Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

Eric Siu and Neil Patel
  • 4.6 (1.3K)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Daily

Neil Patel and Eric Siu bring you daily ACTIONABLE digital marketing lessons that they've learned through years of being in the trenches. Whether you have a new website or you're an established business, you'll learn the latest SEO, content marketing, social media, email marketing, conversion optimization and general online marketing strategies that work today from people that actually practice marketing and operate business. Approaching 100M downloads with 2,500+ episodes, you're sure to find something that will help you grow faster. Also don't forget to subscribe to our Marketing School Youtube channel to get more marketing goodness. 94849990-341d-11f1-a99b-e154abd40242

  1. 11h ago

    Do NOT Sleep on X Money!

    Eric and Neil start with X Money, which pays 3% cash back and 6% interest, and argue that the offer is under marketed and would get more people investing. They test an AI-written blog post on a client, who took it for human writing, then cover a time-on-page chart that compares human and AI content. They debate whether writing is thinking and whether a real name still beats AI copy. Dan Shipper's claim that newsletters are dying, from a writer with over 120,000 subscribers, leads to a debate on email, AI summaries in the inbox and whether YouTube is S-tier. They close on every channel getting more competitive over time. Human voice still earns the trust. Key takeaways ◾X Money pays 3% cash back and 6% interest, but the 3% has fine print ◾A human byline near the title held readers longer in their time-on-page test ◾Eric and Neil dispute Dan Shipper's claim that newsletters are dead Chapters 00:00 X Money: 6% interest 04:07 The AI blog post test 10:01 Potato, SpaceX and GrokBot 10:33 Writing is thinking 14:26 Which channels are S-tier 15:47 Are newsletters dead? 17:06 AI summaries and the inbox 18:46 Every channel gets more competitive Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

  2. 1d ago

    Tesla's Flying Roadster DESTROYED Porsche's Supercar Launch

    Eric and Neil open with Tesla's Roadster flying car, which they treat as a marketing stunt that keeps Tesla in the conversation. The AI fluency gap follows, with Karpathy's funnel, where most people barely touch an LLM, and agents that still misfire. Next is X Money and the newsletter debate, then a blog post test that a client took for human writing. The back half covers the rule of 28, Meta's 200-person AI team inside a 70,000 staff company, and why YouTube leads are hard to attribute. The show ends on Accenture's $29 monthly AI cap, Ramp's AI spend index and Bending Spoons' cuts at Evernote. Attention, trust and spend with a reason. Key takeaways ◾Accenture's $29 AI cap is smart, but proven high spenders should get exceptions ◾Meta built a 200-person AI team out of 70,000 staff, which Zuckerberg calls talent density ◾Tesla's flying Roadster is a stunt, and agents still need a human check Chapters 00:00 Tesla's flying car stunt 04:56 Is the Roadster $50,000 or $250,000? 09:48 Why Porsche lost its edge 12:22 Agents, not models 13:58 Agents still unreliable in marketing 17:19 Karpathy's AI-gap funnel 20:00 Agent slop and the cost of rework 21:00 Workflows as a service 22:08 X Money: 6% interest 26:34 The AI blog post test 32:08 Potato, SpaceX and GrokBot 32:41 Writing is thinking 36:34 Which channels are S-tier 37:55 Are newsletters dead? 41:24 Rule of 7 is now the rule of 28 45:17 YouTube drives leads you cannot attribute 47:47 Meta's 200-person AI team, talent over size 49:00 Neil's private equity mindset 52:08 Neil's debt: SOFR plus 2% 55:41 Failures: rockets, timelines and the metaverse 56:42 Accenture caps AI spend at $29 a month 1:00:14 Ramp's AI spend index: median is $11 1:02:09 Neil downgrades his ChatGPT plan 1:03:03 A 45-minute AI session that is worth it 1:04:49 Two-slice teams, not two-pizza teams 1:09:02 Bending Spoons: a private equity model 1:11:47 Evernote: 433 staff at peak, about 30 now Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

