Blog - Mervyn Chua

Sleep Like a Pro: Why I Ditched TikTok at Bedtime and Outslept My Wife

Tired of waking up groggy despite 8 hours of sleep? This personal experiment reveals how cutting screen time before bed dramatically boosts sleep quality, recovery, and performance. Learn the science behind blue light, circadian rhythm disruption, and actionable tips to reclaim your rest.

I’d be honest. I used to fall asleep with the iPad still playing Netflix (sometimes on my face 😅). Or worse, doomscrolling on Instagram or TikTok in the dark, only to realise I was an hour past my intended bedtime. Sounds familiar?

It became a nightly ritual that quietly wrecked my sleep. I’d clock in a decent 7–8 hours, yet still wake up groggy, foggy, and feeling like I’d been run over by a truck. As someone who’s into performance marketing by day and fitness by passion, this wasn’t just annoying, it was slowing down my gains, both mental and physical.

So, I ran a true A/B test. I made one small change: no screens 1 hour before bed. Swapped TikTok for light stretching, journaling, or an old-school paperback. And guess what? My sleep quality improved almost immediately.

Meanwhile, my wife (bless her), continues her midnight TikTok escapades and consistently gets lower sleep scores on her Ultrahuman ring. I rest my case (on a blue-light-free pillow).

In this post, I’ll break down how blue light messes with our natural sleep cycles, why that matters more than you think, and how you can reclaim your rest to boost recovery, brainpower, and overall performance.

🔦 The Silent Disruptor: How Blue Light Hijacks Our Sleep

Let’s break it down: blue light isn’t evil, it’s just misunderstood. 👀

What is blue light, really?

Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. In nature, it comes from the sun and plays a vital role in helping us stay alert and energised during the day. That’s why sunlight exposure in the morning is actually good for us.

But here’s the twist: when artificial blue light, like the kind from our phones, tablets, laptops, and LED lights, floods our eyes at night, our brains get confused. They think it’s still daytime.

How it messes with your body clock

Blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that signals your body it’s time to sleep. According to Harvard Health, exposure to blue light can delay melatonin release by up to 3 hours. That’s three episodes deeper into Netflix than you should’ve been. 😅

This disruption throws off your circadian rhythm, pushing your natural sleep-wake cycle out of sync. The result? You take longer to fall asleep, lose precious REM sleep (the deep, dreamy kind), and wake up feeling more zombie than Zen.

The downstream effects: Metabolic & mental chaos

Let’s talk impact. Chronic exposure to blue light before bedtime can:

Raise the risk of insulin resistance and weight gain
Affect memory consolidation and mental clarity
Lead to mood swings, irritability, and brain fog

According to the NIH and this insightful LinkedIn article, poor sleep is one of the most overlooked threats to our metabolic and cognitive health. That’s not just bad for your body, it’s a performance killer.

💪 Why Quality Sleep Is the Ultimate Performance Booster

You can chug all the coffee you want but nothing replaces real, restorative sleep. Here’s what you’re missing out on when your nights are wrecked:

The science-backed benefits of good sleep:

Sharper memory & learning: During deep sleep, your brain consolidates new information and neural connections. NIH confirms it.
Muscle recovery & hormone regulation: Growth hormone is secreted mostly during deep sleep. Sleep also supports testosterone production—both key for muscle gains and fat loss. Here’s a breakdown.
Emotional balance & better decision-making: Sleep-deprived brains are impulsive and more reactive. Not ideal when you’re leading a team, making ad decisions, or trying to resist a late-night prata craving. 😅

Sleep = High Performance

When you sleep better, everything gets better:

You show up sharper in meetings
You push harder in workouts
You think faster, react smarter, and feel more resilient

I like to think of sleep as compound interest for the brain and body. One good night may not make you superhuman. Stack enough of them, and you’ll see exponential ROI on energy, clarity, and recovery.

🛏️ Real-World Habits to Cut Out Blue Light & Reclaim Your Rest

Okay, now that we know what blue light does, let’s talk solutions. You don’t need to become a monk, just tweak a few habits:

1. Power down screens 1 hour before bed

This was the game-changer for me. I now swap screen time for stretching, journaling, or a physical book. (Currently reading The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins 📘 which I highly recommend.)

2. Get natural sunlight during the day

Morning walks = melatonin magic later at night. If you need more science, I dive into this habit in this post. 🌅

3. Consider blue light blocking glasses

I haven’t committed yet but OwnDays and Lenskart have affordable options that filter out the worst of it. Stylish, too. 😎

4. Activate Night Shift Mode or f.lux

These apps adjust your screen’s color temperature to a warmer tone at night. Bonus points for switching to warm ambient lighting or salt lamps.

5. Build a wind-down ritual

Set a bedtime. Add calming music, lavender essential oil, or a quick meditation. Think of it as your personal shutdown sequence. Less tech, more zen.

🌙 Final Thoughts: A Challenge for the Scroll-Happy Skeptics

Let’s be real, you don’t need a sleep tracker to tell you you’re tired. 😴 If you’re waking up groggy, struggling to focus, or feeling like your brain’s running on 3G while the world’s on 5G, something’s off. And more often than not, it’s your bedtime screen habits messing with your body’s natural recovery process.

So here’s a simple, no-app-required challenge:

Cut out screens at least 1 hour before bed for the next 7 nights.

Use that time to stretch, read, journal, or just breathe. And yes, journal the difference. Notice your mood, your energy, your workouts, your focus. You might just unlock your most productive and rested self yet.

Because here’s the truth:

📱 We’re letting tiny glowing rectangles hijack our hormones, energy, and mental clarity.

And for what? One more meme? One more scroll?

Let’s stop letting TikTok steal our sleep.

Your body, brain, and future self will thank you. 💪🛌✨

From Tariffs to Teamwork: How Global Trade Teaches Us to Break Down Silos and Grow Together

Inspired by Lee Hsien Loong’s remarks on U.S. tariffs, this article draws parallels between global trade dynamics and workplace collaboration. Discover how businesses can shift from siloed KPIs to cross-functional teamwork to drive sustainable growth.

