Episode 213: What’s Working Now in Ecomm: Hook Strategy, AI Signals & Smarter Offer Design
Release Date: 04/02/2025
Episode 230: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 4 – Mindset (Part 2) My Dad Died and It Sucked, But It’s Also Been the Most Beautiful Thing That’s Happened in My Life
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 230: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 4, Mindset (Part 2) "My Dad Died and It Sucked, But It’s Also Been the Most Beautiful Thing That’s Happened in My Life" Episode Description In this powerful continuation, Molly Pittman picks up where Part 1 left off and shares the final seven lessons she learned after losing her father. This isn’t just about grief. It’s about redefining success, leadership, and what it means to fully live. If you’re feeling stretched, stuck, or just want to lead with more presence, this episode will move you. “Presence is often more healing than...
info_outline
Episode 229: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 4 – Mindset (Part 1) My Dad Died and It Sucked, But It’s Also Been the Most Beautiful Thing That’s Happened in My Life
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 229: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 4 – Mindset (Part 1) "My Dad Died and It Sucked, But It’s Also Been the Most Beautiful Thing That’s Happened in My Life" Episode Description In this deeply personal episode, Molly Pittman reflects on the sudden loss of her father, and the powerful lessons it’s taught her about life, business, and what truly matters. If you’re navigating grief, burnout, or just feeling disconnected from your purpose, this raw and reflective solo episode will meet you where you are. “Our only sole purpose here on Earth is to be ourselves and to give and...
info_outline
Episode 228: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 3, Conversion Rate Optimization with John Grimshaw
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 229: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 4, Conversion Rate Optimization with John Grimshaw Episode Description In this episode of the summer series, Smart Marketer CMO John Grimshaw breaks down one of the most overlooked growth levers in digital marketing: conversion rate optimization. Whether you're optimizing headlines, simplifying your landing pages, or bundling smarter offers, these case studies from Boom, Pretty Farm Girl, and SafeSleeve show you exactly what’s working right now. “Bringing more money in when you drive a sale is the easiest way to grow the business.” – John...
info_outline
Episode 227: What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 2 - Improving Retention and Monetization Strategies with Email and SMS
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 227: Improve Retention and Monetization Strategies with Email and SMS - What’s Working Mid-2025, Part 2 Episode Description Retention is the engine behind sustainable growth, and it’s more important than ever in 2025. This is part 2 of a 4-part series on what’s working right now in direct-to-consumer marketing. In this follow-up episode, Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw share four tactical retention and monetization strategies using email and SMS. These are the backend wins that help you convert more leads into buyers and get the most value from your list. If you want to...
info_outline
Episode 226: What’s Working Mid-2025 In Paid Traffic - 5 Paid Ad & Offer Strategies Driving Results
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 226: What’s Working Mid-2025 - 5 Paid Ad & Offer Strategies Driving Results Episode Description The digital landscape is moving fast, but Smart Marketer is staying ahead. This is part 1 of a 4 part series about what is working right now halfway through 2025 in direct to consumer marketing. In this tactical check-in, Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw share five strategies that are helping businesses generate better results in 2025. Whether you're working on ads, funnels, or creative, this episode gives you practical ideas to tighten up your offers, test smarter, and set up growth...
info_outline
Episode 225: How We Scaled Meta Ad Spend from $500/Day to $5K/Day
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Title How We Scaled Meta Ad Spend from $500/Day to $5K/Day Episode Description What does it really take to scale ad spend 10x—and still stay profitable? In this in-depth case study, Smart Marketer’s Pep Hufen shares how our agency helped Pretty Farm Girl grow fast using Advantage Plus campaigns, conversion-focused landing pages, and sharp backend tracking. “Advertising is acceleration. We cannot fix a broken offer.” – Pep Hufen If you want the full breakdown of creative structure, data-driven testing, and campaign strategy that got this brand a 7x ROAS, this episode is...
info_outline
Episode 224: The AI Ad Playbook - How to Save Time, Create Better Hooks & Scale Your Campaigns
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Ep 224: The AI Ad Playbook — How to Save Time, Create Better Hooks & Scale Your Campaigns Episode Description How do you create compelling ad copy, research your avatar, and generate high-performing creative—without burning out or hiring a team of specialists? In this live replay from The Smart Marketer Show, Molly Pittman and Pep Hufen walk you through Smart Marketer’s complete AI workflow. You’ll learn how to use ChatGPT for deep customer research, how to write high-converting hooks in minutes, and how to train AI to write like your brand. Pep also shares how Meta’s new tools...
