Podcast Summary: Win With Paid Ads
Host: Ashley Brock
Episode #103: The Real Reason People Aren't Buying From You
Date: January 22, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, Ashley Brock addresses the foundational reason why advertisements and offers often fail to convert: unclear and ineffective messaging. Drawing from her deep experience working with entrepreneurs and business owners, Ashley unpacks how messaging makes or breaks your paid ad strategy—no matter how perfect your targeting, creative, or budget may be. She shares critical frameworks and real client examples to help listeners clarify their core message, connect emotionally with the right audience, and drive conversions. This episode is rich with actionable advice, self-deprecating humor, and practical steps for immediate impact.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Messaging Is Critical to Sales Success
- Clarity Outperforms Creativity: The clearest message—not the cleverest—wins attention and sales.
- Emotional Resonance Drives Conversion: People buy when they feel understood, not just when they understand your offer.
- Words Do the Heavy Lifting: 65% of campaign success is attributed to messaging, not just creative or targeting (Nielsen study cited).
- Notable Quote:
“Ads don’t fail because of the ads. They fail because of the lack of positioning... Honestly, just the clarity and really the specificity.” — Ashley Brock [18:49]
- Memorable Statistic:
“Clarity in messaging increases conversions by up to 200%.” — Ashley Brock [10:00] (referencing a Nielsen study)
2. Every Word Pays Rent: The Value of Brevity and Impact
- Inspired by Alex Hormozi’s principle:
"Every word should pay rent." — Ashley Brock [07:09], paraphrasing Hormozi
- Your ad has mere seconds and a handful of characters to win attention.
- Editing is essential: ask, “Is this sentence needed? Is this word necessary?”
3. Ashley’s Messaging Formula: Who, Why, What, How
A repeatable framework for crafting compelling ad messaging
- Who (Identifiability): Define exactly who you’re speaking to.
- Why (Credibility): Establish why someone should trust and listen to you.
- What (Opportunity): Clarify the transformation or tangible benefit.
- How (Accessibility): Give a clear next step—how to access the offer.
- Notable Quote:
“Who is identifiability. Why is credibility. What is opportunity. How is accessibility.” — Ashley Brock [26:18]
4. The Power of Specificity and Identity
- Don’t get lost being clever—focus relentlessly on who you serve and how you’re different.
- Taglines and Angles Matter: Use memorable, to-the-point language that instantly communicates your offer and target customer.
- Client Examples:
- Client Brett:
- Original: The Business of a Connected Marriage — “too generic”
- New: Marriage Workshop for Business Owners: A free workshop for entrepreneurs who know that when your relationship grows, your business can too. [33:02]
- Instantly signals audience and value.
- Client Emily:
- Original: Capacity to Cash Flow — “cute, but not clear”
- New: Regulate to Elevate — how nervous system regulation leads to the elevation of your life, body, relationships and business. [34:45]
- Anchored in emotional outcome and transformation.
- Client Brett:
5. Consistency Across Touchpoints
- Key Principle: Consistency builds trust; mismatch creates distrust.
“Your messaging has to match your landing pages. That mismatch is what can create distrust. And distrust is really, really hard to build back.” — Ashley Brock [36:15]
- Messaging should be identical from ad to landing page, emails, sales videos, and beyond.
6. Common Messaging Mistakes
- Trying to sound “too fancy” or smart
- Focusing on features, not outcomes
- Being broad instead of specific
- Talking about yourself, not the buyer
- Mistaking copywriting for messaging:
“Messaging is not copywriting. It is positioning. It is identity, and it is a feeling.” — Ashley Brock [38:01]
- Outsourcing your copy before clarifying your core message
- Forgetting to weave in your personal story
7. Ashley’s Personal Journey With Messaging
- Admits to “jacking up” her own messaging (“Marketing Matters” was too broad and unrelatable).
- “I got my messaging wrong for so long … and when I pivoted my messaging, that is when everything changed for me in my business.” — Ashley Brock [41:17]
- Paid for high-level mentorship and VIP days to get clarity
- Perfection is not required; willingness to iterate and self-reflect is.
8. Owning Your Identity and Value
- Ashley admits being scared to publicly target eight-figure businesses—and not attracting them as a result.
- Self-belief is key:
“If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t find your messaging. So there’s got to be something where you begin to say – my most strong, confident, powerful version of myself… What does she say? What does she believe? What is her message, and who does she want to serve?” — Ashley Brock [46:00]
9. Final Takeaways
- Your ads don’t work because your words don’t work.
- Be clear over clever; specific over broad; emotional over informational; identity-driven over feature-driven.
- Consistency creates conversions.
- “Every word pays rent.” — [49:00]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Quote, Emotional Resonance:
“People do not buy because they understand. They buy because they feel understood.” — Ashley Brock [13:15]
- Quote, Simplicity:
“If you confuse them, you lose them.” — Ashley Brock [20:48]
- Memorable Moment:
- Ashley playfully calls out her podcast producer, Robert, for reacting to her banging her hand on the chair, injecting humor and relatability into the episode. [44:32]
- Quote, Consistency:
“Your headline and your promise should be identical from the ad to the landing page.” — Ashley Brock [36:58]
Timestamps of Key Segments
- 00:33–04:30 — Ashley’s personal messaging expertise & introduction to today’s topic
- 07:09–10:30 — “Every word pays rent” principle & Nielsen clarity stats
- 18:49–21:00 — Why ads fail: lack of clarity, positioning, and specificity
- 26:18–30:00 — The “Who, Why, What, How” messaging formula explained
- 33:02–35:00 — Client examples: sharpening taglines and angles
- 36:15–39:00 — Consistency across ad and landing page messaging
- 41:17–47:00 — Ashley’s personal story on getting messaging wrong, mentorship, and evolution
- 49:00–50:23 — Recap, final takeaways, and call to action for the Win with Paid Ads Challenge
Actionable Steps for Listeners
- Run your current messaging through the “Who, Why, What, How” test.
- Simplify copy to a third-grade reading level; clarity and brevity are paramount.
- Check for consistency between your ads, landing pages, sales videos, and emails.
- Refine your tagline and core angle to instantly identify audience and benefit.
- Don’t outsource copywriting until you’ve clarified your own message.
- Review and test messaging regularly, using paid ads as a “learning lab.”
Tone & Style
Ashley’s approach in this episode is direct, encouraging, and deeply practical. She balances expert teaching with vulnerability, humor, and relatable stories—making complex marketing advice feel accessible and actionable to entrepreneurs at any stage.
Closing Note
Ashley underscores that message clarity—not just creativity or budget—is the real lever for paid ad success. Iterate, clarify, and connect emotionally. That’s how you truly “win with paid ads.”