Building Trust in an AI-Driven World
Part #4: Marketing in the age of AI
AI can find your business but can it trust you enough to recommend you?
In this episode of Boom Your Biz, Sonya McIntyre-Reid breaks down the new trust signals that influence both AI algorithms and human decision-making. You’ll learn how consistency, authenticity, social proof and human presence now shape your visibility in AI-driven search results, and why your tone and story matter more than ever.
Listen to find out how to build trust that gets you chosen, not just seen.
As AI becomes a discovery and decision-making tool, trust has become the most powerful marketing asset you have. It’s no longer enough to simply appear in search results. Your business needs to look reliable, credible and human enough for both people and AI to recommend you.
In this episode of Boom Your Biz, Sonya McIntyre-Reid unpacks the modern anatomy of trust and how AI evaluates credibility across your entire digital footprint. You’ll learn why consistency matters more than keywords, which authenticity signals AI now prioritises, and how transparency, expertise and real human presence influence whether your brand is surfaced or skipped.
Sonya shares practical examples from her work with service-based businesses, explores the rise of “synthetic trust” (AI-generated content that looks polished but lacks substance), and explains how to keep your tone and expertise at the centre of your marketing — even while using AI for scale.
If you want your business to be discoverable, believable and recommendable in the age of AI-driven search, this episode is essential listening.
Connect with Sonya
Instagram: @sonyamcintyrereid https://www.instagram.com/sonyamcintyrereid/
Linchpin Digital website: linchpindigital.com.au
Linchpin Digital on Instagram: @linchpin.digital https://www.instagram.com/linchpin.digital/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: search “Sonya McIntyre-Reid”
The Power of Proximity. Interviewed on The Clare Wood Podcast.
In this episode, I am sharing a conversation that originally aired on The Clare Wood Podcast, where Clare and I dive into the power of proximity and how the people you surround yourself with influence your mindset, money, and momentum in business.
We talk about how getting into the right rooms has shaped my growth as a business owner, what it looks like to be called forward by high calibre peers, and why paying for proximity has been one of the biggest catalysts in going from “winging it” to leading with confidence and clarity.
If you have ever felt like you are the most driven person in your current circles, or you know you are meant for more but cannot quite see what is possible yet, this conversation will really land.
In this episode, we cover:
Why the people you spend the most time with shape your beliefs, behaviours and income
How proximity to other ambitious, values aligned business owners helped me expand what I thought was possible
The difference between free communities and paid masterminds, and why investing changed how I showed up
How I went from avoiding my numbers to regularly reviewing my profit and loss and making confident decisions
The mindset shifts that helped me move from “freelancer” energy into CEO energy
What to look for when you are choosing a room, mentor or mastermind to plug into
Practical ways to start upgrading your environment, even if you are not ready for a big investment yet
Listen if:
You feel a bit stuck at your current income level
You are craving peers who “get it” and play at a similar or bigger level
You want to stretch your vision of what is possible for your business and life
Useful links
Original interview on The Clare Wood Podcast
Clare Wood’s website: clarewood.com
The Clare Wood Podcast: clarewood.com/podcast
Connect with Clare on Instagram: @Clarewoodcoach https://www.instagram.com/clare_wood_coach/
Connect with Sonya
Instagram: @sonyamcintyrereid https://www.instagram.com/sonyamcintyrereid/
Linchpin Digital website: linchpindigital.com.au
Linchpin Digital on Instagram: @linchpin.digital https://www.instagram.com/linchpin.digital/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: search “Sonya McIntyre-Reid”
From Tool to Touchpoint: How AI Is Becoming a Marketing Channel
Part #3: Marketing in the age of AI
Artificial intelligence isn’t just helping us write anymore, it’s deciding who shows up.
In this episode of Boom Your Biz, Sonya McIntyre-Reid explores how ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI are becoming full marketing channels that recommend, summarise and even influence buying decisions.
You’ll learn:
What it really means when AI becomes a discovery environment, not just a search engine
The three essentials of AI-driven visibility - findable, understandable and trustworthy
How clear, human-first content helped Ultimate Shed win top placement in Google AI Overviews
Why consistency across platforms builds credibility with both people and algorithms
How to use AI for scale, not substitution, while keeping your tone authentic and your data your own
If you’ve ever felt burned by old-school SEO or confused about how AI fits into your strategy, this episode will show you why the future of marketing is finally becoming more human again.
Connect with Sonya
Instagram: @sonyamcintyrereid https://www.instagram.com/sonyamcintyrereid/
Linchpin Digital website: linchpindigital.com.au
Linchpin Digital on Instagram: @linchpin.digital https://www.instagram.com/linchpin.digital/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: search “Sonya McIntyre-Reid”
Google AI Has Landed: What It Means for Search Visibility
Part #2: Marketing in the age of AI
Google AI Overviews have officially launched in Australia and they are changing how people search. But what does this mean for your website, your visibility and your marketing?
In this episode of Boom Your Biz, Sonya McIntyre-Reid breaks down what is really changing and what is not:
How Google AI Overviews work
What “Answer Engine Optimisation” means for your visibility
Three key levers you can pull right now to stay ahead
How paid ads will appear inside AI results
If you have been wondering whether SEO is dead, it is not. It is just becoming more human.
