Digital Marketing From The Coalface

Dave Robinson
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  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Digital marketing chat from people at the coalface delivering successful solutions to tech and engineering businesses in the UK, Europe, USA & Australia. It often descends into jibberish, but enjoyable jibberish.

  1. The Data Stream: Optimising Video Assets for AI-Powered Search

    FEB 16

    The Data Stream: Optimising Video Assets for AI-Powered Search

    In this episode of "Digital Marketing from the Coalface," Dave and Leslie explore the critical shift in how AI models and AI-powered search engines process and index video content. Moving beyond simple metadata, AI models now "tokenise" video, analysing visual frames and audio streams to extract technical data and sentiment.   High-fidelity video production is no longer just an "aesthetic choice" but a data integrity requirement to ensure AI accurately interprets complex products and engineering solutions.  The discussion also focuses on the strategic risk of "Brand Drift" a phenomenon where AI models, lacking sufficient and up-to-date high-quality data, begin to hallucinate technical specifications or fill knowledge gaps with obsolete data or competitor information.   To avoid the pitfall of AI hallucinating facts about your brand, and in order to allow to speak about your business with authority, your business needs to guide and correct the AI narrative about your brand. Relying on video production is a powerful way to feed AI models with plentiful relevant information.

    42 min
  2. We Discuss The Power of NotebookLM & Minimising Clicks For PPC Success

    FEB 9

    We Discuss The Power of NotebookLM & Minimising Clicks For PPC Success

    In this episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, Dave and Julie explore the counter-intuitive reality of B2B growth: why receiving fewer clicks often signals a healthier strategy than chasing high-volume traffic.   They discuss the "Mark Kermode Effect"—a bizarre algorithmic failure where YouTube's AI confused Dave with the famous film critic based on their glasses and grey hair, driving thousands of irrelevant views that immediately bounced.   For engineering and tech leaders focused on efficiency, Julie and Dave also dive into practical applications of generative AI in operational workflows. Dave shares his experience using Claude Code to rapidly prototype and update internal resource management software, allowing non-developers to fix issues and run test plans via GitHub.   Finally, they look at how NotebookLM is transforming how technical data is consumed, turning dense structural engineering reports on infrastructure into engaging audio summaries.

    27 min
  3. January Blues, Skinflints, AI And General Moaning, HNY

    JAN 28

    January Blues, Skinflints, AI And General Moaning, HNY

    In the first episode of the year, Julie and Dave unpack the shifting realities of online marketing and business software. They dive into the idea of the "great decoupling," exploring how AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT are disrupting the long-standing relationship between SEO and website traffic. The conversation also takes a critical look at AI-driven advertising, questioning its efficiency—especially for niche B2B markets where, for now, hands-on, manual management still comes out on top. The episode taps into a common frustration many businesses face: investing heavily in software without seeing meaningful returns. From Red Evo's perspective, technology alone isn't the answer. Julie and Dave make the case for prioritising human experience and expertise over fully automated solutions, emphasising that even the most powerful tools require skilled guidance to deliver real value. The takeaway? Investing in software is smart—but investing in the expertise needed to use it effectively is smarter.

    51 min
  4. No David, Franz Kafka Didn't Direct It's A Wonderful Life

    12/22/2025

    No David, Franz Kafka Didn't Direct It's A Wonderful Life

    We finally managed to record a new episode and we promise to properly ressurect the podcast in 2026. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our 2025 recap where we break down the seismic shifts in digital marketing that are actively reshaping how B2B buyers operate in complex sectors, including engineering, tech, renewable energy, and oil and gas. Discover how tech leaders are leveraging platforms like Claude and Gemini as highly productive coding agents for JavaScript and PHP, sounding boards for strategic planning, and tools for rapidly building minimum viable products (MVPs).   We also explain why blocking AI from crawling your site is a strategic mistake, and how doubling down on Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) is the only way to build the brand authority required to survive.   We also cover how generalist marketing doesn't work for highly technical B2B industries. We share the results of our own agency's pivot to exclusively serving industrial and tech businesses. Learn why demonstrating deep expertise in your specific niche—whether you manufacture heat exchangers or develop wind farm monitoring software—removes buyer "risk" and helps you win higher-value contracts!   Listen to the full episode now to ensure your industrial brand remains visible, authoritative, and profitable in 2026.

