Joe Putnam is the founder of Conversion Engine, Conversion Engine is an eCommerce performance marketing agency that has helped Shopify stores scale from six figures to eight figures in as little as 12 months. With a background in direct-response copywriting and growth strategy, Joe specializes in crafting Meta ads, Google campaigns, and retention strategies that actually convert. He’s helped brands like Bogey Bros, No Rivals, Salt Mafia, and Back Down South Clothing Co unlock rapid growth, including scaling one store from $650k to $10M in a single year.
Joe is passionate about demystifying marketing for entrepreneurs, sharing frameworks and real case studies that help brands build sustainable growth instead of chasing quick wins.
When he’s not helping brands scale, you’ll find him training for triathlons, exploring the outdoors, or investing in the next wave of business growth opportunities.
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> Here’s a glimpse of what you would learn….
- Strategies for scaling e-commerce businesses from six to eight figures.
- The importance of bold branding that takes risks and appeals to ideal customers.
- Insights on the evolving landscape of Meta (Facebook) advertising and its impact on ad performance.
- The significance of creative diversity in ad campaigns, especially after Meta's Andromeda update.
- The necessity of understanding financial metrics, such as breakeven ROAS and contribution margins, for informed scaling decisions.
- The role of emotional storytelling in advertising and its effect on consumer purchasing behavior.
- The integration of AI tools in marketing processes and the importance of human oversight in utilizing AI-generated content.
- The need for brands to establish a clear growth strategy and a strong brand identity.
- The value of retention marketing and creating cohesive customer experiences for long-term loyalty.
- Case studies illustrating successful scaling strategies and the importance of data-driven insights in marketing.
In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley interviews Joe Putnam, founder of Conversion Engine, about scaling Shopify brands from six to eight figures. Joe shares advanced strategies for e-commerce growth, including bold branding, creative diversity in Meta ads, and leveraging AI for customer insights. He emphasizes the importance of emotional storytelling, data-driven decision-making, and retention marketing. The discussion features actionable advice, real-world case studies, and tools for understanding customer psychology, offering listeners a practical roadmap to achieve rapid and sustainable e-commerce growth.
Here are the 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:
- Choose Your Growth Strategy Early
Decide whether you’ll prioritize aggressive growth (even at lower margins) or profitable customer acquisition from day one. You can’t do both—pick one strategy and track your numbers closely. - Take a Clear, Polarizing Brand Stand
Define the “hill you’re willing to die on.” Stand firmly for a specific belief or value so your brand resonates emotionally and your ad creative doesn’t try to appeal to everyone. - Focus on Retention, Not Just Acquisition
Build a real brand by creating repeat customer experiences across multiple products. The goal is to deepen trust and increase lifetime value—not just drive one-time sales.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Branding That Stands Out
Joe discusses the importance of bold branding, taking risks, and not trying to please everyone.
00:00:18 Podcast Introduction & Guest Background
Introduction to the Ecom Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley, and guest Joe Putnam’s credentials.
00:00:32 Scaling Shopify Brands: The Mission
Josh shares his journey and introduces Joe’s expertise in scaling Shopify stores from six to eight figures.
00:01:57 Welcome & Episode Focus
Joe is welcomed; the episode’s focus on strategies for seven-figure e-commerce sellers is introduced.
00:02:25 Meta Ad Creative & 2026 Trends
Joe highlights the importance of ad creative for Meta campaigns and adapting to recent changes.
00:03:07 Meta’s Andromeda Update & Creative Diversity
Discussion of Meta’s Andromeda update and the need for diverse ad creatives and angles.
00:04:41 Implementing Creative Diversity
Joe explains how his agency researches and implements diverse ad angles to target different buyer personas.
00:05:35 Stitch Fix Example: Ad Angles in Practice
Joe uses Stitch Fix to illustrate the power of multiple creative angles in ad campaigns.
00:08:34 Case Study: Scaling a Six-Figure Brand
Josh asks about rapid growth case studies; Joe details how a six-figure brand scaled to eight figures in 12 months.
00:11:58 Profitability & Retention Strategies
Discussion on front-end profitability, launching email/SMS, and the impact of retention marketing.
00:12:46 Scaling Ad Spend & Knowing Your Numbers
Challenges of scaling ad spend, understanding total addressable market, and the importance of knowing financial metrics.
00:16:13 Creative Strategy for Scaling
Joe explains the importance of strategic, research-driven creative rather than just increasing ad volume.
00:17:09 Lightning Rod Strategy & Viral Products
Joe describes using controversial products to drive engagement and lower ad costs.
00:19:17 Consumer Psychology & Emotional Storytelling
The importance of understanding customer psychographics and emotional storytelling in ad strategy.
00:21:30 Brand DNA & Emotional Messaging
Joe discusses brand DNA research and customer sentiment analysis to create emotionally resonant ads.
00:22:20 Case Study: Country Lifestyle Brand
A case study on using emotional storytelling to scale a country lifestyle brand rapidly.
00:24:29 Branding, Trust, and Competing on Amazon
Josh and Joe discuss building brand trust to compete against overseas knockoffs, especially on Amazon.
00:27:56 Emotional Connection & Customer Insights
The role of emotional connection in branding and tools for understanding customer psychographics.
00:28:24 Customer Sentiment Analysis Process
Joe outlines his process for analyzing customer reviews and Reddit posts to inform ad angles and messaging.
00:29:38 Selling Through Ads & Copywriting
The importance of ads that sell, matching copy length to product complexity, and leveraging emotional triggers.
00:31:49 AI in Marketing & Copywriting
Discussion on how Joe’s agency uses AI (ChatGPT, Claude) for sentiment analysis, copywriting, and process optimization.
00:35:30 AI Best Practices & Data Integration
Josh and Joe discuss the importance of feeding AI accurate data and integrating it with business metrics.
00:36:25 Three Actionable Takeaways
Josh summarizes three key takeaways: strategy selection, having a brand “hill to die on,” and building retention-focused brands.
00:39:33 Bonus Takeaway: Customer-Driven Creative
Joe adds the importance of basing creative decisions on real customer insights and research.
00:40:06 Rapid-Fire Questions: Book, AI Tool, Influencers
Joe shares his most influential book, favorite AI tool, and under-the-radar e-commerce experts to follow.
00:43:22 Where to Connect with Joe Putnam
Joe shares where listeners can find him online and learn more about Conversion Engine.
00:43:48 Podcast Closing
Podcast outro and call to subscribe and leave a revi...
