The Smart Marketer Podcast

Facebook ads are evolving, and fresh strategies are key for 2025. Learn how to simplify your campaign structure for quicker insights. Discover the 'Golden Triangle' tracking method that reveals true ROI. Get tips on keeping your ads vibrant and effective over time, while testing creatives without starting from scratch. Maximize your budget with targeted offers in each campaign. Embrace a data-driven approach, focusing on backend numbers to guide your advertising success!

Episode 232: From $1/Day to $100,000/Day – Scaling Your Facebook Ad Spend (The Right Way) Episode Description Every business starts at zero. In this tactical training, Pepijn Hufen breaks down exactly what it takes to scale from $1/day to $100,000/day in ad spend—based entirely on what’s working right now inside Smart Marketer brands. “If you want to scale your ads, it all comes down to messaging, offers, and tracking.” – Pepijn Hufen Whether you're running ads for the first time or managing big budgets, this episode gives you a clear roadmap to scale responsibly—without burning cash. You Will Learn Why even $1/day ad spend can make a meaningful impact The number one focus when you're spending $100/day Why “transformation” matters more than features in your ad copy What tracking metrics matter most at $1,000/day The strategy behind scaling with multiple front-end offers What it really takes to manage $100K/day in spend Links & Resources Smart Marketer – https://smartmarketer.com Omnisend – https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off 3 months) Boom! by Cindy Joseph – https://boombeauty.com/ Pretty Farm Girl – https://www.prettyfarmgirl.com NutriPaw – https://nutri-paw.com Watch on YouTube: $1/Day vs. $100,000/Day Facebook Ad Account – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKq0IK7FkT4 Timestamps (Chapters) 00:00 – Intro by Anthony: Why this episode matters now 01:56 – “Every business starts at zero” – Pepijn Hufen 02:43 – Level 1: $1/Day – Boost organic posts or keep ad account active 03:34 – Why even $1/day can reach 72,000 people per year 04:23 – Level 2: $100/Day – “Your only objective is to validate your offer, validate your messaging, and hit a certain cost per outcome that works for your business.” 05:14 – “They sell confidence, they don’t sell makeup.” (Boom Beauty example) 06:44 – Creative tips: “You want to test different hooks with the opening of your ad copy… and as overlays on your ads.” 07:30 – Where to send traffic: “You can send your ads to a product page, a pre-sale article or sales page, a collection page… or an opt-in page.” 08:16 – Example: Boom’s pre-sale article, “5 makeup tips for older women” 09:02 – “For opt-in pages, we’re trying to hit a conversion rate between 25 and 40%.” 09:52 – Level 3: $1,000/Day – Add robust tracking and creative volume 11:23 – “The backend is the source of truth.” 12:12 – Custom tracking sheets: “Without having to look at any tracking tool, I have a fairly good idea how good our business is doing.” 13:08 – Meta’s advice: “Focus on creative and aim for mixed assets.” 13:54 – Level 4: $10,000/Day – Run 2–4 front-end offers to reach more subgroups 14:42 – Level 5: $100,000/Day – “Making a mistake can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.” 15:23 – “At some point, they’re all just numbers.” 16:14 – Creative volume and team: “We were testing 40 to 60 creatives per week.” 17:24 – Final takeaway: “The process of analyzing the core principles of messaging are very similar to an ad account spending $10,000 a day.” Your Engagement Matters Thank you for listening to the Smart Marketer Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, review, and share with fellow entrepreneurs and marketers. Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407 Share this episode on social media and tag us using #WeOutHere Have feedback? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit

Discover how to effectively double your ad spend while boosting revenue significantly. Explore the creative strategies and ad structures that led to remarkable results, including a case study on Boom Beauty's impressive growth in average order value. Learn about navigating changes in Meta's campaign structure and the importance of combating creative fatigue. Gain insights into leveraging AI for smarter marketing strategies and optimizing both ad performance and consumer engagement.

