David M.

I just watched BlueTex Insulations go from $33K to $137K monthly with one launch strategy most sellers get completely wrong. No giveaways. No external traffic tricks. No "hacks." Just a systematic PPC approach that most agencies overcomplicate into oblivion. Here's the truth about Amazon launches: everyone obsesses over campaign structures while ignoring what actually drives velocity. The 4-part system that separates winning launches from expensive experiments: Part #1: Get data before you scale Start lean with multiple targeting types across Sponsored Products, Brands, and Display. The goal isn't immediate profit - it's finding what converts. Sales velocity + conversion signals = ranking momentum. Part #2: Fix your click-through rate first Low CTR equals wasted spend and zero rankings. Use Brand Analytics to find your CTR benchmark, then test primary images until you're above it. One image test nearly doubled our CTR and spiked daily sales instantly. Part #3: Launch with layers, not single campaigns Forget the old advice about single-keyword exact match at top-of-search. We layer: - Broad match campaigns for scalable, cheaper wins - Auto campaigns for keyword discovery   - Sponsored Brand Video for low-CPC rank pushes - Product targeting to win on weaker listings - Brand defense to block competitors You're not building one campaign - you're building a system. Part #4: Daily optimization is non-negotiable Your first 30-45 days determine everything. Tweak bids. Cut losers. Feed winners. Adjust listing creative as new data flows in. The early phase feels volatile but done right, it smooths into sustainable scale. Most launches fail because sellers follow outdated playbooks or chase the latest "hack." This worked because we built a campaign system, not a tactic stack. Ready to build a launch system that actually works? DM me "Gigabrands Growth Engine" and I'll show you what's missing from your approach. #Amazon #AmazonPPC #Ecommerce

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Elite agencies know this: 1 + 1 + 1 = 10 Here's the hidden math The agencies that get this build proprietary databases worth more than their client roster. Your insights become your moat. Most agencies are sitting on gold mines. And they don't even know it. After tracking $50M+ in client revenue across dozens of verticals... I discovered something that changed everything: The real value isn't in individual client wins. It's in the PATTERN RECOGNITION across your entire portfolio. Here's what I mean: ✨ The Data Aggregation Advantage When you work with 5-10 clients in similar verticals... Magic happens. ➣ Client A's failed experiment becomes Client B's breakthrough ➣ Client C's conversion optimization unlocks revenue for Clients D, E, and F ➣ One client's audience insight transforms campaigns across the entire vertical Most agencies treat each client like an island. Elite agencies treat them like data points in a larger ecosystem. ✨ The Multiplier Move Framework Here's how pattern recognition creates asymmetric wins: Healthcare Vertical Example: ➣ Client 1: Discovery - emotional testimonials outperform clinical data 3:1 ➣ Clients 2-6: Immediate implementation across all campaigns ➣ Result: 40% average conversion lift without additional testing One insight. Multiple applications. Exponential returns. ✨ The Ecosystem Intelligence System Most agencies think: "What works for THIS client?" We think: "What pattern emerges across ALL clients?" ➣ Track conversion data by vertical, not just individual accounts ➣ Identify messaging frameworks that scale across similar businesses ➣ Build playbooks from aggregated wins, not isolated successes ✨ The Portfolio Advantage Traditional agencies: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 Strategic agencies: 1 + 1 + 1 = 10 Because every client success becomes: ➣ Proof of concept for similar businesses ➣ Data point for pattern recognition ➣ Multiplier for portfolio-wide optimization ✨ The Siloed Service Trap Most agencies are trapped in custom solutions. Every client gets bespoke strategies. Every campaign starts from scratch. Every win stays isolated. Result? Linear growth. Capped leverage. But when you aggregate insights across portfolios... You move from service provider to strategic ecosystem. The agencies winning in 2025? They stopped treating clients as separate projects. And started treating them as connected data points in a larger intelligence system. === 👉 How are you leveraging cross-client insights to create multiplier effects across your portfolio? ♻️ Kindly repost to share with your network 💌 Join our our newsletter for premium VIP insights. Link in the comments.

