How to 11X Your Marketing ROI In This AI Revolution

This blog article is based on a session presented by Chris Carver, CEO of Sessionboard, at Eventastic 2025. Prefer to watch? Check out the recording

The Changing Landscape of Marketing & Sales

As marketers, there is no question we are living through one of the most challenging and profound shifts in our lifetime. You can correlate it to the shift we saw going from newspapers to the radio and then radio to tv and then tv to the internet.

As you’ll see below there are a number of factors that are converging to make this a new reality. And it is happening faster than ever. Which is making it harder and harder for marketers to break through the noise, build brand loyalty and trust, drive leads and generate a clear and positive ROI.

Let’s look at some of the big contributors:

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The rise of AI-generated content, the drop in organic search click-through rates, and the growth of AI-driven search assistants are reshaping how buyers discover and evaluate solutions.

Amid this shift, event marketers hold a unique yet underused advantage: the ability to leverage speakers as authentic voices that build trust, engagement, and measurable ROI. According to Edelman, 62% of B2B buyers trust what influencers say about a brand more than what the brand says about itself

This article is about more than hosting better events. It’s about transforming your marketing strategy by turning speakers into B2B influencers. This approach allows marketing managers and content teams to integrate human expertise and thought leadership throughout the buyer journey.

The Challenge: Why Traditional Content Is Struggling: The Statistics tell the story:

Organic Click-Through Rates Are Declining

According to a study by SparkToro, organic click-through rates have dropped by over 30 percent in the past five years as search engines prioritize ads and AI-generated results. Even the best SEO-optimized content is now competing in a crowded space. Buyers are overwhelmed, making it harder than ever to earn their trust.

Since the debut of Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) in May 2024, total search impressions on Google have surged by over 49%, yet click-through rates have dropped by nearly 30% as users increasingly consume information directly within the AI Overview itself (BrightEdge Report).

This means that while search activity is expanding, traditional tactics that relied on driving users to your website are becoming less effective. For B2B marketers, this highlights the need to deliver authentic, human-driven insights that resonate with buyers—content that AI summaries can’t fully replicate.

Key Takeaway:

Event marketers need to think beyond the event itself. They can use speaker content to boost organic reach by sharing expert insights through blogs, podcasts, and social media.

AI Content Saturation

AI-generated content is flooding every digital channel, growing at a rate ten times faster than human-created content. While this surge in efficiency might seem like a competitive advantage, it’s actually contributing to a sea of sameness, repetitive, and often indistinguishable content that fails to resonate with target audiences.

A study by MIT Sloan found that human-created content is 3.2 times more likely to evoke an emotional response compared to AI-generated content. This underscores the human ability to weave nuance, empathy, and cultural relevance into messaging. Qualities that AI still struggles to replicate.

In a marketplace where trust and connection drive engagement, this emotional dimension is invaluable for brands looking to differentiate themselves and build lasting relationships with buyers.

As audiences become more digitally literate, they’re also becoming more discerning. A recent Hookline study found that 82.1% of Americans can identify AI-generated content at least some of the time.

This growing awareness means that brands relying heavily on AI to produce content risk losing credibility with key audiences. As buyers learn to spot AI-generated writing, they’re also learning to question its authenticity and trustworthiness. Two factors that heavily influence brand reputation and customer loyalty.

Building on the insights we’ve already seen, the Hookline study also highlights the impact AI-generated content can have on brand perception. Half of respondents said they would think less highly of a writer if they knew AI was involved in creating the content. Just 9.8 percent said they would view the writer more positively.

For brands, the implications are even more significant: 40.4 percent of respondents said they would view a brand less favorably if they discovered it relied on AI-generated content.

This data shows that while AI can accelerate content production, it can also damage credibility and trust. Elements that are essential for building lasting relationships with buyers and event attendees.

Key Takeaway:

Speakers bring a human touch that breaks through the noise, sharing perspectives and stories that AI cannot replicate.

The Rise of AI Agents and Buyer Discovery

Gartner predicts that by 2026, 30 percent of all online searches will be done by AI assistants. These assistants will influence buyer journeys—identifying needs, suggesting solutions, and even making decisions. This shift means fewer chances to engage buyers through traditional channels.

Key Takeaway:

Marketers must focus on building authority and trust, qualities that AI agents value when recommending solutions.

Building Trust: The Power of Expertise and Credibility

What Is E-E-A-T and Why Does It Matter?

