The Growth Hack

What happens when you fire your entire lead follow-up team... and hand the job to AI?

In this episode of The Growth Hack Podcast, host Marcus Slater—founder and CEO of AdCloud Agency and Slater Digital Group—shares the results of a bold 30-day experiment: letting AI take over 100% of lead follow-up across multiple locations. No human texts. No manual replies. Just automation from click to booked.

What you'll learn in this episod...

💥 Three funnels. 24 hours. One surprising winner. 💥

In this test-heavy episode of The Growth Hack, Marcus Slater (founder of AdCloud) and Marketing Director Mckenzie reveal what happened when they pitted three landing page styles against each other using the exact same offer, audience, and ad traffic.

Which one came out on top?

The ultra-simple, short-form, no-scroll funnel—beating the others by 32%, especially on mobile.

If you’ve b...

Everyone’s obsessed with “speed to lead”—instant replies, lightning-fast automation, zero human lag. But what if slowing down actually converts better?

In this episode, Marcus Slater, founder of AdCloud, breaks down a simple two-minute delay we added to AI follow-up across 20 studios—and the surprising results that came with it.

Spoiler: Faster isn’t always better. Especially if it feels like a robot.

🎯 What you’ll see in this episod...

When Low-Cost Leads Cost You More

Just because Meta says it’s working doesn’t mean it’s actually working.
In this episode of The Growth Hack Podcast, host Marcus Slater (founder of AdCloud and Slater Digital Group) breaks down what happens when your best-performing campaign on paper turns out to be your worst-performing one in reality. From cheap clicks to costly churn, we’re talking about lead quality vs. lead quantity—and...

Confidence isn’t just a feeling—it’s a leadership tool.

In this episode of The Growth Hack: Franchise Marketing Unleashed, host Marcus Slater, founder of AdCloud and Slater Digital Group, shares what it really takes to lead when you’re not totally sure of yourself. From faking it (strategically) to finding your voice, this episode is for the business owners who are still building belief—but still showing up anyway.

What you...

Cut Marketing, Kill Growth? Why Visibility Is NOT Optional

“If business is slow, marketing isn’t the problem—it’s the only solution.”
In this episode, Marcus Slater (Founder of AdCloud and Slater Digital Group) and Creative Director Mckenzie tackle one of the biggest mistakes franchise owners make when things get tight: cutting the marketing budget.

Spoiler alert: turning off the visibility faucet only makes things worse.<...

If I Owned Your Franchise, Here’s Exactly What I’d Do 

You’ve signed the lease, hung the “Coming Soon” sign—and now it’s game time.
 In this episode of The Growth Hack Podcast, Marcus Slater, founder of AdCloud and Slater Digital Group, answers the question he hears constantly: “What would YOU do if this was your franchise?”

No fluff. No theory. Just the exact marketing moves, sales systems, automations, and mindset Marcus would ...

Burned Out or Just Busy Doing the Wrong Stuff? 

You’re not broken—you might just be spending your time on all the wrong things.

In this episode of The Growth Hack Podcast, Marcus Slater (founder of AdCloud and Slater Digital Group) and Creative Director Mckenzie dig into the real reason so many entrepreneurs feel drained. Spoiler: it might not be burnout—it might be misaligned priorities, poor delegation, or holding onto tasks that s...

Build It and They Will Come? The BIGGEST Lie in Franchise Growth

You’ve opened your doors. You posted your ribbon cutting. You even lit up that neon "OPEN" sign like it was Times Square.
 And... crickets. 

In this episode, Marcus and McKenzie are tearing down the dangerous myth that launching a business automatically means customers will show up. (Spoiler: They won’t.)

Why does this matter? Because too many fra...

Should You Hire or Advertise? Here’s Why You Still Feel “Busy But Broke”

You’re booked, but somehow... not banking. 😅

If you’ve ever wondered whether your next move should be hiring more staff or fixing your marketing (or maybe just screaming into the void), this episode is your wake-up call.

Marcus and McKenzie are breaking down that awkward, murky middle zone where your calendar is full, your bank account i...

🎉 Your Grand Opening is NOT a Surprise Party: Why Pre-Launch Ads Are Non-Negotiable

In this episode, Marcus and McKenzie break down why waiting to market until you're open is the business equivalent of throwing a party and forgetting to send the invites. 🥴

Here’s the truth: “Coming soon” signs won’t fill your books. If you want a packed grand opening and a profitable first month, the work starts BEFORE you cut the ri...

The Franchise Playbook Won’t Save You: Why Local Growth Is On YOU

Spoiler alert: Corporate isn’t coming to rescue your slow sales.

In this episode of The Growth Hack: Franchise Marketing Unleashed, Marcus Slater (founder of AdCloud) and creative director Mckenzie rip the band-aid off a hard franchise truth: the HQ playbook might give you pretty posts and fancy logos, but it’s NOT a real growth strategy.

If you’re blindly pos...

Stop Posting. Start Profiting: Why Ads > Endless Content

Let’s be real—posting on social media every day is exhausting, and most of the time, it doesn’t move the needle. So the big question is: should you stop posting and just run ads?

In this episode of The Growth Hack: Franchise Marketing Unleashed, Marcus Slater (AdCloud founder and anti-Instagram influencer) and creative director Mckenzie tackle the big, bold truth: content wi...

Do You Really Need a Website? Or Is It Just Digital Clutter?

Your website might look great—but is it actually converting? Or is it just flexing pretty fonts and scaring off customers?

In this episode of The Growth Hack: Franchise Marketing Unleashed, Marcus Slater (Founder of AdCloud) and Mckenzie (Creative Director and landing page wizard) go full myth-busters on the “must-have website” mindset. Spoiler: that 20-page website with st...

In this episode of The Growth Hack Franchise Marketing Unleashed, host Marcus Slater and co-host Mckenzie dive into one of the biggest debates in franchise marketing:

Should you spend more on Google search ads or social media ads like Facebook and Instagram?

If you’ve ever wondered which platform gives the best ROI, how to structure your ad budget, or whether you need both—this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Bad Leads Aren’t Bad—You Just Gave Up Too Soon.

In this episode of The Growth Hack Franchise Marketing Unleashed, host Marcus Slater—founder and CEO of AdCloud Agency and Slater Digital Group—is joined by brand director Mckenzie to challenge a common marketing misconception: that a “bad lead” is a dead end.

Spoiler alert: It’s not. Most leads don’t convert because they’re not nurtured the right way—or long enough.

What you'll lea...

Marketing isn’t magic—it’s math.

In this episode of The Growth Hack Podcast, host Marcus Slater and Mckenzie, Brand Director at AdCloud, break down the metrics that matter when running ads and why tracking your marketing data is the key to real growth.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The biggest mistake businesses make when boosting posts
• How to track and analyze Facebook Ads performance (without wasting money)
• Why impressio...

Confidence isn’t just a trait—it’s a business strategy.

In this episode of The Growth Hack Podcast, host Marcus Slater—founder and CEO of AdCloud Agency and Slater Digital Group—dives into confidence hacks for entrepreneurs. Whether you're just starting out or scaling your business, how you present yourself and handle challenges can make or break your success.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to project confidence—...

Quit or commit? Every entrepreneur faces this crossroads.

In this episode of The Growth Hack Podcast, host Marcus Slater—founder and CEO of AdCloud Agency and Slater Digital Group—dives into how to know when it’s time to double down or move on. Whether you’re launching a business, scaling a brand, or running marketing campaigns, knowing when to pivot, persevere, or pull the plug is crucial for long-term success.

What you'll lear...