The Smart Marketer Podcast

Episode Description
TikTok Shop is creating a totally different kind of opportunity for ecommerce brands, but it is not just another paid ads platform.
In this episode, Molly Pittman sits down with Smart Marketer's Manager of Advertising, Dilyana Doychinova, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to lead paid performance teams, support media buyers, and stay ahead as Meta, TikTok Shop, Google, and AI continue to evolve.
Dilyana shares how Smart Marketer builds a culture where media buyers can ask for help without feeling like they're failing, why strong SOPs need to teach the "why" behind the strategy, and what brands need to understand before jumping into TikTok Shop.
You'll hear why TikTok Shop requires a completely different mindset than Meta, how affiliates and samples shape the platform, and why the creative learnings from TikTok can become valuable across your entire paid media strategy.
"TikTok has nothing to do with Meta, honestly. TikTok is closer to Netflix than it's to Meta." – Dilyana Doychinova
If you manage a paid traffic team, work with media buyers, or are trying to figure out whether TikTok Shop belongs in your growth strategy, this episode is packed with real-world insight from inside the Smart Marketer Agency.
You Will Learn:
• How Dilyana went from almost missing the Smart Marketer opportunity to leading the paid performance team.
• Why media buyers need both accountability and psychological safety to do their best work.
• How Smart Marketer onboards new media buyers without throwing them into the deep end.
• Why SOPs should teach decision-making, not just checklists.
• How the Smart Marketer team stays current as Meta, AI, and ad platforms change.
• Why TikTok Shop requires a completely different mindset than Meta advertising.
• What kinds of products tend to work best on TikTok Shop.
• Why affiliates, samples, and creator momentum are key to winning on TikTok Shop.
• How TikTok creative can become a growth engine for Meta and other paid media channels.
• How Dilyana uses AI tools like Claude to analyze performance, halo effect, and platform impact.
• Why the human side of media buying still matters in an increasingly AI-powered world.
Links & Resources:
Smart Marketer: smartmarketer.com

Smart Marketer Podcast: smartmarketer.com/podcast

Smart Marketer Agency: smartmarketeragency.com

Mentor Table: smartmarketer.com/mentor-table

OmniSend Sponsor Offer: smartmarketer.com/omnisend
Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months.

Note for podcast listeners: Dilyana's Mentor Table Nashville talk on TikTok Shop and the Cleanies case study will be embedded in the show notes on the Smart Marketer website. Visit smartmarketer.com/podcast to watch it there.
TIME STAMPS:
00:00:16 – Welcome: Paid Traffic, AI, Creative Systems & TikTok Shop
00:01:33 – Sponsor Message: Ezra Firestone on OmniSend
00:02:36 – Molly Introduces Dilyana Doychinova
00:04:03 – Why Dilyana Joined the Podcast
00:05:17 – Dilyana's Smart Marketer Origin Story
00:08:15 – Turning a Missed Opportunity Into a Career-Defining Role
00:11:05 – Dilyana's Current Role Leading Paid Performance & TikTok Shop
00:12:30 – How to Lead and Support Media Buyers
00:14:08 – Building Trust So Team Members Can Ask for Help
00:16:53 – Creating a Healthy Culture Inside a Paid Performance Team
00:18:37 – Smart Marketer's Media Buyer Onboarding Process
00:21:08 – How New Hires Transition Into Client Accounts
00:24:13 – Why SOPs Need to Explain the "Why" Behind the Process
00:26:39 – How Meta Changes Are Shifting Campaign Structure
00:27:32 – Staying Current with Platform Updates, AI, and Team Masterminds
00:29:00 – How the Media Buying Team Shares What's Working
00:29:55 – The Difference Between TikTok Shop and Paid Ads
00:30:54 – Why TikTok Shop Requires a Different Way of Thinking
00:31:06 – What Makes TikTok Creative So Hard to Win
00:32:01 – What Products Work Best on TikTok Shop
00:32:55 – Why High-AOV Products Can Work, But Require More Investment
00:33:17 – The Affiliate and Sample Strategy Behind TikTok Shop
00:35:47 – Using TikTok Shop as a Creative Testing Platform
00:37:37 – Finding the First Winning TikTok Video
00:38:51 – Turning TikTok Creative Into Meta Creative
00:39:49 – Why TikTok Is a Hub for Cross-Platform Creative Assets
00:40:22 – How Dilyana Uses AI to Analyze TikTok's Halo Effect on Amazon
00:42:07 – The Future of Media Buying in an AI-Powered World
00:43:34 – How AI Is Helping Dilyana Move Faster
00:44:45 – Mentor Table TikTok Shop Talk & Cleanies Case Study
00:45:50 – Final CTA: Subscribe and Support the Show
YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!
Thank you for tuning into the Smart Marketer Podcast! Your support helps us keep bringing you practical marketing strategy, behind-the-scenes lessons, and real conversations with the people building what's next.
If you enjoyed this episode:
Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: Click Here
Share this episode on social media, tag us, and use #WeOutHere
Have feedback or questions? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit! 🚀