This episode is part of Marketing in the Age of AI, a short, hype-free series on how AI, SEO and digital marketing are evolving and what business owners can do to adapt.
The Meta-fication of AI Part #1: Marketing in the age of AI
The Meta-fication of AI Part #1:
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, now has one in five employees who previously worked at Meta (Facebook). That’s more than 600 people bringing growth-driven, social-platform thinking into the world of AI marketing.
In this episode of Boom Your Biz, Sonya McIntyre-Reid explains what this means for marketers, business owners, and anyone navigating digital marketing in the age of AI:
How AI is shifting from innovation to growth culture
Why Google’s new AI search rollout is part of the same story
What business owners can do right now to stay visible, credible and competitive online
This episode kicks off Marketing in the Age of AI, a practical, hype-free mini-series exploring how AI, SEO and digital strategy are evolving and how to adapt your marketing before everyone else catches up.
Have you been following along with the pop-up Crumbl saga on tiktok?
The US cookie company with 5.9 million instagram followers had a pop-up last Sunday in Bondi.
Each cookie was an eye-watering $17.50.
But not all was what it seemed with reports coming out that the cookies were purchased by fans in the US then ferried back to Australia in their carry on luggage.
Is there more to this story and how were we all duped?
Ever wondered how someone goes from selling toilets to becoming a TikTok marketing sensation? Join Sonya as she sits down with Kim Elizabeth, who shares her fascinating journey from a macadamia farm to corporate boardrooms and social media fame. Kim's candid stories and down-to-earth advice will make you laugh, think, and maybe even dream bigger. With a decade of experience in content and digital marketing, Kim helps organisations launch and scale their marketing strategies, campaigns, and products. Her approach integrates insights and a passion for consumer behaviour with human psychology to create industry-leading content strategies and funnels that can be applied to all industries. As a thought leader, Kim has presented on trends locally and internationally across various sectors. After 10 years in the corporate world, she started Tangerine Tango to bring her content marketing expertise and tried-and-tested lessons to her own venture.
In this episode, Sonya sits down with Sarah, our dynamic social media manager, to unravel a story that’s both a triumph and a trial. In this episode, we share the remarkable journey of a tradie franchisee who transformed their business through savvy social media strategies, only to hit a bureaucratic roadblock from head office. Sarah recounts how she crafted a vibrant and engaging online presence, leading to the client being fully booked for months and even expanding their team. However, the head office’s rigid approach soon dampened the creative spark, demanding mundane and uninspiring content that starkly contrasts with Sarah’s successful, personality-driven posts. Sonya and Sarah dive deep into the clash between local flair and corporate conformity, highlighting the importance of authentic engagement over box-ticking. They also explore how businesses can navigate such challenges and maintain their unique voice without losing sight of brand guidelines. Tune in to hear how Sarah’s creative solutions not only resonated with the local community but also set a benchmark for effective social media marketing. Whether you’re a business owner, marketer, or just love a good behind-the-scenes story, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. 🌟 Don't miss out on this candid conversation that uncovers the real struggles and victories of modern social media management.
In this episode of our podcast, we sit down with Tiffany, the dynamic co-owner and COO of The Product Bus, a consulting firm dedicated to helping early-stage, bootstrapping start-ups. Tiffany shares her journey from running a software development company to co-founding The Product Bus, where she and her team specialise in guiding tech and non-tech start-ups through the critical stages of product development and market validation. We dive into the unique challenges start-ups face, particularly the common pitfalls in marketing and product validation. Tiffany emphasises the importance of understanding your customer base and validating problems early to avoid costly missteps. She also discusses the ethical stance of The Product Bus on fee-for-service consulting, steering clear of equity in fledgling start-ups to protect founders’ interests. Tiffany shares valuable insights on automation tools, project management software like ClickUp, and the benefits of AI in streamlining business processes. Join us for a conversation packed with practical advice, resources, and a glimpse into the supportive ecosystem Tiffany and her team are building for start-up success. Resources and links mentioned: AI Tools: Reclaim (affiliate link) https://reclaim.ai/r/s/EAnUl Respell https://www.respell.ai/ The Product Bus website: https://theproductbus.com/ Connect with Tiffany: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-ashdown/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tiffany_ashdown?_t=8mKaauLmOmu&_r=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theproductbus/
If you spend a lot of time scrolling social media like I do, chances are you’ve come across certain “experts” who claim you can create a month’s worth of content in 30 minutes… IF you buy their super-duper program that shows you how. And while I do believe you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every month, there does seem to be confusion surrounding what actually goes into creating content. In today’s episode, I’m going to take you through the elements of a good content plan, how long content creation ACTUALLY takes, and a few tips for making your content go further. Download your free content pillar workbook here: https://kissmarketing.lpages.co/ep-126-content-pillars/
If you own a website, run Google ads, or send emails as part of your marketing strategy, you’ve probably received notifications about DMARC authentication and the changes that are happening with Cookies. I’m not kidding when I say that this is one of the most important topics I’ve covered on the podcast. If you don’t address these changes, your emails will end up in spam folders, links to your website could drop off, and you could waste THOUSANDS of dollars on ads that don’t work. FOR DMARC SETUP: Email hello@linchpindigital.com.au or visit bit.ly/dmarcsetup TO JOIN THE BOOM YOUR BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boomyourbiz
The new year brings all sorts of declarations and resolutions – many of which get abandoned just a few weeks (or days) into January. The most common New Year’s resolution I’ve seen lately is people resolving to do 75 Hard – a program designed to completely change your body and develop some serious grit. It’s a tough program, but worth it, and it got me thinking: what if we did a 75 Hard for business owners? 75 business days to completely change your business, and develop systems that WORK. If you’re keen to join me, you’ll find all the resources you’ll need, here: bit.ly/75HardBusiness
My podcast on discounts and promotions last month generated some really interesting discussion.
