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Meta Ads: Under the Hood

Meta Ads: Under the Hood

By: Megan Winter
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Welcome to Meta Ads: Under the Hood, the podcast where we explore what drives high-performing Facebook and Instagram ads. Your host, Megan Winter (who has over a decade of digital marketing experience, has mentored hundreds of business owners at The Facebook Ads Academy, and runs her own ads agency) is here to lift the hood on Facebook and Instagram ads. Each week Megan breaks down the mechanics of meta ads, unpacks real campaigns, and shares how she uses ads to drive results - and how you can do the same. Ready to take a look under the hood? Let's dive in! Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Marketing Psychology Behind Pop Culture Hype

    Marketing Psychology Behind Pop Culture Hype
    Aug 17 2026

    This week Megan welcomes Lume Marketing account manager Britt Brown for her very first podcast appearance. Britt manages a rotation of Lume clients and brings 20+ years of marketing experience to the chat, including running her own family business.

    The pair dive into one of their favourite team-meeting topics: marketing tactics. In this episode they discuss the Labubu craze, and what it can teach small business owners about the psychology behind why we buy. From there they unpack how the same tactics show up again and again throughout marketing history, from Prime energy drinks to the 1950s diamond ring campaigns that convinced the world "a diamond is forever."

    In this episode Megan and Britt cover:

    • How Labubu's blind box format created mystery and anticipation
    • Why manufactured scarcity (and real scarcity) drives FOMO, and how FOMO is really just anticipated regret
    • The role influencers played in turning a toy into a cult object
    • What happened to demand once Pop Mart scaled production from 50,000 to millions a month
    • Social proof in action, from bootleg resellers to a packed restaurant with a line out the door
    • How Prime drink used the same playbook, targeted at kids, and why that's a whole ethics conversation on its own
    • Why consumers aren't as easily fooled as brands think, and the difference between a genuine limited drop and a "fake" one
    • How small businesses can borrow these tactics authentically, without needing Pop Mart's budget or scale
    • Real examples: Mecca's loyalty program and reward emails, Britt's Cardera Coffee subscribe-and-save, and the power of a great "About Us" page
    • Why brand story and community will always outlast a discount code, and why tactics are "the gravy, not the meat and potatoes"

    People and brands mentioned in this episode:

    • Rebecca Sparrow -- Lume client and how Britt found Megan
    • Welds and Wood -- small business Megan purchases a floating shelf from
    • Cardera Coffee — Lume client subscribe-and-save coffee brand, cited as an example of community/social proof driving a sale
    • Labubu / Pop Mart — the toy craze that anchors the episode's discussion of scarcity, blind boxes, and hype
    • Prime (energy drink) — co-founded by founded by Logan Paul and KSI (in the episode Megan says "Logan brothers or whoever it was".)
    • Aldi — mentioned re: their toy/collectible packet promotions and kids trading them at school
    • Coles — mentioned alongside Aldi re: bonus ticket promotions
    • Mecca (beauty retailer) — used as an example of loyalty programs, birthday freebies, and purchase-triggered incentives
    • Shein — mentioned twice: once re: knockoff Labubu dolls, once re: fast fashion ethics/pricing
    • Chanel — mentioned as an example of a luxury bag Labubus were being attached to
    • Showpo — fast fashion brand founded by Jane Lu, used as an example of selling "the vibe" not the product

    Learn more about working with us:

    • The next 8-week mentoring program where you'll learn to run Meta ads like a pro is opening soon. Apply now.
    • Hire us to run your ads. Learn more.
    • Learn how to run your own ads. Click here.

    Learn more about your host:

    Megan Winter is a meta ads expert, an experienced ADMA and AMI-awarded marketer and founder of Lume Marketing.

    As an early-adopter of digital marketing and social media advertising, she has consulted to global brands owned by Heineken and Lexus, has taught hundreds of small business owners at The Facebook Ads Academy, and presented on digital marketing at Bond University.

    Now, her passion is helping ethical, purpose-led brands achieve more income and impact with high-performing meta ads.

