Ross Simmonds on AI Content, Budgets & B2B TikTok Growth
▼ Summary
– Ross Simmonds advocates dedicating 20% of marketing budgets and time to experimentation to stand out from competitors.
– AI should be used for lead nurturing by analyzing engagement and automating personalized outreach while humans focus on creating valuable content.
– Simmonds emphasizes the “create once, distribute forever” strategy, prioritizing content promotion over excessive creation.
– For B2B, LinkedIn is the top distribution channel, while B2C benefits from TikTok due to its cross-platform repurposing potential.
– Simmonds’ 2019 tweet “Create Once, Distribute Forever” became a cornerstone of his marketing philosophy due to its broad resonance.
Ross Simmonds Shares Unconventional Marketing Wisdom: AI, Budgets, and B2B Growth on TikTok
The digital marketing landscape is flooded with generic AI-generated content, but Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation Marketing, argues that quality and creativity still reign supreme. Known for his bold strategies and fearless experimentation, Simmonds breaks down how marketers can leverage AI intelligently, allocate budgets for innovation, and tap into unexpected platforms like TikTok—even for B2B growth.
Why 20% of Your Budget Should Go Toward Experimentation
Most marketing teams thrive on predictability, spreadsheets, quarterly plans, and tried-and-true tactics. Simmonds challenges this mindset, urging brands to dedicate 20% of their resources to high-risk, high-reward experiments. “Eighty percent of your efforts should be safe, but the remaining 20% should scare your competitors,” he advises.
One practical approach? An “experiment week” where teams test new channels: TikTok, Reddit, or emerging platforms, for a few hours daily. The best ideas are pitched company-wide, with the winning concept getting full support. If this makes your data team squirm but excites your creatives, you’re doing it right.
AI’s Real Power: Nurturing Leads While You Sleep
While AI-generated content dominates discussions, Simmonds believes its true potential lies in scaling human connections. “The best brands will use AI to analyze engagement patterns, identify high-potential leads, and nurture those relationships automatically,” he explains.
Imagine AI tools like HubSpot or Clearbit uncovering anonymous visitors’ identities, then sending personalized LinkedIn messages or emails, all while your team is offline. “When AI handles lead nurturing seamlessly, marketers can focus on crafting emotionally resonant, value-driven content that stands out in a sea of mediocrity,” Simmonds adds.
The “Create Once, Distribute Forever” Mindset
Simmonds famously coined this phrase after a 2019 tweet went viral. His argument? Marketers waste too much time creating content and too little maximizing its reach. Instead of constantly chasing new ideas, he advocates repurposing high-performing content across platforms.
For B2B, LinkedIn remains king. But for B2C? TikTok is a goldmine. A single TikTok video can be repurposed into YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and X (formerly Twitter) clips, amplifying its impact. Simmonds suggests spending five hours creating content and 15 hours distributing it, because today’s audiences won’t wait for you to break through the noise.
Q&A: Simmonds’ Most “Milked” Piece of Content
When asked which content he’s reused relentlessly, Simmonds points to his original “Create Once, Distribute Forever” tweet. What started as an offhand thought became a book title, a workshop theme, and a core philosophy at Foundation Marketing. “It resonated because it gave people permission to stop chasing shiny objects and leverage what they already had,” he explains.
Final Thought: What’s Your Marketing Hill to Die On?
Simmonds leaves marketers with a provocative question: What belief do you hold unshakably, even if data or trends disagree? Whether it’s doubling down on TikTok for B2B or betting on human creativity over AI, the answer could redefine your strategy.
(Source: Hubspot)
