Beyond Automation: What AI Agents Can Really Do for Your Marketing with Jacob Bank
04/12/25 • 40 min
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
Jacob Bank is transforming how marketers work with AI agents – and the results are extraordinary. As founder and CEO of Relay, Jacob brings a unique perspective shaped by his background as an AI researcher, founder of Timeful (acquired by Google), and former product lead for Gmail and Google Calendar.
In our conversation, Jacob cuts through the confusion surrounding AI terminology to explain what truly matters: AI agents are tools that work behind the scenes with human-level intelligence on tasks that previously required people. The technological leap enabling this revolution isn't just incremental improvement but a fundamental shift in how AI reasons and plans multi-step processes.
What makes Jacob's insights particularly valuable is that he's applying these technologies directly in his own marketing. At Relay, he operates as essentially a one-person marketing team, leveraging AI agents for competitor research, content creation, customer insight synthesis, community management, and lifecycle communications. From automatically analyzing customer calls to generating personalized outreach and tracking performance metrics, these agents handle the "busy work" while Jacob focuses on strategy and relationships.
Perhaps most compelling is Jacob's candid story about his content marketing journey. After nine months of consistent posting on LinkedIn and YouTube with minimal traction, his persistence finally paid off – exploding from 1,000 to 5,000 YouTube subscribers in a month and generating 4.7 million LinkedIn impressions in 90 days. This transformation didn't come from changing posting frequency but from refining his approach and persevering until breakthrough.
Looking ahead, Jacob believes marketers who build authentic connections and communities will thrive even as AI-generated content proliferates. The successful marketer of tomorrow will be a curious, adaptable generalist who embraces new tools while focusing on the human elements that technology can't replicate.
Ready to transform your marketing with AI agents?
Follow Jacob on LinkedIn or YouTube for detailed tutorials
Visit RelayApp.com to start building your own AI-powered workflows.
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
Jacob Bank is transforming how marketers work with AI agents – and the results are extraordinary. As founder and CEO of Relay, Jacob brings a unique perspective shaped by his background as an AI researcher, founder of Timeful (acquired by Google), and former product lead for Gmail and Google Calendar.
In our conversation, Jacob cuts through the confusion surrounding AI terminology to explain what truly matters: AI agents are tools that work behind the scenes with human-level intelligence on tasks that previously required people. The technological leap enabling this revolution isn't just incremental improvement but a fundamental shift in how AI reasons and plans multi-step processes.
What makes Jacob's insights particularly valuable is that he's applying these technologies directly in his own marketing. At Relay, he operates as essentially a one-person marketing team, leveraging AI agents for competitor research, content creation, customer insight synthesis, community management, and lifecycle communications. From automatically analyzing customer calls to generating personalized outreach and tracking performance metrics, these agents handle the "busy work" while Jacob focuses on strategy and relationships.
Perhaps most compelling is Jacob's candid story about his content marketing journey. After nine months of consistent posting on LinkedIn and YouTube with minimal traction, his persistence finally paid off – exploding from 1,000 to 5,000 YouTube subscribers in a month and generating 4.7 million LinkedIn impressions in 90 days. This transformation didn't come from changing posting frequency but from refining his approach and persevering until breakthrough.
Looking ahead, Jacob believes marketers who build authentic connections and communities will thrive even as AI-generated content proliferates. The successful marketer of tomorrow will be a curious, adaptable generalist who embraces new tools while focusing on the human elements that technology can't replicate.
Ready to transform your marketing with AI agents?
Follow Jacob on LinkedIn or YouTube for detailed tutorials
Visit RelayApp.com to start building your own AI-powered workflows.
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
Previous Episode
Navigating the New Landscape: How AI is Reshaping Organic Search Strategy with Jason White
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
The search landscape has dramatically transformed. With traffic plummeting by 50-90% for many brands, SEO professionals are scrambling to understand how AI is reshaping organic strategy. In this eye-opening conversation, Jason White, head of SEO at PolicyGenius, shares cutting-edge insights about navigating this new reality.
