Brands Must Woo Chatbots, the New Influencers

Companies grapple with how AI and chatbots are changing the way people consume information

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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As AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini gain mass adoption, companies are realizing they must market to the AI models themselves in addition to potential human customers. This new 'chatbot marketing' involves tactics like flooding the bots with detailed information, optimizing for 'answer engine optimization' (AEO) rather than just search engine optimization (SEO), and navigating the chatbots' reliance on sources like Reddit and LinkedIn. Brands are scrambling to influence what the chatbots say about them, as the bots can amplify even outdated or inaccurate information.

Why it matters

The rise of chatbots as a new 'influencer' that companies must reach marks a major shift in digital marketing. Brands can no longer simply promote themselves to potential customers - they have to win over the AI models that are increasingly shaping how people consume information online. This requires new strategies and tools to ensure chatbots have accurate, up-to-date information about a company's offerings.

The details

Companies are focused on providing chatbots with large amounts of detailed, targeted content to ensure the bots have the right information. One luxury brand went from publishing 5 pieces of content per month to around 100. Automakers made sure to publish their entire owner manuals. Athenahealth spent 6 months publishing 250,000 words of 'highly targeted, highly calibrated content' to 'educate' the AI chatbots. Brands are also trying to influence what chatbots see as trustworthy sources, homing in on sites like Reddit, LinkedIn, and Quora. However, challenges remain, as chatbots can struggle to access high-quality paywalled content and sometimes regurgitate outdated or inaccurate information.

  • In late 2024, Athenahealth's chief marketing officer started asking AI chatbots about the company.
  • Over the past 6 months, Athenahealth published 250,000 words of content aimed at educating AI chatbots.

The players

Stacy Simpson

The chief marketing officer of Athenahealth, a health care software and services provider.

Brian Stempeck

A co-founder of Evertune, an AI startup that helps companies analyze what chatbots are saying about them.

Mitch Stoller

A co-founder of Literate AI, an agency focused on influencing AI algorithms.

Hailey Friedman

A co-founder of Growth Marketing Pro, an SEO agency that helps brands navigate Reddit.

Dimitry Apollonsky

A marketer who runs Parse, an AI marketing and data agency.

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What they’re saying

“This is one of the single biggest shifts we've seen in decades.”

— Stacy Simpson, Chief Marketing Officer, Athenahealth (San Luis Obispo Tribune)

“There is a new influencer you need to reach, and it's this AI model.”

— Brian Stempeck, Co-founder, Evertune (San Luis Obispo Tribune)

“The first-mover advantage is going to be short.”

— Stacy Simpson, Chief Marketing Officer, Athenahealth (San Luis Obispo Tribune)

“In a way, substance has been elevated. Vibe is not going to cut it here.”

— Mitch Stoller, Co-founder, Literate AI (San Luis Obispo Tribune)

“Reddit was the most cited website across 27 million AI responses for 'solution seeking' prompts over the last 30 days -- ahead of YouTube, Wikipedia and news sites.”

— Dimitry Apollonsky, Marketer, Parse (San Luis Obispo Tribune)

The takeaway

The rise of chatbots as a new 'influencer' that companies must reach marks a major shift in digital marketing, requiring brands to develop new strategies to ensure chatbots have accurate, up-to-date information about their offerings. This shift highlights the growing importance of 'answer engine optimization' (AEO) alongside traditional search engine optimization (SEO).