The Truth About Social Ads

David Kestner is the Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce of Diamondback Toolbelts, a leading manufacturer of premium modular tool belts, vests, and work gear for tradespeople. Known for his customer-centric approach to scaling brand growth, David has held senior roles in digital marketing and e-commerce, including at ALPEN Storage and SpotTrot. At Diamondback, he leads strategies to grow online sales and drive brand visibility. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky in sports administration.

Building a premium brand for hardworking tradespeople takes more than quality materials. It demands constant innovation, close attention to customer feedback, and smart marketing to reach the right audience. How does a niche tool belt company turn these principles into rapid growth and industry recognition?

According to David Kestner, a marketing and e-commerce leader, success comes from combining customer-driven product development with disciplined digital strategy. He highlights how Diamondback relies on input from real tradespeople to design ergonomic and modular belts and vests that outperform traditional leather gear. By focusing on authentic user-generated content and community engagement, the company built trust without relying on paid influencers. Careful tracking of metrics, such as the marketing efficiency ratio, allowed the team to scale ad spend intelligently, ensuring steady growth while maintaining profitability. Diamondback’s commitment to continuous product launches and responding to feedback keeps customers engaged and returning.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, host Jason Smith sits down with David Kestner, Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce of Diamondback Toolbelts, to talk about building a premium tradesmen brand through innovation and customer feedback. They discuss how user-generated content fuels marketing success, why focusing on marketing efficiency over return on ad spend drives growth, and the importance of constant product innovation.

Greg Butler is the Founder of Growth-OS, an AI-powered plug‑and‑play business operating system designed to help founder-led coaching and course-creation businesses scale without added complexity. He helps install strategy, structure, and systems so marketing, sales, fulfillment, and backend operations can run smoothly without overreliance on the founder. Greg has over 15 years of experience helping online coaches and course creators streamline and scale their operations.

Running a business often means juggling countless tools, processes, and tasks that don’t always work well together. Over time, this creates inefficiencies that drain both time and money. What if there were a smarter way to eliminate the chaos and simplify operations using AI?

According to Greg Butler, a marketing expert with more than a decade of experience helping businesses scale, teams can apply AI far beyond surface-level tasks to uncover inefficiencies and streamline operations. He highlights that most companies misuse AI as a quick-answer tool rather than leveraging it to solve real structural issues. By designing systems that assess efficiency across sales, marketing, and operations, businesses can save hours of work each week and significantly cut costs. Greg emphasizes that the true value of AI is not in replacing people, but in empowering teams with actionable insights and sustainable growth strategies.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, host Jason Smith sits down with Greg Butler, Founder of Growth-OS, to discuss eliminating chaos and saving time through AI efficiency. They explore why disconnected tools cause dysfunction, how Growth-OS creates tailored 90-day action plans, and the role of AI in boosting visibility across teams. Greg also shares how businesses can save money while strengthening team performance.

Hugo Patrão is the Director of Creatives at Spotlight Social Advertising, a results-driven agency that helps brands scale with high-converting social media campaigns. He specializes in crafting ad copy and creative strategies that align with each stage of the marketing funnel. With over seven years of experience writing Facebook, Instagram, and email marketing copy, Hugo has tested thousands of variations to find what truly drives clicks and conversions. He also integrates AI tools into his workflow to streamline research and spark fresh creative ideas.

In this episode…

One-liner ad copy might seem like the quickest way to grab attention, but does it really work when you’re trying to attract new customers at the top of the funnel? Many brands assume that short and punchy is always better, yet their results often tell a different story. So why do these simple one-liners fail to convert when it matters most?

According to Hugo Patrão, a seasoned copywriter with years of experience testing thousands of ad variations, one-liners fail because they don’t match the customer’s stage in the buying journey. He highlights that top-of-funnel ads need to introduce the brand, establish credibility, and set it apart from competitors rather than focusing immediately on overcoming objections. This mismatch often leads to plummeting click-through rates and wasted ad spend. He explains that strong ad copy should combine brand storytelling, clear calls to action, and structured formatting, ensuring the audience connects with the message before being prompted to act.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, host Jason Smith sits down with Hugo Patrão, Director of Creatives at Spotlight Social Advertising, to talk about why one-liner ad copy fails at the top of funnel. They discuss how to craft copy that fits each stage of the funnel, the dangers of ignoring data-driven results, and the role of AI in shaping better headlines and ideas. Hugo also shares his process for aligning ad copy with visuals to create cohesive, high-converting campaigns.

Michael Houlihan was the Co‑founder, President, and CEO of Barefoot Wine, a brand known for making wine fun, affordable, and accessible. He and his partner Bonnie Harvey launched Barefoot Cellars in a laundry room in 1986 with no wine experience and little funding, pioneering “worthy cause marketing” and performance‑based compensation in place of traditional advertising. Under his leadership, Barefoot became an American best-selling wine brand before its acquisition by E. & J. Gallo. He now shares his insights as an author, speaker, and consultant.

