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Tom Lewis is Steven Bartlett’s advertising performance partner and co-founder of Metastat.
At 22, he’s helped scale brands and creators by replacing guesswork with data.In this episode, Tom explains how top creators use paid ads to test thumbnails, titles, hooks, guests, and even product ideas before publishing, sometimes for under £100 on The Diary Of A CEO.
He shares how Meta ads can help predict virality, improve click-through rates, and turn content into a repeatable growth system.We also cover when creators should monetise, why many launch too early, and why paid ads should support organic growth, not replace it.
A practical guide to turning content into predictable growth and revenue.
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Timestamps (accurate + true to transcript)
00:00 Introduction to Tom Lewis and Steven Bartlett's Advertising Machine
00:13 Tom Lewis' Journey and Partnership with Steven Bartlett
04:46 The Power of Paid Media and Experimentation
05:22 Deep Dive into Testing and Experimentation
12:20 Practical Tips for Running Effective Ad Campaigns
18:47 Optimizing Meta Ads for Traffic
21:19 Budgeting for Effective Ad Campaigns
22:59 Balancing Creativity and Data
24:04 Tom's Best Frameworks
25:28 The Importance of Eliminating Guesswork
26:38 Building a Brand Before Monetization
29:12 Using Paid Ads to Catalyze Growth
29:12 Understanding Meta's Ad Auction System
34:08 Creating Engaging Ad Content
35:08 The Power of Problem-Solution Hooks
36:42 Leveraging Dragons' Den Pitches
43:48 Iterating on Successful Ad Concepts
52:06 Meta Ads Campaign Structure
52:45 The Outlier Graph and Winning Ads
55:07 The Evolution of Magic Ads
57:39 Setting Goals for Meta Ads
58:00 Instagram Profile Visits Strategy
1:02:50 Retargeting and Audience Segmentation
1:06:08 Choosing the Right Product for Creators
1:11:51 The Future of Meta Advertising
1:14:24 Focusing on Long-Term Customer Value
1:21:44 Structuring Your Team for Success
1:24:42 Insights on Working with Steven Bartlett
1:27:00 Conclusion and Next Steps
Creator Playbooks