Episode 230: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 4, Mindset (Part 2) "My Dad Died and It Sucked, But It’s Also Been the Most Beautiful Thing That’s Happened in My Life" Episode Description In this powerful continuation, Molly Pittman picks up where Part 1 left off and shares the final seven lessons she learned after losing her father. This isn’t just about grief. It’s about redefining success, leadership, and what it means to fully live. If you’re feeling stretched, stuck, or just want to lead with more presence, this episode will move you. “Presence is often more healing than fixing.” – Molly Pittman These reflections will shift how you build your business, love your people, and show up for yourself. You Will Learn: Why your business should be able to run without you The surprising gift of giving people space to choose How community accelerates healing and growth The reason you should stop delaying joy Why duality is the secret to peace A radical new definition of self-care The power of presence over problem-solving Links & Resources: Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com Smart Marketer Summer Sale – smartmarketer.com/summer Apply for AppLovin Beta – applovin.com/beta-application?cg_code=C658 Omnisend – smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use coupon code “SMART” for 50% off your first 3 months) Molly Pittman – mollypittman.com Instagram – @mollypittmandigital Fields of Freedom Dog Rescue – fofdogrescue.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro, Picking up where Part 1 left off 01:53 – Lesson 7: The Power of Community 05:52 – Lesson 8: Stepping Away Is Healthy (And Your Systems Should Support It) 09:42 – Lesson 9: Don’t Wait to Live 11:03 – Living Now, Not Someday 12:13 – Lesson 10: Let People Choose (It Builds Independence) 14:47 – Lesson 11: Embrace the Duality of Life 16:59 – Lesson 12: I Will No Longer Deprive Myself 18:20 – Give Yourself Permission to Enjoy Life 19:25 – Lesson 13: Presence Over Fixing 20:43 – Final Reflections and Gratitude Your Engagement Matters If you’re getting value from this series, share it with a marketer or business owner you know. • Follow or review on Apple Podcasts • Tag us and share your takeaways on social using #WeOutHere • Questions or feedback? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.

Episode 229: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 4 – Mindset (Part 1) "My Dad Died and It Sucked, But It’s Also Been the Most Beautiful Thing That’s Happened in My Life" Episode Description In this deeply personal episode, Molly Pittman reflects on the sudden loss of her father, and the powerful lessons it’s taught her about life, business, and what truly matters. If you’re navigating grief, burnout, or just feeling disconnected from your purpose, this raw and reflective solo episode will meet you where you are. “Our only sole purpose here on Earth is to be ourselves and to give and receive love.” – Molly Pittman From presence to portals, Molly shares six transformative insights that have shifted how she leads, lives, and loves. You Will Learn: Why presence is the most powerful leadership tool How grief rewires your understanding of time and energy Why emotional and physical wellbeing must come first A new lens on purpose (and why you can stop searching for it) How to resolve regret before it owns you Why travel isn't indulgent, it's medicine for your creativity Links & Resources: Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com Smart Marketer Summer Sale – smartmarketer.com/summer Apply for AppLovin Beta – applovin.com/beta-application?cg_code=C658 Omnisend – smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use coupon code “SMART” for 50% off your first 3 months) Molly Pittman – mollypittman.com Instagram – @mollypittmandigital Fields of Freedom Dog Rescue – fofdogrescue.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: A Personal Episode About Loss, Mindset and Growth 02:06 – Why Molly Felt Compelled to Record This (Grief, Growth, and Business) 05:34 – The Last Night She Spent With Her Dad 13:00 – Life After Loss: Honoring Her Dad and Healing 15:29 – Lesson 1: Presence Is Everything 18:37 – Lesson 2: Money Matters, But You Can’t Take It With You 21:56 – Lesson 3: You Can’t Undo Regret, Resolve It Now 24:10 – Lesson 4: Our Sole Purpose Is to Love and Be Ourselves 28:04 – Lesson 5: Your Emotional and Physical State Is Everything 30:16 – Lesson 6: Travel Heals and Sparks Creativity 33:41 – Walking Through Portals, Why Movement Creates Momentum 34:50 – Preview, What’s Coming in Part 2 Your Engagement Matters! If you’re getting value from this series, share it with a marketer or business owner you know. • Follow or review on Apple Podcasts • Tag us and share your takeaways on social using #WeOutHere • Questions or feedback? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.