In this episode…

Social media didn’t invent the power of the network; it simply digitized a strategy that successful brands have harnessed for decades. Long before Facebook and Instagram, some entrepreneurs were already leveraging relationships, causes, and communities to fuel explosive growth. So what does true grassroots marketing look like when it’s done right?

According to Michael Houlihan, a pioneering brand builder behind one of the most recognizable wine labels in the world, the secret lies in helping others first. He highlights how donating wine to small local fundraisers unexpectedly unlocked viral word-of-mouth and loyalty that no ad budget could match. By embedding his brand into the missions and communities that mattered most to his customers, he created lasting emotional connections. These values-based partnerships didn’t just move products; they turned buyers into brand advocates. The result was a national wine brand built without a single traditional ad campaign.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, host Jason Smith sits down with Michael Houlihan, Co‑founder, President, and CEO at Barefoot Wine, to talk about how he used pre-social media networking to build a powerful national brand. He shares how giving back sparked real growth, why aligning with causes matters, and what it means to market with heart. Michael also provides insights on scaling smart and building supplier trust.

Scott Desgrosseilliers is the CEO of Wicked Reports, a SaaS company that helps small to midsize businesses accurately track and optimize multi‑touch marketing attribution across paid ads, email, SEO, and offline channels. He founded the company in 2015 after building a custom ROI-tracking system for a friend’s e‑commerce business, then scaled it into a full platform that integrates deeply with Facebook and Google Ads. Under his leadership, Wicked Reports has grown profitably to several million in annual recurring revenue with around 28 employees and remains bootstrapped to focus on sustainable, data-driven growth.

Marketing platforms often make it look like your ads are crushing it — but are they really? Inflated ROAS, misattributed conversions, and murky data leave business owners and marketers flying blind. What if there were a smarter way to track your marketing performance and turn data into profit?

According to Scott Desgrosseilliers, a pioneer in marketing attribution and optimization, the key is aligning your measurement strategy with your business goals using clean data and AI. He highlights that while accurate data is essential, what you do with it determines your growth. Scott emphasizes the importance of understanding top-of-funnel cold traffic performance, setting expectations before launching campaigns, and using “Scale Chill Kill” zones to guide spend decisions. The result is actionable insight that empowers smarter, faster marketing decisions and eliminates guesswork.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, host Jason Smith sits down with Scott Desgrosseilliers, CEO of Wicked Reports, to discuss using AI and attribution to turn marketing data into profit. They break down the Five Forces framework, explain how to fix flawed Meta reporting, and demonstrate why customer segmentation matters. Scott also shares how agencies and in-house teams can use data to make better decisions and look smarter doing it.

Jason Smith is the Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, LLC, a company specializing in creating high-converting social media campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Founded in 2016, the agency has grown to manage robust campaigns across various social media platforms, primarily focusing on e-commerce clients. Prior to his venture into digital marketing, Jason served as a Los Angeles police officer for 13 years.

Breaking through the noise in today’s ecommerce landscape takes more than just running ads on Meta. With rising competition and changing consumer behavior, smart brands are looking beyond the obvious to find scalable, cost-effective platforms. So where should e-commerce companies focus their efforts to maximize ad performance and revenue growth?

According to Jason Smith, a seasoned digital advertising strategist with deep experience scaling e-commerce brands, the answer lies in a full-funnel strategy paired with smart platform diversification. He highlights how Pinterest, often overlooked, became a surprisingly powerful channel for blue-collar audiences and niche products. By leveraging rigorous A/B testing, tailored messaging at each funnel stage, and platform-specific creatives, Jason’s team helped clients like Furry Freshness generate a 6.4x lift in conversions — results that were third-party verified by Meta. He emphasizes that success comes not from flashy tactics, but from disciplined execution, creative testing, and data-backed decision-making.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith, Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, is interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz of Rise25 to talk about building full-funnel ad strategies that drive explosive e-commerce growth. Jason shares why Pinterest is outperforming expectations, how to test and scale creatives effectively, and what most brands get wrong with Meta ads. Jason also provides insights on bundling products to increase lifetime customer value.

Jason Smith is the Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, LLC, a company specializing in creating high-converting social media campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Founded in 2016, the agency has grown to manage robust campaigns across various social media platforms, primarily focusing on e-commerce clients. Prior to his venture into digital marketing, Jason served as a Los Angeles police officer for 13 years.

Selling a high-ticket offer through social media ads might seem impossible, but it doesn’t have to be. What separates campaigns that convert from those that just burn cash?

