Julie Jarnagin and Beth Russell are here for a special Valentine's Day episode! They kick things off looking forward to the 2025 International Builders' Show (IBS), and share tips that you may not have thought of, that will make your time in Vegas more enjoyable and impactful if you're attending! They also share some really exciting news out of DYC -- the release of our brand-new SEM-PPC Quarterly Benchmarks! News topics include OpenAI's recent Super Bowl commercial, and an interesting YouTube fact that marketers need to consider. 

Story Time (02:42): 

• Julie is looking forward to IBS! 
• She shares tips that aren't-so-common, but super helpful: bring a microphone if you're shooting content! 
• Check out a variety of content and take the time to dig through some of the lesser known sessions. 
• Snacks! It can be hard to find time to wait in line or grab food, so Julie recommends bringing granola bars. 
• Beth is noticing a theme of builders taking a journey of discovering what makes them unique, and urges marketers to discover, "What problem are you trying to solve for your customers?" 
• If you solved a problem for a customer, no matter how small, it's such an important message to be sharing across your platforms. 

In The News (11:35): 

Q4 2024 SEM/PPC Benchmarks

• Sarah Simmerman released our first-ever Quarterly SEM/PPC Benchmarks to complement the popular Online Sales Benchmarks. 
• Helps you view trends across 90+ builder partners and compare how you are performing. 
• Provides a great example for storytelling, and how to provide data in an impactful way. 

2025: The Year Homebuilders Prove Who They Really Are And Can Be

• The quote that stood out to Beth: "The firms that thrive in 2025 and beyond won't just be those who build efficiently, it'll be the ones that build trust."
• People are struggling to identify how they can navigate this market against big builders, and building trust is at the essence of that. 
• How can you build trust from an organic point-of-view?
• The process of purchasing and marketing a home is very connected to human psychology.

OpenAI's ChatGPT Super Bowl commercial was created entirely by humans, and maybe we don't have to fear AI after all 

• The company opted not to use AI in the creation process to show that it's an extension of human creativity. 
• They're showcasing how the tool can be used to expand upon human creativity, vs. replacing it.

YouTube is now even bigger on TVs than phones

• While Beth finds this article interesting, she isn't surprised, as an early adopter of YouTube TV. 
• She shares how they adapted well to amass a great library and offerings. 
• As marketers, don't disregard YouTube! 
• Julie brings up the huge desire for longer form videos -- how can you take everyday interactions and purpose it for this?
• Consistency is key, and don't be afraid to explore video editing AI tools. 

Things We Love - Things We Hate (30:43):

• Julie has a bit of a sweet tooth, and has been loving and hating all of the Valentine's Day candies. Did you know that Nerd clusters have similar macros to the gels people use for long distance running?
• Beth has been prioritizing closet organization, and is using clear bins to make it even more functional. 

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