Episodes

Following someone's advice step-by-step without understanding why is dangerous for your advertising. Jon explains why copying strategies word-for-word leads to trouble and what you should do instead to build your own best pra...

A $5 cost per lead means nothing without knowing what happens after the form submission. Jon breaks down why value per lead is what actually matters and explains the critical questions you should be asking when your leads are...

When advertisers ask for clear rules about costs per lead or attribution settings, they hate hearing "it depends." But that's not a cop-out. Jon explains why this answer is actually the beginning of the right conversation and...

Nightmare clients who micromanage your strategy and expect miracles can cost you more than they pay you. Jon outlines the five priorities to consider when vetting potential ads clients, including why the wrong client is worse...

If you're still segmenting audiences, split testing lookalikes, and restricting age and gender like it's 2017, you're making your results worse. Jon explains why most targeting inputs are now just suggestions and where real t...

Creative testing made sense when one ad meant one combination of copy and creative. But with 26 placements and potentially thousands of variations per ad, the old testing methods are impossible and unnecessary. Jon explains w...

Advertisers create separate ad sets and complex testing strategies because they're emotionally attached to their ads and want to ensure they get shown. Jon shares a fishing analogy to explain why this attachment is hurting yo...

Meta advertising has changed dramatically since iOS 14, but many advertisers are still clinging to their old targeting strategies and complex campaign structures. Jon shares his own painful evolution from stubborn micro-targe...

When you change your targeting and results improve, or implement GA4 integration and performance tanks, it's tempting to assume one caused the other. Jon explains why advertisers constantly mistake correlation for causation a...

Most advertisers lead with features when they write ads, rattling off benefits and capabilities. But features don't move the needle. Jon explains the three-element framework that actually drives conversions and why pain point...

The advertising space is noisier than ever with fake experts peddling guaranteed results and magical campaign structures. Jon outlines the five warning signs that should immediately make you skeptical of anyone's advertising ...

Advertisers get stuck chasing magical strategies, complex testing methods, and guru tricks when their ads aren't working. Jon explains why these targeting strategies and intricate campaign structures are pointless distraction...

Mark Zuckerberg envisions a future where businesses simply tell Meta their objective and budget, and AI does everything else, including creating the ads. This isn't some distant fantasy. We're already halfway there with campa...

When you "let results be your guide," make sure those results actually matter. Jon explains why advertisers often make bad decisions based on meaningless data and outlines four critical factors that determine when your metric...

"Let results be your guide" is more than just a catchphrase. It's the antidote to rigid marketing formulas. Jon explains why universal answers to questions like "How often should I update creative?" and "Should I restrict by ...

A baseball manager's job is to put talented players in position to succeed, not over-manage with unnecessary bunts and quirky strategies. Jon explains why advertisers make the same mistake - focusing on complex campaign tacti...

Small budgets create a cascade of problems beyond just limited results. Jon explains why low ad spend makes it impossible to meaningfully test, optimize, or learn from your campaigns - and what to do when you simply can't spe...

After 13+ years of working with Meta advertisers, Jon has identified four key characteristics that separate successful advertisers from those who struggle. It's not about tactics - it's about your approach to complexity, chan...

Advertisers often misunderstand what campaign objectives actually do. Jon explains why saying you're running a "sales campaign" or "traffic campaign" is misleading.

Your performance goal defines everything about your Meta ad delivery - who sees your ads, what quality of results you get, and which placements are used. Jon explains how the algorithm interprets each goal and why some lead t...

Most advertisers have misconceptions about how Meta attribution actually works. Jon covers four key aspects that explain why your Ads Manager results rarely match your backend data.

Meta's click attribution works differently than most advertisers understand. Jon explains what actually counts as a "click" and how to select the right attribution windows for different campaign types.

View-through conversions are often misunderstood or completely ignored in reporting. Jon explains when they provide real value versus when they're giving Meta undeserved credit, and how to properly evaluate them based on camp...

Many Meta advertisers overcomplicate their approach in the belief that sophistication leads to better results. Jon explains why the opposite is often true, outlining a simplified strategy that focuses on fewer campaigns, mini...