing in your brand.” That you had a team of digital warriorslocked in a conference room, drinking cold brew and crankingout brilliance. But let’s be real—how’s that going? Let me guess: Meanwhile, actual growth is flatlining, your brand voice sounds like an […]
The Future of Content Marketing (Now That AI Is Breathing Like a Great Dane on Our Porch)
Let’s be honest. If content marketing were a party, AI just showed up in a hoodie, holding a 12-pack of gas station beer, and demanding the aux cord. And somehow, it still got in. You can’t scroll your feed, open your inbox, or sneeze near a Slack channel without someone mentioning AI-generated content. It’s the […]
Your Leads Are Dying… and It’s Your Fault
The Harsh Truth: Disconnected Systems = Lost Revenue Let’s be blunt: If your website, ads, CRM, and email marketing don’t talk to each other, your leads won’t stick around long enough to say hello. Digital integration isn’t just a convenience. It’s the bare minimum. It’s the difference between creating a sales ecosystem versus babysitting a […]
The Lead-Gen Bot Crisis: Congratulations, You Just Booked a Meeting with a Goldfish
Let’s take a walk down memory lane. We launched a new lead-gen campaign last month. It was slick — clean targeting, compelling creative, forms optimized to the decimal. Three days in: 64 leads. The team’s hyped. People are screenshotting dashboards. Slack is buzzing. The dopamine is flowing. Then we start calling. First one? A disconnected […]
The Future of the CMO Is Fractional—And That’s Coming From a CMO
Let’s rip the Band-Aid off: The full-time, in-house CMO is becoming the next Blockbuster Video—nostalgic, expensive, and totally outpaced. The marketing world moves at the speed of WTF just changed now? Algorithms evolve faster than your approval chain. Trends come and go before your corporate Slack channel even notices them. And your “VP of Marketing” […]
Burn It Down: Why Elementor (and Its Drag-and-Drop Buddies) Are Killing Your Website
Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off: If your website is built on Elementor—or any of its soulless, drag-and-drop cousins—your SEO is on life support. And no, lighting a candle at your local marketing shrine isn’t going to save it. You might be thinking, “But it’s so easy to use!” Yeah. It’s also easy to microwave […]
Why ‘Guaranteed Top 3 in GMB’ Is the Marketing Version of Bodega Sushi
Let’s talk about the Google My Business “Top 3” promise. You know the one. “We’ll GUARANTEE you a top 3 spot on Google Maps!” Oh wow! A guarantee? On an algorithm you don’t control? Powered by a company that updates things like a toddler with a fidget spinner? Yeah. That’s totally legit. 😒 The Scam […]
Your quoting tool is not generating you leads.
Let me say this as clearly and unapologetically as possible: Your quoting tool is not generating you leads. It’s converting them—maybe. I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count:Client installs a shiny new “instant quote” widget, gives it a week, checks their inbox… crickets. Then they look at me like I owe them […]
Google Tag Manager Might Be Ghosting Your Analytics (and What to Do About It)
You know that moment when you think your data is pristine, everything is tracking beautifully, and your analytics dashboard looks like the control room of a NASA launch? Yeah—about that. Apple pulled the plug. Again. Let’s break it down. Apple’s Privacy Crusade Just Dunked on Your Tracking Starting with iOS 14.5 and now a full-blown […]