According to Jason Smith, a seasoned paid social strategist, high-ticket offers can thrive with cold audiences if you build deep, customized funnels that mirror the buyer journey. He highlights how tailoring ad copy, creative, and targeting at every stage — from first impression to checkout — drives conversions, even for $10K products. This strategy, backed by a 91x ROAS case study, shows the power of full-funnel thinking. From top-of-funnel awareness to bottom-of-funnel urgency, each piece must speak directly to where the customer is in their decision process.

In this episode of the Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith, Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, is interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz of Rise25 to discuss how to convert cold traffic into high-ticket buyers. Jason shares his multi-phase ad strategy, explains why personalization at each stage is critical, and reveals how to time scarcity and urgency. Jason also provides insights on spotting and fixing common funnel mistakes.

Jason Smith is the Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, LLC, a company specializing in creating high-converting social media campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Founded in 2016, the agency has grown to manage robust campaigns across various social media platforms, primarily focusing on e-commerce clients. Prior to his venture into digital marketing, Jason served as a Los Angeles police officer for 13 years.

Scaling an e-commerce brand or digital agency in today’s landscape requires mastering the right balance of data, creativity, and long-term thinking. From navigating Facebook’s evolving ad tools to interpreting complex attribution models, business owners and marketers face a rapidly shifting environment where yesterday’s strategies no longer guarantee tomorrow’s results. So, what can we learn from leaders who are blending proven tactics with adaptable, data-driven approaches?

In this curated selection of insights, Jason Smith dives into what realistic return on ad spend (ROAS) goals look like in the current social advertising world, offering grounded advice to help brands stay profitable. He explains why understanding product margins is crucial for ad success and how small adjustments can make or break a campaign. He also unpacks Facebook’s Advantage+ Creative AI, showing how advertisers can work with automation instead of against it. Eric Bork shares how their agency uses Northbeam to cut through data overwhelm and make smarter decisions without a full analytics team. Meanwhile, Kyle Brothersen reminds entrepreneurs to zoom out from daily metrics and take a big-picture view, encouraging leaders to evaluate their progress over months, not just weeks.

In this special compilation episode of The Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith and industry experts create a practical, actionable playbook for business owners, marketers, and agency leaders. Their experiences reveal that winning with social ads today requires more than just technical know-how — it demands a mindset that blends strategy, patience, and adaptability.

Jason Smith is the Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, LLC, a company specializing in creating high-converting social media campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Founded in 2016, the agency has grown to manage robust campaigns across various social media platforms, primarily focusing on e-commerce clients. Prior to his venture into digital marketing, Jason served as a Los Angeles police officer for 13 years.

In this episode…

Too often, business owners rush to blame their Facebook ads when sales slow or leads dry up. But is the ad platform really the root cause — or is there something deeper going on in the business itself? What if the problem isn’t the ads, but what happens after the click?

According to Jason Smith, a digital advertising expert, the real issue lies in business owners not taking responsibility for the full customer journey. He highlights how weak conversion funnels, poor communication, and unrealistic expectations frequently sabotage success, regardless of how good the ads are. This blame-shifting creates a cycle of agency hopping and missed growth opportunities. Jason demonstrates how many business owners fail to understand metrics like MER, ignore agency advice, and still expect high ROAS without investing in proper infrastructure or optimization.

In this episode of the Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith talks about why Facebook ads often get scapegoated for broader business failures. He breaks down how poor conversion rates, lack of internal follow-up, and misaligned goals lead to underperformance. Jason also shares real client stories that illustrate how agencies get unfairly blamed and provides insights on being a better partner to your agency.

Jason Smith is the Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, LLC, a company specializing in creating high-converting social media campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Founded in 2016, the agency has grown to manage robust campaigns across various social media platforms, primarily focusing on e-commerce clients. Prior to his venture into digital marketing, Jason served as a Los Angeles police officer for 13 years.

In this episode…

Are your Facebook ads underperforming and not meeting your return on ad spend expectations? Many business owners face the same challenges: pumping money into ads and expecting instant wins. But is the real issue with your targeting, messaging, or something deeper?

According to Jason Smith, a seasoned expert in paid social advertising, the biggest issue is often unrealistic expectations. He explains that many brands expect ads to generate immediate revenue without fully understanding the complexity behind the platform. He highlights how poor testing practices and misaligned audience segmentation lead to wasted ad spend and low engagement. The key to success, Jason emphasizes, lies in deeply understanding your customers’ journey and tailoring creative to meet them where they are. With testing, segmentation, and realistic timelines, ad performance can improve significantly.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith, Owner and CEO of Spotlight Social Advertising, is interviewed by Chad Franzen of Rise25, to discuss why Facebook ads underperform and how to fix them. Jason discusses common misconceptions about ad spend, the dangers of audience overlap, and how vanity metrics can mislead decision-making. He also provides insights into media efficiency, ad copy, and when you should hire an agency.