Ep 387: Books, Buzzwords & Benchmarks

Market Proof Marketing · Ep 387: Books Buzzwords & Benchmarks

In this episode of Market Proof Marketing, Jackie Lipinski and Beth Russell reflect on the power of clear communication, clean marketing systems, and community-first thinking. From school movie nights and panic cleaning to organizing ad accounts and analyzing the Q1 Online Sales Benchmarks, this episode covers the serious and the silly. Plus, a detailed recap of the most recent Market Proof Marketing Academy, thoughts on Google's AI ad integrations, and a reminder that your brand lives well beyond your website.

Key Topics

Communication fails & panic cleaning
Highlights from the Market Proof Marketing Academy
Q1 2025 Online Sales Benchmarks
Google tests ads in AI chatbot conversations
Community planning and lifestyle-driven decision-making
Shifting focus from incentives to value
All Access reminders and listener appreciation

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Online Sales & Marketing Summit is Filling Up - Grab Your Tickets Today

Story Time [1:05]

• Beth shares a personal story about missing a school event due to unclear and inconsistent communication, something builder marketers should heed when planning outreach for events.

• Jackie reflects on "panic cleaning" before company arrives and ties it to the need for marketers to keep their ad accounts clean and organized, even if no one’s watching (yet).

• The team gives a shout-out to Kendra and listeners who asked for Story Time to stay; your wishes have been granted!

In The News [21:04]

• Q1 2025 Online Sales Benchmarks
  Jackie and Beth review Amanda Martin’s new online sales benchmark report summarizing over 50,000 leads from 33 markets. Despite Q1 being particularly tough for many builders, the consistency and performance of online sales teams remain impressive. They also discuss how these benchmarks can serve as both inspiration and a performance check.

• Google is Testing Ads in Third-party AI Chatbot Conversations
  Google’s experiment with placing ads inside chatbot conversations sparks discussion on what this means for marketers. Jackie and Beth point out the infancy of this format, the very low AI-driven site traffic to builders today, and why the content on your own website - and how it gets syndicated elsewhere - remains your biggest asset for visibility.

Things We Love, Things We Hate [33:40]

• Beth's Love: Taking a walk through her community trail reminded her how thoughtfully designed neighborhoods deliver lasting emotional value to residents, something builders should showcase more intentionally.

• Jackie's Love: Celebrating 10 years since relocating to Washington state, Jackie reflects on the importance of loving where you live and how lifestyle decisions drive buying behavior.

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