Sometimes your mistakes are your best learning lessons...

WOW. WOW. WOW.

I just WASTED an entire day of my life. I’m pissed. I’m upset. But honestly, I’m feeling grateful.

I drove 14 hours yesterday (long distance driving in a Tesla sucks… have to charge every hour) to close on my first rental property. It was perfect. You can see it here.

However, right before signing I caught that the owners were overinflating their AirBNB revenue numbers. They shared with me this excel sheet that was “proof” of all of their revenue over the past six months with the home. On paper it looked like this property was doing $5-6k a month AFTER FEES and with my $3k mortgage, this would be printing cash.

What I found out at the 13th hour was that they masked the cleaning & AirBNB fees as revenue and in fact the true revenue was like $3.3k a month. Nowhere worth the risk or headache of a rental property, especially with $80,000 down.

So today I’m back in Miami at my desk. A little depressed. Still writing about e-commerce and building the world’s great entrepreneurship community. But very lucky that I didn’t go through with these deal that would have been years of headache.

As I get ready to start thinking about Black Friday, its crazy to think about how the advertising game is evolving faster than ever. Kind of like my investment strategy, sticking to strategies that worked in the past may not cut it anymore. The competition is tougher than ever (good luck trying to be profitable first purchase on Facebook or with a rental property!!!!), and staying ahead requires adapting to the latest trends, being agile, and constantly testing your approach.

So this week I’m going to break down the top-performing ad strategies for 2024 and explain why the old methods (even as recently as a year ago) are holding you back.

Let’s get into it.

The Evolution of Ad Strategies: From Basic to Precision-Based

A few years ago, advertising was about reach. The goal was to get as many eyeballs on your ad as possible, regardless of who those people were. Facebook dominated, and blanket targeting worked. Hell we’d even spend thousands a day on Twitter buying meme pages that shouted out each other to get millions of views a day.

In 2024, the game is all about personalization and precision.

You can’t rely on single-platform campaigns anymore; today’s winners are those creating seamless multi-channel experiences that target users based on precise data. CROSSNET has to show up across IG, Meta, X, and Tik Tok and hopefully we will get a conversion after they experience us on one of the multiple platforms.

In 2019, you could throw up a Facebook ad and let it ride. We legit used the same ad for about 18 months and just kept putting more money on it.

You need to connect with customers across all platforms and optimize for their unique preferences. Why? Because the competition is no longer limited to big brands.

Anyone can leverage AI-powered tools and data analytics to compete. Your audience is being bombarded with ads, so you need to stand out by being relevant and targeted. Broad, one-size-fits-all approaches are dead. If you’re not personalizing, you’re falling behind.

1. AI-Powered Dynamic Ads

I don’t claim to be a master at AI and to be honest, I feel like I am really behind sometimes. However, 2024 is the year of AI, and for good reason: it’s driving real results. In 2024, AI-powered dynamic ads are becoming standard. These ads automatically adjust based on user behavior, serving content that’s hyper-relevant to the individual.

Let’s say a user browses a pair of shoes on your site but doesn’t make a purchase. With AI, the next ad they see is tailored specifically to them. Maybe it shows that exact product next to similar items, or offers a limited-time discount to seal the deal.

Dynamic ads are all about real-time adjustments, which means no more guessing — AI handles the optimization for you.

Big retailers like Amazon have already mastered this. They use AI to track user behavior and refine ad content based on specific user actions.

It’s not magic. It’s data, and it works. AI allows brands to show exactly what customers want to see, when they need to see it.

The result? Higher relevance, better engagement, and ultimately, more conversions.

2. Native Ads

Let’s face it: consumers are getting better at spotting — and ignoring — ads. No one likes having their scrolling sessions interrupted by some random ad for a product they don’t give a shit about.

That’s why native ads are taking over. Native ads blend in with the surrounding content, making them feel less like ads and more like part of the platform’s natural flow.

TikTok has mastered the art of native ads. Most ads appear just like regular TikToks, so users don’t feel like they’re being “sold” something, and that’s why they work.

Instagram influencers are another great example. People follow influencers for content that resonates with them, so an authentic-looking product placement or sponsored post doesn’t feel out of place.

In 2024, native ads are non-negotiable. If your ads don’t blend in with the surrounding content,  expect to get scrolled by.

3. Social Commerce Ads

These days, social media isn’t just for raising brand awareness. It’s for direct sales. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have turned themselves into full-blown shopping hubs.

With features like Instagram Shop Ads and TikTok’s in-app purchasing, users don’t even have to leave the platform to buy.

The fewer steps between seeing an ad and making a purchase, the higher your conversion rate.

Users are already spending hours scrolling through social media — your goal should be to turn those scrolls into sales.

By placing products right in front of them, in the same feed they’re browsing, you remove friction from the buying process. Shopping becomes easy, intuitive, and seamless.

Social commerce ads are fast becoming a must-have for brands looking to drive immediate results.

The Power of Retargeting: Reel Them Back In

The reality is that most users don’t convert the first time they see your brand. They need reminders, nudges, and reasons to come back.

Kind of like my wife asking me to buy this $1250 luggage set that we 100% don't need, but if she asks me 10 more times I'm probably going to say yes. It's just validation that constant touch points and timely reminders actually work... aka the magic of retargeting. 

In 2024, successful retargeting means serving personalized, strategic follow-up ads + emails that progressively bring users closer to a purchase. This needs to be dialed and needs your full attention before we get into the Super Bowl of e-commerce aka Black Friday & Cyber Week. 

If you're new to retargeting, think of it like this: Someone visits my site, adds a CROSSNET, and left (aka my wife with the luggage set). With retargeting, you can show them that exact item again, paired with an offer they can’t resist.

Earlier this year, I became an advisor to an extraordinary company called Revenue Roll that I want to show some love to today. The one thing they do better than ANYBODY else is taking retargeting to the next level with tailored strategies to reengage the RIGHT customers after they've shown intent on your site.

They use every point of data possible, from public records, to credit agencies, to publisher networks, and more to know exactly what strategies are most effective on individual customers.

Their advanced segmentation tools ensure your ads + emails hit the right audience at the perfect time, guiding users back through the funnel with personalized offers, dynamic content, and timed promotions.

Whether you're looking to reduce cart abandonment or drive more post-visit engagement, Revenue Roll optimizes your campaigns for maximum ROI.

Mike the founder was nice enough to hook my readers up with 50% of a 3-month trial. This legit saves you potentially thousands and makes you way more back. Just shoot him a message at [email protected] or sign up for a quick chat here.

Lets Prep for Q4 Together

I realize I used to do a lot more free workshops. It used to be so fun to randomly get 100 people onto a Google hangout and just jam out on a topic. Until that one asshole came in with 10 spam accounts and just blasted really raunchy porn.

If you were there for that it was lowkey funny as hell, but in reality was very disruptive and ruined a really good chat we were having about getting into retail stores… I guess that’s what I get for sharing the public link on Twitter.

ANYWAYS.

Myself & my co-founder at the Founders Club, Aaron Spivak are hosting a FREE Q4 PREP WORKSHOP next Wednesday at 2PM EST. It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be filled with a ton of Q&A and we’re going to be jamming about all the last second things you need to be doing between now and Black Friday and the next Prime Day.

All you need to do is register here.

Take 2 seconds to sign up and come hang. Also remember to shoot Mike an email. If you don’t have Revenue Roll in 2024 on your site you’re just missing out on free money.

See you next Wednesday!

Chris