The Smart Marketer Podcast

Episode 268: Axon Ads - How to Diversify Beyond Meta and Find New Customers
Episode Description
In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, Molly Pittman is joined by Smart Marketer agency CEO Pep Hufen to break down Axon (also known as AppLovin), a fast-growing ad platform that is giving marketers a new way to diversify beyond Meta.
They walk through how the platform works, what makes it different from traditional social media advertising, and why it is becoming a powerful channel for acquiring net-new customers. From creative requirements and campaign setup to attribution differences and scaling strategies, this episode gives you a practical roadmap to start testing Axon in your own business.
If you are running ads for ecommerce, SaaS, info products, or local businesses, this episode will help you understand how to expand your paid traffic strategy and unlock new growth opportunities.
"The goal is not necessarily for you to replace Meta. The goal is to run advertising on both platforms. You want to have traffic diversification. You want to reach people that otherwise you wouldn't be able to reach." – Pep Hufen
You Will Learn
• Why Axon is emerging as a serious alternative for paid traffic diversification beyond Meta
• How the Axon ad experience differs from traditional social media platforms
• Why user psychology on gaming apps leads to higher attention and engagement
• How Axon attribution works and why it appears more conservative than Meta
• When to use ROAS optimization versus cost per purchase
• How to choose between day-zero and day-seven optimization windows
• What types of creative formats perform best on the platform
• How to structure your first campaign and creative sets for testing
• What to expect when launching and evaluating early performance
• How brands are scaling spend while acquiring a high percentage of new customers
Links & Resources
• Smart Marketer – https://smartmarketer.com
• Axon – https://smartmarketer.com/axon
• Omnisend – https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months)
• Thumbstop – https://smartmarketer.com/thumbstop
(Thumbstop Is Live. Get 50% Off For The First 3 Months. Use Code SMART50 At Checkout After Creating An Account.)
Time Stamps
00:00:15 – Introduction to Axon and expanding beyond Meta
00:01:08 – Ezra Firestone on OmniSend for email and SMS
00:02:13 – Molly introduces Axon and Pep Hufen
00:03:01 – Why Axon is a major opportunity for paid traffic
00:04:26 – What to expect from this training and roadmap
00:05:19 – How quickly you can launch campaigns on Axon
00:08:58 – What AppLovin is and how the platform started
00:10:21 – Why this is about diversification, not replacing Meta
00:11:33 – How Axon blends social media and TV-style ads
00:12:24 – The scale of mobile gaming audiences
00:14:08 – Conversion behavior and fast purchase cycles
00:15:16 – Attribution differences between Axon and Meta
00:17:39 – The three-part Axon ad experience explained
00:19:27 – Creative best practices and video requirements
00:22:17 – Why Axon delivers longer attention spans
00:24:20 – The psychology of users playing games vs scrolling
00:25:46 – What the interactive step is and how it works
00:26:51 – Using Thumbstop to create ad creatives
00:28:46 – Why gaming users are more relaxed and receptive
00:30:38 – How Axon's AI model works differently
00:33:13 – Step-by-step campaign setup overview
00:35:53 – Choosing ROAS vs cost per purchase
00:39:15 – Universal vs prospecting campaigns
00:40:52 – Day-zero vs day-seven optimization
00:42:44 – Budgeting and data maturity expectations
00:46:17 – Structuring creative sets for testing
00:49:55 – Scaling strategies and creative expansion
00:53:33 – Budget timing and UTC considerations
00:54:36 – Axon credit offer and how to get started
00:55:26 – Case studies and real brand results
00:58:18 – Next steps and upcoming masterclass
00:59:28 – Catalog segmentation and targeting questions
01:03:53 – Live walkthrough of campaign setup
01:10:33 – Success rate across tested brands
01:11:35 – Offer types and landing page strategies
01:12:21 – Scaling campaigns effectively
01:14:17 – Final thoughts, resources, and tools
01:15:57 – Outro
Your Engagement Matters!
Thank you for tuning in to the Smart Marketer Podcast. Your support helps us continue sharing actionable insights for marketers and entrepreneurs around the world.
If you enjoyed this episode:
Leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
Share this episode with a fellow marketer or entrepreneur
Tag us on social media and use #WeOutHere
Have feedback or questions?
Email us at [email protected]
Serve the world unselfishly and profit.

