A lot of people in the online marketing space might have heard about big e-commerce brands and their founders online, but very few get to know about the actual media buyers who run the ads for these brands and scale them to 8 and 9-figure levels in sales.
We are sharing an interview with Marin Istvanic, an expert Facebook ads media buyer from Inspired Brands Agency, who has been running ads under the shadow of big brands like The Oodie, Vessi, Elite Supplements, and others, generating over $300 000 000 in sales in the last 12 months.
He has worked with top industry CEOs like Davie Fogarty, Matt Orlic, and Nick Shackleford and has recently been a star speaker at affiliate meetups, where he has been sharing his Facebook ads approaches and experience.
In this interview, Marin talks about everything about Facebook ads and media buying, including his journey, how he got to work with brands, including where he found them, and where he scaled them to. He talks about his Facebook ads approaches and techniques, the ups, and downs of life as a media buyer, and also shares tips for success for those entering the e-commerce and Facebook ads space.
Marin Istvanic
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Let's dive into this article...
Marin, could you share with us your background story before you started working online? How did you enter the online marketing industry?
It all started when I was in my senior year of college studying computer science. I was trying to figure out what to do with my life as I knew how to code but wasn't enjoying it that much. Alongside college, I was pursuing a professional soccer career playing in the second division of the Croatian league, which was semi-professional.
One day, I stumbled upon digital marketing. I found it interesting and I started learning everything about it. I watched videos and courses on YouTube and went through Google Ads documentation and that basically got me some theoretical knowledge. But there was actually no chance for me to put the theory into practice because I did not want to spend my own money for the sake of learning. Luckily, I had a friend who was already into digital marketing and was one of the first guys to do it in Croatia at that time. So, I started working with him to gain practical knowledge. My tasks included finding audiences, overseeing the ads manager, and more. It was great for me as I could get hands-on experience, and it was great for him as well because he had someone to take the burden off him and help with repeatable tasks.
So I started working with him and soon as I got more knowledge I started working as a freelancer and that is how my online journey started.
What made you choose to focus on Facebook Ads as an online marketer?
Actually, I started by learning everything about Google Ads because it seemed more interesting to me, and I believed it had the most potential due to the abundance of resources available. However, my friend specialized in Facebook Ads, and he became my mentor.
Consequently, I shifted my focus to Facebook Ads under his guidance. He taught me everything there was to know about Facebook Ads, and as a result, I put Google Ads on hold and haven't engaged with it since. From that point forward, Facebook Ads have been my bread and butter.
Could you tell us about Inspire Brands Agency? Where is the agency based? What do you guys do? And which brands have you worked with?
We are an agency that specializes in paid social advertising. We have our own internal E-commerce brands, and we also manage Facebook ads for other brands. We are based in Croatia and there is a split in departments running the internal brands and the agency work.
We have 2 main internal e-commerce brands, one in the supplements niche, and another in the skincare niche. Besides that, we have our agency side, which delivers paid ad services like Facebook media buying to other e-commerce clients.
That's kind of like a great combination of leveraging the insights gained from established industry leaders and applying them to our own brands. On the other hand, our experience in successfully scaling our own brands equips us with the necessary expertise to scale other brands effectively. Therefore, we consider it a valuable blend of these two areas.
We have had the privilege of collaborating with renowned brands such as The Oodie, Vessi, and many more.
At what level did you find The Oodie brand when you started running their Facebook Ads? Tell us the story behind your collaboration with The Oodie.
We’ve worked with the Oodie for about 3 and a half years, so that was a massive journey. Personally, I was the media buyer in charge of their ad accounts and we started working with them when they were spending $2 000 to $3 000 a day on Facebook ads. So basically they were not at a big level. While working with The Oodie, at some point we reached an ad spend of over $100 000 a day with average ROAS numbers being between 2x to 3x.
Before we started working with The Oodie, there was nobody else working in the company apart from Davie Fogarty, the owner. Afterward, it became just me, Davie, and the customer service girl, but now it’s like a huge team. They have everything in-house from media buying, creative stuff, emails, conversion rate optimization literally, everything.
We have recently just stopped working with them because they went in-house like 2 months ago. So they now have a team of internal media buyers and this ended the 3 years and 8 months periods we have worked with them.
At the time when we left off working with them, we were spending about $30 000 a day in ads and this was because it was summer in Australia and we had to lower the budget because their attires sell more during the winter.
Many people in the industry were mind blown when they first heard your Facebook ads success story at Alex Fedotoff’s mastermind. Tell us more about this experience.
I cannot share all the details in numbers from the companies and brands because we have non-disclosures in place. However, what I can say is that Alex Fedotoff reached out to me on Twitter because I enjoy sharing tips and tricks about Facebook ads. He asked me to speak at his mastermind, and I thought, "Why not?" because I knew I'd get the chance to meet other heavy hitters in the industry.
So, I did a presentation on how to make Facebook ads convert and shared some whitehat testing and scaling frameworks.
