In this episode, Yousaf Yunes breaks down why strong agencies don’t just report on the past—they plan aggressively for the future. Inspired by the idea of thinking 10–15 moves ahead, Yousaf explains how quarterly planning, pre-planned promotions, and forward-looking strategy turn media buyers into true growth partners.

He walks through real client examples across beauty and sports equipment brands, showing how early planning for seasonal moments (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, summer, holidays) prevents last-minute scrambling and leads to better creative, cleaner funnels, and smarter budget allocation. Yousaf also explains how to balance top-, mid-, and bottom-funnel objectives, when to push spend versus when to build demand, and why remarketing and experimentation should be planned months in advance.

The core takeaway: stop obsessing over last month’s ROAS. Agencies that win focus on forecasting, fixing delayed problems early, and clearly showing clients what’s coming next—quarter by quarter. That’s how you build trust, retention, and long-term revenue.

#YousafYunes #PaidMedia #PPC #AgencyLife #MediaBuying #MarketingStrategy #QuarterlyPlanning #PerformanceMarketing #DigitalMarketing #MarketingAgency #AdStrategy #ConversionOptimization #ROAS #ClientRetention #MarketingLeadership #FunnelStrategy #DemandGeneration #PrePlanning #MarketingPlanning #AgencyOwner #ScalingAgencies #EcommerceMarketing #Remarketing #Retargeting #PaidSocial #SearchMarketing #MarketingInsights

In this episode, you break down the real role AI plays in paid media today—especially where the hype ends and human expertise still matters. While AI-generated creative is exploding and becoming cheaper, faster, and more accessible, it’s also producing a flood of low-quality, misleading, or outright wrong content. That creates risk—not leverage—when AI is used blindly in advertising.

You explain why AI works best as an analysis and pattern-recognition tool, not as a replacement for experienced media buyers. Used correctly, AI helps spot trends, diagnose creative fatigue, and surface insights buyers might miss. Used incorrectly—especially by novice buyers—it can send campaigns in the wrong direction fast.

The episode also addresses the myth that AI will replace media buyers. Platforms still rely on humans to design funnels, choose the right objectives, interpret conversion signals, and take responsibility when performance breaks. This is where expert buyers win: understanding conversion architecture, GTM vs GA4 roles, funnel leakage, value-based optimization, and how paid media connects to email, remarketing, and long-term revenue.

The core takeaway is simple: AI amplifies expertise—it doesn’t create it. The buyers who succeed are the ones who master conversions, tracking, and full-funnel strategy, and use AI as a tool—not a crutch.

#AIinMarketing #PaidMedia #MediaBuying #GoogleAds #MetaAds #PPC #AdCreative #MarketingStrategy #DigitalAdvertising #ConversionTracking #GTM #GA4 #PerformanceMarketing #MarketingPodcast

In this episode, I break down a real-world example of how leads can collapse mid-funnel, even when you follow your process correctly—and what agency owners and consultants need to do to protect themselves.

The story starts with an organic lead: a parking/airport garage aggregator who claimed his business “crumbled” after years of success. After offering a free audit, it quickly became clear the account was completely cold, improperly built, and fundamentally broken—no GA4, no GTM, no real conversion tracking, and an abandoned ad account that hadn’t run in over a year.

What looked like a simple optimization turned into a full rebuild: tracking, ads, audiences, copy, learning phase—everything. I was upfront that results would realistically take months, not weeks. The prospect verbally agreed… until pricing and cash-in-advance came up. At that point, the deal slowly unraveled.

This episode isn’t about blaming the lead. It’s about understanding where deals fall apart, and why that doesn’t always mean you did something wrong.

• Cold accounts = cold reality Old, inactive ad accounts lose auction trust. Expect rebuilds, not quick wins.

• Free audits are a cost of doing business—but don’t give away the secret sauce Point out problems. Don’t explain how to fix them.

• Cash in advance is your strongest filter It separates serious buyers from tire kickers instantly.