Last night, as I listened to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s remarks on the recent U.S. tariffs, something clicked. As someone who has spent my career in growth and performance marketing, with roots in finance and analytics, I couldn’t help but reflect on the parallels between international trade dynamics and the inner workings of today’s companies. 🌏➡️🏢

In his speech, SM Lee highlighted the United States’ shift from a cooperative multilateral trade system to a more unilateral “America First” approach. He pointed out how the foundational principle of the World Trade Organization — Most Favoured Nation (MFN) treatment, which ensures all countries are given equal trading terms, is being increasingly replaced by the U.S.’s push for “reciprocal tariffs.” In short, it’s a tilt from a win-win collaboration to a zero-sum mindset, where power dictates terms and size trumps fairness.

That got me thinking: this same dynamic often plays out within organizations.

Just as nations face challenges when dominant players prioritize self-interest over cooperation, companies can suffer when individual departments chase their own KPIs at the expense of shared success. The pursuit of isolated wins may boost short-term metrics, but it can also erode long-term growth. In contrast, cross-functional collaboration, much like healthy trade partnerships, creates leverage, unlocks synergies, and drives sustainable performance. 📈

In this article, let’s explore what businesses can learn from global trade diplomacy and why shifting from “me first” to “team first” might just be the growth strategy your organization needs.

1. The Shift in Global Trade Dynamics 🌍

a. Traditional Global Trade System: Leveling the Playing Field

For decades, the backbone of international trade has been the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle — a rule that ensures countries treat all trading partners equally. Under this system, if one country offers lower tariffs to another, it must extend the same terms to all other WTO members. This has helped even the smallest nations compete on a fair playing field, empowering global trade to become more open, predictable, and inclusive.

In a recent Ministerial Statement by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, he reinforced that such multilateral frameworks have helped countries like Singapore thrive despite our size, fostering a stable, rules-based global economy that encourages mutual growth.

b. The Rise of ‘America First’: Power Over Principles

But that balance is shifting. The current U.S. administration has adopted a more transactional approach, favoring “reciprocal tariffs” over multilateral agreements. Instead of playing by established global norms, the U.S. now seeks to leverage its economic might to negotiate bilateral deals that favor its own interests, even if it means bending or breaking the existing rules.

As SM Lee Hsien Loong candidly observed, this strategy disrupts the global order. It’s no longer about fairness, it’s about who holds the bigger stick. And for smaller nations like us in Singapore, this creates vulnerabilities. Our economic model depends on open access and fair competition. A shift away from multilateralism could undermine not just Singapore’s competitiveness but global economic stability.

2. Organisational Parallel: Departmental Silos vs. Cross-Functional Collaboration 🏢

a. Siloed Departments: The Internal ‘Tariff War’

Much like nations, departments within companies often operate in silos — marketing, product, finance, and ops, each with their own priorities and KPIs. These internal borders may not be guarded by tariffs, but they’re just as obstructive.

For instance, a performance marketing team might be laser-focused on ROAS, while the product team prioritizes shipping features quickly, and finance scrutinizes every budget request. The result? Misalignment, duplicated efforts, internal competition, and friction over shared resources.

b. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Unlocking Synergies

Now imagine a scenario where marketing, product, and data teams come together with shared OKRs to improve customer LTV. Instead of finger-pointing, there’s open dialogue, data sharing, and joint ownership of results.

🔹 Example: Apple’s iPhone Development: Cross-functional teams of hardware, software, and design worked closely under “Project Purple,” with even engineers leading marketing efforts, resulting in the launch of one of the most iconic growth-driving products in tech history.

🔹 Example: IKEA’s Sustainability Mission: Diverse teams from across the business, including franchisees and corporate, collaborated through a Strategic Sustainability Council to achieve shared goals like 100% LED lighting and sustainably sourced cotton, powering IKEA’s long-term growth through purpose-driven innovation.

When departments collaborate, innovation accelerates, efficiency increases, and employee morale rises. Just like countries in a cooperative trade agreement, everyone wins.

3. The Pitfalls of a Win-Lose Mentality ⚔️

a. In Global Trade: Short-Term Wins, Long-Term Pain

The U.S.’s “America First” stance may offer short-term gains like better trade balances or domestic political wins. But the long-term risks are mounting: trade retaliation, loss of trust, supply chain disruptions, and a weakened multilateral system that once guaranteed stability.

History has shown that trade wars rarely have winners. The 1930s Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act worsened the Great Depression. In today’s hyperconnected world, unilateralism is even more dangerous.

b. In Organisations: Hidden Costs of KPI Turf Wars

The same applies internally. When departments chase siloed KPIs, it may look good on paper until the company stagnates. You see:

Product launches that miss the mark because marketing wasn’t looped in early.
Inefficient media spend because data insights aren’t shared across teams.
Burned-out teams working at cross-purposes and duplicating work.

Worse, it breeds a scarcity mindset — hoarding insights, resisting feedback, and eroding company culture.

4. Embracing a Win-Win Approach for Sustainable Growth 🚀

a. Strategies for Organisations:

Let’s shift the game from “my department wins” to “the company wins.” Here’s how:

✅ Integrated KPIs: Set shared goals across marketing, product, sales, and ops — like revenue per user or net promoter score.
🔁 Regular Cross-Team Syncs: Encourage functional teams to meet, align, and adapt plans in real time.
💬 Leadership-Led Culture: Senior leaders must reward collaborative behavior, not just individual performance.

b. Lessons from Global Trade:

Just as Singapore thrives in a fair, multilateral system, organizations grow stronger when every team is empowered to contribute and collaborate.
Diversity of thought, like diversity of nations, creates stronger outcomes. Each department brings unique strengths, and when you blend them, you get exponential returns.

Final Thoughts: From Trade Wars to Team Wins

In both geopolitics and business, the difference between stagnation and sustainable success often comes down to mindset. As we’ve seen from the recent shift in global trade with the U.S. leaning into an “America First” strategy — prioritizing self-interest over collective progress can destabilize even the most established systems. The same is true within organizations: when departments operate in silos, chasing only their own KPIs, they may win battles, but risk losing the war for long-term growth.

Whether it’s the MFN principle in global trade or integrated KPIs in a business, the goal should be the same, which is to create structures where everyone has a fair shot at success and where progress is shared, not siloed. Because here’s the truth:

💡 Growth isn’t a tug-of-war. It’s a team sport.