  3. 4d ago

    The Wells Fargo Client Retention Strategy That Actually Works

    Some agencies win clients by inviting decision makers to Formula One boxes, but Neil prefers the way banks play the wine and dining game. Bank of America sent his CFO to a World Cup game with the hotel paid, and Wells Fargo offers suites and seats after the deal is done, just to say thanks. Then a competing bank tried to match Wells Fargo's refinance offer at the last minute, after months of saying no. Eric shares a group text pitch dressed up as comparing notes, and Neil tells the worst pitch he's heard: a financial advisor chasing a friend's $25M house sale and eight-figure profit with one cherry-picked account and a stock that barely moves down. A blunt episode on relationships and selling. Key takeaways ◾Thank-you tickets with no pitch keep clients around ◾Match the offer early, because last-minute fixes come too late ◾Be direct when you sell, and show all your numbers Chapters 00:00 The wine and dining game 00:47 Competitors win clients with Formula One boxes 01:30 Bank of America sent our CFO to the World Cup 02:32 Wells Fargo offers tickets after the deal 03:39 Tickets with no sales pitch keep clients 04:44 The bank that came too late 05:48 Too little, too late, like a bad hire 06:33 Steve Jobs to Tim Cook: do the right thing 07:18 Group texts gone wrong 08:49 Selling while pretending not to sell 09:50 The worst sales pitch 10:52 One client account next to Buffett and Ackman 12:05 70% leverage and 'it barely moves down' 12:58 AI showed the stock drops far more often 13:44 Big investors get deals you don't Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

  4. 4d ago

    ChatGPT Took Our YouTube Views From 800 to 15,000

    Eric built thumbnail, editing and posting skills, and his long-form YouTube videos went from about 500 views to 15,000 to 25,000. Some of the team wouldn't use them, so they had to let people go, and the one person who stepped up is now fixing the Marketing School channel's trends, thumbnails and 30-second retention. Neil says AI optimizes for average, which still beats a below-average team, but you need humans in the loop. They cover Bain's 94% stat, why Neil would rather hire great marketers and teach them AI, and a senior SEO candidate who read straight off a Claude template. Then Neil's Zappos story, how Uber outspent Lyft, why AI rewards whoever raises billions, and Neil's Muse outreach to M&A advisors. An honest episode on AI skills and hiring. Key takeaways ◾Skills only work when someone spends real time tuning them ◾Hire people who stay curious and put their best foot forward ◾Small touches like Zappos' overnight shoes build loyalty Chapters 00:00 We got more views by firing 00:51 Skills took Eric's videos from 500 views to 25K 02:13 Cover the trend first, fix thumbnails and retention 02:56 Neil: AI optimizes for average 04:01 You still need humans in the loop 04:46 Bain's 94% and the coming job displacement 05:30 How we hire marketers now 06:36 A senior SEO candidate read off a Claude template 08:38 Lazy before the contract means worse after 09:46 The agency hire who said they're too slow 10:31 Hire people who never stop learning 11:12 Small touches build brands 12:38 Fundamentals move metrics more than campaigns 13:48 Uber won by subsidizing more than Lyft 15:08 Why a cheap Waymo rival can't win 16:10 AI rewards whoever raises billions 17:11 Muse is taking the market 17:58 Neil's Muse outreach lands a UK call 18:51 Red flags in the deals bankers pitch Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

  5. 6d ago

    ChatGPT Plugins Added $500K ARR in Days

    Someone added $500K in ARR in a week by putting their app in ChatGPT plugins, and Eric wants Carrot, Answer the Public and Ubersuggest in there too. Neil says that at scale, plugins help retention more than revenue. He's also seeing clients arrive with business problems instead of asks, like revenue down 6% and leads down 32%, and Eric says that grows the market for agencies. Then customer service as marketing: a SpaceX growth lead fixing Grokbot before a webinar, On refunding an order without telling Eric, and Neil's Marriott check-in. They compare the Ritz-Carlton's budget to go beyond policy with Airbnb's 9-star idea, then trade travel tips on room service, compression bags and Sterling Pacific luggage. A practical episode on plugins and service. Key takeaways ◾ChatGPT plugins are a distribution channel worth building for ◾Pitch the fix for the client's business problem, whatever the channel ◾Bending policy to fix a mistake earns word of mouth Chapters 00:00 Plugins add $500K in ARR 01:13 Neil: plugins help retention more than revenue 02:05 Clients bring problems now 03:10 Revenue down 6%, leads down 32% 04:17 Solving the whole problem set grows the TAM 04:58 Customer service is marketing 06:06 On.com's surprise refund and split order 08:03 Neil's Marriott check-in 09:22 Charged for the night before, told to wait 10:11 A room appeared once it was their fault 10:58 Grokbot support hid behind policy 11:55 Ritz-Carlton and Airbnb's 9-star experience 12:39 Four Seasons prices, Disney cruise experience 13:56 Room service, laundry and one carry-on 14:48 Compression bags and Sterling Pacific luggage Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

