The Presence Loop
Be found, be chosen, be permitted, be recommended: each for people and for machines.
The funnel assumed a person at every step. Now answer engines, inbox assistants and shopping agents sit between you and the customer. The Presence Loop replaces stages with four states a brand occupies at once:
Be found: posts, ads, search for people; citations in answer engines, llms.txt and capabilities for machines.
Be chosen: proof, video, price for people; a structured, callable offer for agents.
Be permitted: double opt-in and your own domain; the consent ledger and attribution thread.
Be recommended: referrals and reviews; agents recommending you because your data is complete.
Three rules: every asset has two readers; permission beats reach; presence is a score, not a stage.