Conversation Domination: John Parkes Reveals the Strategies Behind Our $150M in Ad Spend | #Marketing - Ep. 91
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
Russell Brunson shares a tactical presentation from his Two Comma Club meeting featuring John Parks, who has profitably spent over $150 million in ads. Parks breaks down "conversation domination" - the strategy of showing up everywhere your dream customers look to become the only voice they see. The session focuses on Meta ads specifically, revealing the DWELL method for building converting audiences, proper campaign structures, and creative approaches that outperform polished content. (01:44)
- Core focus on the tactical side of paid advertising with Meta ads to achieve conversation domination and traffic success
Speakers
Russell Brunson
Russell Brunson is the founder of ClickFunnels and author of Expert Secrets. He hosts The Russell Brunson Show and leads Two Comma Club meetings for high-level coaching programs focused on sales funnel strategies and online marketing.
John Parks
John Parks runs the advertising division at ClickFunnels with over a decade of experience in ads and has profitably spent more than $150 million. He specializes in the art and science of Meta advertising and teaches advanced campaign strategies to high-level marketers.
Key Takeaways
Master the DWELL Audience Framework
John Parks introduces the DWELL method - Data, Website traffic, Engagement, Lookalike audiences, and Layered saved audiences - as the foundation for finding where your customers congregate. (04:49) This framework helps you systematically identify and target the most valuable audience segments rather than guessing. For example, data audiences include your existing customer lists uploaded to Meta, while engagement audiences focus on people who watched more than 10 seconds of your videos or saved your posts. The key is building multiple audience types and testing them strategically rather than relying on broad targeting from the start.
Be Picky with Your Targeting Until You Have Data
Parks emphasizes the critical importance of being selective with your audiences, especially for higher-priced products, using the Michelangelo analogy of removing marble until the David is revealed. (17:07) Instead of trying to reach everyone who might buy, focus on the core demographic most likely to purchase. For example, rather than targeting all women aged 22-60 for a homeschooling course, layer your targeting: women 27-42, with children, who follow homeschooling influencers. This approach prevents wasting budget on "maybes" and ensures your ad spend hits fertile ground.
Use Special Ops Awareness Campaigns for Hyper-Targeted Audiences
One of the most advanced tactics shared is using awareness/reach campaigns for special operations targeting of highly qualified audiences. (35:58) For example, after registering 1,800 people for a webinar through lead conversion campaigns, you can run a low-cost awareness campaign 24-36 hours before the event to remind registrants to show up. Set frequency caps of 2-3 impressions per day to avoid oversaturation. These campaigns typically cost only $20-40 total and can dramatically improve show-up rates compared to standard conversion campaigns.
Wait for 200-300 Sales Before Going Broad
Parks recommends accumulating 200-300 sales before transitioning to broader, AI-powered campaigns like Advantage Plus. (29:05) Until you reach this threshold, the algorithm doesn't have enough data to effectively find your ideal customers on its own. This means you should start with the picky, layered targeting approach and only "take the training wheels off" once you've provided enough conversion data for the AI to learn from. This prevents the expensive learning phase that comes from letting the algorithm figure out your audience from scratch.
Create Native, Casual Video Content
The most effective ad creative feels native to the platform - casual, authentic, and shot outside for visual depth. (44:30) Parks shows examples of successful ads featuring Catherine Jones and McCall Jones that look more like social media rants than polished advertisements. These videos were shot outside with natural lighting, included jump cuts from mistakes, and used the same successful hook: "I don't want to be dramatic about this, but I think I have to be dramatic." The key is making content that stops the scroll without looking overly produced.
Statistics & Facts
- John Parks has profitably spent over $150 million in advertising, establishing his credibility in the Meta ads space. (02:52)
- The current optimal lookalike audience percentages are 1% and 10%, which Parks notes are working really well "right now" but may change in the future. (15:05)
- Meta currently limits website-based audiences to 180 days, requiring advertisers to also upload customer data lists for longer-term buyer exclusions. (10:46)