  6. Oct 13

    Neil Patel and Eric Siu's Biggest Business Wins and Mistakes of 2026

    It's Q4, so Eric and Neil run through their business and marketing highlights and lowlights for the year. Eric's win was hiring AI-native people after learning he couldn't train everyone, and Neil's was the lowest churn in a long time. Neil explains bankruptcy clawbacks, where the lawyers always win, with FTX legal fees near $700M, and how tariffs and war cut client budgets. Eric's team now makes and manages bots, including one that shortlists recruits every day. On marketing, YouTube is bringing enterprise leads, Neil found out he did 12.7M views in 30 days, and Gavin Baker reports 80% of token spend has flipped to open-weight models. Eric covers outbound, wedges and Higgsfield's weekly launches, and Neil explains why he wants the chill life. A candid look back at the year. Key takeaways ◾Hire adaptable, AI-native people instead of trying to train everyone ◾Let bots handle evaluation work like recruiting shortlists ◾Test lots of ideas cheaply, then back the ones with traction Chapters 00:00 Q4 business highlights 00:44 Eric's lowlight: thinking he could train people 01:28 Neil's lowest churn in years 02:32 Bankruptcy clawbacks and legal drama 03:29 Lawyers always win: FTX's $700M in fees 04:43 Tariffs, war and budgets 06:20 Optimistic about 2027? 07:05 Payment plans for groceries 08:31 We make and manage bots 09:13 Recruiters who say they can't build it 10:00 Marketing highlights 10:47 Enterprise leads who found us on YouTube 11:32 Ad Age's performance marketing agency of the year 13:33 Neil's 12.7M views in 30 days 14:38 A slow speaking summer, two months at home 15:37 Neil only buys companies at a good deal 16:21 Best returns with the least stress 17:14 Outbound, wedges and 15-minute standups 18:39 Skillsdojo: pair engineers with marketers 19:43 Crank out 100 ideas, double down on winners 20:48 Gavin Baker: 80% of token spend flipped 21:46 Higgsfield ships a new feature every week 22:28 Neil does better in services than tech 23:42 Think like a capital allocator 25:08 Neil just wants the chill life Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

  7. Oct 12

    How We're Growing Our YouTube, the Wine and Dining Game and ChatGPT Plugins Create $500K ARR (Full Episode)

    How to grow a YouTube channel with AI, win clients with the wine and dining game, and use ChatGPT plugins for growth. Eric's AI skills for thumbnails, editing and posting took his long-form views from about 500 to 15,000 to 25,000, and the people who wouldn't use them had to go. Neil says AI optimizes for average, and they cover hiring and why AI rewards whoever raises billions. Then the wine and dining game: Formula One boxes, Bank of America and Wells Fargo tickets, and a financial advisor's pitch after a friend's $25M house sale. Next, ChatGPT plugins adding $500K in ARR, clients arriving with leads down 32%, and service stories from Grokbot, On and Marriott. They finish with Q4 highlights and lowlights, from recruiting bots to Neil's 12.7M views in 30 days. The whole conversation in one place. Key takeaways ◾Skills only work when someone spends real time tuning them ◾Thank-you tickets with no pitch keep clients around ◾Pitch the fix for the client's business problem, whatever the channel Chapters 00:00 We got more views by firing 00:51 Skills took Eric's videos from 500 views to 25K 02:13 Cover the trend first, fix thumbnails and retention 02:56 Neil: AI optimizes for average 04:01 You still need humans in the loop 04:46 Bain's 94% and the coming job displacement 05:30 How we hire marketers now 06:17 A senior SEO candidate read off a Claude template 08:19 Lazy before the contract means worse after 09:27 The agency hire who said they're too slow 10:11 Hire people who never stop learning 10:53 Small touches build brands 12:19 Fundamentals move metrics more than campaigns 13:29 Uber won by subsidizing more than Lyft 14:48 Why a cheap Waymo rival can't win 15:51 AI rewards whoever raises billions 16:52 Muse is taking the market 17:38 Neil's Muse outreach lands a UK call 18:31 Red flags in the deals bankers pitch 19:25 The wine and dining game 20:12 Competitors win clients with Formula One boxes 20:55 Bank of America sent our CFO to the World Cup 21:56 Wells Fargo offers tickets after the deal 23:03 Tickets with no sales pitch keep clients 24:06 The bank that came too late 25:09 Too little, too late, like a bad hire 25:55 Steve Jobs to Tim Cook: do the right thing 26:39 Group texts gone wrong 28:10 Selling while pretending not to sell 29:12 The worst sales pitch 30:14 One client account next to Buffett and Ackman 31:26 70% leverage and 'it barely moves down' 32:20 AI showed the stock drops far more often 33:06 Big investors get deals you don't 33:53 Plugins add $500K in ARR 35:06 Neil: plugins help retention more than revenue 35:58 Clients bring problems now 37:03 Revenue down 6%, leads down 32% 38:09 Solving the whole problem set grows the TAM 38:51 Customer service is marketing 39:59 On.com's surprise refund and split order 41:40 Neil's Marriott check-in 42:59 Charged for the night before, told to wait 43:48 A room appeared once it was their fault 44:35 Grokbot support hid behind policy 45:32 Ritz-Carlton and Airbnb's 9-star experience 46:16 Four Seasons prices, Disney cruise experience 47:32 Room service, laundry and one carry-on 48:25 Compression bags and Sterling Pacific luggage 50:17 Q4 business highlights 51:01 Eric's lowlight: thinking he could train people 52:04 Neil's lowest churn in years 53:08 Bankruptcy clawbacks and legal drama 54:05 Lawyers always win: FTX's $700M in fees 55:19 Tariffs, war and budgets 56:56 Optimistic about 2027? 57:41 Payment plans for groceries 59:07 We make and manage bots 59:49 Recruiters who say they can't build it 1:00:37 Marketing highlights 1:01:24 Enterprise leads who found us on YouTube 1:02:08 Ad Age's performance marketing agency of the year 1:03:54 Neil's 12.7M views in 30 days 1:04:58 A slow speaking summer, two months at home 1:05:57 Neil only buys companies at a good deal 1:06:41 Best returns with the least stress 1:07:35 Outbound, wedges and 15-minute standups 1:09:00 Skillsdojo: pair engineers with marketers 1:10:03 Crank out 100 ideas, double down on winners 1:11:08 Gavin Baker: 80% of token spend flipped 1:12:06 Higgsfield ships a new feature every week 1:12:48 Neil does better in services than tech 1:14:02 Think like a capital allocator 1:15:28 Neil just wants the chill life Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

