Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Truth About Social Ads
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Truth About Social Ads episodes
- Are Your Meta Ads In Learning? Is It Good Or Bad?
In today's episode of The Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith tackles a question he hears almost daily: “Are your Meta ads stuck in the learning phase, and is that a bad thing?” With insights gleaned from countless conversations with Facebook representatives and hands-on campaign management, Jason breaks down the misconceptions about the learning phase and explains why it’s not the enemy of ad performance.
Many advertisers panic when their campaigns don’t exit the learning phase quickly or display the dreaded “limited learning” status. Jason explains that learning is a normal—and essential—part of the Meta Ads optimization process. It’s how the system refines targeting, gathers data, and adjusts bidding strategies to improve performance over time. Contrary to popular belief, ads in learning or limited learning can still deliver exceptional results, even achieving a 10x ROAS in some cases.
Jason provides practical advice for navigating the learning phase without fear. He emphasizes the importance of patience and data collection, cautioning against overspending just to force ads out of learning. Instead, he encourages advertisers to trust the process, let campaigns gather the necessary 50 conversions per week, and avoid unnecessary resets that disrupt performance.
Whether you’re running lead generation, video views, or conversion campaigns, this episode offers actionable tips to maximize success while your ads are in learning. Discover how to shift your mindset, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure your campaigns perform effectively throughout every stage of optimization.
Tune in now to understand why “learning isn’t bad” and how to make the most of your Meta Ads campaigns. Visit Spotlight Social Advertising for expert guidance or to book a consultation with Jason directly. Don’t let the learning phase hold you back—embrace it and let your campaigns thrive.
“Don’t freak out if your Meta ad is in learning—it just means it’s gathering data and refining targeting.” - Jason Smith
Key Takeaways:
- Limited Learning Isn’t Bad
- Learning Phase Doesn’t Mean Poor Performance
- Spending More Isn’t Always the Solution
- Focus on Long-Term Success
Learn more about Jason Smith through the following links:
Facebook
Website
7 min - Why Is MER A Better KPI Than ROAS For Your Business?
In this episode of The Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith dives deep into one of the most controversial topics in digital marketing: why Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is killing the profitability of your paid ads. While ROAS has long been considered the gold standard for measuring ad performance, Jason challenges this outdated metric and makes the case for Media Efficiency Ratio (MER) as the ultimate KPI for sustainable business growth.
Jason explains how an overreliance on ROAS can lead to short-sighted decisions, misaligned strategies, and stunted scalability. By focusing solely on individual campaign performance, businesses overlook the multi-channel customer journey and fail to grasp the bigger picture of their marketing efforts. With practical examples and real-world insights, Jason demonstrates how MER—calculated as total revenue divided by total media spend—offers a holistic view of profitability across all platforms, including Facebook, Google, TikTok, and email.
Throughout the episode, Jason breaks down the limitations of ROAS and outlines the benefits of shifting to an MER-driven approach. He shares actionable steps for calculating MER, adjusting team benchmarks, and optimizing ad spend to drive long-term growth. Whether you’re a business owner or a marketer, this episode provides the tools and mindset shifts needed to move beyond ROAS and focus on metrics that truly matter.
Discover why MER aligns better with overall business goals, is harder to manipulate, and provides a clear picture of your brand’s performance. If you’re ready to ditch the ROAS obsession and embrace MER for scaling success, tune in to this episode now. Plus, learn how Jason and his team at Spotlight Social Advertising can help you transform your approach to paid advertising. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode that could redefine how you measure success in digital marketing.
“ROAS measures individual campaigns, not business success—it’s like judging the health of a crop by just one plant.” - Jason Smith
Key Takeaways:
- The Problem with ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
- The Importance of MER (Media Efficiency Ratio)
- Why Businesses Struggle with ROAS-Driven Goals
- Steps to Shift from ROAS to MER
Learn more about Jason Smith through the following links:
Facebook
Website
19 min - Should You Be Using Advantage+ Creative To Enhance Your Ad Experience
In today's episode of "The Truth About Social Ads," host Jason Smith dives into the contentious topic of using Advantage Plus Creatives to enhance ad performance on Facebook and Instagram. Jason acknowledges that while some brands find these AI-driven enhancements useful, many are frustrated by the loss of control over their branding. Throughout the episode, Jason walks listeners through the intricacies of Advantage Plus Creatives, demonstrating how it works within Facebook's Business Manager using a dummy account. He shares his perspective on which features are beneficial and which may detract from a brand's integrity, particularly for non-e-commerce businesses. With a focus on practical application, Jason provides actionable advice on optimizing ads without compromising on brand consistency, making this episode a must-listen for advertisers looking to navigate the complexities of AI-enhanced ad tools.
"Don't be fooled by the numbers—just because others are turning on features doesn’t mean they're seeing better results."
