BeFound Social CEO outlines which agencies will survive the automation revolution

United States, November 30, 2025 -- The Future of Marketing Agencies

According to Muhammad Maarij Zeeshan, founder and CEO of BeFound Social LLC, a marketing agency specializing in AI-powered solutions for B2B companies globally, the traditional marketing agency model is at risk of becoming obsolete within the next 36 months. In his recent analysis, Zeeshan explains that AI will not eliminate marketing agencies entirely, but rather push them toward two distinct paths: automation-intensive or production-intensive.

The Industry Divide: Automation-Intensive vs. Production-Intensive

Zeeshan highlights that the future of marketing agencies hinges on their ability to adapt. Agencies that attempt to be generalists offering a broad range of services will struggle to keep up with automation. Those that fail to choose a clear path could find themselves outpaced by more specialized firms.

"The traditional SMMA model is dead," Zeeshan states. "Agencies will either become automation-intensive leveraging AI to run marketing at scale or production-intensive, focusing on what AI can't do yet, like mass creative production and personal branding. There's no middle ground anymore."

The Two Paths Forward

According to Zeeshan's analysis, the marketing industry is splitting into two distinct categories:

Automation-Intensive Agencies: These firms use AI-powered tools to handle lead qualification, nurturing, and conversion at scale. They build systems that run 24/7 without constant manual intervention, operating as complete marketing departments rather than specialists.

Production-Intensive Agencies: These agencies focus on creative output AI cannot replicate high-touch personal branding, mass creative production for platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and strategic consulting that requires human intuition and relationship building.

"Businesses don't need 'a Facebook ads person' anymore," Zeeshan explained. "They need a flywheel running on autopilot. The ad copy matches the landing page, the landing page triggers the right automation, the automation routes to the right person, the follow-up happens in minutes not days. One gap in that system and you're leaking money."

Real-World Application: The Full-Stack Model

BeFound Social represents the automation-intensive path. The agency has built what Zeeshan calls a "full-stack marketing department" model integrating advertising, AI-powered automation workflows, CRM systems, and content strategy into unified systems for B2B service companies, coaches, and agencies.

Unlike traditional agencies that specialize in one element and force clients to coordinate between multiple freelancers, BeFound Social owns the entire funnel from traffic source to closed deal.

"Most businesses still hire like it's 2015," Zeeshan noted. "A copywriter here, a designer there, a Facebook ads person, maybe an automation consultant. They end up with five freelancers who've never spoken to each other, systems that don't talk, and a funnel with twelve different leak points."

The results speak to the model's effectiveness. BeFound Social has generated over $2 million in enterprise value for clients across 10+ countries, delivering measurable success for businesses in various industries without relying on venture capital funding.

Key client outcomes include:

• Healthcare recruitment startup: Generated $1M+ pipeline, $150K in realized revenue, and secured $200K in VC funding within 18 months
• An AI automation agency who built over $500K+ pipeline through systematic email marketing, lead generation and automation
• Coaches, creators and service businesses generating over 10,000,000+ in impressions across multiple niches and platforms

From Curiosity to Systems Thinking

Zeeshan's path to this insight was unconventional. Four years ago, as a broke college student from a family of 9-to-5 employees with no entrepreneurial background, he offered free LinkedIn ghostwriting to founders, seeking to understand how successful entrepreneurs think differently.

"Those sessions turned into something closer to therapy," Zeeshan recalled. "I worked with roughly 30 founders and discovered a pattern: brilliant people who struggled to make their vision accessible to regular people. That insight became the foundation helping businesses 'BE FOUND' through 'SOCIAL' media by making complex ideas understandable and actionable."

That foundation evolved into BeFound Social's current model: full-stack marketing systems powered by AI automation platforms.

Industry Recognition and Strategic Partnerships

Zeeshan's analysis of the industry's evolution has gained attention beyond his client work. He was recently featured on "Founders Future," a podcast by Closers.io which is run by Cole Gordon, a renowned agency owner and sales expert, discussing the future of marketing agencies in the age of AI.

In 2024-2025, BeFound Social secured strategic partnerships with Hexona Systems, a global AI automation agency with partnerships across Make.com, OpenAI, Zapier, and Grok. Maarij also co-launched an educational bootcamp with AI educator Hamza Baig, teaching the next generation of AI automation operators on how to build and sell AI Automations for businesses that need them.

The Urgency of the Shift

Zeeshan emphasizes that this industry split isn't theoretical - it's happening now. As AI capabilities expand and automation tools become more sophisticated, agencies that haven't chosen a path will find themselves competing against specialists who have.

"We're at the tipping point," Zeeshan concluded. "The question isn't whether marketing agencies will adopt AI - it's whether they'll survive if they don't. Agencies need to decide: Are you building systems that run 24/7, or are you creating what AI can't replicate? Both paths can win. But trying to be everything to everyone? That's the path to obsolescence."

What This Means for B2B Businesses

For companies evaluating marketing partners, Zeeshan's analysis offers a framework: Determine whether you need systems that scale (automation-intensive) or creative production AI cannot match (production-intensive), then hire accordingly.

"The old model of hiring an agency that 'does marketing' is dying," Zeeshan said. "Businesses need to get specific about what problem they're solving. Do you need a marketing department that runs on autopilot? Or do you need mass creative production and personal brand building? Those require different partners now."

About BeFound Social LLC:

BeFound Social LLC is an AI-powered marketing agency specializing in full-stack marketing systems for B2B service companies, coaches, creators, and agencies. Founded in 2021 by Muhammad Maarij Zeeshan, the agency serves clients globally offering services like Facebook advertising and lead generation, AI-powered automation workflows, conversion-optimized funnel systems, and strategic content creation for Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. BeFound Social operates on a full-stack model, integrating traffic generation, lead qualification, nurturing, and conversion into unified marketing departments that run on autopilot.

Media Contact:

Muhammad Maarij Zeeshan
CEO & Founder
BeFound Social LLC
Email: maarij@befoundsocial.co
Website: befoundsocial.co
LinkedIn: Muhammad Maarij Zeeshan
Instagram: BeFound Social / @maarijzeeshan
Instagram: Muhammad Maarij
Facebook: Muhammad Maarij Zeeshan

Contact Info:
Name: Muhammad Maarij Zeeshan
Email: Send Email
Organization: BeFound Social LLC
Website: https://www.befoundsocial.co/

Release ID: 89177139

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