  8. Oct 10

    SEO Strategy: Why 'Versus' Pages Are Your Secret Weapon

    Why versus pages are your secret SEO weapon. Noah Kagan shipped 19 SEO pages from a $20 Mac app and got six sales in three days, and Eric breaks down the two page types every product needs: versus pages and best-for guides. Neil adds two fixes, getting other sites to publish them and comparing the brands ChatGPT and Claude already recommend, and says comparison pages drive more revenue than listicles. Then Instinct: 10% daily growth, 40% of users adding a card, and why Neil would sell it to Apple. Sam Lessin says there is no moat in AI agents, Neil's Muse test turns hundreds of drafts into three sent emails, and Outrank's data shows sites with 400+ links got 115% more Google clicks. A practical episode on SEO and AI agents. Key takeaways ◾Build versus and alternative pages for the competitors AI already cites ◾AI agents have little loyalty, so the product has to keep earning it ◾Linkable assets still move Google clicks Chapters 00:00 Noah Kagan's 19 SEO pages and 6 sales 01:16 Neil: get other sites to publish your pages 02:38 Listicles are the new links 03:39 Comparison pages drive more revenue than listicles 04:02 Instinct: 10% a day, 40% add a card 05:21 Neil: Instinct should sell to Apple 06:37 Eric bets the founder sells 07:39 Apple could build this itself 08:24 Sam Lessin: there is no moat in AI agents 10:02 Neil's Muse test: hundreds of drafts, 3 sent 13:47 Every's personal agent comparison 14:24 Jev as a classifier for a fraction of a penny 16:36 Nobody is loyal to an AI product 17:37 Outrank: 400+ links, 115% more Google clicks 19:48 Neil: building something good? Ignore the hate 20:58 Linkable assets beat bought links Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

See All (2K)

Hosts & Guests

4.6
out of 5
1,254 Ratings

About

Neil Patel and Eric Siu bring you daily ACTIONABLE digital marketing lessons that they've learned through years of being in the trenches. Whether you have a new website or you're an established business, you'll learn the latest SEO, content marketing, social media, email marketing, conversion optimization and general online marketing strategies that work today from people that actually practice marketing and operate business. Approaching 100M downloads with 2,500+ episodes, you're sure to find something that will help you grow faster. Also don't forget to subscribe to our Marketing School Youtube channel to get more marketing goodness. 94849990-341d-11f1-a99b-e154abd40242

Information

You Might Also Like