    54 min
  5. As AI & Google Keep Stealing Your Content, What Can You Do About It?

    07/22/2025

    As AI & Google Keep Stealing Your Content, What Can You Do About It?

    Are your buyers finding your complex engineering solutions through traditional search, or are AI bots intercepting their queries first? In this episode, Dave and Cam dive into the rapidly evolving landscape of digital visibility. They tackle the strategic dilemma of the modern web: should your technical documentation and web pages be written for human context, or structured as strict problem-solution data to be crawled and served by AI snippets? They also touch upon the topic of understanding how AI evaluates and uses your proprietary content, and why it is more important than ever, before exploring how the new Insights tab in Google Search Console will soon allow businesses to track exactly how often their content is being featured in these AI-generated answers. For tech decision-makers who manage infrastructure and vendor relationships, the episode also addresses a highly relatable industry pain point: the frustrating disconnect between technology marketing claims and realistic performance. The biggest threat to your business isn't necessarily your direct competitors, but failing to adapt to AI—and how partnering with specialised firms can strengthen your market position. Tune in to this episode to ensure your digital strategy is as robust and forward-thinking as the engineering solutions you provide.

    46 min
  6. Cam Bores On About AI & Dave Has A Rant, Normal Service Resumed

    07/07/2025

    Cam Bores On About AI & Dave Has A Rant, Normal Service Resumed

    In this episode Cam has more thoughts on AI and despite the title, it is moderately interesting. From deep discussions on artificial intelligence's inability to read the room to passionate rants about deceptive software pricing, the duo covers the good, the bad, and the outright manipulative sides of the digital landscape. Key Topics Covered in this Episode: Google Ads & AI Judgment: Dave and Cam discuss Google's move toward using AI to crawl landing pages and judge their relevance to determine ad quality scores. Dave and Cam question whether AI can truly understand human context and nuance—such as distinguishing the search intent of a high-level procurement officer from that of a detail-oriented engineer. Cloudflare vs. AI Web Scrapers: A deep dive into Cloudflare's new "pay to crawl" feature, which aims to charge or block AI companies that scrape creative content to train their models. They explore the ethical line between using AI as an enhancing tool (like coding assistants or NotebookLM) and generative AI that simply steals from uncredited creators to mash up content. Safe vs. Edgy B2B Design: Does Business-to-Business marketing have to be literal and boring? The duo debates whether B2B landing pages should use "safe" imagery (like people pointing at a whiteboard) or take an "edgy" approach to spark curiosity. Dave argues for bold choices, suggesting an image of someone getting punched in the mouth to visually represent a Mike Tyson quote about strategy falling apart. Whether you want to know if your B2B brand is brave enough to be "edgy," need to protect your website's content from AI bots, or just want to hear a righteous rant about manipulative software pricing, this episode is packed with relatable insights and signature agency banter.

    42 min
  7. B2B vs. B2C Marketing, AI Copywriting, and Demystifying TikTok Shop

    06/10/2025

    B2B vs. B2C Marketing, AI Copywriting, and Demystifying TikTok Shop

    In this episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, Dave is joined by a brand-new co-host, Cameron (Cam), who bravely jumps straight into the podcasting deep end. With Stu off adventuring in his camper van, Dave and Cam use Cam's strong B2C background to explore the fascinating differences, and surprising crossovers, between Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) marketing strategies.   Key Topics Covered in this Episode: The Reality of AI in Copywriting & Coding: The duo discusses how AI is phenomenal at literal tasks, like writing 800 lines of heavily commented code in seconds, but still needs a skilled human touch to truly capture a brand's creative tone of voice. Dave also shares some hilarious AI translation fails—including a chatbot sounding like Dick Van Dyke attempting British slang—and praises AI tools like NotebookLM. B2B Risk Aversion vs. B2C Experimentation: Why are B2B engineering and tech firms so reluctant to embrace social media? The hosts discuss how B2B companies are terrified of ruining their professional brand perception with a single bad post. As a result, they often act as "followers," waiting to see competitors take the leap before trying new platforms. Overcoming the "Coloring-In Department" Stigma: The real-world challenges of convincing "old school" B2B decision-makers—who believe deals are only won on the golf course—to see the value in digital marketing, compared to the fast-moving, big-budget B2C world. Demystifying TikTok & TikTok Shop: Cam breaks down the mechanics of TikTok Shop and explains how it solves a marketer's biggest headache: attribution. By keeping the entire browsing and purchasing journey inside the app, it offers incredibly accurate data tracking. They also debunk the myth that TikTok is only for teenagers, noting its massive user base of 30 to 55-year-olds and its incredible potential for educational B2B content. Content Strategy & Metal Detecting: Why you absolutely must avoid "self-indulgent" video content with long, flashy music intros. The hosts discuss the perfect balance of using bite-sized, short-form video to pique audience interest before driving them to longer, high-value content. High Volume vs. High Value: The stark contrast between B2C campaigns targeting tens of thousands of impressions, and B2B search campaigns hunting for highly specific, low-volume keywords where a single good lead can result in millions of pounds of work.

    49 min
  8. The Episode That Nearly Didn't Happen, And Probably Shouldn't Have

    05/28/2025

    The Episode That Nearly Didn't Happen, And Probably Shouldn't Have

    When it came to the time to record this episode Dave was struggling to get enthusiastic. However, Stu beat him into submission, and this is the end result. In this highly conversational and organically flowing episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, hosts Dave Robinson and Stuart Harrison let the "stream of randomness" fly to uncover some surprisingly deep insights into marketing, business strategy, and human behaviour. What starts as an episode that nearly didn't happen quickly evolves into a fascinating discussion on psychology, problem-solving, and the unvarnished realities of client management.   Key Topics Covered in this Episode: "Moving Away" vs. "Moving Towards" Strategy: The hosts break down the difference between formulating a strategy to reach a visionary goal versus a strategy built simply to escape a current bad situation—hilariously likening the latter to running away from an escaped lion. They discuss why sometimes, "anywhere other than here is better" is a perfectly viable starting point. Risk Aversion vs. Marketing Experimentation: Dave and Stuart compare the highly risk-averse nature of the engineering and nuclear sectors to the necessary "experimental approach" of digital marketing. They discuss why companies must embrace A/B testing and accept that not every marketing risk will go exactly to plan. The "Awful Website" Dilemma: The tricky situation of landing a new client whose website is simply too broken for a quick cosmetic fix. Stuart shares a brilliant consulting trick: establishing agreed-upon "design principles" with the client to objectively prove a website needs a total rebuild, completely depersonalising the negative feedback. The Psychology of Uncertainty: Drawing on Rory Sutherland's theories on train travel and the success of Uber, the duo explores how human beings hate uncertainty far more than they hate waiting. They connect this behavioural science directly to our industry, explaining how "snake oil" SEO agencies exploit this fear by offering impossible page-one Google guarantees. Sports Psychology & "Pink Elephants": A deep dive into why the human brain cannot process negative instructions. From Chris Waddle's infamous missed penalty to parents telling toddlers "don't run on the grass," the hosts explain the physics of neural pathways, why you must visualise success, and how to apply positive framing directly to your website's Call to Actions. The Clickbait Epidemic: Finally, Dave and Stuart share a brief, relatable rant on the desperate, unregulated, and intrusive state of modern clickbait advertising. Packed with relatable banter, golf analogies, and a healthy dose of industry skepticism, this episode proves that sometimes the best digital marketing advice comes from simply externalising your problems and talking them out. Tune in for the laughs, and stick around to find out why you should never try to not think of a pink elephant!

    43 min
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Digital marketing chat from people at the coalface delivering successful solutions to tech and engineering businesses in the UK, Europe, USA & Australia. It often descends into jibberish, but enjoyable jibberish.

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