So here’s your call to action: Take a hard look at how your teams work today. Are your departments building bridges or walls? Are KPIs aligned, or are they breeding internal competition? As leaders and collaborators, we have the power — and responsibility — to shift from a win-lose to a win-win mindset.

🌱 Let’s stop pulling in different directions and start growing together.

Keep It Simple, Marketer: How to Evaluate Martech Tools Like an Investor

Discover a simple, profit-focused framework for evaluating martech tools like an investor. Learn how to cut through the noise, avoid shiny object syndrome, and make smarter marketing decisions that drive real business impact.

So this happened to me earlier this week at the MarTech Summit in Singapore… I had more than a few conversations that ended with the same question: “Is this tool really worth the investment?” 🤔

I’ll be honest. Being surrounded by some of the brightest marketers, coolest demos, and the latest marketing tech was super energizing. There’s a real buzz that comes from swapping ideas, learning about new platforms, and imagining the possibilities. ⚡ But that same buzz can quickly morph into overwhelm when you’re faced with a dizzying lineup of dashboards, AI-powered features, and bold promises that this is the tool that will change your life (and pipeline).

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

In a sea of tools, demos, and jargon-filled pitches, how do you actually cut through the noise and decide whether to pull the trigger on a new martech investment?

Here’s a radical idea: Keep. It. Simple. 💡 Strip away the vanity metrics, the shiny features, and the FOMO. Because at the end of the day, if a tool doesn’t help your business make more profit — by increasing revenue or reducing costs — then it’s probably not worth your time (or budget). 📉💸

Let’s dive into how to make smarter, simpler, and more business-driven decisions when evaluating your next martech investment.

Why Marketers Overcomplicate ROI 🤯

Let’s face it. Marketers are notorious for falling in love with shiny new tools. It’s easy to get swept up by sleek demos, AI-powered this, machine-learning that, and dashboards that look like they belong on the Starship Enterprise. 🛸

But here’s the thing:

🔧 Features Over Functions

We often focus on what a tool can do rather than what it should do for our business. That leads to complexity over clarity and, ultimately, clutter in your stack.

📊 Too Many Metrics, Not Enough Meaning

With every tool claiming to give you “data-driven insights,” we end up swimming in KPIs but still struggle to make decisions that move the needle.

🧠 Analysis Paralysis

You’ve got dashboards for days but no clear next step. Sound familiar? When you try to track everything, you end up understanding nothing.

✅ The Shift Needed

It’s time to stop asking, “Is this tool cool?” and start asking, “What’s the business impact?” The real question is: Does it move us closer to profit?

The KISS Framework for Martech Justification 💡

“Keep It Simple, Stupid (but Smart).” 😄

Let’s bring it back to the one question that really matters:

👉 Will this tool drive profit?

Everything else is noise. Strip away the fluff and focus on the two simple levers that drive profit: Revenue Growth and Cost Reduction.

💰 Revenue Growth

Invest in tools that earn their keep by helping you sell more or sell better:

Improve conversion rates: CRO tools, smarter funnels, or better lead scoring.
Enhance personalisation: More relevant emails or platform experiences = more engagement = more sales.
Boost retention: Loyalty platforms and CRM systems that drive repeat purchases = higher LTV.

💸 Cost Reduction

Save time, cut waste, and do more with less:

Automation: Think email workflows, content AI, and smart scheduling.
Reallocate manual effort: Free your team from grunt work so they can focus on strategy.
Better targeting: Stop burning ad dollars. Smarter targeting = less waste, more ROI.

A Finance-Informed Lens on Martech Investment 📊

Here’s where my background in finance and asset management comes in handy. Let’s take a step back and think like an investor.

🧮 Net Present Value (NPV) for Marketing Tools

Every martech tool is a business investment. And every good investor asks:

“Will the return outweigh the cost and is it better than using that money elsewhere?”

Break it down like this:

Upfront Cost: Licenses, integrations, onboarding, training. 💵
Benefits Over Time: Either in revenue gains or cost savings over 12 months (a typical contract period).
Opportunity Cost: What else could you do with that money?

So the mental model becomes:

“Will this tool deliver more value than its cost over a 12-month horizon?”

Even if you don’t build a full spreadsheet model, this mindset helps you make smarter, more grounded decisions.

Simple NPV Breakdown:

🧾 Initial Cost = license + internal hours for implementation
📈 Forecasted Impact = estimated uplift in conversions or time saved
🔁 Discount Rate = your company’s risk appetite or benchmark ROI

No buzzwords. Just business thinking.

How to Build a Simple Business Case Without Drowning in Data 🛠️

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a spreadsheet wizard to justify a tool. Just follow this simple, no-fluff approach:

1. Start with a Hypothesis

“If we implement this tool, we expect a 10% increase in lead conversion.”

2. Estimate the Dollar Impact

10% more leads converted × average revenue per lead = projected revenue gain

3. Add the Estimated Cost

Subscription fee + implementation hours (people x time)

4. Consider the Time to Impact

Will results show up in weeks or months? How fast can we get to value?

5. Align with Stakeholders

Finance and leadership don’t care about CTRs or impressions. They want to know if this makes or saves money. Talk in business terms and not just marketing jargon.

🚀 Final Thoughts: Be the Bridge Between Marketing & Business

At the end of the day, marketing isn’t just about crafting clever campaigns or plugging in the latest tools. It’s not just creative, and it’s not just technical — it’s a growth engine. 💡

And the most effective performance marketers? They think like investors. 📊 They know that every tool, every tactic, and every touchpoint needs to serve a higher purpose: profit.

When you lead with simplicity, profit-focused thinking, and business clarity, something powerful happens:

👉 You stop chasing shiny objects.

👉 You start making confident, data-informed decisions.

👉 And most importantly, you become a true strategic partner to the business. And not just the person who runs the ads or manages the tech stack.

So here’s your next move:

💬 If you’re currently evaluating a martech tool or stuck in one that isn’t performing, ask yourself: What’s the impact on profit?

If you can’t answer that clearly, maybe it’s time to go back to basics. Strip away the noise, follow the numbers, and focus on what actually moves the needle.

Because sometimes, the smartest strategy is the simplest one. 💥

Want more content like this? Follow along as I break down growth marketing with a business-first mindset — minus the fluff and with a healthy dose of real-world strategy. 👊

Are You Seeing Miracles or Just Missed Metrics?