    Connect with Megan on Instagram @meganwinter or LinkedIn
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    34 mins
  • $18,000 Revenue From $900 Meta Ad Spend with Fi Johnston

    $18,000 Revenue From $900 Meta Ad Spend with Fi Johnston
    Aug 10 2026
    Everyone talks about ROAS like it's the holy grail of ad performance. But according to chartered accountant and business strategist Fi Johnston, it might be one of the most misleading metrics in your business. In this episode, Megan sits down with Fi Johnston — founder of Peach Business, host of the Money Secrets podcast, and a business and finance strategist with 16 years in business — for a refreshingly honest conversation about what actually happens when businesses turn on meta ads, and why the number on your ads dashboard rarely tells the full story. Plus, Fi shares exactly how she turned a $900 ad spend into $18,000 in revenue. Fi has a unique vantage point: she works both with agencies running meta ads and with the business owners spending the money, which means she sees the front end of the ads and the back end of the balance sheet. Her take? A lot of businesses reach for ads to fix a problem ads were never going to solve. In this episode, Megan and Fi cover: Why "my ads look great but my bank account doesn't" is more common than you'd thinkWhy ROAS in isolation can be a dangerous, misleading metric — and what to look at insteadHow fixing your website or landing page can outperform "fixing" your adsWhy meta ads should amplify a good business, not rescue a broken oneThe relay race analogy: how ads, website, email and customer service all have to run their leg properlyHow Fi overcame her dislike of meta's business ethics to use ads as a tool she controls, rather than one that controls herThe real story behind Fee's $900 ad spend that generated $18,000 in revenue — including the landing page overhaul and the "meat and potatoes" video that halved her cost per leadWhy simpler is almost always better: Fee's "shit or get off the pot" landing page redesignHow to know if you're ready for ads (hint: you need to already know how to get people to take action organically first)Why treating your organic content like an ad — and your ads like a post — makes both strongerWhether ads can help you re-engage existing or lapsed customers, not just find new ones If you've ever felt confused by ad reporting, or wondered whether you're actually ready to invest in ads, this episode will help you get clear on the numbers that actually matter. Learn more about working with us: The next 8-week mentoring program where you'll learn to run Meta ads like a pro is opening soon. Apply now.Hire us to run your ads. Learn more.Learn how to run your own ads. Click here. Learn more about your guest: Fi Johnston is a chartered accountant and business and finance strategist, and the founder of Peach Business. She's spent 16 years working with purpose-led business owners who take a balanced approach to people, planet and profit, helping them get clear on pricing, marketing strategy and team needs so their business can grow sustainably. Fi hosts the Money Secrets podcast and shares weekly insights through her email, The Peach Weekly. Connect with Fi on Instagram @peachbusiness or listen to Money Secrets wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your host: Megan Winter is a meta ads expert, an experienced ADMA and AMI-awarded marketer and founder of Lume Marketing. As an early-adopter of digital marketing and social media advertising, she has consulted to global brands owned by Heineken and Lexus, has taught hundreds of small business owners at The Facebook Ads Academy, and presented on digital marketing at Bond University. Now, her passion is helping ethical, purpose-led brands achieve more income and impact with high-performing meta ads. Connect with Megan on Instagram @meganwinter or LinkedIn
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    40 mins
  • Black Friday 26: Plan to win with meta ads

    Black Friday 26: Plan to win with meta ads
    Aug 5 2026

    Black Friday came from big-brand retail marketers seeing an opportunity to leverage a cultural event to make money. So when small businesses try to replicate and compete they run into trouble.

    • Small businesses don't have the economy of scale big businesses do
    • Small business blindly follow big business strategy - big biz may be going on sale to capture share of market, or move dead stock. So 70% off makes sense for them. This does not work for small biz.

    So… how do small businesses make Black Friday work for them? Listen to this episode to find out how to use meta ads to make sure your business wins this Black Friday Cyber Monday holiday sales period. Megan covers how to:

    • Understand what role BF will play in your business plan
    • Understand your number so you don't grow yourself to death
    • Plan your offer so it works for your business
    • Time it properly
    • Create intentional messaging.
    • Use ads effectively and avoid overpaying at the busiest time of year
    • Plan to win

    Learn more about working with us:

    • The next 8-week mentoring program where you'll learn to run Meta ads like a pro is opening soon. Apply now.
    • Hire us to run your ads. Learn more.
    • Learn how to run your own ads. Click here.

    Learn more about your host:

    Megan Winter is a meta ads expert, an experienced ADMA and AMI-awarded marketer and founder of Lume Marketing.

    As an early-adopter of digital marketing and social media advertising, she has consulted to global brands owned by Heineken and Lexus, has taught hundreds of small business owners at The Facebook Ads Academy, and presented on digital marketing at Bond University.

    Now, her passion is helping ethical, purpose-led brands achieve more income and impact with high-performing meta ads.

    Connect with Megan on Instagram @meganwinter or LinkedIn

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
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