Beyond Google & Meta: The Future of Search, Media, and Customer Behavior

“Marketers are being told to do more with less—so they retreat to what’s safe and attributable: Google, Meta, the tried and true. But attribution doesn’t equal impact. If you're only investing in channels that show direct ROI, you're ignoring the way today's buyers actually behave. You're not capturing demand—you're just reporting on what's easy to track. And that mindset is limiting your growth.” That’s a quote from Megan Conahan and a sneak peek at today’s episode.Hi there, I’m Kerry Curran, Revenue Growth Consultant, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. Every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. So if you're serious about growth, hit subscribe and stay ahead of the competition.In Beyond Google and Meta: The Future of Search, Media, and Customer Behavior, we’re joined by Megan Conahan, EVP at Direct Agents.We unpack why clinging to traditional platforms is costing you growth—and how to reach today’s real decision-makers. If you're still building your strategy around yesterday's search behavior, you're missing where buyers actually spend their time.From TikTok and Reddit to Roblox and CTV, Megan breaks down what’s really driving growth—and how outdated attribution models are holding brands back.Be sure to stay tuned until the end, where Megan shares her six key predictions for the second half of 2025—and how to get started testing into new, emerging channels.Let’s go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.885)Welcome, Megan. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.Megan Conahan (00:07.502)Sure. Hey, Kerry—good to see you again. Hi, everyone. I’m Megan Conahan, Executive Vice President at Direct Agents, a digital marketing agency based in New York and LA. My background is in performance marketing; I’ve been in the space for nearly 20 years, helping both B2B and B2C brands navigate traditional digital channels and the emerging landscape. I also publish a monthly newsletter, The Monthly Marketing Memo, where I cover emerging trends and news to keep everyone up to date in this crazy world we live in.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:43.527)Thank you. We’re excited to have you here. Twenty years in digital marketing is a lifetime, and the space has evolved so rapidly. What are you hearing from your clients and prospects today—what’s buzzing?Megan Conahan (01:08.302)Like you, I talk to brands of all sizes and verticals every day. One thing I still hear—and it concerns me—is how reliant we remain on Google and Meta. Despite massive shifts in consumer behavior, many brands still operate like it’s five years ago.Think about this: Over 60% of Gen Z now relies on TikTok as a search engine, 46 million daily searches happen on Reddit, and 62% of Gen Z and millennials say they prefer visual search to text-based search. Yet when brands describe their “search strategy,” they usually mean “Google strategy.”This isn’t just a B2C issue—it may be more pronounced in B2B. Seventy-one percent of B2B decision-makers are digital natives, and nearly 70% say they use TikTok to research products and services. But when did you last see a B2B brand invest meaningfully in TikTok?Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:02.698)I agree. Consumer behavior evolves so fast. Why haven’t brands kept pace? Is it simply comfort with the tried-and-true, fear of the unknown, or something else?Megan Conahan (03:56.066)It’s a mix of comfort, fear, and overwhelming complexity. Marketers are strapped for time and resources. When budgets get cut, leadership demands attributable results—so brands stick with channels that show clear ROI. Google and Meta become the safe bets, even if they no longer reflect how audiences behave.Kerry Curran, RBMA (04:53.432)And boards often still see marketing as a cost center, not a strategic investment. That mindset can stifle innovation.Megan Conahan (05:40.876)Exactly. Many CFOs still cut marketing first. When that happens, marketers double down on lower-funnel, easily attributable channels—ignoring where demand is truly created. That limits growth and ignores consumer behavior on platforms like TikTok, Reddit, or visual search.Kerry Curran, RBMA (06:54.099)Yes, it’s limiting. Beyond budget pressure, what other challenges do marketers face?Megan Conahan (07:47.852)Three big ones:Doing more with less—budget constraints drive risk-averse channel choices. Measurement—many brands rely on last-click attribution and don’t know which channels truly drive incremental growth. Media-mix modeling is underused. Capturing demand beyond Google—finding and engaging audiences on TikTok, Reddit, visual search, and AI chatbots is hard and time-consuming, so brands avoid it. Kerry Curran, RBMA (10:20.465)I see it in my own behavior: voice search, long-tail queries, visual search. Agencies can help brands navigate this complexity. How are you seeing agencies add value now?Megan Conahan (11:07.756)A few years ago, in-housing might have made sense. Today, the media landscape is too complex. Agencies provide cross-channel expertise, advanced measurement, and strategic guidance. AI automates some execution, but strategy matters more than ever. A strong agency partnership can save brands time, money, and missed opportunities.Kerry Curran, RBMA (12:25.457)What should brands prioritize when tackling this complex landscape?Megan Conahan (13:11.648)Get back to basics: show up in the right place, at the right time, with the right message. Reassess where your audience actually spends time, then tailor creative and targeting per platform. Someone searching on Google behaves differently from someone on Reddit or TikTok. Match tone, keywords, and assets to each environment—or risk alienating users.Kerry Curran, RBMA (14:38.471)You mentioned an innovative Shopify–Roblox integration. Tell us more.Megan Conahan (15:11.648)If you’re a Gen Z brand, you must consider gaming. Ninety percent of new digital buyers by 2028 will be Gen Z, and they spend two hours daily in Roblox—more than on TikTok. Shopify’s new integration lets brands sell products directly in Roblox. Roblox also partnered with Google, so you can buy Roblox ads through Google Ads. Brands should test this before the platform gets saturated.Kerry Curran, RBMA (22:25.457)Great example. What are your top predictions for the next year?Megan Conahan (22:45.454)Search as we know it will decline—fragmented, semantic, visual, and cross-platform search will dominate. Virtual worlds are the new frontier—gaming platforms like Roblox will be essential for Gen Z. CTV becomes a performance hub—better attribution and retail-media data make CTV critical. Social feeds + stores = the next retail-media wave—retailers will extend off-site with first-party data. B2B marketing goes full B2C—fun, human, influencer-driven creative will replace jargon. Media-mix modeling unlocks growth—brands must move beyond platform attribution. Kerry Curran, RBMA (25:49.957)If listeners want to innovate and test new channels, where should they start?Megan Conahan (26:25.100)Identify gaps in your knowledge. Map where your audience spends time. Rank opportunities by ease and impact, and start with low-hanging fruit. And consider partnering with an agency for strategy—even if you keep execution in-house.Kerry Curran, RBMA (27:20.303)How can people reach you?Megan Conahan (27:27.148)Email me at [email protected], connect on LinkedIn, or subscribe to The Monthly Marketing Memo. I love talking shop and helping marketers innovate.Kerry Curran, RBMA (27:55.097)Fantastic. We’ll include those links in the show notes. Thanks for joining us, Megan—this was timely and valuable!Megan Conahan (28:08.034)Great talking to you, Kerry. Thanks so much for having me.Kerry Curran, RBMA (28:11.891)Thank you.Thanks for tuning in to Revenue Boost, A Marketing Podcast. I hope today's conversation sparked some new ideas and challenged the way you think about your paid media mix and testing emerging channels. If you're serious about turning marketing into a true revenue driver, this is just the beginning. We've got more insightful conversations, expert guests, and actionable strategies coming your way. So search for us in your favorite podcast directory and hit subscribe.And hey, if this episode gave you value, share it with a colleague or leave a quick review. It helps more revenue-minded leaders like you find our show. If you're an agency, MarTech, or AdTech brand that sells to marketers, give me a shout to talk about affordable and effective sponsorship opportunities. My top episodes are generating close to 30,000 downloads.Until next time, I'm Kerry Curran—helping you connect marketing to growth, one episode at a time. We'll see you soon. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. 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