The general consensus was that, while many business owners understand that discounting doesn’t contribute long-term to their brand, they either didn’t know how to STOP relying on promotions, or they didn’t feel their brand was ‘premium enough’ to warrant charging higher prices.
And while these are totally valid concerns, they’re not insurmountable problems.
Here's the thing:
YOU get to set your prices.
YOU get to say what your value is.
And YOU can change your mind, one way or the other, whenever you like.
And if you want to learn how to position your brand as premium?
In this episode, I’m going to show you how.
One of my idols, Seth Godin, once said, “When you speak to everyone, you speak to no-one”. And nowhere is this clearer to me than in the marketing world. Try and speak to everyone and your message comes across as weak, generic, and I hate to say it - a little bit desperate. So, how do you avoid becoming the pick-me of your industry? For starters, you stop trying to please everybody, and you speak directly to your customer avatars. In this episode I’ll take you through: - What a customer avatar actually IS, - Why getting granular about your customer avatar, matters, - How you create an EFFECTIVE customer avatar, and - The things you need to consider beyond age, gender and income when creating a customer avatar. My team has created a free workbook to go with this episode, you can download it here
If you haven’t seen the Barbie movie yet, I’m willing to bet you’ve seen one of the MANY collaborations being promoted… well, pretty much everywhere! The hype for the film began WELL before its release date, and from a marketer’s perspective, the campaign has been a masterclass in how to do things right. In this episode, I’m going to show you how the main themes of the film were reflected throughout the marketing cycle, and hopefully give you some ideas for tapping into pop culture trends the RIGHT way in your own marketing. I’d love to hear which of these lessons you’re going to implement in YOUR business. Let’s continue this conversation over in the Boom Your Biz Facebook Group, where you can connect with like-minded business owners. Click here to request to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boomyourbiz
At the time of recording this episode, Threads has been live for about 8 weeks and the term I’ve heard used to describe it the most has been, “a flash in the pan”. Like Periscope and Telegram, Threads never really made it off the ground. In this episode, I discuss: - WHY Threads was invented in the first place - The gap in the market it aimed to fill - Why I think it didn’t live up to the hype, and - What to do if you want to stay on the platform a little longer, just in case it DOES end up taking off. Which it still could, you know. In marketing, anything is possible!
When it comes to the world of business, your name conveys more information than you may realise. So the decision to CHANGE an established business name is not one that should be entered into lightly! In this episode, I share the reasons behind my business name change, and how it all started when Taylor Swift decided to re-record all her old albums. As they say, inspiration can be found everywhere, if you care to look for it! I hope that, after listening, you realise that the comeback is always bigger and better than the setback - and that, if things aren't feeling quite right in your business, you ALWAYS have the power to make a change. To listen to episode 106, 13 Reasons Why Taylor Swift is a Marketing genius, go here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6mIt6gTmohnc3l43vml9Zp?si=6cd5e037e62941d7 And to check out my rebrand, visit sonyamcintyrereid.com
Everybody loves a bargain, but constant discounting can completely wipe out your profit margins.
And believe it or not, it can also damage the perception of your business AND your industry, as a whole.
In this episode, I’m going to share my thoughts on when discounting ISN’T appropriate, and give you practical examples of what you should do instead.
Want to continue the conversation? Join the Boom your Biz Facebook group, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boomyourbiz
SO many things go into building trust with clients and customers, so if they’re encountering your business for the very first time? There’s one thing simple thing you can do to build trust: get those 5 star reviews. In this episode I’ll take you through why reviews carry so much weight, why you want customers to share their experience and not just leave a star rating, and how you can make it SUPER simple for customers and clients to leave you a glowing review. Join the Boom your Biz Facebook group, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boomyourbiz Get your free template for getting more reviews, here: https://kissmarketing.lpages.co/reviews/
While the word ‘pivot’ certainly WAS overused during the pandemic, the ACT of pivoting was crucial to the survival of countless small businesses. Now that we’re well and truly on the other side of Covid, it’s a great time to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned and to examine those businesses that not only survived, but THRIVED, in those turbulent times. Because tough times never last, but tough (and adaptable) businesses do. Adapt or die, as they say. In this episode, we’re going to talk about a brand that not only adapted quickly, but built a cult following in the process: Frank Green.