Dive into the intriguing world of conversion rate optimization! Discover how one brand nearly doubled its average order value with a new front-end offer. Learn why simplified landing pages are outperforming their complex counterparts. A navigation tweak helped another brand skyrocket conversions, and insights from headline tests reveal what resonates with customers. Plus, find out how small adjustments led to impressive conversion boosts. It's all about proactive strategies to enhance user experience and drive growth!

Episode 227:  Improve Retention and Monetization Strategies with Email and SMS - What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 2 Episode Description Retention is the engine behind sustainable growth, and it’s more important than ever in 2025. This is part 2 of a 4-part series on what’s working right now in direct-to-consumer marketing. In this follow-up episode, Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw share four tactical retention and monetization strategies using email and SMS. These are the backend wins that help you convert more leads into buyers and get the most value from your list. If you want to engage customers, drive more revenue, and make your messages stand out in 2025, this one's for you. “You absolutely need to be thinking also, which emails get the most engagement. How do I find different destinations I can send people to besides collection pages, besides product pages, besides offer pages to get them interested.” — John Grimshaw (11:54) You Will Learn How to increase email click rates post-iOS updates Why you should never end a promotion on a holiday The surprising results from testing email send times How to turn one email into multiple high-performing sends The role of SMS as both a reminder and a revenue driver What to include in your sale follow-up campaigns Links and Resources Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com Smart Marketer Summer Sale – smartmarketer.com/summer Apply for AppLovin Beta – applovin.com/beta-application?cg_code=C658 Omnisend – smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use coupon code “SMART” for 50% off your first 3 months) Timestamps 00:00 – Intro from Anthony and Ezra’s Omnisend Endorsement 02:52 – Molly and John Kick Off: Retention and Monetization Focus 03:12 – Why This Is the Backend That Drives Profit 06:28 – Tip #1: Boost Click Rates by Building Interactivity 10:40 – Tip #2: Never End Your Promo on the Holiday 14:13 – Tip #3: Send When Your Audience Shops 20:10 – Tip #4: Repeat Winners and Resend to Non-Openers 26:25 – Wrap-Up and Preview of Next Week on Conversion Strategies Your Engagement Matters If you’re getting value from this series, share it with a marketer or business owner you know. • Follow or review on Apple Podcasts • Tag us and share your takeaways on social using #WeOutHere • Questions or feedback? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.

Discover five cutting-edge strategies that are transforming paid advertising in 2025. Learn why low-cost offers are winning over free trials and how bundling products can simplify the buying process. Uncover the evergreen category page strategy that skyrocketed revenue by 22%. Find out how authentic employee-generated content is reshaping brand connections. Plus, get practical tips for creative testing on Meta and explore the promising e-commerce potential of AppLovin.

Episode Title How We Scaled Meta Ad Spend from $500/Day to $5K/Day  Episode Description What does it really take to scale ad spend 10x—and still stay profitable? In this in-depth case study, Smart Marketer’s Pep Hufen shares how our agency helped Pretty Farm Girl grow fast using Advantage Plus campaigns, conversion-focused landing pages, and sharp backend tracking. “Advertising is acceleration. We cannot fix a broken offer.” – Pep Hufen If you want the full breakdown of creative structure, data-driven testing, and campaign strategy that got this brand a 7x ROAS, this episode is for you. You Will Learn The exact ad account structure behind our 141-day scale-up Why creative isolation leads to better Meta results How backend metrics differ from Ads Manager—and why they matter more What to look for in your first 12-month customer value The key difference between high AOV and strong LTV offers Links & Resources Smart Summer Sale – https://smartmarketer.com/2025-summer-sale AI Tools for Marketers – https://ai.smartmarketer.com Omnisend – https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend Pretty Farm Girl – https://prettyfarmgirl.com Timestamps 00:02:41 – Intro to Pretty Farm Girl: Family-run brand and niche positioning 00:03:15 – Why they reached out: Growth plateau and creative needs 00:04:42 – “Advertising is acceleration” – Why offers matter most 00:05:18 – “You can’t fix a broken offer” – The foundation for scaling 00:06:05 – The real ROAS: Blended metrics and actual revenue 00:10:16 – The 141-day scaling journey: Spend breakdown and strategy 00:14:22 – Backend ROAS vs. Ads Manager: What we actually trust 00:17:22 – Structuring campaigns by product category 00:21:52 – Landing pages: What worked for Pretty Farm Girl 00:26:06 – Real testimonials and credibility boosters 00:30:47 – Crafting ad copy that resonates with intent Call to Action If you enjoyed this episode: Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407 Share the episode on social media and tag us with #WeOutHere Got questions or feedback? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.

