Welcome to episode #45 of The Ecommerce Revolution Podcast. Each week, we feature a guest who’s an expert in their field to share real strategies to help you launch, grow, and win in commerce. If you want support on your journey, join our community of hundreds of entrepreneurs and get access to content, coaching, workshops, and a private network of fellow ecommerce entrepreneurs.
In this episode of The Ecommerce Revolution Podcast, we break down paid advertising myths, mistakes, and money-making moves with Daniel Rose, Account Director at AdScale, an AI-powered ad platform built for ecommerce brands.
If you’re struggling with when to start ads, how much to spend, or why your ROAS is stuck, Daniel brings the clarity—and strategy—you’ve been waiting for.
We talk about:
Smart ways to leverage your first-party data
Google vs. Meta: which one, when, and why
Budget minimums (and what to expect in return)
What a "good" ROAS really looks like in 2025
How AI builds and optimizes your ads—so you don’t have to
📍Chapter Timestamps
00:00 – Why you must be comfortable with your ad budget
01:10 – Meet Daniel Rose from AdScale
03:30 – What AdScale actually does and how it uses your store’s data
06:15 – Why lookalike audiences are the holy grail
07:50 – When are you really ready to run ads?
09:00 – In-person sellers and first-party data collection
11:10 – Meta or Google? How to pick your starting platform
13:00 – Why AdScale combines budgets across platforms
14:10 – How much should you spend on ads?
16:00 – Ideal budget ranges and what they unlock
17:00 – What does ROAS success look like today?
18:45 – Realistic expectations for timeline to results
20:45 – Shopify, Woo, Wix… does your platform matter?
23:10 – Brand building vs. performance: which ad platform wins?
25:00 – AI campaign optimization explained
27:40 – Can humans override the AI? (Nope.)
29:00 – Pay-As-You-Grow vs. Plus: What’s the difference?
32:00 – How AdScale helps small brands scale up
34:10 – Breaking through fear of ads with the right mindset
36:00 – The “hazard zone” of low average order value
39:00 – Why creative matters less than you think
41:00 – Why relevant visitors matter more than volume
43:00 – AI brings us back to pre-2021 targeting
45:00 – Daniel’s favorite personal use of AI (memes + jokes!)
🔗 Links & Resources
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