Discover how a mindset shift inspired by Einstein’s quote can transform your approach to setbacks, growth marketing, and performance metrics. Learn to see challenges as opportunities—and even miracles.

Truth is… It’s easy to become jaded when you’re neck-deep in dashboards, campaign reports, and feedback loops that sound more like criticism than coaching, it’s natural to focus on what’s not working. The ad that flopped, or the conversion that didn’t happen.

In performance marketing (and in life) it’s easy to get trapped in the “nothing’s working” loop.

But what if the problem isn’t the problem? What if the problem is how we see the problem?

Sometimes the difference between burnout and breakthrough is a mindset shift: choosing to view even setbacks as learning opportunities… or dare I say it, miracles in disguise. 🧠💡

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

— Albert Einstein (aka the original growth hacker)

💼 From Chasing Perfection to Celebrating Progress

Here’s the thing: perfection is a trapdoor.

What if we stopped treating every failed campaign like a failure… and started treating it like data? Like a signpost? Like a slightly annoying, but incredibly honest friend who just told us what doesn’t convert?

Split-test mindset, meet life:

There are two ways to live:

As if your test failed.

As if you just discovered what doesn’t work, and now you’re smarter for it.

🧭 What If This Is the Miracle?

What if the underperforming campaign is pointing you to your breakthrough strategy?

What if the client pushback is training you to communicate with more clarity and confidence?

What if the delay, the detour, the U-turn… is the reason you avoid something worse?

We miss a lot of good things by only looking for perfect ones. The growth mindset isn’t just about being open to feedback. It’s about being open to the idea that what’s happening right now, even if it’s frustrating, is part of something valuable. Something miraculous.

Even if it doesn’t come with a 6x ROAS.

🧠 Your Turn

Pause for a second. Take a breath.

Now ask yourself:

🔹 What’s one recent “setback” that might actually be a miracle in disguise?

🔹 Where could you reframe failure as feedback or as a next step forward?

Because yes, you can live like nothing is a miracle. But that sounds… exhausting and sad.

I’d rather live like everything is (even the messy bits).

How about you? 👇

Drop your thoughts. I’d love to hear your story.

The Algorithm Is the Audience: How Social Search Is Rewiring Discovery, Desire, and Decision-Making

Social search is transforming how Gen Z discovers and decides. Learn why traditional SEO isn’t enough, and how marketers can optimize for TikTok, Instagram, and beyond in this deep-dive into the future of search.

I used to search with intent. I’d open Google, type a specific question, and sift through a buffet of blue links, carefully choosing what felt the most credible or relevant. There was structure. A sense of control. I knew what I was looking for, and I trusted that the answers were buried somewhere in those ten little links.

But these days? I don’t really search. I scroll.

I’m not asking questions. I’m being shown answers. The algorithm decides what I see before I even know I want it. And what shows up isn’t shaped by what I’m looking for. It’s shaped by who I am, or at least who the algorithm thinks I am.

Welcome to the rise of social search, where discovery is ambient, content is the answer, and Gen Z finds dinner, skincare, career advice, and emotional validation all in one single vertical feed.

And this isn’t just a personal shift, it’s a generational one.

📊 Recent studies show that nearly 46% of Gen Z (and 35% of millennials) now prefer searching on social media platforms over traditional search engines. In fact, Gen Z uses Google 25% less than Gen X.

Almost 1 in 4 young consumers now use social media as their primary search tool. Nearly 40% of Gen Z would rather turn to TikTok or Instagram than Google when looking for information, from fashion tips to restaurant reviews. They’re skipping traditional search results for the rich, visual, and human-first feeds of social apps.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram aren’t just taking over search—they’re redefining it. And if you’re still optimizing for keywords while your audience is getting travel tips from a 19-year-old in a hoodie lip-syncing to SZA… you’re not just behind. You’re invisible.

This isn’t a trend. It’s a reprogramming of how we discover, trust, and decide. Social platforms have become the new interface for curiosity. And if marketers don’t adapt, they’re basically whispering into the void.

1️⃣ The Death of the Keyword

Traditional search was all about declared intent. Type in a question, get a list of links, and click the best match. It was structured. Predictable. SEO was the game and keywords were king.

But Gen Z? They’re not playing by those rules.

This is a generation raised on the infinite scroll where discovery isn’t something you seek but something you stumble into. On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts, content isn’t surfaced because you asked for it. It appears because the algorithm has decided it fits your vibe.

📲 Social search is passive, predictive, and hyper-personalized. You don’t ask. It answers. Before you even realize you want to know.

According to Search Engine Land, Gen Z prefers short-form, visual-first content over traditional text results. Platforms like TikTok deliver instant gratification — fast, entertaining, and straight to the point. No digging through a long blog. No dodging SEO fluff.

This isn’t just about how we search. It’s a fundamental shift in why we engage.

📉 Traditional search is about information.

📈 Social search is about identity.

The algorithm profiles your behavior, tastes, and micro-engagements to serve you content that feels right. Creepy? Yes. Efficient? Also yes.

🚨 For marketers, here’s the wake-up call: Keywords no longer guarantee relevance. If your content isn’t designed to stop the scroll, it won’t be seen—no matter how well it ranks.

2️⃣ From SEO to CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer)

In the age of social search, creators are the new curators of discovery. They don’t wait for users to ask questions, they create content that shapes what people see, want, and believe.

And in this landscape? Influence = authority.

🔥 Marketers need to stop being just useful. They need to become watchable.

Traditional SEO taught us how to write to rank. Social search demands we create to resonate. Your audience doesn’t want more blog posts. They want stories, faces, and scroll-stopping moments.

Because here’s the truth:

✅ Authenticity is the new SEO.

Gen Z isn’t buying the polished, over-optimized, brand-safe content anymore. They crave realness. Slightly raw, a little unfiltered, deeply personal. A TikTok video of someone sharing a genuine review outperforms a thousand-word article optimized for “best supermarket wines under $50.” Why? Because it feels like advice from a friend, not a faceless brand.

Want to build trust?

Collaborate with real people
Ditch the overly scripted content
Speak with relatability, not just authority

In today’s attention economy, your role as a marketer isn’t just to rank, it’s to perform. You’re not just a strategist anymore… you’re the Chief Entertainment Officer.

