Giles Bailey: Why AI is Outperforming Traditional Marketing (and How Agencies Can Catch Up)

Marketing is evolving — and quickly. Agencies that once relied on cold outreach, manual prospecting, and mass email campaigns are beginning to fall behind as the digital landscape shifts toward automation, personalization, and speed.

At the center of this shift is Giles Bailey, a 21-year-old consultant and rising innovator in AI-powered marketing. Bailey, Head Consultant at SMM Deal Finder, believes that much of the marketing world is still stuck in outdated systems that no longer meet the demands of today’s fast-paced consumer environment.

According to Bailey, the problem isn’t a lack of effort — it’s the inefficiency of traditional tactics. And AI may be the most powerful solution agencies haven’t fully embraced yet.

Rethinking Traditional Marketing Models

Bailey, who began his marketing career while studying Economics and Management at the University of Bristol, noticed early on that many of the methods agencies used were no longer producing strong results. 

“I’d see agencies sending hundreds of cold emails a day, hoping for one response,” he says. “It was all volume and guesswork.”

He dropped out after one year, choosing instead to pursue hands-on experience and emerging technologies. That choice led him to SMM Deal Finder, an AI-powered lead generation platform designed to solve one of marketing’s most persistent challenges: finding the right clients without wasting time.

Rather than casting a wide net and hoping to land a good lead, Bailey’s work with AI focuses on precision. “With AI, we can identify businesses that are actively searching for marketing help, analyze their ad activity and online presence, and match them with agencies that fit their needs. It’s faster, more accurate, and more profitable.”

The results speak for themselves. SMM Deal Finder scaled to over $1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in just its first six months, highlighting the growing demand for intelligent, data-driven client acquisition tools.

What AI Can Do That Cold Emails Can’t

Traditional marketing tactics rely heavily on human effort scraping emails, managing long spreadsheets, and manually qualifying leads. But Bailey explains that artificial intelligence has the ability to analyze millions of data points in real time, flagging businesses that are actively looking for solutions.

SMM Dealfinder’s AI-driven system not only identifies these opportunities but also provides key insights: a proprietary lead scoring system, monthly client value, active ad campaign data, company size, and even intent signals. For agencies, that means less time chasing dead ends and more time building relationships with businesses that actually want to work with them.

“AI doesn’t replace the human element, it enhances it,” Bailey says. “It takes care of the heavy lifting so marketers can focus on what they do best: creativity, strategy, and client relationships.”

Introducing the Enterprise Advantage

To further streamline this process, Bailey and his team recently launched an Enterprise-level upgrade to the platform. This version allows users to:

• Access personal contact details of key decision-makers, including direct emails and phone numbers
• Connect multiple email accounts for broader outreach
• Launch mass personalized campaigns directly through the platform
• Manage and track outreach performance using built-in automation tools

This feature addresses one of the biggest challenges in client acquisition: getting past gatekeepers. Instead of emailing generic business addresses, users can now reach the person who has the authority to say “yes.”

“With Enterprise, we’ve given agencies the ability to scale like never before. It’s not just about working harder it’s about working smarter,” Bailey explains.

Why Agencies Need to Adapt

Bailey believes this shift is only the beginning. While AI is still gaining traction in marketing circles, he says the agencies that ignore it will struggle to stay relevant.

“We’re not at a tipping point, we’re past it,” he says. “The tools are here. The question is whether agencies are ready to evolve.”

Some professionals may resist change, fearing that automation means losing control or sacrificing quality. But Bailey emphasizes that adopting AI doesn’t mean giving up the personal touch, it simply means using technology to do the groundwork so that human creativity can shine.

He likens the shift to what happened when businesses began adopting CRMs or email automation tools years ago. “At first, it felt foreign. Now, it’s standard. AI is just the next step.”

Building a Smarter Future for Marketers

As marketing continues to move toward personalization, data, and speed, Bailey sees AI as a way to level the playing field. “Smaller agencies can now compete with larger firms because they have access to the same intelligence,” he says.

By leveraging AI tools that streamline prospecting and provide real-time insights, agencies can not only increase their chances of closing deals they can also spend more time doing the work that matters.

“The future of marketing isn’t about who shouts the loudest. It’s about who’s the smartest with their time and resources,” Bailey says. “And AI is giving us the roadmap.”

Connect with Giles Bailey on Instagram and LinkedIn to follow his journey in AI-driven marketing.