Episode Description
Everybody can generate AI creative now. The real advantage is knowing what to make next.
In this episode, Molly Pittman sits down with Smart Marketer's Director of Creative, Ben Bennett, to unpack the AI-powered creative strategy workflow he's building inside the Smart Marketer creative department. Instead of using AI only to pump out more ads, Ben explains how to use it to analyze creative, identify hidden performance patterns, build a "creative DNA" system, and turn ad data into smarter decisions.
From creative metadata and hook analysis to Claude skills, Gemini video analysis, and the future of AI-powered ad briefs, this episode is a deep dive into how modern marketers can use AI for strategy, not just production.
"Everybody gets it now, basically, how we can produce something from AI. The differentiator is going to be the strategy." – Ben Bennett
You Will Learn:
• Why AI-generated creative is no longer the biggest advantage — strategy is.
• How Ben uses AI to analyze ads like a human creative strategist.
• What "creative metadata" is and why it matters in the Andromeda era.
• How to build a Creative DNA sheet for hooks, imagery, content type, awareness level, style, emotional motivators, and more.
• Why separating creative intake from creative analysis makes your AI workflow more useful over time.
• How AI can uncover surprising insights, like when scarcity hooks do not work at the bottom of the funnel.
• Why the best AI systems still need subject matter experts behind them.
• How Gemini, Claude, and Claude Code can support deeper creative strategy.
• Why creative volume alone is not the goal — smarter, more strategic creative is.
Links & Resources:
Smart Marketer: smartmarketer.com

Smart Marketer Agency: smartmarketeragency.com

The Smart Marketer Podcast: smartmarketer.com/smart-marketer-show

Smart Marketer Free Trainings & Resources: smartmarketer.com/free-resources

Instagram: @smartmarketerig

OmniSend Sponsor: smartmarketer.com/omnisend
Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months.

TIME STAMPS:
00:00:01 – Introduction: AI for Creative Strategy, Not Just Production
00:00:58 – Sponsor Message: Why Ezra Firestone Uses OmniSend
00:02:02 – Molly Welcomes Ben Bennett Back to the Podcast
00:02:58 – Ben's Journey from Distillery Marketing to Director of Creative
00:04:26 – How Ben "AI-ified" the Smart Marketer Creative Department
00:05:47 – Why AI Creative Strategy Is the Real Opportunity
00:06:17 – Everybody Can Produce with AI, But Strategy Is the Differentiator
00:08:08 – Teaching AI to See Ads Like a Human Creative Strategist
00:10:28 – Creative Metadata and How Meta Indexes Ads
00:12:20 – Why Manual Creative Analysis Does Not Scale
00:13:24 – Building the Creative DNA Sheet
00:14:23 – Separating Creative Intake from Creative Analysis
00:15:25 – Tracking Hook Type, Imagery, Content Type, and Awareness Level
00:16:09 – When Scarcity Hooks Do Not Work at the Bottom of the Funnel
00:17:39 – Style, Emotional Motivators, and Story Frameworks
00:20:26 – Combining Creative Metadata with Performance Data
00:21:14 – Building a Smart Marketer Claude Skill for Creative Analysis
00:22:34 – Finding Hidden Patterns Beyond Obvious Winning Ads
00:24:18 – Why AI Systems Get More Valuable Over Time
00:25:40 – Turning Analysis into New Ad Briefs
00:26:47 – How Creative Insights Can Shape Products, Markets, and Brand Messaging
00:27:15 – Shipping AI Work Before It's Perfect
00:29:16 – Why the Best AI Systems Need Subject Matter Experts
00:32:32 – The Next Step: Closing the Loop and Producing Finished Creatives
00:33:59 – Why Volume for Volume's Sake Is Not the Goal
00:35:03 – Ben's Tip: Learn Claude Code
00:36:03 – How to Start Using AI to Analyze Creative Qualitatively
00:37:32 – Work with Smart Marketer Agency
00:38:25 – Final CTA: Subscribe, Review, and Share
YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!
Thank you for tuning in! Your support keeps this podcast thriving. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, review, and share it with fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, creative strategists, and ecommerce operators.
Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: Click Here
Share this episode on social media, tag us, and use #WeOutHere.
Have feedback or questions? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com.
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit!