3️⃣ Social Proof is the New Relevance

In the past, SEO relevance was mechanical: keywords, backlinks, metadata.

But in the world of social search? ✨ Relevance is human.

Comments, saves, shares — these are the new ranking signals. A flood of “omg needed this 🙌” tells TikTok the content is working. Social platforms don’t care about domain authority, they care about momentum.

👥 Gen Z trusts people, not platforms. When they search, they’re looking for community-driven answers:

A Reddit thread with 200 upvotes
A TikTok with relatable tips in the comments
A YouTube comment thread full of context and hacks

They want to see people debating, sharing, and validating information in real time.

💬 Social search isn’t just a search engine, it’s a conversation.

This is what modern relevance looks like: Not matching a query, but matching a moment. If your content doesn’t feel personal, useful, or timely, it won’t matter how optimized it is. It will vanish in the scroll.

Your new job? Create content that sparks discussion and earns attention from a crowd that talks back.

4️⃣ So What Should Marketers Do (Besides Panic)?

Breathe. This shift isn’t a threat—it’s an opportunity. Here’s how to show up where your audience is already searching:

✅ Optimize Content for Social Search

Start treating your social content like SEO content.

🔍 Best practices:

Use keywords naturally in captions and on-screen text
Add alt-text and relevant hashtags
Join platform trends early
Create content that answers real questions

This isn’t about keyword stuffing. It’s about being findable and watchable. Think like your audience: “What would I type into TikTok?” Then create content that delivers that answer natively and authentically.

🤝 Leverage Creators and Community for Reach

If social search is powered by peer trust, then creators and user-generated content (UGC) are your secret weapons.

Why? Because people trust people.

💡 Here’s how to tap into that:

Collaborate with influencers whose values and audience align with yours.
Encourage UGC by inviting users to share their own experiences with your product or service.
Be active in communities where your audience already lives, whether that’s Reddit, Discord, or TikTok comments.

Community-powered discovery builds trust faster than any ad ever could. And when your brand shows up in the voice of someone your audience already relates to, it hits differently.

💰 Expand Your Paid Search Playbook to Social Platforms

Paid search isn’t just a Google (or even Bing) game anymore. As social platforms mature into search engines, they’re also offering new paid ad formats tailored for discovery.

🛠️ New tools to try:

TikTok Search Ads (currently in beta) lets you place your brand directly in search results when users look for specific keywords.
Instagram’s Explore Feed isn’t a direct ad placement, but smart targeting can put your content in the feeds of users engaging with similar topics.
YouTube allows you to target specific search queries with video ads, perfect for intent-rich discovery moments.

If you’re already fluent in Google Ads, you have a massive advantage. Apply that expertise to TikTok and YouTube to get ahead of the competition before those auctions become saturated.

🌐 Embrace an Omnichannel Search Mindset

Search doesn’t start and end on one platform. Gen Z’s journey might go:

TikTok ➡ Reddit ➡ Google ➡ Instagram ➡ Checkout

Or, all in reverse. You need to be discoverable everywhere.

🧭 Some practical ways to do this:

Maintain a consistent brand voice across platforms, while adapting your content format to fit each ecosystem.
Cross-pollinate content: Turn a high-performing blog post into a TikTok explainer, or summarize it into a carousel for Instagram.
Listen to the signals: If you’re seeing a spike in referral traffic from Reddit or YouTube, double down where it works.

The future of search is fluid. Your strategy should be too. To win, your content needs to show up where your audience lives, in the format they trust, with the voice they recognize.

🚀 Final Thoughts: Stop Searching, Start Showing Up

The future of search isn’t about asking questions, it’s about being seen. Algorithms now shape what we discover, who we trust, and what we desire before we even know we’re searching.

Gen Z is showing us what’s next: a search experience that’s visual, social, and deeply immersive. It’s not just a shift in tools, it’s a shift in mindset.

So here’s your challenge 👇

🔎 Audit your presence:

Can someone easily find your product via a TikTok search?
Are you showing up in Instagram’s suggested content?
Do you appear in Reddit discussions or YouTube comment threads?
Are your posts showing up for relevant keywords in social captions or alt-text?

Call to action: Don’t wait for this wave to wash over your brand. Ride it. Assemble your team and start building a social search strategy.

💡Call to action: Pick one platform where your audience is active and start creating content built for discovery. Launch a TikTok tip series, or refresh your Instagram SEO.

Because in this new reality…

The brands that win aren’t just searchable — they’re seen.

Biohacking the Workday: High-Performance Hacks for Energy, Focus and Resilience

Discover data-backed biohacks to supercharge your workday. From intermittent fasting and cold showers to wearable tracking and nootropics—learn what actually boosts energy, focus, and resilience for busy professionals.

So, I’ve spent the last 6 months playing human guinea pig, testing one of the most talked-about biohacks out there: intermittent fasting. That meant skipping breakfast entirely and sticking to a protein-only lunch 🍗. The first couple of weeks? Absolutely brutal. I was hungry and constantly fantasising about KFC.

But by week three, something shifted. My mental fog lifted 🌤️. I started powering through the days with sharper focus, more consistent energy, and a surprising bonus: I gained 💪 12% more muscle and lost 🔥 28% body fat.

It got me thinking what else out there might actually work?

In today’s high-octane digital world 💻, where Slack pings don’t sleep and burnout is just one missed deadline away — energy, focus, and resilience are the real currency. The 3PM crash? All too familiar. But maybe the secret to peak performance isn’t grinding harder. Maybe it’s about tweaking your biology smarter 🧬.

That’s what this article is all about. I’ll unpack the science 🔬 (and the real-life impact) behind some of the most buzzed-about biohacks: from cold showers 🚿 and wearable trackers 📱 to nootropic stacks and sleep optimization. Some worked. Some didn’t. But here’s the truth: not every hack is for everyone—and that’s okay.

What matters is the mindset. The habit of self-experimentation and continuous improvement is what separates reactive professionals from resilient leaders.

Welcome to the era of data-driven self-optimization 🚀. Let’s get into it.

🧠 1. Intermittent Fasting: Brain Boost or Hype Diet?

🔍 What It Is:

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a time-restricted eating strategy, typically fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window (e.g., 12–8PM). Outside the window? Just water, black coffee, or tea. No snacks. No sneaky bites.

