Joe Putnam

This is your weekly reminder not to spend your @meta ad spend refunds all in one place. Be sure to hold on to them and invest wisely...

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BREAKING NEWS I changed my vote today based on getting 12 unsolicited text messages last night from political candidates I was previously 100% against. Goes to show you never know what can happen if you relentlessly mass-send messages to people who didn't ask for them.

“Precision-Tuned Calls” describes a product. “Bring Your Decoys to Life” gives a hunter a reason to want it on their lanyard. That shift captures a big part of our work with Elite Duck Calls at Conversion Engine. Hunters care about craftsmanship, sound, and realism. But the copy has to connect those features to something they can picture: their next morning in the blind. We opened ads with “We live for a short season.” Then we connected the product to the outcome: bring your decoys to life and put more birds on the water. We also built campaigns around different reasons to buy. For Elite’s budget polycarbonate line, the message became: “Less Money, Not Less Call.” Different products. Different buying motivations. A strategy behind each campaign. I wrote a case study that covers: → 22% higher ROAS compared to a different agency → 67% year-over-year revenue growth from January through October 2026 → The research, messaging, and creative behind the campaigns For Shopify founders, the useful question is this: does your advertising explain what your product is, or does help customers picture why they can't live without it? See the ads and read the full breakdown here: bit.ly/4sC94ND

Is anyone's stock hotter than Pat McAfee's right now? That man is everywhere. @PatMcAfeeShow

I need help on something... If you run half marathon but don't post a photo on Instagram, did you really do a half marathon?

Name a team that has 3 better wins than the @TexasLonghorns at this point in the season. I'll wait.

I have a new theory about AI. AI is going to enable top performers to become hyper performers. If you're already a top performer, AI gives you the tools to become what will be known as hyper performer. But if you're an average performer, you'll still be an average performer, because better tools in your hands doesn't give you the same super powers a top performer gets from the same tools. Curious to know @elonmusk's thoughts on this...

Te Rest of the World: "We walk to the grocery store, carry groceries home by hand, and cook our meals from scratch." Americans: "I can't be bothered to cook. Can you Uber Eats an already cooked meal and have it delivered directly to my home?" Also Americans: "This economy is trash. I need the government to give me more free stuff."

Google Rep Today: "[Super long, wordy intro schpeel]." Me: "Hey man, time is more valuable than money. I can make more money but I can't make more time. Going to need you to tell me your most valuable recommendation with 75% less words."

A little under two years ago I was visiting my sister in New Zealand and ran 2 miles for the first time in a long time. Some friends talked me into doing a triathlon, and those were the first few miles of the journey. This weekend, I'll be running my first half marathon and am amped to be on the starting line. It's a little cliche to talk about the benefit of doing hard things, but I'm really glad I signed up for that first triathlon.

I really want to run two ad campaigns for @TexasTech University. The first would be built around the theme of, All the world is a stage, which part will you play? (Borrowed from Shakespeare.) The focus would be on roles like being a business leader, stock trader, community leader, coach, etc. with footage showing Texas Tech grads looking like bosses filling those roles. Goal = getting students picturing that TTU is the next step to their dream life. Next up would the "I guess Harvard is cool" campaign. This would show Tech students at a football game, the on campus Goo Goo Dolls concert, tailgating, shooting skeet, etc. The emphasis here is on Tech students living the life that appeals to college students, not hiding your nose in a book for 4 years. @CodyC64 let me know if you're interested in more details. 🤙

Jesus was able to change water into wine. The next best skill may be turning a phone call into revenue. Know what I mean?

It's really like this out there now sometimes...

You know what they say, "In Claude, we trust." You may be working with a 20 year digital marketing veteran, but if Claude says it's true...

I don't want to give @AliaPopups too much ammo to work with, but... How is it possible that @klaviyo's email pop-up builder is so bad? Come on @klaviyo, we pay you guys enough to make it easy to design high-converting opt-in forms, right?

I was today years old when I found Ian Munswick. Can't stop. youtube.com/watch?v=HdeL7t1R…

Just heard this song today for the first time. So good. These lyrics really hit. Lord I die a little slower in Wyoming That wild and free Puts me at peace If I draw my final breath when I am roaming Lord let Wyoming Be where they bury me youtube.com/watch?v=CpiZKNSL…

Apparently 9:00 pm is the latest you can send an SMS campaign, but... I really want to send a, "Hey, you up?" SMS campaign at 11:30 pm for a client. Would be perfect for a brand like @BogeyBrosGolfCo.