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Here’s my go to market plan for a hemp Bev company wanting to scale DTC today - Tech & Brand Foundation - Shopify website; simple theme - Klaviyo for retention - Product photography & 3D renders - Clear voice & tone guidelines; what’s the story. Don’t just say it’s a lemonade to not get a hangover. This matters more than the look & feel at this point - Setup pixels on your website for Meta, Reddit etc - Setup Social Snowball for affiliates & influencers - Google Search Console / Bing Webmaster & SEMRush to track your SEO. - Triple Whale for attribution - Elevar to enhance data to send more flows to new customers. - Recharge for subscriptions - JudgeMe for reviews. - Wholesale Groilla if you want to do B2B as well (without upgrading to Shopify +) Yes Shopify is the death by as thousand apps ($300-400 easy) GTM - Seed 50-100 people with product. Choose 2-4 unique angles / hooks. Generate ton of UGC to test later & get early social proof - Choose 1-2 strategic towns to focus on. Provide drinks to key influencers in these towns; based on your market demo & encourage social sharing etc. - Do popups at venues that allow & align - Win retail in small areas - Begin top of funnel media campaigns focused on driving consumers to store. Offer an incentive. Capture email along funnel. - Call every customer you can, record all the calls, dig into things that matter (flavor, brand, messaging etc) & build a database to help tweak. - create localized category / location pages to help with SEO. - Know your margins & numbers. It’s likely you’ll lose money on first sale; so track LTV closely & really understand who is your VIP customer & why. - Laucnh small campaigns on Meta & Reddit to test the ads you built. Understand how it works & doesn’t work yourself. Media buying isn’t hard anymore; it’s the creative process that is. But it can be hard to pay someone to figure it out bc may take a while & could get expensive. - Install Microsoft Clairty to get user journey data on the site. Take initial conversion rate after 3-6 months of data & find a conversion rate specialist & have them spend a few hours auditing & offering ideas. Then slowly test them. - Segment audience best you can for emailing as list grows. VIP customers get one message. New customers get a different. Etc - Offer a sampler pack for a reduced rate to encourage early adoption. Try and win ever customer back thru email & outreach. Do what doesn’t scale early to scale. Focusing on smaller / specific geographical areas will improve chances of winning & then use it as a case study to go win more local areas.

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Agencies that only know how to “run accounts” are going extinct. Tech is catching up fast, but the future isn’t agencies vs. tech. It’s agencies with tech. They will converge. The smartest operators I know are already blending strategy, creative, and data. They’re building systems that make human decisions more accurate, not replacing humans. The agency of the future won’t be a service. It’ll be a strategic engine powered by tech.

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DTC is not dead. It just grew up. Once upon a Shopify boom, pure DTC looked unstoppable. Then: 📉 CPMs spiked, iOS crushed targeting, and lookalike gummies flooded your feed. Now? The smartest brands are done chasing ROAS. They're using DTC as leverage, not the endgame. 🧪 Your .com isn’t the profit center. It’s the R&D lab Run micro-tests, experiment with bundles, pricing, and creative. Scale only what proves it can win. 📊 Retail buyers don’t care about branding mythos They care about SKU velocity heatmaps and LTV by ZIP code. Walk in with a dashboard, not a vibe. 🛒 Omnichannel does not mean being everywhere Real operators treat Amazon, TikTok Shop, Target and their own site as connected nodes. Inventory, loyalty, and pricing are fully synced. 🤝 Influencers are shifting to equity deals Welcome to influence-for-performance. If they don’t believe in your product long term, neither will their audience. 🤖 AI is now the operating layer From AOV optimization to creative generation to real-time CX agents, AI quietly powers the entire DTC engine room. The result? Brands that start DTC, but don’t stay DTC. They test, learn, and scale profitably across every channel. Being “DTC-smart” in 2025 means this: 💡 You don’t pick between marketplaces, retail or .com You make each one smarter with the learnings from the others. #ecommerce #dtc #marketplaces #retailstrategy #shopify #omnichannel #ai #brandbuilding #growthmarketing #channelmojo

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Google’s algo leaks confirmed it: pillow links and entity stacking still matter... Here’s my 2025 baseline for every new project: - 30+ citations across trusted directories. - Crunchbase + MarketWatch/Yahoo Finance PR. - Reddit/Tumblr/Medium pillow links. - Branded nofollows from social + UGC sites. - THEN → hit with authority niche edits + PR placements. Most SEOs skip straight to “buy DR80 dofollows.” That’s why their sites collapse under the first velocity spike. Get Google to trust and validate your entity/brand/site first!

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We audit ~10 DTC ad accounts per month. And my God… what some of these “top” agencies are doing is painful to watch. Not small mistakes. Foundational mistakes. Here are 7 things we’ve seen just in the last 60 days: 1. Scaling budgets while blended MER is declining (Spending more into a deteriorating system) 2. “Winning” weeks where spend stays flat (Hot creative… no capital allocation shift) 3. No creative scoring framework (Dozens of ads live, no idea what actually drives contribution margin) 4. Campaign structures that fight Meta’s learning system (Over-segmentation, constant resets, fragmented data) 5. Zero incremental lift thinking (Obsessed with in-platform ROAS, blind to blended) 6. No budget reallocation cadence (Money not aggressively shifted toward proven angles) 7. No clear POV on contribution margin targets (Optimizing for vanity metrics instead of real business outcomes) What’s wild isn’t that these issues exist. It’s that they’re happening inside accounts spending $300k–$1M+ per month. Paid media is not about pushing buttons. It’s capital allocation + creative intelligence + financial discipline. If your agency isn’t talking about blended, incrementality, and contribution margin weekly… You don’t have a growth partner. You have a media buyer. && they're lighting your cash on fire (Like Elmo) below.

