This article is based on a keynote titled 5 Mistakes and Cures for Low-traction Startups that I presented at the Growth Marketing Summit in August 2022. The room was packed with marketers. The screen was lit up with stupid (or, arguably, lovely) cat and raccoon GIFs. The air was filled with painful truths and aha-moments. Essentially, everyone had gathered to find the answer to a burning question, albeit simplified:  Are we making any mistakes in our marketing, brand, or product strategy? And how to fix it?  Are you spending your marketing $$$ the right way or throwing them straight ..read more

Disclaimer: While sharing suggestions that help brands sell more stuff, I am ethically against any eCommerce companies selling low-quality mass-produced products that people don’t really need. Think fast fashion, soulless beauty & lifestyle products, dropshipped goods, etc. Hang on to integrity and sell high-quality & authentic stuff. Ok, getting to the article now… — How to get good results with your eCommerce Facebook ads? Based on most blog articles on the topic, you’re supposed to mess around with complex ad formats and set up a Facebook ad campaign structure based on a five-level ..read more

Facebook metrics help you understand your campaign performance. Your Facebook ad campaign metrics also indicate whether you’re getting a positive ROI (return on investment). All in all, it is crucial that you measure your Facebook ad performance on a regular basis, ideally every week. But how to know which numbers to track? Because there’s an almost endless choice of metrics available in the Facebook Ads Manager: Reach, Impressions, CPC, CPM, CTR, CPA, Relevance Score, Engagement Score, Landing Page View (All or Unique?) Video Views, Ad Recall Lift, Spend, Revenue, ROAS…  Which metrics ..read more

Best of what I’ve been reading, from essays to short stories to interviews. April 2021 Reading Recommendations March 2021 Reading Recommendations February 2021 Reading Recommendations January 2021 Reading Recommendations 2020 Book & Reading Recommendations WEEK 18 The best reviews and critiques are universal while subjective. The author should consider (or hint at his ability to consider) every possible angle before reaching their personal verdict. One thing that often bothers me when reading argumentative essays is their author’s nonobjectivity, the entitlement of belonging to a certain ..read more

Instagram ad targeting is the key to achieving success with your campaigns. With more than 1 billion daily active Instagram users, it’s absolutely critical that you target only those who are potentially interested in your product. In this chapter of our Instagram Advertising Guide, we’re going to discover all the different Instagram target audiences. By reading this guide, you will learn: How does the Instagram ad targeting work? How to create Instagram and Facebook ad audiences? How to set up Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences? What are the best Instagram audience targeting options to ..read more

Best of what I’ve been reading, from essays to short stories to interviews. March 2021 Reading Recommendations February 2021 Reading Recommendations January 2021 Reading Recommendations 2020 Book & Reading Recommendations WEEK 13 Starting the weekend trip to the west coast of France with Borghes’ short stories verging on the borderline of philosophic and magical lent the entire weekend a lingering surrealist ambiance. During the week, my reading habits hit closer to reality – I finished reading Annie Ernaux’ contemplations on writing and being a writer, received a course of sentimental e ..read more

Best of what I’ve been reading, from essays to short stories to interviews. February 2021 Reading Recommendations January 2021 Reading Recommendations 2020 Book & Reading Recommendations WEEK 9 | 2021 This week, my reading pattern reminded me of Lydia Davis’ essay As I Was Reading where the author gets carried away in an ever-expanding labyrinth of research into new subjects and words, driving further and further away from her initial subject. One of such articles was Phantasms of the Opera by Larry Wolff for The New York Review of Books. After reading it, I needed to look up the plot of ..read more

Best of what I’ve been reading, from essays to short stories to interviews. January 2021 Reading Recommendations 2020 Book & Reading Recommendations WEEK 5 | 2021 This week, two Granta magazines, two Times Literary Supplements, a New Yorker, and the latest New York Review of Books all arrived in my mailbox and I’ve been trying to keep up with this magazine blast. I also started and finished Flights by Olga Tokarczuk and found another Annie Ernaux book, Se Perdre, at Gilbert Joseph bookstore that I could not resist but carry home. The latest Granta magazine (issue 153) explores climate ch ..read more

Best of what I’ve been reading, from essays to short stories to interviews. WEEK 2 | 2021 #essay The most fun essay I read this week came from the Times Literary Supplement, was written by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft, and explored the social intricacies of the pun. Read The punning of reason via Times Literary Supplement or via this non-restricted link. #shortstory A (literally) short story by Hungarian writer György Dragomán that’s especially enjoyable for anyone with a drop of soviet history in their blood system. Read The Puppet Theatre via The Paris Review or use this non-restricted link. #shor ..read more

One year into freelance marketing consulting, I’ve noticed that one of the key areas where the companies need help is auditing and improving online ad accounts. (The others are strategy, tracking and measurement.) Many of the Facebook ad audits I’ve done happened during a 1h AMA (Ask Me Anything)-style call. This means that we managed to discuss all other marketing-related questions and do a quick audit.  Usually, a Facebook ad account audit can be done fast, almost at a glance – in most cases, in 15-30 minutes. So… How? How to audit a Facebook advertising account? What to check? How will ..read more