People might be skeptical here and want to know out of the let's say 100M that you generate for a client in sales, what percentage does the agency take home and what do you take home as the top media buyer?
We charge a percentage of the ad spend, but with clients like Davie Fogarty, it was a different deal. We were managing three of his brands across all regions and handling over ten accounts, so we didn't charge him the standard fee. Additionally, as we scale, the percentage decreases.
Therefore, it's not the same when you spend $3 000 a day compared to spending $30 000 a day. You can't expect someone to pay you 10% of the spend on such a scale. That would equate to charging $90,000 per month, which is too high. For that reason, we tend to lower the percentage we charge slightly.
Let's now get to the technical stuff on Facebook ads. What’s your approach when working with e-commerce or direct response campaigns on Facebook?
Usually, when we get a new client, we tend to start by doing a full audit on the ad accounts of the clients. We perform audits on the accounts to identify the mistakes they are making and to uncover potential untapped opportunities. So basically, before we even start working, we already have a list of things we want to improve.
When we take over an account, we begin by turning off the elements that we believe aren't functioning properly. We then implement our account structure and conduct in-depth research on their customers to understand why they are buying and what their pain points are. We combine this information with the list of improvements we need to make to create new creatives and launch them to see which angles and messaging attract more attention and conversions. We then scale those successful creatives.
Usually, we perform all of our testing in ABO, meaning one concept or angle per ad set. Whatever works well is incorporated into a scaling campaign or an advanced shopping campaign. We test successful ads with different audiences to determine their effectiveness. So, generally, we start scaling both horizontally and vertically.
When it comes to retargeting, if the client has multiple SKUs, we first implement dynamic product ads, which are essentially catalog ads for retargeting. They are powerful tools for retargeting.
Apart from this, for some clients, we create a dedicated retargeting strategy, while for others, we don't, as they only care about attracting new customers. Typically, we utilize their website engagement data, add-to-cart data, and purchase data from the last 30 to 90 days to retarget the visitors. The goal is to retarget them with a different set of ads. For example, if I show you a product demonstration video at the top of the funnel, in retargeting, I will show you a product review ad or an unboxing video. Essentially, I aim to reach you with a different type of messaging.
What kind of ad creatives do you see working best on Facebook ads in 2023?
Videos are still great, especially for products where you have to explain the problem and show the solution. Images work well for brands or products that are self-explanatory, like The Oodie. However, for a product like a supplement, it's hard to tell the story with just an image of a bottle of the supplement because you cannot show what the product does. So, for such products, it makes sense to go with videos.
The basis of creatives is all about research. Based on this research, you can find your main angle and incorporate it into messaging. Obviously, you need to have a strong hook to get people to watch the video. You need to agitate it, showcase the solution, explain how the product works, and then provide some social proof. Basically, think of a video as a model or framework with different parts inside. Then, analyze the numbers to see which parts of the video you need to iterate. We know there are a couple of good styles for video ads that we usually use, such as testimonials, and unboxing videos.
Have you ever lost a ton of money at once while running ads? If so, tell us about a moment when that happened and how much you burned.
Yes, the recent one was on the 23rd of April when Facebook ads had a massive bug, as you know. So basically, all of our ad spend for that day was gone in just a few hours. Luckily, I was in Europe, so by the time that happened, I was awake and managed to notice that. But again, there are several days when things don't go as expected, where the conversion rates are down, or sometimes Facebook sends a ton of irrelevant traffic to your ad, causing it to overspend your budget.
However, these days we have automated rules that help us turn off campaigns when something is not right. This usually helps in such situations and minimizes our chances of losing money.
At the rate that you scale ad campaigns, have you ever faced issues with Facebook that led your accounts to get banned, or having spending limits on your accounts? If so, how did this affect your campaigns and how were you able to work around this to find a solution?
Honestly, we do not have many issues with Facebook. All of the offers we run are white hat and comply with Facebook's policies. We do not promote black hat techniques or products that advertise alcohol or nudity, so we have not encountered many issues.
However, we did face problems with one of the brands we had that was selling steroids, which Facebook did not like. As a result, we had to create multiple ad accounts, pages, and use multiple credit cards. But in the end, it wasn't worth it because Facebook consistently discovered our actions and banned us. This made us realize that this particular product wasn't suitable for Facebook advertising. As a result, we stopped promoting it. So, 99% of the products we advertise comply with Facebook's policies, so we rarely face rejections or bans.
Regarding account spending limits on new accounts, we generally prefer to work with brands that are already established rather than those starting from scratch. Our clients need to have reached a certain level of maturity, including surpassing the stage of spending limits. Therefore, we usually do not create new accounts, and thus, we don't face this challenge.
Apart from that, what are the other big headaches that you’ve faced while working as a media buyer?
The headaches mostly involve issues like random drops in conversion rates in ad accounts. Some days, nothing changes in the front end; the traffic and CTR remain the same, but people just don't convert. These are the challenging times you can go through as a media buyer because you don't know what to fix. It is frustrating.