Episode 279: Smart Marketer's 2026 Growth Playbook: What We're Building, Testing & Doubling Down On
Episode Description
What does growth look like when AI is changing every week, paid traffic is evolving, and your business has to keep adapting in real time?
In this behind-the-scenes episode, Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw pull back the curtain on what Smart Marketer has been building, testing, and improving in 2026. From Axon/AppLovin and TikTok Shop to AEO, AI-powered creative, new software, and launching an ecommerce brand from scratch, this episode is a candid look at how Smart Marketer is thinking about the future.
You'll hear why partnerships are becoming one of the biggest growth levers, why founder visibility matters more in the AI era, and why not every experiment needs to work in order for your business to keep moving forward.
"Not everything has to work. If everything is successful, you're probably not doing enough." – Molly Pittman
You Will Learn:
• Why Smart Marketer is expanding beyond courses, agency services, and masterminds.
• How Axon/AppLovin is creating new paid traffic opportunities for DTC brands.
• Why TikTok Shop requires a different approach than traditional paid media.
• What AEO is and why AI search may become a major growth channel.
• How Smart Marketer is using AI to create more direct-response ad creative.
• Why partnerships can unlock faster business growth and new opportunities.
• What Molly and John are learning from launching an ecommerce brand from scratch.
• Why the info product space is not dead, but it is evolving.
• How to decide what to scale, what to cut, and where to focus next.
Links & Resources:
Smart Marketer: smartmarketer.com

Smart Marketer Podcast: https://smartmarketer.com/podcast

Smart Marketer Free Trainings & Resources: https://smartmarketer.com/free-resources/

Smart Marketer Agency: https://smartmarketeragency.com/

Mentor Table: https://smartmarketer.com/mentor-table/

Thumbstop: https://usethumbstop.ai/

OmniSend (Sponsor): https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend
Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months.

TIME STAMPS:
00:00:22 – Welcome: What's Changing Across Marketing Right Now
00:01:10 – Sponsor Message: Ezra Firestone on OmniSend
00:02:14 – Molly Welcomes John Grimshaw to the Podcast
00:03:28 – Behind the Scenes: What's Been Happening at Smart Marketer
00:04:34 – How Smart Marketer Has Evolved Beyond Courses
00:06:29 – Why Business Leaders Must Keep Innovating
00:07:34 – Launching the Axon/AppLovin Masterclass
00:09:30 – The Power of Partnerships in Business Growth
00:11:51 – Testing TikTok Shop as a New Growth Channel
00:15:19 – AEO, AI Search, and Optimizing for Answer Engines
00:17:27 – Why Founder Visibility Matters in the AI Era
00:19:13 – Introducing Thumbstop: AI-Powered Ad Creative
00:23:51 – Smart Marketer's First New Software Tool in Years
00:24:49 – Launching a New Ecommerce Brand From Scratch
00:28:59 – Why Partnerships Are Central to Smart Marketer's Next Chapter
00:31:00 – Building Agentic AI Systems for Ecommerce Brands
00:33:01 – Why Courses and Info Products Are Not Dead
00:35:49 – The Reality of Testing New Ideas
00:37:59 – How Smart Marketer Is Refocusing for the Rest of 2026
00:38:29 – Molly's Reminder: Not Everything Has to Work
00:40:38 – Final Thoughts and a Bandit Cameo
00:41:15 – Closing CTA: Subscribe, Review, and Share the Show
YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!
Thank you for tuning in! Your support keeps this podcast thriving. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, review, and share it with fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, and business owners who want to stay ahead of what's coming next.
Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: Click Here
Share this episode on social media, tag us, and use #WeOutHere
Have feedback? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit!