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding Advantage Plus Creatives
- Pros and Cons of Using Advantage Plus Creatives
- Walkthrough of the Advantage Plus Creatives setup within Facebook's Business Manager
Learn more about Jason Smith through the following links:
Facebook
Website
17 min - Should You Send Traffic To Your Website and Shop or Just Your Website
In today's episode of "The Truth About Social Ads," host Jason Smith dives into a crucial aspect of ad setup for e-commerce brands: deciding whether to send traffic to Facebook Shops or directly to a website. He explores the advantages and disadvantages of both strategies, emphasizing the importance of testing to determine the best approach for each business. Jason highlights how Meta (formerly Facebook) is pushing for integrated shopping experiences to keep users engaged on the platform. He discusses the nuances of setting up product catalogs, auto-tagging on Instagram, and optimizing campaigns. Throughout the episode, Jason shares insights from his extensive experience, offering practical advice on structuring ads to maximize profitability. He stresses the necessity of tailoring campaigns to different stages of the sales funnel, and encourages listeners to continuously test and adjust their strategies for optimal results. For those needing further assistance, Jason invites listeners to reach out for personalized guidance.
"Your ad strategy should be tailored to your specific business needs and goals."
Key Takeaways:
- Ad Setup for E-commerce Brands
- Testing Ad Strategies
- Advantage Plus Campaigns
- Practical Tips
Learn more about Jason Smith through the following links:
Facebook
Website
12 min - Meta AI is Changing How They Show You Ads
In this episode of "The Truth About Social Ads," host Jason Smith dives deep into the evolving landscape of social media advertising, specifically focusing on the significant changes in how Facebook and Instagram's AI algorithms handle ad placements. Jason emphasizes the critical shift from minor tweaks in ad elements to the necessity for substantial differences between ad versions to optimize performance in the ad auction. Drawing from insights gained at a recent exclusive Facebook training, Jason reveals that minor adjustments to headlines or images are no longer sufficient. Instead, advertisers must now create drastically different versions of ads to stand out. He shares practical strategies for adapting to these changes, such as testing entirely different copies, images, and videos to ensure each ad is unique. Jason also reassures listeners that, despite these changes, Facebook ads remain highly effective, with many clients still achieving impressive results. He encourages business owners and agencies to think creatively and strategically about their ad campaigns and offers resources for further guidance. For more details or personalized advice, Jason invites listeners to reach out directly or book a call through his website.
"Gone are the days of minor adjustments; now, ads need to be completely different to stand out."
Key Takeaways:
- Changes in Facebook and Instagram ads
- New ad strategy
- Tips on creating diverse ad copies and visuals
- Encouragement to think outside the box
Learn more about Jason Smith through the following links:
Facebook
Website
8 min - Why It Took So Long To Record Another Episode
In this episode of "The Truth About Social Ads," host Jason Smith is excited to relaunch his podcast, bringing listeners invaluable insights and updates on social advertising across platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and Snapchat. Jason welcomes guest Tim Holloway, who has been instrumental in helping revive the podcast. They dive into the reasons for the hiatus, including Jason's busy schedule and the challenge of prioritizing the podcast amidst his professional commitments. The episode touches on the evolving landscape of social ads, emphasizing the complexity of running successful ad campaigns in the post-iOS update era. Jason shares his unique approach to strategic ad reviews, including live audits of clients' ad accounts and the importance of comprehensive testing. The conversation also highlights the necessity of using third-party reporting tools to ensure accurate tracking and the continued effectiveness of Facebook ads despite recent challenges. Overall, the episode provides a candid look at the realities of managing social ads and offers practical advice for businesses looking to optimize their advertising strategies.
"The landscape of running ads has become harder, but having a great team makes all the difference."
Key Takeaways:
- Challenges of Balancing Life, Business, and Podcasting
- Changes in the Ad Landscape
- Third-Party Reporting Tools
- Market Trends and Platform Performance
Learn more about Tim Holloway through the following links:
Facebook
Facebook Group
Learn more about Jason Smith through the following links:
Facebook
Website
17 min - Relaunching the Truth About Social Ads Podcast: Expanding Beyond Facebook and Instagram
Welcome back to the Truth About Social Ads podcast! In this episode, the host discusses the agency's expansion, covering a wider range of digital advertising platforms beyond just Facebook and Instagram, including Pinterest, TikTok, and Google. They also tease upcoming episodes featuring interviews and the host's own insights on various topics. Listeners are encouraged to stay tuned for more awesome content.
#SocialAds #FacebookAds #InstagramAds #PinterestAds #TikTokAds #GoogleAds #DigitalMarketing #Advertising
2 min - 25. Client Audits and What We Look ForIf you ever wondered how our audit process works and what we do when we bring on new clients and what we look for, today’s episode is perfect for you. Not only are businesses qualifying us, but we also qualify them just as much when we are doing an audit. We want to let the client know what we are looking for, and this also may be helpful if any agency owners are listening to learn how to qualify your clients that you are taking on.
For us, it is always exciting talking to new businesses, getting to know other brands and helping them in their process. That is why when we are doing an audit for a prospective new client, our conversation will be related to their ads, product, customers, website and even questions that will help us catch agency hoppers in the act.
– How much do you spend in 30 days on Facebook?
– Do you have an agency running your ads right now? What is your ad situation?
– What is your product? What is your AOV?
– What is your returning customer rate? – Retargeting will be hard if you are driving cold traffic.
– What is your free shipping threshold?