Google’s E-E-A-T framework—Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—sets the standard for evaluating content. It rewards brands that showcase real knowledge, firsthand experience, and a track record of trust. For event marketers, aligning with E-E-A-T is essential for maintaining visibility and credibility.

Search engine visibility is a cornerstone of any successful content strategy. According to a study by Neil Patel, human-written content outperformed AI-generated content in 94 percent of cases across 744 articles on 68 different websites.

Additionally, human-created content attracted 4.10 visitors per minute spent writing, compared to 3.25 visitors per minute for AI-generated content. This highlights a crucial point: while AI can scale content production, it often fails to deliver the same level of engagement and organic reach that human expertise and nuance bring to the table.

For event marketers, leveraging human-driven content (especially from your event speakers) ensures your content is optimized for trust and search performance, helping you stand out in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

How Speakers Bring E-E-A-T to Life

Google’s search behavior is evolving rapidly. Queries with eight or more words now generate AI Overviews seven times more often than they did just a year ago (BrightEdge Report). This reflects a shift toward more detailed, conversational-style questions that users expect complete, nuanced answers for. B2B marketers can leverage speakers as a bridge to meet this need: by capturing and repurposing speaker insights, you can deliver authentic, expertise-driven answers that align with E-E-A-T principles, offering the depth and trustworthiness AI alone can’t provide.

Efficiency vs. Authenticity

It’s no secret that AI can churn out content at lightning speed, offering marketers an appealing way to scale their efforts. But speed doesn’t always translate into impact. As highlighted by MotionPoint, while AI-generated content offers efficiency, it lacks the emotional intelligence and cultural nuance that human writers provide.

In marketing, emotional resonance is key to building authentic connections with your audience. Something that speakers naturally bring through their expertise, storytelling, and lived experiences. For event marketers, this is where speaker-driven content shines: it captures the voice of the industry while fostering trust and engagement that AI can’t match.

The Human Touch in Global Marketing

When it comes to multilingual and multicultural marketing, nuance and cultural relevance are critical. According to MotionPoint, human oversight is essential in ensuring content resonates emotionally and culturally with diverse audiences.

AI can miss subtle language cues, cultural references, and local sensitivities that human speakers understand intuitively. This is especially relevant for event marketers aiming to expand their reach in global markets. By leveraging speakers with lived experience and cultural fluency, you can craft content that’s not just translated but truly localised, ensuring your message lands authentically with every audience.

Key Takeaway:

Integrating speakers into your marketing strategy helps align with E-E-A-T and positions your brand as a trusted industry leader.

Turning Speakers into Marketing Assets

Why Speakers Matter

Speakers do more than headline your events. They are the linchpin of a content strategy that builds authority, trust, and long-lasting connections with your audience.

According to the 2025 AI in Content Marketing Report from Hookline&, 62% of B2B buyers trust influencer content more than brand content, and 93% of CMOs plan to increase their investment in B2B influencer marketing over the next two years. This reflects a clear shift in how audiences engage with brands: people trust people, not logos.

The Influencing Business Report from Ogilvy Studio highlights that since 2016, the global market for B2B influencer marketing has grown twentyfold. Today, 75% of B2B marketers are already using influencers, while 53% of non-users are actively considering it. This surge underscores the growing demand for authentic, human voices in a digital landscape increasingly saturated with AI-generated content.

Speakers bring credibility, spark important conversations, and humanize your message. According to research by Edelman, 62% of B2B buyers trust what influencers say about a brand more than what the brand says about itself. Demand Gen Report data shows that 71% of B2B buyers are more likely to engage with content if it’s shared by someone they know or respect, while Salesforce research reveals that 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to engage after reading a trusted review. These qualities resonate deeply with today’s B2B buyers.

As Gen Z decision-makers enter the workforce, their expectations are also reshaping B2B content. According to MarketingWeek, 90% of Gen Z professionals aware of influencer marketing engage with B2B influencer content monthly, 11% higher than other generations. Their preference for authentic, bite-sized, and peer-driven content is driving the future of B2B marketing—an area where speakers excel.

Speakers are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap. They bring real-world expertise, human nuance, and authority that AI-generated content and traditional advertising simply cannot replicate.

The old playbook doesn’t work anymore. Today’s B2B buyers are redefining how they discover, evaluate, and select solutions. As Nick Bennett highlighted in a recent LinkedIn post, modern buyers complete 80% of their research before ever talking to sales, and they trust their peers more than vendors. Brands that consistently show up with authentic insights, not generic sales pitches, win that trust. Influencers and speakers play a critical role in this transformation by helping your brand show up where buyers hang out, educate before the pitch, and build trust long before a sales rep gets involved.