Episode Description
AI tools are changing how people research, compare, and make buying decisions, and the brands that show up in those answers are going to have a massive advantage.
In this episode, Molly Pittman sits down with entrepreneur and AEO expert Kasim Aslam to unpack what Answer Engine Optimization really is, how it differs from traditional SEO, and why founder-led content, real expertise, strong reviews, and authentic authority are becoming non-negotiable for brands that want to stay visible.
You'll also hear early results from Smart Marketer's first AEO client cohort, including wins from brands like BabyRX, Winona, and Outdoor Vitals, plus why AEO may be one of the biggest organic opportunities since the early days of SEO.
"If you believe in your product, if you're truly a thought leader, if you have the information and if other people really like what you have to say, AEO is great." – Kasim Aslam
You Will Learn:
• What AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, is and why it matters right now.
• How AI-driven traffic differs from traditional SEO and paid traffic.
• Why founder-led brands and expert-driven content are winning in AI search.
• The role schema markup plays in helping AI tools understand your website.
• Why reviews, reputation, and real authority are becoming major ranking signals.
• How to think about attribution when AEO cannot be tracked like Meta or Google Ads.
• Why "being for someone" is one of the most important marketing advantages in the AI era.
• Early AEO case studies from BabyRX, Winona, and Outdoor Vitals.
• Why brands that lack a clear point of view may struggle as answer engines become more influential.
Links & Resources:
Smart Marketer: smartmarketer.com

Smart Marketer Free Trainings & Resources: https://smartmarketer.com/free-resources/

Smart Marketer Agency: https://smartmarketeragency.com/

Mentor Table: https://smartmarketer.com/mentor-table/

AEO: https://aeo.co/

OmniSend (Sponsor): https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend
Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months.

TIME STAMPS:
00:00:16 – Introduction: Why AEO Matters for Modern Brands
00:01:16 – Sponsor Message: Ezra Firestone on OmniSend
00:02:20 – Molly Welcomes Kasim Aslam to the Podcast
00:04:11 – The Power of Long-Term Relationships in Business
00:06:34 – How Molly and Kasim's AEO Partnership Began
00:11:09 – Why AEO Is the Future of Marketing
00:13:14 – What Is AEO and How Is It Different from SEO?
00:15:42 – How Kasim Started Studying Answer Engine Optimization
00:16:44 – Why Understanding the Machine Matters
00:18:01 – Why AEO Strategy Must Be Vertical-Specific
00:19:16 – Why AEO Is Harder to Game Than Traditional SEO
00:20:08 – Why Reputation, Reviews, and Real Authority Matter
00:22:34 – Why Context Changes Every AI Search Result
00:24:48 – Why Direct Response Marketers May Struggle with AEO
00:26:14 – How to Measure AEO When Traditional Attribution Breaks
00:28:47 – Bot Traffic, Citations, and Secondary Success Signals
00:30:22 – The Return of "How Did You Hear About Us?"
00:32:54 – Early AEO Results from the First Client Cohort
00:34:33 – BabyRX Case Study: From Zero Visibility to AI Citations
00:35:31 – Why Schema Markup Is Critical for AI Visibility
00:37:32 – How Content Repurposing Helps AI Validate Authority
00:39:47 – Winona Case Study: Growing Share of Voice in Google AI Mode
00:40:46 – Outdoor Vitals Case Study: From Invisible to 34% AI Visibility
00:42:12 – Content Atomization and Founder-Led Authority
00:43:23 – How to Apply for the Next AEO Test Cohort
00:45:03 – Why Answer Engines Trust People More Than Brands
00:47:41 – Why Brands Need a Real Point of View
00:48:09 – Final Thoughts: Why AEO Rewards Businesses That Truly Serve Their Market
00:49:47 – Closing CTA: Subscribe, Review, and Share the Show
YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!
Thank you for tuning in! Your support keeps this podcast thriving. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, review, and share it with fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, and business owners who want to stay ahead of what's coming next.
Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: Click Here
Share this episode on social media, tag us, and use #WeOutHere
Have feedback? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit!

