Win With Paid Ads Podcast – Episode 90: “Why Influencers Win: Using Paid Ads to Multiply Momentum”

Host: Ashley Brock
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ashley Brock dives deep into why content creators and influencers have a major advantage when it comes to paid ads—and how leveraging that advantage can create exponential momentum and revenue. Ashley shares actionable strategies for using paid advertising to multiply the impact of an already-engaged audience, and she breaks down how to get more sales, bigger brand deals, and lasting growth by being strategic with ad placements and formats. This episode is a goldmine for creators, influencers, and anyone wanting to move beyond organic growth by using paid advertising with intention.

Key Topics & Insights

1. The Influencer/Creator Advantage

• Influencers already have what most businesses work years to build: credibility and authority.
• The audience is built on trust. Ashley calls this a “trust moat”—“You have a moat around your castle that you’ve built and you built that moat. And most businesses don’t have that.” ([04:39])
• “Your ad feels authentic. Your ad is like a trusted friend giving advice, which is really important, right?” ([07:16])

2. Paid Ads: Pouring Gasoline on the Fire

• Paid ads for creators act as a scalable machine to rapidly expand reach and results.
• Even creators who are already running ads should consider diversifying and scaling their strategy.
• Example: Ashley’s client Alyssa, a top Amazon influencer, is “building momentum and scaling momentum while other people are…actually finally starting with ads.” ([09:05])

3. Case Study: Success with UGC & Brand Partnerships

• Ashley highlights Nut Pods (dairy-free creamer) as an example where user-generated content (UGC) by influencers was consistently their top performing ads.
• “Our top performing ads were UGC. It was user generated content and so often it was user generated content by influencers and creators…” ([13:26])
• Working with brands (Amazon, Walmart, Target, boutiques) opens bonus and affiliate opportunities beyond just commission.

Actionable Strategies

4. Where to Send Your Ads

Ashley presents several high-leverage destinations for influencer ads:

• Amazon Storefront/Product Pages:
  • Use Amazon Attribution links (up to 100) for detailed tracking, even though you can’t use your own pixel or get first-party data from Amazon. ([16:33])
  • You get commission not just on the featured product, but the entire cart from the session—a “huge opportunity for influencers and creators.” ([18:04])
• Your Blog:
  • Drive search traffic to honest product reviews. Benefit from affiliate links and capture first-party data for future nurturing.
  • “It can also allow you to grab first party data which is their emails and names and phone numbers so you can nurture that list over time too.” ([21:35])
• Brand Landing/Co-Branded Pages:
  • Easier attribution for both you and the brand, and paves the way for bigger partnerships, higher commissions, and negotiation leverage.
• Social Profiles (Instagram/TikTok):
  • Use ads to grow relevant followers. “Being able to get daily followers that are the right ones is a really great opportunity.” ([24:37])
• Selling Your Own Offer:
  • “You may decide you want to create your own product, your own course, your own training, your own offer, whatever it is.” ([25:17])

5. Types of Ads to Run

• Google Search Ads: Target buyers already searching for products/reviews (“people actively searching”).
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads: Promote reels, posts, and drive traffic to Amazon/storefronts.
• YouTube Ads: Retarget users based on Google search intent (e.g. “best vacuum”), present video reviews, link affiliate purchases directly beneath videos.
  • “You can retarget them on YouTube talking about the vacuum, they watch your review and then they buy the vacuum that you link below…” ([28:34])
• TikTok Ads: Run ads from original posts for high engagement.
• Pinterest Ads: Leveraging large organic Pinterest audiences with paid amplification.

Growth & Monetization Insights

6. Lifetime Value & Compounding Effects

• Repeat Purchases: Fans buy repeatedly; one acquisition can yield sales, reviews, and word of mouth over time.
  • “It’s not just about that immediate gratification. It’s will that person… tell a friend? Will they reshare? All of that adds up.” ([32:04])
• Bonuses & Backend Commission:
  • Hitting volume thresholds can unlock extra payments—“your ads ultimately aren’t just creating front end profit, they’re also unlocking some backend extra money too…” ([20:41])
• Negotiation Leverage:
  • Growing your following with ads gives you hard data for partner negotiations. “Data makes decisions and decisions make dollars.” ([35:31])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On credibility and authority:
  “You already have the two things that millions of people work so hard to have and it is credibility and authority. Your ads are just amplifying.” ([36:10])
• On boosted posts:
  “We’re not talking about boosted posts. We’re talking about targeted ads. I still have that episode from a long time ago called ‘Why I Hate Boosted Posts’ and people still love it. I still do not love boosted posts…” ([37:06])
• Encouragement for creators:
  “Just take a moment and be really proud of what you built. It is hard work and you know that—to be that consistent for that long.” ([41:07])
• On growth beyond organic:
  “You can still post organically. I’m not saying disappear...but what if there was a way that you actually could step away and still grow every single day.” ([42:20])
• Signature closing advice:
  “Go advertise your name, make it rain, and I’ll see you soon.” ([45:11])

Practical Tips & Takeaways

• Start small. Pick one ad destination to begin with; don’t try to do everything at once.
• Test, track, scale: “Just I want to encourage you to track your ads, test your ads, scale your ads, test new inventory, and know that you’ve already built something that is so special, and people trust you.” ([43:48])
• Invest your time in precision, not indecision. Ashley’s top advice for creators is to stop dithering and start testing, even on a small scale.
• Never underestimate lifetime value—ads are about more than immediate clicks; they’re about long-term compounding momentum and negotiation leverage.
• Resources available: Ashley promotes her “Win With Paid Ads Challenge” and teases her team’s expertise and resources for those wanting personalized support (info in show notes/links).

High-Impact Timestamps

• [04:39] – Audience trust as the influencer’s unfair advantage
• [07:16] – Authentic ads vs. brand ads
• [09:05] – Alyssa’s success story with Amazon and paid ads
• [13:26] – Nut Pods case study: UGC & influencer content
• [16:33] – Amazon Attribution tracking explained
• [18:04] – Capitalizing on entire cart value and backend bonuses
• [21:35] – Using your blog to drive affiliate revenue and capture first-party data
• [24:37] – Growing your audience with targeted follower ads
• [28:34] – YouTube retargeting from Google Search
• [32:04] – The compound effect of influencer marketing and referrals
• [35:31] – Using data for bigger brand deals and negotiations
• [41:07] – Encouragement for long-term creators
• [43:48] – Track, test, scale: the growth process
• [45:11] – Signature call to action: “Go advertise your name, make it rain…”

Tone & Style Highlights

Ashley’s style is upbeat, no-nonsense, and motivational. She’s practical, encourages experimentation and precision, and consistently shares real-world stories to back her points. Even humor and off-the-cuff moments (“my laptop just face planted”) are kept in to blend authenticity and expertise.

For Listeners

Whether you’re a seasoned influencer, a content creator ready to grow beyond organic, or a business owner aiming to leverage paid ads for the first time, this episode offers a roadmap to help you unlock new levels of growth, revenue, and expertise using targeted paid advertising.

Key message:
You’ve already built trust and authority—paid ads just scale what’s already working. Start small, test, track, and be proud of the empire you’re building.