The Unfiltered Truth About Video Marketing and AI with Holly Xiao and Dave Gerhardt

The Dave Gerhardt Show

Content provided by Dave Gerhardt. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Dave Gerhardt or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

2M ago 1:03:04

MP3•Episode home

#279 Content Strategy | In this episode, Dave joins Holly Xiao from HeyGen for an unfiltered conversation about where AI and video marketing are headed. Holly leads B2B marketing at HeyGen, an AI-powered video platform, and she sat down with Dave to dig into what’s working (and what’s not) when it comes to creating content that actually connects.

This recording is from a discussion Dave and Holly did with the AI Marketing Alliance --> https://www.aimarketingalliance.com/

Dave and Holly cover:

Why video hits differently in B2B and how to make yours stand out without blowing your budget
How AI is reshaping the content production cycle and freeing up marketers to focus on storytelling
Why early adoption matters, and how small teams can use AI to punch above their weight

You can expect a candid, practical conversation about how to scale content, stay relevant, and make the most of AI.

Timestamps

(00:00) - – Intro
(02:25) - – Why this conversation matters
(03:42) - – AI is making marketing exciting again
(04:51) - – Dave’s early bet on video
(06:51) - – How LinkedIn video exploded
(08:08) - – ROI vs. brand building
(09:23) - – From connection to conversion
(11:08) - – Why video feels more human
(13:14) - – “Maybe your videos suck”
(15:20) - – The problem with corporate videos
(17:08) - – The value of repetition and reps
(19:32) - – How AI speeds up content cycles
(21:49) - – Real AI tools Dave is using
(23:26) - – Decks, data, and automation
(25:51) - – Why creativity still wins
(28:13) - – The return of the creative CMO
(32:13) - – Personalized content at scale
(34:12) - – AI vs. in-person experiences
(36:54) - – Do audiences care if it’s AI?
(39:40) - – What makes an AI video work
(42:17) - – Using AI to test and scale video
(44:58) - – What small teams should do first
(48:36) - – Final advice: be an early adopter

Join 50,000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/

***

Today’s episode is brought to you by Paramark.

It’s November. 2026 planning is already here. And the stuff you’re doing right now will decide how next year plays out.

But here’s the problem: most teams are still planning next year's marketing strategy based on the WRONG DATA because of broken attribution and a misleading gut feel. And you can’t make smart budget calls if you’re just guessing what’s working, what’s not, and where to put your next dollar.

That’s where Paramark comes in. They help you replace the guesswork with actual insight backed by $2 billion in analyzed marketing data. They’ve figured out what actually drives incremental growth across every channel including LinkedIn, Meta, TikTok, Google, CTV, even OOH.

And right now, they’re offering a private 1:1 consultation with their CEO and CMO, Pranav and Sam, who have led marketing teams at companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Microsoft, and Shutterfly.

In this 45-minute strategy session, they’ll help you measure the real impact of every marketing dollar, pull insights from your current media mix, and design a 2026 roadmap that’s rooted in data, not gut.

This is a heck of an offer. And it’s real. And will go fast. So if you want to future-proof your marketing strategy for 2026, don’t miss out on this offer.

Grab your spot at paramark.com/brand-consult.

***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
Visit hatch.fm to learn more

313 episodes

#Entrepreneur #Business #Marketing #Dave Gerhardt #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Growth Hacking