Episode Description
AI can help your team move faster, work smarter, and free up hours of repetitive work… but only if you build the habits, systems, and ownership to actually use it.
In this live session from Mentor Table Nashville, Rytis Lauris, co-founder and CEO of Omnisend, shares the six practical lessons his company learned while transforming a 200+ person organization into a more AI-native team. From monthly AI Days and simple point-solution agents to the mindset shift required to "manage" AI assistants, this episode is packed with real-world examples you can bring back to your own business.
"AI can really help us to be way more productive and to be better employees, to be better specialists, to be better humans." – Rytis Lauris
If you've been wondering how to get your team to move beyond "playing around with ChatGPT" and start using AI to save time, improve processes, and scale smarter, this one is for you.
You Will Learn:
• Why AI adoption has to be intentional and led from the top down.
• How Omnisend uses monthly "AI Days" to help employees build real AI habits.
• Why simple point solutions often work better than complex AI agents.
• How a sales team built an AI follow-up tool without engineers.
• How Omnisend reduced influencer review time from 90 hours to 20 hours per month.
• Why AI tools should be treated like products, not one-time projects.
• The importance of assigning a human "manager" to each AI agent.
• Why AI works best when it improves existing processes instead of creating new work.
• How AI can support email, SMS, segmentation, forms, support, and sales workflows.
• Why the future belongs to humans who learn how to scale themselves with AI.
Links & Resources:
Smart Marketer: https://smartmarketer.com/

Smart Marketer Free Trainings & Resources: https://smartmarketer.com/free-resources/

Smart Marketer Agency: https://smartmarketeragency.com/

Mentor Table: https://smartmarketer.com/mentor-table

Omnisend Smart Marketer (sponsor): https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend
Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months.

Time Stamps:
00:00:15 – Welcome: Moving Beyond AI Marketing Tasks
00:01:13 – Sponsor Message: Why Ezra Firestone Uses Omnisend
00:02:39 – John Introduces Omnisend and Rytis Lauris
00:04:16 – Why Becoming AI-Native Isn't as Simple as Buying Tools
00:06:14 – Lesson 1: AI Does Not Adopt Itself
00:07:18 – How Omnisend Uses Monthly AI Days Across the Company
00:08:19 – The Sales Follow-Up AI Agent That Saves Time After Calls
00:09:30 – Reducing Influencer Review Time from 90 Hours to 20 Hours
00:10:31 – Lesson 2: Complexity Is a Trap
00:12:21 – Why Point Solutions Beat Over-Engineered AI Agents
00:13:24 – Lesson 3: Switch from a Project Mindset to a Product Mindset
00:15:24 – Lesson 4: Iteration Isn't Sexy, But It's Inevitable
00:16:24 – Why Every AI Agent Needs a Human Owner
00:17:23 – The AI Voice SDR Example: Smart, Useful, and Still Imperfect
00:19:13 – How Omnisend's AI Support Agent Resolves 40% of Support Conversations
00:21:19 – Lesson 5: Build on Existing Processes, Don't Create New Work
00:22:13 – Rytis' LinkedIn AI Agent Story and Why AI Won't Create Habits for You
00:23:55 – Omnisend's Most-Used AI Features: Subject Lines and Preheaders
00:24:47 – AI for Email Copywriting and Segment Building
00:25:58 – AI Form Generation and Giving Customers Control
00:26:48 – Lesson 6: AI Is an Assistant, Not the Enemy
00:28:00 – How Point Solutions Can Free Up 30–40% of Your Time
00:28:45 – Recap: The Six Lessons for Becoming AI-Native
00:30:11 – Special Omnisend Offer for Smart Marketer Listeners
00:30:39 – Closing Thoughts
Your Engagement Matters!
Thank you for tuning in to the Smart Marketer Podcast! Your support helps us continue bringing you practical marketing strategies, behind-the-scenes systems, and real-world business insights from operators who are doing the work.
If you enjoyed this episode:
Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts.
Share this episode on social media, tag @smartmarketer, and use #WeOutHere.
Have feedback or questions? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com.
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit!