The Smart Marketer Podcast Episode 264: The Next Big Ad Platform? How AppLovin Is Quietly Scaling eCommerce Brands
There's a new advertising channel with over a billion daily users and most eCommerce brands haven't tested it yet.
In this episode, Pep Hufen, CEO of Smart Marketer Agency, breaks down why AppLovin's Axon Ads platform is becoming one of the fastest growing acquisition channels for DTC brands. Opened to eCommerce in 2024, this mobile gaming network is already helping brands scale from a few hundred dollars a day to thousands, sometimes in a matter of weeks.
Pep explains what makes Axon different from Meta and TikTok, why mobile gaming audiences convert differently, how the AI optimization works, and exactly how to structure your first campaigns.
"Here's the reality. Every advertising platform has a window of opportunity in the beginning where it's wide open and Axon is in that spot right now." – Pep Hufen
If you're always looking for the next scalable growth channel before it gets crowded, this episode is for you.
You Will Learn-
Why AppLovin has "over a billion daily users" and why the audience "skews towards women in their thirties and forties."
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How Axon delivers "35 seconds of undivided attention."
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Why "80% of the conversions happen within one hour after someone clicks on your ads."
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The three things that make this platform different: "the ad format, the user psychology and the AI technology behind it."
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When to choose ROAS vs. cost per purchase (CPP).
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Why you should "launch it and don't touch it for seven days."
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How to scale budgets "30 to 40% every two to three days."
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The three levers to pull when performance drops: "creative, the offer or the landing page."
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Why "creative is your biggest lever."
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Timestamps00:16 – Introduction: "The biggest new advertising opportunity since the early days of Facebook ads." 02:19 – "There's a new advertising platform with over a billion daily users…" 03:13 – Why Mobile Games Are Bigger Than You Think 04:05 – Who the Audience Really Is 04:57 – Scaling from "300 a day to 3000 a day in about 30 days" 05:59 – "35 seconds of undivided attention" 08:19 – Why Most Clicks Happen on the End Card 09:09 – User Psychology: Relaxed vs. Doom Scrolling 11:00 – How to Set Up Your First Campaign 12:41 – ROAS vs. CPP 15:48 – Optimization Window Strategy 16:33 – Budget Setup and the 7 Day Rule 18:49 – Creative Set Structure 21:13 – Reading Performance and Attribution 22:42 – Scaling Budgets "30 to 40% every two to three days" 24:09 – When It's Not Working: "Creative is your biggest lever." 24:56 – Why the Window Is Open Right Now
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