• Stick to your process Every step should have a yes/no gate. If someone stalls, that’s your answer.

• Price isn’t always the real objection—commitment is Many prospects agree verbally but disappear when action is required.

• The goal isn’t max retainers—it’s mutual success Fair pricing, real results, and referrals beat short-term greed every time.

I discuss the impending shift in ad revenue for Chat GPT and how it parallels the evolution of Google over the years. As ChatGPT prepares to accept ads and potentially go public, I question how this will affect the quality of its answers compared to Google's current cluttered ad model. I emphasize the importance of maintaining a pure user experience, free from the confusion that ads can create. I encourage you all to consider using the paid version of ChatGPT for better results. Let's keep an eye on how both Chat GPT and Google Gemini navigate this advertising landscape.

I reflect on recent agency growth and unpack a pattern I keep seeing across clients: paid media works best for businesses that already act like leaders in their space. I compare a standout client—who built credibility through PR, industry respect, reviews, and visibility before leaning into ads—with others in crowded markets who rely almost entirely on paid and fixate on ROAS as a survival metric. The difference is night and day. When a brand is known, trusted, and clearly differentiated, paid becomes a multiplier that drives real scale. When it’s not, paid turns into a fragile crutch. The message is simple: ads don’t create authority—they amplify it.

00:00 Introduction and Apology 02:08 Doubling Client Revenue 04:16 Client Engagement Strategies 07:26 Challenges with New Client 10:19 Dependence on Paid Advertising 15:25 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

• Having skin in the game often leads to a lose-win situation
• Attribution issues can severely impact marketing effectiveness.
• New product launches come with significant risks and challenges.
• Clients often expect marketers to shoulder all responsibilities.
• Successful marketing requires a partnership, not a one-sided burden.
• Awareness in the marketplace is crucial for new products.
• Many clients do not understand the complexities of marketing.
• Marketers should be cautious of unrealistic client expectations.
• It's important to establish clear terms before starting a project.
• Experience in the field helps in recognizing red flags.

• Ad scheduling is crucial for optimizing Google Ads performance.
• Bid adjustments can be made based on competition and staff availability.
• Understanding time zones is essential for effective ad scheduling.
• Data analysis helps in making informed bidding decisions.
• Conversion data should ideally be analyzed over a longer period.
• Aggressive bidding should align with peak conversion times.
• Zombie clicks can be identified and mitigated through data analysis.
• Bid adjustments can be tailored to specific days of the week.
• Using historical data can improve future ad performance.
• Strategic scheduling can lead to better ROI in advertising.

• Mastering Google Ads: The Art of Ad Scheduling
• Unlocking the Secrets of Bid Adjustments

• "This can be very helpful if you do call ads"
• "You want to be aggressive with those bids"
• "You want to decrease the spend because you have people"

Yousaf discusses the importance of audience signals and segments in optimizing Google search campaigns. He explains how to identify in-market and affinity audiences, the significance of targeting versus observational strategies, and the impact of bid adjustments on campaign performance. Practical examples are provided, with a particular focus on targeting homeowners for roofing services, highlighting the importance of precise audience targeting to enhance conversion rates.

-Audience signals help improve clicks and conversions.

-Google identifies in-market audiences based on search behavior.

-Affinity targeting categorizes users based on interests.

-Bid adjustments can optimize ad spend for specific audiences.

-Negative targeting helps filter out unqualified leads.

-Observational audiences allow for broader data collection.

-Remarketing campaigns can significantly increase CTR.

-Adjust bids based on audience qualification levels.

-Targeting homeowners is crucial for roofing services.

-Regularly review and adjust audience segments for better performance.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Audience Signals in Google Ads

02:36 Types of Audience Targeting: In-Market vs Affinity

04:42 Optimizing Bids with Audience Segments

07:33 Leveraging Visitor Data for Remarketing

09:57 Targeting Homeowners for Roofing Services