8/13/25 - Episode 165

Episode Summary

In this episode, Scott Austin speaks with Sean McCarthy from Customers.ai, a customer acquisition expert, to explore how eCommerce brands can significantly grow revenue through paid ads. They present a case study of a brand that scaled from $90K to $250K in monthly revenue within months through a strategic, data-driven advertising approach.

Key Takeaways:

• Customer Acquisition Strategy: The brand initially had poor ad performance with low ROAS. Sean implemented a structured acquisition strategy, moving from ad-hoc efforts to a deliberate, customer-centric funnel.
• Channel Shifts: They started with Facebook and Instagram but shifted toward Google Ads, which better targeted high-intent customers searching for barefoot shoes—leading to improved performance.
• Attribution and Analytics: A key to success was using an attribution platform to accurately measure and connect performance across Facebook, Google, Klaviyo, and Shopify.
• Content and Creative: Success required high-quality, lifestyle content (not just product shots). This was repurposed across platforms to test various creatives and learn what resonated.
• Testing and Iteration: The team tested many ad types (videos, slideshows, etc.). They emphasized learning over failure—understanding what doesn’t work is as valuable as knowing what does.
• Indicators for Scaling Ads: Brands should consider paid ads when they have strong fundamentals like a high repeat customer rate (e.g., 25%) and solid conversion rates. These suggest a strong product/market fit.
• Advice on Hiring Agencies: Sean advises brand owners to learn the basics and run ads themselves first before hiring an agency. Agencies should be focused on optimizing spend—not just scaling budget quickly.

Final Message:
Investing in paid ads can drive rapid growth—but only if it’s done strategically. It requires time, money, tracking, testing, and good creative. Start small, build a foundation, and scale intentionally.

Show Links 

• Shawn McCarthy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnwmccarthy/
• Customers.ai - https://customers.ai/
• Linear Shopping Experiences - https://apps.shopify.com/linear-shopping-experience

Transcript & Video

https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-165-revenue-growth-through-ads