🧪 My Experience:

I went all-in: no breakfast, protein-only lunch, dinner around 8-9PM. The first week? Hanger was real. But by week three, mental clarity mid-morning skyrocketed 🚀. I was more alert, less bloated, and surprisingly productive. The usual post-lunch crash? Gone. And yes—I gained 12% muscle and lost 28% fat 💪🔥 (with my usual workouts).

🔬 The Science:

Fasting increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports learning, memory, and neuroplasticity 🧠.
It can also reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar, and improve overall mood.

📖 Source: BSW Health – IF & Brain Health

⚠️ Caveats:

Not for everyone. If your mornings are physically demanding or you’re prone to energy dips, Intermittent Fasting might backfire. It also makes social lunch meetings awkward (unless your friends like watching you sip black coffee).

✅ Verdict:

Totally worth experimenting with. Start with a 14:10 fast (14 hours fast, 10 hours eating) and track how your mood, focus, and energy shift over 2–3 weeks.

❄️ 2. Cold Showers: Free Willpower Training & Mood Elevator

🔍 What It Is:

A cold shower, literally. 30–90 seconds of cold water (no heater and turn all the way to the most cold), especially first thing in the morning. No warm-up, no excuses.

🧪 My Experience:

I started this just two weeks ago. And yes, it felt like screaming into the void 😱. But after the initial shock, I was awake, alert, and weirdly calm 🧘. The mental “reset” was real.

🔬 The Science:

A Dutch study found that people who ended their showers with cold water for 90 days had 29% fewer sick days.
Cold exposure is linked to improved mood, reduced anxiety, and even a lower risk of depression.

📖 Source: UCLA Health – Cold Shower Benefits

⚠️ Caveats:

It’s 90% mental. And while it boosts alertness, it’s not a substitute for real recovery. If you’re sleep-deprived or run-down, start slow.

✅ Verdict:

Powerful, free, and fast. Cold showers deliver instant energy and long-term resilience. It’s uncomfortable, but so is growth.

📊 3. Wearables & Self-Tracking: Measuring to Manage

🔍 What It Is:

Using tech like Ultrahuman, WHOOP, Fitbit, or even a simple journal to track sleep, movement, heart rate variability (HRV), and work rhythms. Think of it as your personal dashboard 📱.

🧪 My Experience:

My tracker showed my late-night Netflix binges 📺 were cutting into my deep sleep. After setting a no-screen rule after 11PM, my sleep score improved, and so did my morning energy.

🔬 The Science:

1 in 3 Americans are already using a fitness or sleep tracker to optimise their sleep.
Studies show that self-awareness leads to behavior change. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

📖 Source: AASM Sleep Tracker Study

🛠️ How to Use:

Track ONE thing at a time like sleep, steps, or focus hours.
Don’t obsess over daily fluctuations. Look at weekly trends.

✅ Verdict:

For data-driven people (like marketers), this is gold. Use your wearables to spot blind spots, build habits, and tweak routines that actually move the needle.

🧪 4. Bonus Hacks Worth Testing (with Caution)

💊 Nootropics:

Smart supplements like L-Theanine + Caffeine, Alpha-GPC, or even Creatine can enhance mental clarity and memory.

⚠️ Start slow. Test one at a time. Effects vary widely from person to person.

🕶️ Blue Light Blockers:

Wearing blue light glasses or using screen filters in the evening can improve melatonin production 🌙 and support better sleep. Especially useful for screen-heavy professionals.

⏱️ Pomodoro Timers + Movement Breaks:

Using a 25/5 or 50/10 work-rest cycle, paired with quick stretches or walks, prevents cognitive fatigue 🧠. It’s a simple hack with proven impact on productivity and brain function.

💭 Final Thoughts: Upgrade Your Operating System (No Implants Required)

Biohacking isn’t about becoming some kind of tech-augmented cyborg 🤖. It’s about something much more human: awareness, experimentation, and optimization. Think of it as upgrading your internal operating system—one small tweak at a time.

Not every biohack will be your magic pill. And that’s okay. The real win lies in the growth mindset 🧠 — the willingness to test, reflect, and evolve. That’s what separates the reactive from the resilient.

So go ahead — try a cold shower 🚿, skip breakfast 🕒, track your sleep 📊. These aren’t radical lifestyle changes. They’re low-risk experiments with high potential upside.

💬 What about you? Which hack helped you perform better at work?

Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your experiments and results!

⚡ “High performance isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing smarter—and sometimes, colder.”

Small Habits, Big Wins: How Daily Routines Drive Productivity and a Growth Mindset

Discover how small daily habits like walking, journaling, or making your bed can unlock higher productivity, sharper focus, and a stronger growth mindset — especially for high-performing professionals and digital marketers.

Truth is… It’s not the all-nighters or massive brainstorms that drive productivity and long-term success.

It’s the 30-minute walk, the 5-minute journal, and yes, even the habit of making your bed.

Let me explain.

Every morning, I take a 30-minute walk to grab coffee. It’s nothing fancy — just me, some sunshine (read: full-on Singapore heat 😅), and a bit of quiet before the chaos. It’s part sunlight therapy, part moving meditation, but most of all, it’s mine. My little reset before emails, meetings, and dashboards take over.

I won’t lie. At first, it felt like a chore. I kept thinking, “Do I really have time for this?” But within a couple of weeks, I realized this small daily habit was changing everything. I was making better decisions, managing stress more easily, and actually enjoying the process again.

Turns out, there’s a name for this: keystone habits.

These are the small routines that trigger big wins — they ripple into how you eat, work, lead, and think. Research even shows that habits like daily exercise or making your bed can boost productivity, discipline, and decision-making across the board.

👉 Here’s a great read on it.

So, if you’re a founder, a marketer, or anyone building something under pressure, this post is for you.

I’m going to share how tiny daily rituals can give you a real edge — not just in performance but in building a mindset that grows with the challenges. Let’s dive in.

🔑 Keystone Habits: The Foundation of High Performance & Productivity

So what exactly is a keystone habit? Think of it like a lead domino — one small routine that triggers a chain reaction of positive behavior across your day, your mindset, and even your business.

Some of the most powerful ones are surprisingly simple:

🔵 Morning workouts or walks – They don’t just wake up your body. They anchor your mind. You start the day with a win and carry that momentum forward.

🔵 Journaling – Just five minutes of putting thoughts on paper can bring massive clarity. You’re not just writing — you’re setting intentions and shaping your focus.

🔵 Meditation – It’s not just for monks. A few minutes of quiet helps you build the muscle of awareness and emotional control (a superpower in high-pressure environments).

🔵 Making your bed – Sounds trivial, but it’s a micro-action that signals discipline. You’re telling yourself: “I follow through.”

These habits aren’t about being perfect. They’re about reinforcing identity and about showing up consistently.

Every time you do one, you’re casting a vote for the person you’re becoming.

🧪 The Science: Small Habits, Massive Impact

This isn’t just self-help talk — there’s data to back it up.

✅ Exercise is a textbook keystone habit. Research shows it often leads to better eating choices, improved sleep, more energy, and sharper focus at work.

✅ Making your bed each morning? According to this study, it’s strongly correlated with higher productivity, better budgeting skills, and a stronger sense of control.

✅ A landmark study found that when sedentary adults began exercising just a few times a week, they didn’t just get fitter. They ate better, smoked less, drank less caffeine, kept their homes tidier, managed their time better, and yes, it even improved their financial habits.

One habit. Big ripple.

This is the power of small, consistent action. It creates a growth loop — one good decision nudges the next, and before you know it, your baseline for performance starts leveling up.

Want to find out more on how to boost productivity by adding exercise into your daily routine? Click here to read!

🪴 Growth Mindset in Action

Here’s where it gets interesting. Every time you commit to a small habit, you’re not just building discipline, you’re practicing a growth mindset in real time.

You’re proving to yourself that:

🔵 You can change.

🔵 You can improve.

🔵 You’re not fixed in who you are — you’re always evolving.

These rituals become anchors during chaos. They help you show up to challenges with a little more resilience and a lot more belief in your ability to figure things out.

And here’s my take, especially if you’re in a high-performance environment:

👉 If you want to scale your startup…

👉 If you want to drive better campaigns…

👉 If you want to lead with clarity and confidence…

Start by scaling your habits. Because how you show up each day is how your results compound over time.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, big wins aren’t born from big efforts. They grow from small, consistent actions.

In a world that’s constantly chasing shortcuts, life hacks, and 10x breakthroughs, the real edge lies in your daily disciplines. The tiny choices you make to move, to reflect, to reset are what quietly compound into sharper focus, stronger performance, and a more resilient mindset.

And the best part? You don’t need a 5 a.m. miracle routine to start. You just need one habit that grounds you. One small promise you keep to yourself.

So, let’s make this real:

👉 What’s one small habit that’s made a big difference in your life or work?

👉 Or if you’re just starting out, what’s one keystone habit you’d like to build tomorrow?

Drop it in the comments or DM me — I’d love to hear your story and swap ideas.

Because this is how we grow — one habit, one conversation at a time.

Retention & LTV: The Untapped Growth Engine for Sustainable App Success

Struggling with app growth? 🚀 It’s not just about downloads—retention & customer lifetime value (LTV) are the real game-changers. Discover proven strategies to keep users engaged, maximize LTV, and build a sustainable, high-growth app. Read now! 🔥

Quick story from my younger days. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with playing Risk, the board game. My strategy? Pure domination. I’d go all-in on conquering as many territories as possible, expanding my empire at breakneck speed. But no matter how aggressive I played, I never won. Why? Because I was so focused on acquiring new lands I completely ignored retaining the ones I had already conquered. Eventually, my empire would crumble, leaving me frustrated and wondering where I went wrong.

Fast forward to today, and I see many mobile apps making the same mistake. They pour massive resources into acquiring new users, celebrating each new download like a conquered territory. But soon after, their users churn, engagement drops, and retention rates plummet.

The reality? Growth isn’t just about acquisition—it’s about retention.

According to Harvard Business Review, increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. Yet, many apps continue to chase new downloads without a clear strategy for keeping users engaged and maximizing their lifetime value (LTV).

The mindset needs to shift. Sustainable app growth isn’t about how many users you can acquire—it’s about how many you can keep.

In this article, we’ll dive into:

✅ Why Retention & LTV are the real drivers of long-term app growth.

✅ Proven strategies to improve user retention and keep engagement high.

✅ How to maximize LTV and turn users into loyal, high-value customers.

If you’re serious about building an app that doesn’t just grow but thrives, let’s get into it. 🚀

Why Retention & LTV Matter for App Growth

Imagine pouring water into a leaky bucket—no matter how fast you fill it, the water keeps draining. That’s what happens when mobile apps focus solely on user acquisition without a retention strategy.

This is where the retention curve comes in. It tracks over time (stated in days/months on the X-axis) how many users stick around after downloading an app (stated as a percentage of the cohort on the Y-axis).

📊 A steep drop-off means high churn, leading to lost revenue and higher acquisition costs.
📈 Apps that flatten the retention curve by keeping users engaged see sustainable growth and higher profitability.

Why does this matter? Because longer retention leads to higher Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)—the total revenue a user generates throughout their relationship with your app. And the business impact is undeniable as stated by Harvard Business Review:

Acquiring a new customer is 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one.
A 5% increase in retention can boost profits by 25% to 95%.

The message is clear: Sustainable app growth isn’t about how many users you attract but how many you keep and monetize effectively.

Strategies to Improve User Retention

1. Onboarding That Hooks Users

First impressions matter. Users who don’t see value in the first few minutes are likely to churn. A well-designed onboarding flow should:

✅ Be frictionless: Reduce sign-up steps and unnecessary inputs.

✅ Use interactive tutorials: Guide users through the app’s core value.

✅ Implement gamification: Offer rewards, streaks, or progress bars to encourage engagement.

✅ Set up habit loops: Introduce triggers (push notifications, in-app nudges) that bring users back naturally.

🛠 Example: Duolingo uses gamification in the form of bite-sized lessons and streak rewards, making language learning addictive from Day 1.

2. Personalization & Lifecycle Marketing

Generic marketing doesn’t cut it. Users expect personalized experiences tailored to their behaviour and preferences. Here’s how to do it:

✅ Behavioral segmentation: Group users based on in-app actions (e.g., frequent buyers vs. occasional users).