Episode Description
In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, Molly Pittman is joined by Smart Marketer's Director of Advertising, Denis Paskalev, for a live Meta Ads Q&A where they answer real questions from marketers about what is actually working with Meta ads in 2026.
From campaign structure and creative testing to scaling strategies and performance metrics, this conversation breaks down the modern approach to Meta ads in a world where targeting is driven more by creative, messaging, and landing pages than traditional audience targeting.
If you are running ads for ecommerce, SaaS, info products, or local businesses, this episode will give you practical guidance on how to structure, test, and scale campaigns in today's Meta ecosystem.
"I think people are putting too much pressure on trying to figure out the exact winning campaign structure, where actually there are other things that are usually more important." – Denis Paskalev
You Will Learn
• Why there is no single perfect Meta ad campaign structure and what actually matters more
• When to use CBO versus ABO for creative testing and campaign control
• How to handle situations where one ad receives most of the budget in Meta campaigns
• The difference between vertical and horizontal scaling in today's ad ecosystem
• Why scaling often causes CPAs to spike and how to prevent it
• How creative, messaging, and landing pages now act as targeting signals for Meta
• The metrics to evaluate during the first one to three days of ad testing
• When to move a winning creative from testing to scaling campaigns
• Whether videos and static ads should be tested together or separately
Links & Resources
• Free Meta Ads Mini Class – https://smartmarketer.com/meta-ads-mini-class-v3/
• Smart Marketer – https://smartmarketer.com
• Molly Pittman – https://mollypittman.com
• Smart Marketer Podcast – https://smartmarketer.com/smart-marketer-show/
• Omnisend – https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months)
Time Stamps
00:00:21 – Introduction to the Meta Ads Q&A
00:01:08 – Ezra Firestone on Omnisend and Email/SMS Growth
00:02:11 – Molly introduces the live Meta ads Q&A session
00:03:13 – The truth about Meta campaign structure in 2026
00:04:14 – Why Meta sometimes allocates most of the budget to one ad
00:05:41 – CBO versus ABO for creative testing
00:06:56 – Vertical and horizontal scaling strategies
00:07:58 – Why increasing budgets can break campaigns
00:09:38 – When to move a winning ad from testing to scaling
00:11:18 – How long ads should stay in testing campaigns
00:11:32 – Metrics to evaluate during the first days of testing
00:13:14 – Testing static versus video creatives
Your Engagement Matters!
Thank you for tuning in to the Smart Marketer Podcast. Your support helps us continue sharing actionable insights for marketers and entrepreneurs around the world.
If you enjoyed this episode:
Leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
Share this episode with a fellow marketer or entrepreneur
Tag us on social media and use #WeOutHere
Have feedback or questions?
Email us at [email protected]
Serve the world unselfishly and profit.