White reveals that server logs have become an unexpected superpower in measuring AI visibility. While no analytics platforms exist for tools like ChatGPT, examining server logs shows which AI bots visit your site, what content they access, and how frequently they return. This data forms the foundation of understanding your "share of AI voice" – a metric that's rapidly replacing traditional ranking factors.
The conversation takes a startling turn when White points out that "ChatGPT has already consumed all of your website. They consumed it before you started worrying about it." This sobering reality means brands are already behind in the AI optimization race, but understanding how and when AI platforms refresh their knowledge can help marketers regain ground.
Despite the challenges, there's a silver lining: while traffic volume has decreased dramatically, the quality of remaining traffic tends to be higher, with improved conversion rates. White encourages marketers to approach AI with curiosity rather than fear, comparing the current moment to the early days of social media when no established playbooks existed and experimentation reigned supreme.
Whether you're witnessing alarming traffic drops or simply preparing for the inevitable shifts in search behavior, this conversation provides practical strategies for maintaining visibility in an increasingly AI-mediated digital landscape. The rules of search have fundamentally changed – are you ready to adapt your approach?
You can connect with Jason at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaylwhite/
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
Next Episode
High-Impact ABM Starts with Sales Thinking: Bolton Graham on Where ABM Goes Next
I am always looking for ways to improve. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! - Kevin
View the video version of the podcast here
The term "account-based marketing" gets thrown around so casually these days that its meaning has become diluted. Is ABM just targeted advertising to a list of accounts, or is it something deeper? According to Bolton Graham, Head of Marketing at JRNI, we've moved past the golden age of ABM into what he calls a "dark age" where everything is labeled ABM without the personalization that made it special.
Bolton brings a wealth of perspective from his time building ABM programs from scratch, scaling them across organizations, and now applying these principles at Journey. What makes his insights particularly valuable is his candid assessment of what works and what doesn't when taking the one-to-one approach with high-value accounts.
He argues that the best ABM practitioners occupy a unique space between sales and marketing—they need the analytical mind of a marketer with the relationship-building hunger of a salesperson. In fact, Bolton makes the provocative suggestion that perhaps ABM roles should include commission structures similar to sales positions.
Beyond the philosophical discussion, Bolton shares tactical advice on launching successful ABM initiatives, from managing the relationship with sales teams to defending your program from the inevitable pressure to scale beyond what's effective. He highlights the potential of "pattern interrupts" like direct mail, billboards, and in-person events as increasingly valuable tools as digital channels become saturated with AI-generated content.
As Bolton puts it, "The personal connection angle is going to be one of the last things we're left with."
Whether you're just starting your ABM journey or looking to refocus your existing program, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on an approach that, when done right, still delivers exceptional results for B2B marketers targeting high-value accounts. Connect with Bolton on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about the future of marketing in an increasingly noisy digital landscape.
Connect with Bolton on LinkedIn or check out his company, JRNI
🎧 Tech Marketing Rewired is hosted by Kevin Kerner, founder of Mighty & True.
New episodes drop regularly with unfiltered conversations from the frontlines of B2B and tech marketing.
Catch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.
👉 Subscribe, share, and connect with us at www.mightyandtrue.com
📩 Got a guest idea or question? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn for more insights and behind-the-scenes takes.
📰 Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: Subscribe to Kevin's Substack at: https://kevinkerner.substack.com/
📰 Want more tech marketing insights? Subscribe to the Drag & Drop newsletter for fresh thinking, real talk, and tools that make your job easier.
Tech Marketing Rewired - Beyond Automation: What AI Agents Can Really Do for Your Marketing with Jacob Bank
Transcript
Hey everyone , I'm Kevin Kerner and this is Tech Marketing Rewired . I just had the chance to sit down with Jacob Bank and I've got to say this one was a real pleasure . I've been watching Jacob's YouTube videos for a while now and I've always appreciated his energy , his curiosity and his willingness to jump into the AI chaos with the rest of us . In this episode , he breaks d
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