Think your Meta Ads are driving new customers? Think again.

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, James is joined by WHD’s Senior Paid Social Specialist, Thom Riley, to break down one of the most common issues we uncover when auditing ad accounts: budgets being quietly burned on existing customers instead of acquiring new ones.

We’ll walk through the strategies we use to reduce wasted spend, take back control of your targeting, and scale new customer acquisition profitably.

Here’s what we cover:
• How to properly exclude existing customers using Klaviyo and Shopify
• Why A+SC campaigns are often over-reporting performance
• Where to set audience rules inside Meta’s backend (and what to avoid)
• How to read the “New vs Existing Customer” breakdown in Ads Manager
• What to expect when shifting to cold audiences — and how to structure for success

If you’re serious about growing your customer base and scaling with Meta Ads, this is a must-watch.

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Want to stop wasting budget on warm traffic and finally scale cold acquisition?
WHD builds paid social strategies that drive real growth — not just inflated ROAS.
Visit https://whd.au to talk strategy.

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Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD
Guest: Thom Riley – Senior Paid Social Specialist at WHD

If you’re not checking your negative keywords regularly, your Google Ads campaigns are leaking budget — fast.

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, James is joined by WHD’s Google Ads Specialist, Tia Scott, to break down the exact negative keyword process we follow to clean up traffic, improve conversion rates, and get more out of every dollar spent on Google Ads.

We’re not talking theory — this is the day-to-day work that actually drives better results.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Why most accounts waste budget on irrelevant or low-intent searches

How to properly structure your negative keyword lists

What to look for in your search query reports

Why match type matters when negating terms

The weekly process we follow to maintain high-quality traffic

Negative keyword work might sound boring, but it’s one of the highest-impact things you can do inside an ad account — especially when you’ve just taken one over or are starting fresh.

Tired of irrelevant clicks and wasted ad spend?
WHD helps ambitious brands run high-performance Google Ads campaigns that convert.
Visit https://whd.au to talk strategy.

Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD
Guest: Tia Scott – Google Ads Specialist at WHD

Thinking about using content creators to boost your brand’s reach and credibility?

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, WHD’s Social Media Coordinator, Miller Kerta, joins James to unpack how brands can source, brief, and manage creators to get high-performing content — without inflated costs or overhyped influencer deals.

Whether you’re running paid ads or building your organic presence, this episode will show you how to do creator partnerships the right way.

Here’s what we cover:
• The difference between creators, influencers and ambassadors (and why it matters)
• How to find aligned creators that actually convert
• What to include in your outreach to get responses from high-quality talent
• The contract terms you must include to protect your brand
• How we manage creators to ensure content gets delivered on time, on brief, and on budget

Tactical advice. Real examples. Proven processes that work.

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Want help building a scalable content creator strategy?
WHD manages creator sourcing, outreach and content delivery end-to-end — so your brand gets creator content that actually performs.
Visit https://whd.au to learn more.

Your TikTok content isn’t getting the reach you expected — and you’re not alone.

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, WHD’s Organic Social Media Coordinator Emma Swan joins James to break down what’s really working on TikTok right now — and why most brands are still getting it wrong.

You’ll learn:

• Why deleting low-performing videos could be hurting your reach

• How to use trends the right way (without chasing empty views)

• What TikTok looks for in native content

• Why video perfection is overrated

• How to build trust and visibility through employee-generated content

• And whether scheduling tools are killing your engagement

Whether you’re running a personal brand, an eCom store, or service-based business — if you’re trying to grow on TikTok in 2025, this episode is packed with the strategy, insights, and real-world examples you need to move the needle.

No fluff. No vague tips. Just practical advice from the team who’s been scaling TikTok results for clients (and for WHD) from the inside.

👉 Ready to grow with content that converts? Visit https://whd.au

Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD

Guest: Emma Swan – Organic Social Media Coordinator at WHD

Want to get hired in digital marketing? This episode breaks down exactly what stands out — and what gets ignored.

We’re joined by Lauren Macdougall, General Manager at WHD and the person behind most of our hiring decisions. She shares real-world insights into how applicants get noticed (and why most don’t), especially for creative, sales, and social roles.

Here’s what we cover:
•Why a well-written, tailored application matters more than AI perfection
•How to stand out in a sea of resumes (hint: almost no one sends a video)
•The biggest mistakes applicants are still making in 2025
•What to include in your portfolio if you’re entry-level
•Why custom TikToks and real effort get you interviews

Whether you’re applying for your first job in marketing or trying to break into a better agency — this episode is packed with practical tips you can act on today.

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Looking for a career in digital?
We’re always on the lookout for driven creatives and marketers.
See open roles at https://whd.au

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Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD
Guest: Lauren Macdougall – General Manager at WHD

Google shut down our Merchant Center — no warning, no real reason, no appeal.

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, James and WHD’s Senior Google Ads Specialist Brent Neale unpack what actually happened, what Google’s crackdown on AI content means for advertisers, and what every eCommerce business needs to be aware of before uploading AI-generated product images.

This isn’t just about one account. With ad suspensions up over 300% in the last year, the rules are changing — and Google’s not explaining why.

We cover:
• Why our Google Merchant Center was permanently suspended
• How Google is handling AI content — and the double standards in their policy
• What “misrepresentation” actually means (and why it’s so vague)
• Why good advertisers are getting punished while spammy ones slip through
• What this shift means for CPCs, display ad quality, and future competition

If you’re running eCommerce or using AI in your content, watch this before you launch your next campaign.

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Need help navigating Google Ads policy changes?
WHD helps eCommerce brands avoid ad account issues and build scalable campaigns.
Visit https://whd.au to talk.

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Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD
Guest: Brent Neale – Senior Google Ads Specialist at WHD

What’s working in paid social media right now?

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, WHD’s Head of Paid Social Strategy, Steph McGrath, joins James to break down the strategies that are driving performance across lead gen and eCommerce accounts — from high-quality lead forms to AI-powered Advantage+ Shopping campaigns.

Whether you’re running ads for your own business or managing campaigns for clients, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

Here’s what we cover:

• The lead form updates that are improving both quality and volume

• How to use custom questions and conditional logic to pre-qualify leads

• Why we’re using lead forms over landing pages in many accounts

• How AI-driven Advantage+ Shopping campaigns are outperforming traditional setups

• What to watch for when rolling these strategies out (and what not to do)

Smart strategy. Better performance. Practical tips you can use today.

Need help getting more from your paid social campaigns?

WHD helps ambitious brands scale with performance-driven Meta Ads that convert.

Visit https://whd.au to learn more.

Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD

Guest: Steph McGrath – Head of Paid Social Strategy at WHD

If you’re still relying on platform-reported ROAS to measure your marketing success, you’re missing the bigger picture.

In this episode of What’s Hot in Digital, WHD’s Marketing Director Lana Hill joins James to unpack how businesses should actually be measuring marketing performance — and why most agency reports aren’t telling the full story.

We break down MER (Marketing Efficiency Ratio), the hidden cost of siloed data, and how to understand true return on investment across multiple channels — especially when you’re scaling or testing top-of-funnel strategies.

Here’s what we cover:

• What MER is and why it matters

• The problem with relying on individual platform ROAS

• How to factor in platform costs, agency fees and true profitability

• Why brand campaigns (like BVOD or TikTok) often look like a loss — but drive growth

• The real metrics smart marketers track before scaling

Don’t let vanity metrics drive your decisions. This is how to get clear on what’s actually working.

Want marketing you can confidently scale?

WHD helps ambitious brands track, optimise and grow through performance-first marketing.

Visit https://whd.au to talk.

Hosted by James Walker – Managing Director at WHD

Guest: Lana Hill – Marketing Director at WHD