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You can generate 10% more conversions from your website in 3 steps. We’ve worked with over 2100 clients at SiteTuners, and have tested these 3 tips hundreds, if not thousands of times. Here are your 3 critical website changes they don't tell you about getting more sales: 1. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲. This is the #1 trust symbol on the planet . (we've tested it in hundreds of locations worldwide). Brands can get away without it, but YOU can't. On mobile? Make it a click-to-call icon. 2. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 3-6 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼. People read websites in a zigzag pattern from top-left to bottom-right. These words tie your entire site together and immediately communicate your purpose, no matter which page visitors land on. 3. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. nstead of boasting about being #1, use your banner to clearly articulate your unique value proposition. Remember: visitors are there to solve THEIR problem, not hear about how wonderful YOU are. My point? If you're struggling to convert visitors and think flashy design is the answer, it's not. No one cares. Making these three simple trust-building changes will immediately boost your conversions more than any expensive redesign. --- PS, We've generated over $1 BILLION dollars for clients like Google, CostCo, Nestle & American Express through Conversion Rate Optimization. Frustrated with yours? Let's chat

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Most people think affiliate marketing is about dropping links and collecting checks. They couldn't be more wrong. The reality is that affiliate marketing is relationship sales disguised as performance marketing. When I built Gemini's affiliate program from zero to $35M in revenue, it wasn't because I had better tracking pixels. It was because I spent months convincing NerdWallet that: • Our brand wouldn't embarrass them • Our funnel would convert their traffic • Our offers made sense for their audience • We'd be a long-term partner, not a quick grab You're not selling your product to the end user. You're selling your BRAND to the publisher. "Why should I send my audience to you instead of Coinbase?" "How do I know you won't tank my EPC?" "What happens when my editor asks why we're promoting you?" The biggest affiliate networks treat publishers like traffic vending machines. Punch in CPA, get clicks out. The best affiliate managers treat publishers like business development partners. If you can't explain why a publisher should risk their audience on your brand, you're not ready for affiliate marketing. You're ready for Google Ads.

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General framework if you are unsure who should be accountable when it comes to franchise marketing. Understand, no one size fits all and this does not pertain to billing structure. Notes below: 1. Website The franchisor should have full control over the brand's website, including centralized billing. Why? Security risks, liability concerns, and brand governance. Without centralized control, unknown pixels and tracking tags can create vulnerabilities, and missed payments from franchisees can disrupt website operations. If a franchisee’s payment fails or they refuse to cover website costs, it could jeopardize the entire brand. 2. SEO & Digital Presence The franchisor should oversee all SEO efforts related to the website and website content - let's call this national SEO. Additionally, the franchisor must have administrative access to all Google Business Profiles and social media accounts. These accounts directly affect local SEO rankings. This also ensures brand consistency and avoids complications during franchisee turnover. From a local SEO standpoint, franchisees have limited but crucial roles. Their primary impact comes from generating and responding to customer reviews, driving local traffic through grassroots marketing efforts, and leveraging localized social content. Reviews, in particular, are the most significant factor influencing local search rankings. Google prioritizes high-performing and active businesses in its search results (think the "Top 3" listings in local searches). 3. CRM & Lead Management Many franchise brands struggle with the marketing side of their CRM. The franchisor should provide a centralized system where all franchisee-generated leads can be stored, nurtured, and tracked. Too often, franchisees manage leads in spreadsheets until they convert into clients—at which point they begin using a CRM designed primarily for existing customers and operations. 4. Support vs. Enablement There’s a fine line between providing support and enabling franchisees to be passive in managing their businesses. While the franchisor should create strong support structures—through preferred partnerships and data tracking—it’s essential that franchisees remain accountable for their marketing investments and key performance metrics. As I often say, if a franchisee doesn’t know their basic KPIs but asks for a marketing help, they’re essentially asking me to "shoot from the hip" with their life investment by assuming I know their numbers because they don't. Marketing should always be data-driven. While the franchisor should have access to this data when necessary, the responsibility of tracking and understanding these numbers ultimately lies with the franchisee. What am I missing guys? Mark Spencer Brynn Gibbs Heather McLeod, MBA, CFE Ashley Mitchell Pete Baldine Adam Contos Shana Krisan, CFE Angelique McMillan, CFE Shane Evans Larisa Walega, CFE Will Fraker Erik Van Horn Ben Fox Michael Moorhouse Gabriella Ferrara Irene LaCota

