{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 268: Axon Ads - How to Diversify Beyond Meta and Find New Customers","description":"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. \u201cThe 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\u2019t be able to reach.\u201d \u2013 Pep Hufen You Will Learn \u2022 Why Axon is emerging as a serious alternative for paid traffic diversification beyond Meta \u2022 How the Axon ad experience differs from traditional social media platforms \u2022 Why user psychology on gaming apps leads to higher attention and engagement \u2022 How Axon attribution works and why it appears more conservative than Meta \u2022 When to use ROAS optimization versus cost per purchase \u2022 How to choose between day-zero and day-seven optimization windows \u2022 What types of creative formats perform best on the platform \u2022 How to structure your first campaign and creative sets for testing \u2022 What to expect when launching and evaluating early performance \u2022 How brands are scaling spend while acquiring a high percentage of new customers Links & Resources \u2022 Smart Marketer \u2013 https:\/\/smartmarketer.com\u2022 Axon \u2013 https:\/\/smartmarketer.com\/axon \u2022 Omnisend \u2013 https:\/\/smartmarketer.com\/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months) \u2022 Thumbstop \u2013 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 \u2013 Introduction to Axon and expanding beyond Meta 00:01:08 \u2013 Ezra Firestone on OmniSend for email and SMS 00:02:13 \u2013 Molly introduces Axon and Pep Hufen 00:03:01 \u2013 Why Axon is a major opportunity for paid traffic 00:04:26 \u2013 What to expect from this training and roadmap 00:05:19 \u2013 How quickly you can launch campaigns on Axon 00:08:58 \u2013 What AppLovin is and how the platform started 00:10:21 \u2013 Why this is about diversification, not replacing Meta 00:11:33 \u2013 How Axon blends social media and TV-style ads 00:12:24 \u2013 The scale of mobile gaming audiences 00:14:08 \u2013 Conversion behavior and fast purchase cycles 00:15:16 \u2013 Attribution differences between Axon and Meta 00:17:39 \u2013 The three-part Axon ad experience explained 00:19:27 \u2013 Creative best practices and video requirements 00:22:17 \u2013 Why Axon delivers longer attention spans 00:24:20 \u2013 The psychology of users playing games vs scrolling 00:25:46 \u2013 What the interactive step is and how it works 00:26:51 \u2013 Using Thumbstop to create ad creatives 00:28:46 \u2013 Why gaming users are more relaxed and receptive 00:30:38 \u2013 How Axon\u2019s AI model works differently 00:33:13 \u2013 Step-by-step campaign setup overview 00:35:53 \u2013 Choosing ROAS vs cost per purchase 00:39:15 \u2013 Universal vs prospecting campaigns 00:40:52 \u2013 Day-zero vs day-seven optimization 00:42:44 \u2013 Budgeting and data maturity expectations 00:46:17 \u2013 Structuring creative sets for testing 00:49:55 \u2013 Scaling strategies and creative expansion 00:53:33 \u2013 Budget timing and UTC considerations 00:54:36 \u2013 Axon credit offer and how to get started 00:55:26 \u2013 Case studies and real brand results 00:58:18 \u2013 Next steps and upcoming masterclass 00:59:28 \u2013 Catalog segmentation and targeting questions 01:03:53 \u2013 Live walkthrough of campaign setup 01:10:33 \u2013 Success rate across tested brands 01:11:35 \u2013 Offer types and landing page strategies 01:12:21 \u2013 Scaling campaigns effectively 01:14:17 \u2013 Final thoughts, resources, and tools 01:15:57 \u2013 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 support@smartmarketer.com Serve the world unselfishly and profit. ","author_name":"The Smart Marketer Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/smartmarketer.com\/","html":"