Ep 224: The AI Ad Playbook — How to Save Time, Create Better Hooks & Scale Your Campaigns Episode Description How do you create compelling ad copy, research your avatar, and generate high-performing creative—without burning out or hiring a team of specialists? In this live replay from The Smart Marketer Show, Molly Pittman and Pep Hufen walk you through Smart Marketer’s complete AI workflow. You’ll learn how to use ChatGPT for deep customer research, how to write high-converting hooks in minutes, and how to train AI to write like your brand. Pep also shares how Meta’s new tools are reshaping creative testing and what that means for marketers in 2025. “AI is not replacing us. It’s a tool to accelerate things that we intuitively already know pretty well.” – Pep Hufen Whether you're AI-curious or already experimenting with automation, this episode is your tactical guide to doing more with less—without sounding robotic. What You’ll Learn How to use ChatGPT’s Deep Research function to save hours of manual work A proven prompt structure for generating customer hooks, ad copy, and strategy How to build and deploy a brand-specific voice prompt for AI content Why Meta’s AI tools work best after you write strong original copy How to build your own custom GPT based on brand data and writing samples What LLM SEO is—and how it’s already impacting eCommerce traffic and sales Links & Resources Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com Smart Marketer Live – Grab Your Tickets Smart Marketer AI Tool – ai.smartmarketer.com The Smart Marketer Show – smartmarketer.com/smart-marketer-show Instagram – @smartmarketer, @mollypittmandigital, @pep_hufen Omnisend – smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off your first 3 months) Timestamps 00:00:00 – Welcome & Episode Overview Molly introduces Pep and sets up what you'll learn in this AI-focused episode: real tools, tactical examples, and Smart Marketer's own workflows. 00:07:04 – The Mindset Shift: AI as a Mentor Pep shares how he uses ChatGPT as a thought partner—not a search engine—and why this shift is essential for marketers today. 00:11:17 – What You’ll Learn in This Episode A clear summary of the episode’s value: research, messaging, creative, and how to implement AI inside your workflow. 00:20:45 – Deep Research Prompt Walkthrough A full demo of Smart Marketer’s “Research Hook” prompt, showing how to use ChatGPT's Deep Research feature for customer insights and hooks. 00:29:51 – Evaluating & Refining AI-Generated Hooks Pep walks through the outputs, discusses emotional triggers, and how to ask ChatGPT for stronger, more nuanced messaging. 00:34:34 – Training ChatGPT with Your Brand Voice Step-by-step instructions to upload your writing samples, build a reusable prompt, and get ad copy that sounds like your brand. 00:41:23 – Meta AI Copy Variations: Real Results How Meta’s ad variation tools stacked up in real campaigns—and why quantity is the new creative strategy. 00:56:27 – AI Search Optimization & The Future of Commerce Final segment on how LLMs are changing discovery, why 8% of ecommerce purchases now come from AI, and how to prepare your store. Your Engagement Matters Thanks for listening to The Smart Marketer Podcast. If you got value from this episode, please help us grow: Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts Share this episode and tag us on Instagram with #WeOutHere Have feedback or questions? Email us at support@smartmarketer.com Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.