Episode Description
In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, we're sharing the first lesson from our free mini class: Learn to Run Meta Ads the 2026 Way.
If you've been running Meta ads recently, you've probably felt the shift. With Meta's new AI driven system often referred to as Andromeda, the platform has fundamentally changed how ads are delivered, optimized, and scaled.
Smart Marketer CEO Molly Pittman breaks down what is actually happening inside the platform, why many advertisers believe Meta ads are "broken," and what it really takes to win with paid traffic in 2026.
"This is a new opportunity, and we should be grateful every single day that we have this at our fingertips, that we are able to just open a laptop and grow a business." – Molly Pittman
You Will Learn
• Why many advertisers believe Meta ads are broken and what is really happening
• What Meta's Andromeda system actually is and how it changes ad delivery
• The five keys to winning with Meta ads in 2026
• Why creative is now a cost multiplier for ad performance
• The difference between the old way and the new way of running Meta campaigns
• Why strong inputs like creative, copy, and offers matter more than tactics
• The numbers every advertiser must know to scale profitably
• How the role of media buyers is evolving into paid performance strategists
Links & Resources
• Free Meta Ads Mini Class – https://smartmarketer.com/meta-ads-mini-class-v3/
• Smart Paid Traffic Live – https://smartmarketer.com/spt-live/#join
• Smart Marketer – https://smartmarketer.com
• Smart Marketer Agency – https://smartmarketer.com/agency
• Omnisend – https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off your first 3 months)
Time Stamps
00:00:15 – Introduction: Inside the 2026 Meta Ads Mini Class
00:01:16 – Ezra Firestone on Omnisend and Email/SMS Growth
00:02:31 – Welcome to the Andromeda Playbook
00:06:21 – Molly's Journey into Digital Marketing
00:11:45 – Smart Marketer's Experience Managing Hundreds of Millions in Ad Spend
00:15:39 – The Goal of This Meta Ads Mini Class
00:24:41 – Why Many Marketers Think Meta Ads Are Broken
00:27:06 – What Meta's Andromeda System Actually Is
00:29:17 – How Meta's Retrieval and Ranking Systems Work
00:33:54 – How Meta Groups Ads into Clusters
00:37:08 – The Five Keys to Success with Meta Ads in 2026
00:40:30 – Why Creative Is Now a Cost Multiplier
00:44:38 – The Old Way vs the New Way of Running Meta Campaigns
00:49:59 – Mastering Your Numbers to Scale Profitably
00:56:05 – Why Marketing Fundamentals Still Win
01:03:27 – How the Role of Media Buyers Is Changing
01:05:36 – Why Meta Is Still the Most Powerful Ad Platform
01:10:36 – Why Agencies and Freelancers Are Still Essential
01:14:52 – Expanding Beyond Meta to Other Paid Traffic Platforms
01:20:38 – The Future of Digital Advertising
01:22:45 – What's Coming Next in the Mini Class
Your Engagement Matters!
Thank you for tuning in to the Smart Marketer Podcast. Your support helps us continue sharing actionable insights for marketers and entrepreneurs around the world.
If you enjoyed this episode:
⭐ Leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
📲 Share this episode with a fellow marketer or entrepreneur
📢 Tag us on social media and use #WeOutHere
Have feedback or questions?
📧 Email us at [email protected]
Serve the world unselfishly and profit

Episode Description
Most eCommerce brands are obsessed with traffic.
But what if the real growth lever isn't more clicks? What if it's better monetization of the audience you already have?
In this special training, originally delivered live in partnership with Omnisend, Ezra Firestone breaks down the exact framework he uses across his 8-figure brands to turn email and SMS into 30–40% of total revenue.
This episode goes far beyond "send more emails." You'll learn how to structure a merchandising calendar with major campaigns, micro-offers, product launches, live events, and strategic content that keeps revenue flowing all year long while building a more valuable business asset you can eventually sell.
If you care about profit, retention, and long-term brand equity, this is required listening.
"Email and SMS are king and queen of revenue, and they should really account for 30 to 40% of your total sales. And if they're not… you got work to do." – Ezra Firestone
You Will Learn:
• Why email and SMS should drive 30–40% of your total revenue
• The real difference between major campaigns and micro-offers
• How to structure a merchandising calendar that creates predictable revenue spikes
• Why most brands under-promote and how to fix it
• The highest-performing eCommerce promotions including BOGOs, bundles, and threshold offers
• How to use product launches even when you are not launching something new
• When and how to use SMS during campaigns
• How to increase average order value with bundles, basket builders, and one-click upsells
• A proven email layout structure that increases clicks and reduces unsubscribes
• How to use AI to scale content creation without losing brand voice
Links & Resources
Omnisend Special Offer for Smart Marketer Listeners
https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend
Use code SMART for 50% off your first 3 months
Smart Marketer
https://smartmarketer.com
Zipify Apps
https://zipify.com
Timestamps
00:00:20 Introduction: Building a More Valuable Business Asset
00:01:14 Why Ezra Trusts Omnisend for Email and SMS
00:02:17 The Real Game: Wealth Creation Through Asset Building
00:07:22 Inside a $10M eCommerce P&L
00:10:32 Why Email and SMS Are King and Queen of Revenue
00:15:35 Email vs. SMS Conversion Rates Explained
00:17:04 The eCommerce Ecosystem from Traffic to Retention
00:23:17 What a Merchandising Calendar Really Is
00:25:59 Major Campaigns vs. Micro Offers
00:27:40 Why Product Launches Prevent Revenue Plateaus
00:31:51 Examples of Major Campaign Structures
00:34:55 How to Run High-Converting Micro Offers
00:36:21 Launching Products Without Creating Something New
00:40:22 When to Use SMS in Your Campaigns
00:41:14 The Types of Content That Build Trust and Drive Sales
00:46:44 Black Friday Cyber Monday Breakdown
00:48:09 Increasing AOV with Bundles and Basket Builders
00:52:29 Promoting Across Every Channel
00:56:13 The Proven Email Structure
00:59:42 Campaign Communication Frameworks
01:00:26 Why You Should Not Ignore the Shop App
01:01:10 Final Strategy Recap
01:02:28 Outro
YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!
If this episode helped you rethink how you approach email, SMS, and merchandising, share it with another founder or marketer who needs it.
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
Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.