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Most franchisors are ignoring 2026's biggest shifts. And it's going to cost them growth. I just finished reviewing expansion plans from 40+ franchise brands. Less than 10% are preparing for what's coming. AI-powered franchisee qualification isn't optional anymore. Neither is hyper-localized advertising nor predictive expansion analytics. The gap between leaders and laggards? Digital infrastructure. Brands still using generic ad campaigns and manual lead nurturing are bleeding opportunities. While competitors automate testimonial collection, run virtual territory tours, and deploy conversational AI to capture leads 24/7. This isn't about being trendy. It's about survival in a market where prospects expect instant answers, personalized outreach, and data-backed territory selection. I built a full breakdown of the 7 trends every franchisor must leverage this year. Your franchisees deserve better leads. Your expansion deserves better data. 2026 will separate brands that adapt from those that plateau. Follow Ahmed Nayani for strategies that scale franchises, not just fill pipelines.

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If your DTC’s gross margin is under 65%, I can save you $660K-$1.3M right now. Save it with one decision: Don’t run ads. Agencies will say “we’ve got this.” 9 times out of 10, it’s bullsh*t. I don’t care what “edge” they claim. It’s not enough. They’ll take your retainer for 6-12 months. Then tell you this: “Ads can’t work unless you improve margin.” Here’s the math: $100K/month spend + $10K retainer. Over 6-12 months = $660K-$1.3M burned. Save the money. Fix gross margin first.

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Invest in links. See 20x the SEO payoff. We consistently see one strategy outperform the rest: link development. Whether it’s editorial outreach or digital PR... if you’re investing in link acquisition, you're giving Google what it still values most ---> trust and authority. Why does it work so well? Because PageRank still matters. Despite hundreds of ranking signals in Google’s algorithm, backlinks remain a core driver of visibility and long-term SEO success. In fact, businesses that invest in link building see 10–20x faster SEO gains than those that don’t. Here’s what you've got to remember: ✔️ Internal + external links both matter ✔️ Editorial > spammy directories ✔️ Consistency beats shortcuts ✔️ Tools like HARO (or featured) still deliver If you're not seeing results, it’s rarely about content quality alone. It might be about who's vouching for it. What’s the one link-building strategy that’s delivered the highest ROI for you this year?

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🔥 Unlocking Loyalty & Revenue with Jason Fuentes of Wildfire Systems, Inc Had an awesome conversation with Jason Fuentes — a veteran of the affiliate marketing world and a major player in Austin’s performance marketing scene — on the latest episode of the podcast! Jason’s journey is a masterclass in evolution: from manually scrubbing lead lists for University of Phoenix back in the day to now shaping how top financial institutions build loyalty through rewards with Wildfire. 💼 Wildfire Systems, Inc creates white-labeled loyalty platforms that embed directly into apps like Citi and Acorns, offering users cashback, coupons, and personalized rewards — all while respecting privacy and skipping the creepy ad tracking. 👀 💡 Key takeaways from our conversation: 🤝 Partner-First Philosophy: Wildfire succeeds by helping its partners succeed. Their business model is built around aligned incentives — if the partner earns, Wildfire earns. This creates a win-win ecosystem for merchants, financial institutions, publishers, and end users alike. 🤝 👨‍💻 Privacy-Respecting, Data-Smart Strategy: Rather than tracking and predicting behavior like traditional ad networks, Wildfire surfaces rewards based on what users are already doing. It's a fresh take on using data ethically — empowering users, not exploiting them. 🔒📊 💻 The Wildfire Commerce Network: Recently launched, this retail media network brings together financial and non-financial apps to create brand-safe environments where users can earn rewards while staying inside the apps they trust. It’s about driving more transactions and loyalty — all within familiar platforms. 📲🔥 💯 Going Beyond Cashback: Cashback gets people in the door, but Wildfire’s vision is deeper. They're crafting experiences that build long-term engagement, offering additional perks and dynamic interactions that go beyond the transaction to create real brand love. 💬❤️ Jason also dropped gems about his background in ad tech, building products through experimentation, and even being the second-best tuba player in Texas in 2000 🥁 — yep, we went there! 🎧 Don’t miss the full convo. 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gPRYM7DZ 🟣 Apple Pod: https://lnkd.in/ginUNE2b 🔴 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gwJVU36R

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