Video Is Changing Fast—Here’s What Actually Matters (with Sam Balter and Meg Dalessandro)

Video Is Changing Fast—Here’s What Actually Matters (with Sam Balter and Meg Dalessandro)

Video isn’t just growing—it’s changing, fast. And if you’re investing in it, the rules probably feel a little unclear right now. So instead of guessing at what’s working, we went to the data. Wistia surveyed nearly 1,000 video professionals for our 2026 State of Video report—and in this episode, Chris Savage sits down with content strategists Sam Balter and Meg Dalessandro to crunch the numbers, share surprising stats, and discuss the most compelling takeaways. They cover why distribution is becoming just as important as creation, how AI is changing who makes video, and why engagement—not views—is now the metric that matters most. If you’re making videos for your brand, this will help you understand what to filter out, where to double down, and what to focus on next. Links to Learn More: Follow Sam Balter on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sambalter/] Follow Meg Dalessandro on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/creativeblob/] Follow Savage on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage/] Subscribe to Talking Too Loud on Wistia [http://wistia.com/series/talking-too-loud] Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMCL9HnQdLDHx8xxzeorzmQ] Follow Talking Too Loud on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talkingtooloudpod/] Follow Talking Too Loud on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingtooloud] Love what you heard? Leave us a review! On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-too-loud-with-chris-savage/id1525785118] On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/21btwSaqoaF8SDxmwcLMIQ?si=ded6cd65426e4bbc]

Do Marketers Need a Personal Brand? (with Carmen Vicente)

If you’re working in marketing or social, these days, it often feels like you’re expected to show up publicly, build an audience, and have a point of view of your own. So when did that happen? And is it actually required? This week, Chris Savage sits down with Carmen Vicente, Content and Social Lead at Slate who’s done both—led content strategy for brands and showed up as a creator in her own right. Together, they unpack: Why personal accounts now outperform company channels What you learn when you’re the one hitting publish And the real tradeoffs that come with being more visible online They also explore how algorithms—not just culture—are driving this shift—and why this might be less about personal preference and more about how the system works today. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need to start building a personal brand, this episode is for you. Links to learn more: Follow Carmen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-vicente/] Follow Savage on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage/] Subscribe to Talking Too Loud on Wistia [http://wistia.com/series/talking-too-loud] Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMCL9HnQdLDHx8xxzeorzmQ] Follow Talking Too Loud on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talkingtooloudpod/] Follow Talking Too Loud on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingtooloud] Love what you heard? Leave us a review! On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-too-loud-with-chris-savage/id1525785118] On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/21btwSaqoaF8SDxmwcLMIQ?si=ded6cd65426e4bbc]

Why Earning Trust Beats Clicks in Modern Marketing (with Amanda Natividad)

What if clicks aren’t actually telling you whether your marketing is working? This week, Chris sits down with Amanda Natividad, VP of Marketing at SparkToro, to talk about zero-click marketing: the idea that your content can (and should) create real impact without relying on a click. With platforms incentivizing people to stay put, a lot of what actually drives growth today doesn’t show up neatly in your analytics. Instead of focusing only on clicks and immediate conversions, Amanda makes the case for measuring what’s harder to quantify—but far more valuable: trust, recall, preference, and long-term ROI. Links to Learn More: Follow Amanda on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandanat/] Follow Savage on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage/] Subscribe to Talking Too Loud on Wistia [http://wistia.com/series/talking-too-loud] Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMCL9HnQdLDHx8xxzeorzmQ] Follow Talking Too Loud on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talkingtooloudpod/] Follow Talking Too Loud on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingtooloud] Love what you heard? Leave us a review! On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-too-loud-with-chris-savage/id1525785118] On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/21btwSaqoaF8SDxmwcLMIQ?si=ded6cd65426e4bbc]

Creators Are Starting to Build Software, What Happens Next (with Replit’s Ron Dawson)

Marketing has never had more tools. And yet, it’s never been harder to stand out. AI is making it easier than ever to create — from content to code. But as more people gain access to these tools, a new question is emerging: what happens when everyone can build? In this episode of Talking Too Loud, Chris Savage sits down with Ron Dawson — filmmaker, brand strategist, and Content & Marketing Lead at Replit — to explore how AI is reshaping who gets to create, build, and participate. They dig into why every generation resists new technology at first, what it means for creators to start building software, and whether AI is lowering the bar or raising the ceiling. What you’ll learn: * Why new tools always trigger backlash and what that reveals * How AI is expanding who gets to build and what gets built * Why making things easier doesn’t necessarily make them better * What this moment means for creators, marketers, and builders * If you’ve ever felt both excited and uncertain about AI, this episode will help you make sense of the shift — and what it means for your work. Links to Learn More: Follow Ron on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rondawson/] Follow Savage on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage/] Subscribe to Talking Too Loud on Wistia [http://wistia.com/series/talking-too-loud] Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMCL9HnQdLDHx8xxzeorzmQ] Follow Talking Too Loud on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talkingtooloudpod/] Follow Talking Too Loud on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingtooloud] Love what you heard? Leave us a review! On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-too-loud-with-chris-savage/id1525785118] On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/21btwSaqoaF8SDxmwcLMIQ?si=ded6cd65426e4bbc]

What Happens When Podcasts Become Visual (with NPR’s Brittany Luse)

Podcasting began as a voice-first medium. You recorded a conversation, published the audio, and listeners tuned in through their headphones. But today, it feels like every podcast has a camera attached. In this live episode of Talking Too Loud, recorded at On Air Fest, Chris and Sylvie sit down with Brittany Luse, host of NPR’s It’s Been A Minute, to explore how and why podcasting became visual. Brittany shares what finally made video click for podcasts, why earlier pivots to video didn’t quite work, and how platforms like TikTok and YouTube reshaped audience expectations around discovery and connection. They also unpack the creative and practical realities of adding video to a podcast—from tech stacks and production workflows to the psychological shift of becoming visible in a medium that was built around voice. Links to Learn More: Listen to It’s Been a Minute [https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510317/its-been-a-minute] Follow Savage on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage/] Subscribe to Talking Too Loud on Wistia [http://wistia.com/series/talking-too-loud] Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMCL9HnQdLDHx8xxzeorzmQ] Follow Talking Too Loud on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talkingtooloudpod/] Follow Talking Too Loud on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingtooloud] Love what you heard? Leave us a review! On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-too-loud-with-chris-savage/id1525785118] On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/21btwSaqoaF8SDxmwcLMIQ?si=ded6cd65426e4bbc]