Episode 264: The Next Big Ad Platform? How AppLovin Is Quietly Scaling eCommerce Brands
Episode Description
There's a new advertising channel with over a billion daily users and most eCommerce brands haven't tested it yet.
In this episode, Pep Hufen, CEO of Smart Marketer Agency, breaks down why AppLovin's Axon Ads platform is becoming one of the fastest growing acquisition channels for DTC brands. Opened to eCommerce in 2024, this mobile gaming network is already helping brands scale from a few hundred dollars a day to thousands, sometimes in a matter of weeks.
Pep explains what makes Axon different from Meta and TikTok, why mobile gaming audiences convert differently, how the AI optimization works, and exactly how to structure your first campaigns.
"Here's the reality. Every advertising platform has a window of opportunity in the beginning where it's wide open and Axon is in that spot right now." – Pep Hufen
If you're always looking for the next scalable growth channel before it gets crowded, this episode is for you.
You Will Learn
Why AppLovin has "over a billion daily users" and why the audience "skews towards women in their thirties and forties."

How Axon delivers "35 seconds of undivided attention."

Why "80% of the conversions happen within one hour after someone clicks on your ads."

The three things that make this platform different: "the ad format, the user psychology and the AI technology behind it."

When to choose ROAS vs. cost per purchase (CPP).

Why you should "launch it and don't touch it for seven days."

How to scale budgets "30 to 40% every two to three days."

The three levers to pull when performance drops: "creative, the offer or the landing page."

Why "creative is your biggest lever."

Links & Resources
Smart Marketer – https://smartmarketer.com/
Smart Marketer Agency – https://smartmarketeragency.com/
Omnisend – https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend
Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months
Timestamps
00:16 – Introduction: "The biggest new advertising opportunity since the early days of Facebook ads."
02:19 – "There's a new advertising platform with over a billion daily users…"
03:13 – Why Mobile Games Are Bigger Than You Think
04:05 – Who the Audience Really Is
04:57 – Scaling from "300 a day to 3000 a day in about 30 days"
05:59 – "35 seconds of undivided attention"
08:19 – Why Most Clicks Happen on the End Card
09:09 – User Psychology: Relaxed vs. Doom Scrolling
11:00 – How to Set Up Your First Campaign
12:41 – ROAS vs. CPP
15:48 – Optimization Window Strategy
16:33 – Budget Setup and the 7 Day Rule
18:49 – Creative Set Structure
21:13 – Reading Performance and Attribution
22:42 – Scaling Budgets "30 to 40% every two to three days"
24:09 – When It's Not Working: "Creative is your biggest lever."
24:56 – Why the Window Is Open Right Now
YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!
Thank you so much for listening to the Smart Marketer Podcast. If you enjoyed what we shared today, please help us by subscribing to the show. Not only will you be notified when we have new content, it also helps get the show out to many more people.
Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a fellow marketer who's looking for the next scalable growth channel.
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.