Another headache in this job is that every day feels the same, whether it's Monday, Tuesday, or Sunday. Additionally, you have to check the ad accounts every day just to ensure everything is going well. It's difficult to have a proper vacation and completely forget about the ad accounts. This is the biggest headache because your mind always has to be focused on the performance of the ad accounts.
How is your typical day as a media buyer?
Usually, when I wake up, I have my breakfast, and the first thing I do is check my ad accounts. I review the ROAS, and the number of sales on Shopify, and then I assess my conversion rates. After checking all of that, I determine which ad accounts require more attention, which ones are performing well and need scaling, and which ad accounts need new ads to be launched.
Basically, in the morning, I analyze all the numbers, then go through the messages and emails from my clients. At this point, I know my main tasks for the day and can start working on the priority tasks, giving priority to the ad accounts that are actively running. I usually begin with ad accounts targeting Europe, then move on to the US, and finally address the Australian ad accounts later. It really depends on the metrics and which aspect requires my immediate attention the most.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest changes and trends on the Facebook Ads platform, and what resources or communities do you rely on for knowledge and support?
Obviously, the Twitter DTC community is very powerful. There are many influential individuals who share a lot of information and updates, making it one of the best communities. Additionally, there are a couple of paid Slack channels with other professionals in the e-commerce industry, affiliate marketing, and media buying. Furthermore, podcasts and newsletters are sources I rely on to gather valuable insights and understand different approaches. I also engage in conversations with media buyers who may share their successful strategies. Therefore, it's not just one source but rather a collection of sources.
Also, masterminds and conferences such as Affiliate World and GeekOut are places where you can find a high concentration of top-level professionals. These events provide opportunities to meet these individuals in person and exchange knowledge.
If you were starting from scratch as a newbie in the online marketing space in 2023, what would be the ideal roadmap to success that you would take to reach, let's say, a 7-figure milestone?
This is a good question. So, probably I would start by learning as much as possible on my own. Then, I would probably reach out to someone and try to get free mentorship and even work for them for free as I am learning from them. Because it would be hard to get a job as a media buyer as a beginner with no proven results or case studies, it kind of makes sense to start for free. Maybe it won't look interesting since you are working for free, but the knowledge and experience you get are far more valuable than the paycheck.
Basically, after that, you can choose if you want to start your own brand, whether you want to work as a freelancer or launch your own agency. That's up to you, but you will have the most important piece in media buying, which is experience backed with proof of results.
Let's talk about the future of Facebook Ads, especially with the breakthrough of AI and tools like ChatGPT, and the rest. Where do you see all this heading?
If I knew the right answer to this, I'd say I'd soon be a billionaire. But I think it's interesting and will be really helpful because it can speed up processes, such as writing a script for your video ad creator. You can use it to come up with new ideas. I think it's a great tool that will be helpful, and I believe as AI develops, it will continue to take on bigger roles in the industry.
What's your motivation to keep on going and keep making moves? Is it all about money, lifestyle, or purpose?
I'd say freedom, not just in a financial way (which is also good), but freedom in the sense that I can work on my laptop. I can work anywhere in the world and at any time; I don't have to clock in like in a 9-5. And this is the biggest advantage I love about this job.
Is there any other advice you’d have for media buyers, ad agencies, or even brand owners about running their Facebook ads in 2023, and what could help them see success?
Focus on your customers. Try to sell the product based on why the potential customer would buy, rather than what you think would make them buy. So, everything should revolve around your customers. Do not overcomplicate it. Conduct research on your existing or potential customers and create a great product.
Facebook ads are just the cherry on top. They work when you have a good product and a good offer. So, make sure you set your foundations right. Do not overcomplicate your ad campaign setup.
Just ensure that it's based on your research, and everything else becomes easy because there are multiple ways to scale. There is no single right way to run an ad account, but it all starts with finding the right product and working with it.
At what point do you recommend brand owners to start working with ad agencies?
I believe that every brand owner should either have a trusted individual or possess an understanding of how Facebook ads work. Once you have that, you can choose to work with an agency. If you don't have that, the agency can do whatever they want on your ad account, and you won't know if it's beneficial for your business in the long run. So having a basic understanding of Facebook ads first is what I’d suggest.
Also, transitioning to an agency would free up more of your time because as a brand owner, you shouldn't be focused solely on your Facebook ads. There are many other important things that require your attention, such as product sourcing, shipping, working on funnels, improving your product, and reducing costs, among other things. When you have a good partner in the agency who can scale your ad account based on insights from working with multiple ad accounts, that is what unlocks your potential and propels you to the next level.
This interview has been great. Where else can our readers find you or contact you in case they want to learn more from you or seek help with their Facebook ad accounts?
You can definitely find me on Twitter; it's where I hang out the most and share strategies and tips. My DMs are also open, so you can reach out or send me any questions, and I'll respond.
