What's Really Going On with Your Digital Ads (and How to Fix It) | Matt Robinson, Director of Advertising and Analytics

If your digital ads feel broken, it is because they are. This episode is a live recording from Localist Lab, the free monthly marketing event series for small business owners in Birmingham. Matt Robinson, Director of Advertising and Analytics at Uptick Marketing, takes the stage to walk a live audience through what has actually changed with Google Ads and Meta Ads in 2026, and what to do about it. Matt oversees digital advertising at Uptick Marketing and also serves as President of AMA Birmingham. Matt breaks down why you may be spending the same amount and getting less. Why cheaper cost per click is not the win it used to be. Why the platforms now treat your website as a data source just as much as your ads. What AI Max, Performance Max and Advantage Plus are actually doing on the back end, and why bad website content will burn your ad budget on them. He walks through what kinds of Facebook ads the platform is actually rewarding right now (us versus them, face to camera, product demos, testimonials, web experience, positioning tests, founder story), and why the answer is 20 plus ads a month, not a single perfect one. The second half covers tracking and AI-generated advice. Why tracking is broken and getting worse. Why to think directionally, not in exact dollar amounts. Why cutting your budget is the wrong reaction to rising costs. And why AI advice from Claude or ChatGPT can lead you off a cliff if you do not tell it your budget, your goals, what has worked and what has not, and demand it push back. If you run digital ads for your small business, this is a practical field guide. _______________________________________   Mentioned in This Episode    •       Uptick Marketing •       Infomedia •       Tempo Websites •       AMA Birmingham •       Google Ads •       Meta Ads •       Claude •       ChatGPT •       Google Gemini •       Uncle G's Pizza episode of The Localist •       Lady Bird Taco Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia. They are a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company. They help small businesses grow online. •       Contact Infomedia    Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is a free event series for small business owners. It meets on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Free tacos and coffee too. •       See upcoming events and register   Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Want more small business tips from Carrie? Sign up for her newsletter. •       Sign up here