In a world where buyers connect in Slack groups, niche podcasts, and private DMs, speakers can become the authentic voices that bring your brand into those hidden conversations—building influence and trust in ways AI-generated content simply cannot replicate.

Key Takeaway:

Speakers can transform one-time events into year-round engines of trust and lead generation—helping your brand stand out and connect with modern B2B buyers in meaningful ways.

Activating Speakers Beyond Events

Imagine a speaker delivers a powerful keynote. Don’t let the impact end there. Today’s content marketing landscape demands more than single-use content. It demands repurposing and extending the lifespan of every valuable insight your speakers bring to the stage.

Repurposing content isn’t just efficient; it’s essential for building trust, authority, and engagement at every stage of the buyer journey. By capturing speaker insights and transforming them into diverse formats, you create a continuous content engine that amplifies your brand’s voice long after the event is over.

Here are a few proven ways to repurpose speaker-driven content:

• Thought leadership blog posts: Turn keynote points into compelling articles that reinforce your brand’s expertise and authority.

• Podcasts or video interviews: Invite speakers to dive deeper into their topics, offering audiences extended insights in an accessible format.

• Short, shareable social content: Extract key quotes or moments from their sessions to fuel LinkedIn posts, Twitter threads, and social carousels.

• Case studies, guides, or ebooks: Expand speaker presentations into in-depth resources that drive engagement, lead generation, and sales enablement.

Content repurposing also ensures consistency and cohesion across your marketing channels (something that AI-generated content often lacks). With a well-coordinated speaker-driven strategy, you can align content with marketing goals, reinforce messaging, and maintain a human touch that builds trust.

According to research by Nielsen Catalina Solutions, B2B influencer marketing can generate up to 11 times higher ROI compared to traditional digital marketing tactics.

Key Takeaway:

Activating speakers as influencers—and strategically repurposing their insights—creates a continuous, human-centered content ecosystem that builds trust, strengthens SEO, and positions your brand as an industry leader.

Overcoming Challenges: Managing Speaker Data

Why Traditional Tools Fall Short

Most teams rely on scattered systems like spreadsheets or CRMs that focus on logistics rather than strategic marketing insights.

Key Takeaway:

Without a unified system, you miss chances to leverage speakers consistently across all marketing channels.

How a Speaker CRM Transforms Event Marketing

A dedicated Speaker CRM lets you:

• Collect speaker data across all events and campaigns

• Search by expertise, industry, and diversity to find the right voices

• Connect with marketing platforms to distribute speaker content

• Activate speakers at scale, turning them into ongoing marketing assets

Key Takeaway:

A Speaker CRM turns your speaker roster into a dynamic influencer network that amplifies your brand’s impact.

Action Plan: Building a Speaker-Driven Strategy

Centralize Speaker Data

Use a Speaker CRM to store speaker bios, topics, and past content. Make it accessible to your teams.

Integrate Speakers Across Channels

Align speakers with your content calendar. Use their expertise in blogs, webinars, podcasts, and social posts.

Empower Speakers to Share

Provide them with templates, video clips, and key talking points. Encourage them to share content on their own networks.

Measure and Optimize

Track engagement, conversions, and pipeline impact. Use these insights to refine your strategy and focus on top-performing speakers.

Sessionboard’s Speaker CRM: Your Entire Speaker Network All in One Place

Sessionboard’s Speaker CRM unifies your speaker network, helping you transform speakers into high-impact influencers.

Key Features:

• Complete Visibility: Access a clear view of your subject matter experts and influencers.

• Advanced Search: Find the right speaker for each campaign.

• Smart Import: Move data seamlessly from spreadsheets to Sessionboard.

• Comprehensive Profiles: Store speaker bios, event history, and marketing potential in one place.

• Dynamic Lists: Build and update lists automatically based on your criteria.

• Personalized Communication: Coordinate outreach at scale while keeping a personal touch.

Bringing It All Together

Sessionboard’s Speaker CRM empowers marketing teams to activate speakers year-round. By unifying data, simplifying workflows, and enabling smart activations, it helps turn speakers into powerful marketing assets.

In a world saturated with content, authenticity and trust matter most. Speakers deliver both. Offering real insights and personal connections that AI cannot match. By turning speakers into influencers, marketing teams can build a content engine that drives engagement and multiplies ROI.

Ready to unlock the potential of speaker-driven marketing?

‍Request a demo today.