info_outline
Episode 223: Cracking the Code on AppLovin Ads - A New Traffic Channel for DTC Brands
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 223: Cracking the Code on AppLovin Ads: A New Traffic Channel for DTC Brands Episode Description If you're tired of being stuck between Meta and Google for your media buys—this episode is for you. Pep Hufen is back with a behind-the-scenes look at AppLovin Ads: the breakout ad platform that’s scaling DTC brands like Breeze and Boom. Discover why this mobile-first platform is outperforming Google for some advertisers, how it works, and why it might just be your next great opportunity for customer acquisition. Plus, Pep shares a step-by-step walkthrough of how Smart Marketer tested...
info_outline
Episode 222: Build Your E-Commerce Site Right: How to Turn Browsers into Buyers
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description Your website is more than a digital storefront—it’s the heart of your brand. In this episode, John Grimshaw, Ezra Firestone, and Kurt Elster unpack the proven strategies behind high-converting e-commerce sites. From the pitfalls of homepage design to the power of mobile-first thinking, they reveal how to turn casual visitors into loyal customers. If you want to build a brand that lasts (not just a business that sells), this is your roadmap. "Get out of your own way. Your customers don't care how pretty your site is—they care how easy it is to buy." — Kurt Elster ...
info_outline
Episode 221: The 5 AI Tools I Use Daily as a CEO (to Save 10+ Hours per Week)
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 221: The 5 AI Tools I Use Daily as a CEO (to Save 10+ Hours per Week) Episode Description In this episode, our very own Pep Hufen, CEO of the Smart Marketer agency, shares the five AI tools he uses every day to save over 10 hours per week and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Pep walks through practical, real-world use cases for each tool—no fluff, just strategies you can actually implement. Plus, for those of you who love a visual learning experience, there’s a full video version of this episode on YouTube—complete with on-screen graphics and tool demos. Check...
info_outlineThis week, Molly Pittman and Brett Curry are pulling back the curtain on what’s working right now in digital marketing—and what’s not. From creative hooks and audience targeting to offer structure and AI-powered platform changes, this episode is stacked with real-world strategies to help you stay profitable and ahead of the curve.
As marketing shifts and tracking becomes trickier, it’s more important than ever to get your data right. That’s why we’re proud to have Hyros supporting this episode—a platform built to give marketers crystal-clear attribution so you can stop guessing and scale with confidence. If you’re serious about understanding what’s actually driving your sales, Hyros is the tool that gives you the truth you need to win.
“If you don’t know what’s working, you can’t scale. The best brands are doubling down on the right hooks and smarter systems.” – Molly Pittman
You Will Learn:
• How to track your top-performing creative hooks and scale with confidence
• The #1 variable that drives success on Meta (after analyzing $1B+ in ad spend)
• Why engagement is more powerful than conversion when testing new messages
• A practical system for mapping hooks, angles, and campaign goals
• How to use your creative to replace targeting as AI takes over
• The “system vs. product” strategy that instantly boosts AOV and LTV
• Real examples of creative that doubled revenue and unlocked new markets
• Why Flewd’s bath brand is one of the smartest DTC models to study right now
Episode Sponsor – Hyros
Hyros is the AI-powered ad tracking platform trusted by top marketers and agencies. It shows you exactly which campaigns are driving results—so you can scale without wasting ad spend. If you’re tired of guessing and want brutal, data-driven truth in your marketing, Hyros delivers the clarity to grow.
👉 Learn more at Hyros.com
Links & Resources:
• Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com
• Molly Pittman – mollypittman.com
• Follow us on Instagram – @smartmarketer
• Smart Marketer Live Tickets – smartmarketerlive.com
• Flewd Stress Care – flewdstresscare.com
• Recovery Labs – recoverylabs.com
• Hyros – hyros.com
Timestamps:
00:36 – Pickles & Platforms: The Wild World of DTC
00:02:56 – Codifying Hooks For Scalable Growth
00:06:21 – One Message, Big Risk
00:14:48 – The Power of Engagement Over Attribution
00:31:38 – Don't Sell A Product, Sell A System
00:36:28 – Skittle Nails & The Power of Regrame
Your Engagement Matters!
Thank you for tuning in! If you got value from this episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d:
• ⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts – Click Here
• 📲 Share this episode and tag us @smartmarketer
• 💬 Got feedback? Send us a note at [email protected]
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit! 🚀