On-Call CMO

05/11/2026

Your website has a new visitor. It doesn’t browse your homepage, doesn’t scroll through your testimonials, and couldn’t care less about your hero image. It never fills out a contact form. But it’s deciding, right now, whether your brand gets recommended to millions of people.

That visitor is a large language model, an LLM, and the way it “sees” your website looks nothing like the way your customers do.

The reality is that 52% of U.S. adults now use AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity for search. ChatGPT alone has over 800 million weekly active users. At the same time, 60% of traditional Google searches end without a single click to any website. Gartner predicted a 25% drop in traditional search volume by 2026, and we’re watching that prediction come true.

This isn’t about SEO dying. SEO still matters, and I’ll say that clearly. What’s happening is that a new discovery channel has emerged alongside traditional search, and most businesses haven’t even started optimizing for it.

Read the article: https://www.oncallcmo.us/post/website-best-practices-for-llm-discovery

04/09/2025

Since launching On-Call CMO, our founder has been asked, "what exactly does a fractional CMO do?" a few dozen times. Fractional leadership isn't about part-time marketing help, it's true strategic guidance that grows with your business in a similar way to a full-time executive role, but with a few key differences.

In a recent conversation on The Executive Hub Podcast, Tom dove deep into this topic, exploring the true role and potential of fractional marketing leadership. In about 5 minutes, he unpacks exactly what fractional CMOs bring to the table, from strategic clarity and investor relations to go-to-market ex*****on tailored specifically for early-stage SaaS companies.

If you're considering adding fractional marketing expertise or simply want clarity on how it could benefit your SaaS startup, give this a listen. I'd love your thoughts and experiences with fractional leadership, too.

03/08/2025

Thinking about raising money for your SaaS startup? The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all pitch deck. In fact, the most effective strategy involves three separate decks—each building on the last to tell a clear, compelling story.

In my latest blog post, "Crafting the Perfect SaaS Pitch Deck," I break down exactly how to structure these three decks to capture investor interest, confidence, and commitment. It’s less about being perfect, more about telling your startup’s story in a way investors can’t forget.

Give it a read and level up your pitch game.

How to create a SaaS startup investor pitch deck progression that tells a compelling story worthy of investor attention.

02/16/2025

SaaS marketers, are your AI buzzwords getting tuned out? “AI-powered,” “machine learning-driven,” “smart AI” - sound familiar? Customers have AI fatigue, and it’s time to shift the focus. Instead of tech jargon, highlight real results.

💡 Automate 80% of manual tasks
💡 Increase retention by 25%
💡 Reduce admin overhead by 40%

Want to cut through the noise? Read our latest blog on how to refocus your SaaS marketing 👉 oncallcmo.us/blog

02/14/2025

SaaS marketers, it’s time to rethink how you position AI.

Customers aren’t buying “AI-powered” anymore—they’re buying results. If your messaging is still centered around vague AI claims, you’re blending into the noise.

🔗 Learn how: https://www.oncallcmo.us/post/ai-buzzword-fatigue-why-saas-marketing-needs-to-focus

In our latest piece, we break down why are losing their edge and how you can shift to an outcome-driven approach that actually resonates.

AI buzzwords are everywhere in SaaS marketing, but customers care about outcomes—here's how to shift your messaging from 'AI-powered' hype.

02/03/2025

New Infographic Alert! 📊

Our latest infographic breaks down how Chinese startup DeepSeek developed an AI model that rivals OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Claude Ai (Anthropic) for just $6M - compared to the reported $100M+ development costs of its competitors.

Dive into the analysis: https://www.oncallcmo.us/post/what-deepseek-the-new-price-smashing-ai-model-means-for-marketers

Key revelations:
• Training costs: 95% lower than industry standard
• Performance: Matching or exceeding leading models
• Market impact: Triggered the largest single-day tech stock decline in history

This isn't just another AI milestone - it's a fundamental shift in the economics of artificial intelligence that could democratize access to enterprise-grade AI tools.

What does this mean for your business? Any concerns about using a China-based AI model?

01/27/2025

📊 30 Years of Search Evolution in One Visual Timeline

From Yahoo Directory to to PageRank Google's AI Synthesis with SGE - this new visualization shows how search has transformed across five distinct eras, and why it matters for your business today.

This visual guide breaks down:
• The key business factors for each era
• Most influential search platforms
• The key ranking factors for each era
• Critical shifts in search technology

The most surprising insight? We're not just witnessing an evolution in search - we're experiencing a fundamental shift in how business visibility works in the AI era.

The emergence of the AI search era means a robust content strategy is more vital than ever. Discover why depth, authority, and digital matte

01/24/2025

🚩 RED FLAG ALERT! Is your content strategy ready for the AI search revolution? Most aren't.

The search landscape has evolved from simple directories to sophisticated AI synthesis engines. Today, these AI systems don't just find information—they evaluate, synthesize, and present it in ways that demand a completely new approach to content strategy.

In my latest analysis, I break down why traditional SEO tactics alone won't cut it anymore. Through a comprehensive timeline of search evolution, I demonstrate how AI is fundamentally changing not just how people search, but how your content needs to be structured, validated, and distributed to remain visible.

Discover why depth of expertise, breadth of presence, and authority building are now non-negotiable elements of any successful content strategy.

View our exclusive infographic tracking the evolution of search from Yahoo Directory to AI Synthesis, and learn what it means for your business.

The emergence of the AI search era means a robust content strategy is more vital than ever. Discover why depth, authority, and digital matte

01/18/2025

Update: Saturday morning January 18th, incoming US President Donald Trump told NBC News he will "most likely" delay the TikTok ban by 90 days, likely is issuing that order on Monday, January 20th. This move would keep TikTok operating in the United States with business-as-usual, giving all sides more time to negotiate a permanent agreement.

It is unclear if the app ban will temporarily go into effect for any length of time on Sunday, given this new information. Stay tuned for updates.

Update: TikTok was restored around 12:45PM ET Sunday

🚫 TikTok ban? Don't delete your dancing videos just yet!

Just dropped a fresh analysis on why TikTok's latest drama might not be the end of the world (or your marketing strategy).

Sure, the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the ban, and yes, there are some legit concerns about data security.

But here's the thing - when a platform is pumping $24.2 BILLION into the US economy, even politicians have to think twice about hitting the kill switch.

In my latest blog post, I break down:
• Why this time is different (but also why it probably isn't)
• The actual security concerns (spoiler: it's wild)
• Why marketers shouldn't panic (seriously, breathe)
• What to do while we wait for the drama to unfold

Click through for the full story. Promise it's more entertaining than your FYP! 😉

Read about it: https://www.oncallcmo.us/post/what-the-looming-tiktok-ban-means-for-marketers

01/18/2025

Update: TikTok was restored around 12:45PM ET Sunday

🚫 TikTok ban? Don't delete your dancing videos just yet!

Just dropped a fresh analysis on why TikTok's latest drama might not be the end of the world (or your marketing strategy).

Sure, the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the ban, and yes, there are some legit concerns about data security.

But here's the thing - when a platform is pumping $24.2 BILLION into the US economy, even politicians have to think twice about hitting the kill switch.

In my latest blog post, I break down:
• Why this time is different (but also why it probably isn't)
• The actual security concerns (spoiler: it's wild)
• Why marketers shouldn't panic (seriously, breathe)
• What to do while we wait for the drama to unfold

Click through for the full story. Promise it's more entertaining than your FYP! 😉

Read about it: https://www.oncallcmo.us/post/what-the-looming-tiktok-ban-means-for-marketers