– What is a realistic return on ad spend that you need to be at to earn money.
– What are your margins? – You would be surprised at the amount of people that do not even know what their margins are!
– How are your ads structured in Facebook? From the nomenclature to your audiences, creatives and more.
– How does your website look like? What is your page’s load speed? – Nowadays we live in an impatient world, so it must load super quick, plus mobile optimization in key in your success.
– Truth is, if we go into an account and we see that their current agency is doing an impressive job and the client is frustrated, we are most likely going to say no, because if you’re not happy with them, you’re not going to be happy with us.
A discovery call is fundamental in our process, from then we happily give clients a nice layout of everything, what we do, why we do it, if we think their brands and their ads will be successful and if we can get them to the next level. Growth plan included as well! Awesome, right?
We are good at what we do, and we are looking to get clients reliable and satisfactory results and we’ll let them know if we feel like we can do that based on their account and on how we get along. We are respectful and we expect to be respected in return, which is why we build good partnerships.
Check out this episode to find out why do we go through each of these questions and how they help us determine if a potential client can be a great fit for us.
Notes and more here: https://www.spotlightsocialadvertising.com/25
Free Resources:
Free Attribution PDFs: https://www.spotlightsocialadvertising.com/audit/
Connect with Jason: [email protected]
Connect with Eric: [email protected]
The Truth About Social Ads
https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/the-truth-about-social-ads/
Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/25-client-audits-and-what-we-look-for28 min - 24. Fatal Mistakes Clients Ask Agencies to MakeWe’re talking about this today because we’ve got tons of experience with these types of situations, these scenarios. And we’re not going to get walked all over, we’re not going to get blamed for things that are not our fault. This episode is about being respected. If you disrespect high performers, they can get upset because they work hard to be the best at what they do. And that’s how we are as an agency. We pride ourselves in being absolutely the best at it. And so when a client comes to us and they’re used to working with like a smaller agency that would do whatever they said, and we command a higher level of respect because of the work we’re doing, sometimes they’re not used to it.
But that’s really what we expect is respect from our clients. And we give the same respect in return. We’re totally open to as much feedback as you want to give, but when a client says, “You guys aren’t doing your job, you guys aren’t getting the results that I think you should be getting.”
Then it goes down this rabbit hole of personal opinions and we’ve skewed away from the actual data, right? Like we need and use data to make good decisions. And we’re making decisions based on the data that’s coming in. And sometimes clients don’t understand this and ask us to do things that aren’t in their best interest.
In this episode, we are going to cover the four most common mistakes we are asked to make, and how we have created systems and ways of communicating with our clients, so we avoid these situations.
These are:
1. Increasing ad spend too quickly. Extremely risky and usually results in big losses.
2. Resetting the learning, sometimes it works, but often it dive bombs the account.
3. Only caring about cold traffic.
4. Blaming the ads when it’s not the fault of the ads or our responsibility. There are many factors at play, including conversion rates, sales team effectiveness, company operations and culture, and many more.
Check out this episode to learn more as we go through all the details and explain our strategies to avoid these hot messes.
Notes and more here: https://www.spotlightsocialadvertising.com/24
Free Resources:
Free Attribution PDFs: https://www.spotlightsocialadvertising.com/attribution-pdf/
Connect with Jason: [email protected]
Connect with Eric: [email protected]39 min - 23. Attribution and How It’s DifferentWe’re talking about attribution models for your ads and specifically one main attribution model, which is what Eric’s developed, so we can give our customers a view-through attribution model with Facebook so they can see their numbers inside of the dashboard. Well, not inside of the Facebook dashboard, but inside of the dashboard that Eric’s come up with.
This is an important topic, especially now because of the iOS update. We’ve had a lot of customers and even other agencies come to us and ask, “Hey, what are you guys using for reporting and attribution?” Because the Facebook dashboard is no longer reporting. And we’ve heard from a few clients that some agencies aren’t even reporting on return on ad spend. They can’t even report on it.
Eric and the team have been working super hard to get the solution resolved. We’ve partnered with a third-party reporting agency and these guys are awesome. And I think we’ve got the solution now. So, listen to this episode is you want to know all about our solution, it’s a game changer.
Basically, we are able to still see view-through data, which was the biggest factor with the iOS 14 update. Our agency has successfully conquered and beat iOS. There still are limitations. It’s changed the way paid ads work. There’s no way around that, but the big impact is that we can report on return on ad spend.
Check out this episode to learn more as we unpack all the details. And grab our free download which also explains our strategy.
Notes and more here: https://www.spotlightsocialadvertising.com/23
Free Resources:
Free Attribution PDFs: https://www.spotlightsocialadvertising.com/attribution-pdf/38 min
About The Truth About Social Ads
From the publisher's feed
"The Truth About Social Ads" goes beyond just tips and tricks; it's your pathway to truth and education. Elevate your brand or your agency's operations, run ads more efficiently, and embark on a…
journey to grow and scale your business. From dissecting failed ads to uncovering the secrets of successful campaigns, we're here to guide you through the nuances of the advertising realm. Tune in to stay informed, inspired, and equipped with the knowledge you need to navigate the fascinating world of social media advertising.