✅ AI-powered engagement: Predict churn and send targeted re-engagement messages at the right time.

✅ Multi-channel outreach: Use push notifications, emails, and in-app messages to maintain user interest.

✅ Leverage customer engagement platforms: Tools like CleverTap can help automate personalized messaging at scale.

🎵 Example: Spotify’s Discover Weekly leverages AI to personalize music recommendations, increasing user retention.

3. Community & Engagement

A strong sense of belonging keeps users coming back. Apps that foster community-driven engagement see higher retention rates. Strategies include:

✅ In-app social features: Enable discussions, groups, or friend-based challenges.

✅ User-generated content (UGC): Let users contribute content, reviews, or experiences.

✅ Referral & rewards programs: Incentivize users to invite friends and stay engaged.

✅ Feedback loops: Regularly collect and act on user feedback to improve the app.

🚴 Example: Peloton’s leaderboard system turns workouts into a community-driven competition, boosting retention.

Increasing Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

1. Monetization Strategies That Work

To maximize LTV, apps must choose the right revenue model. Here are three proven approaches:

1️⃣ Subscription vs. One-Time Purchases: Recurring revenue models (like Netflix and Spotify) generate predictable income, while one-time purchases work for premium features.

2️⃣ Microtransactions & In-App Purchases: Popular in mobile gaming apps (e.g., Fortnite’s skins and battle passes) to drive incremental revenue.

3️⃣ In-App Ads (Without Killing UX): Striking a balance is key—offering an ad-free premium tier can also boost LTV.

📺 Case Study: Netflix’s Ad-Supported Tier

Netflix started with a pure subscription model, but to increase LTV and tap into price-sensitive users, they launched a lower-cost, ad-supported plan which hit 70 million monthly active users in 2 years. This not only expanded their customer base but also unlocked a new revenue stream from advertisers.

2. Loyalty & Referral Programs

Loyal users are your best marketers—they buy more, stay longer, and bring in new users. Here’s how to extend user lifetime engagement:

✅ Reward repeat usage: Offer perks for continued engagement (e.g., streaks, points, or exclusive content).

✅ Referrals for organic growth: Encourage users to invite friends in exchange for rewards.

✅ Ecosystem integration: Combine loyalty, payments, and partnerships into a single experience.

☕ Case Study: Starbucks Rewards

Starbucks built a powerful loyalty ecosystem by integrating:

✅ Mobile payments (seamless transactions)

✅ Exclusive perks (free drinks, personalized offers)

✅ Content partnerships (Spotify playlist curation)

The result? 60% of Starbucks’ U.S. transactions now come from its rewards program, driving both retention and LTV.

Want to find out how to improve ROAS the smart way backed by math? Click here to read more.

Final Thoughts

Retention and LTV aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the backbone of sustainable app growth.

🔹 Retention ensures your app doesn’t bleed users after acquisition.

🔹 Higher LTV means more profitability from each user over time.

🔹 A well-executed retention strategy lowers CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) and creates a self-sustaining growth engine.

If you want your app to not just grow but thrive, shift your focus from downloads to long-term engagement.

👉 Now over to you: What strategies have worked best for you in improving retention and LTV? Let’s discuss in the comments! 🚀

Fall in Love With the Work, The Wins Will Come

Discover how a simple mindset shift—from chasing outcomes to embracing the process—transformed my approach to performance marketing, creativity, and long-term growth. A thought-provoking take on the quote: “Fall in love with the process and the results will follow.”

💡 Quote of the Week: “Fall in love with the process and the results will follow” — Bradley Whitford

I’d be honest. I used to chase end results like a man possessed — more income, more leads, more conversions, more possessions. It felt like progress. And in some ways, it was. But looking back, I realised I was constantly chasing the next high, hitting one target only to move the goalpost. It became a loop of short-term wins that left little room for joy, creativity, or meaningful growth.

Then I came across this quote:

“Fall in love with the process and the results will follow.” — Bradley Whitford

That hit differently.

What changed the game for me wasn’t a smarter hack or a better framework, it was a mindset shift. When I stopped obsessing over outcomes and started genuinely enjoying the work itself, something clicked. I found more clarity, more peace of mind, and ironically, better long-term outcomes.

Turns out, when you fall in love with the craft, the scoreboard starts taking care of itself.

🛝 Process is the Playground of Growth

Real, sustainable growth doesn’t come from one big breakthrough. It comes from showing up, testing, learning, and tweaking — day in, day out.

I’ve seen this play out in my work with A/B testing gaming video creatives. Sometimes the “ugly” variation outperforms the polished one. Sometimes what you think will convert ends up flopping. But every test is a data point, and every insight sharpens the next move.

Same with building growth loops — they rarely take off on the first try. But when you treat the process as a playground for discovery rather than a pressure cooker for instant wins, that’s when compounding magic kicks in.

Small daily inputs, repeated over time, create massive momentum.

🎨 Obsession with Outcomes Can Kill CreativityWhen you’re glued to dashboards and only chasing KPIs, it’s easy to default to “what’s safe.” You end up recycling what worked instead of exploring what might.

But when you genuinely love your product or your craft, something shifts. You start taking smart risks. You lean into curiosity. You play more, experiment more, and that’s when performance marketing actually gets exciting and effective.

Some of my most successful campaigns didn’t come from chasing the perfect CTR. They came from being fully immersed in the storytelling, the customer journey, and the creative process.

Loving the process made the work better and the results followed.

🏃🏻 Habits > Hype

Anyone can launch a flashy campaign. Not everyone can show up every day when things get hard or boring.

The best growth I’ve ever seen, both in business and in life, comes from unsexy consistency: tracking what matters, reviewing performance, asking better questions, making small tweaks, and doing it all over again.

Fall in love with those tiny actions, and you’ll build the resilience and systems that scale.

In the long run, quiet consistency beats viral hype every time.

💭 Final Thoughts

The best founders and marketers I know don’t just chase results — they live the process. They obsess over customer problems, they get excited about small wins, and they treat every test like a new opportunity to learn and grow.

In doing so, they don’t just build great businesses—they build unfair advantages.

Because when you love what you do, you don’t burn out chasing metrics. You build momentum that lasts.

📣 If you’re a fellow marketer or founder stuck in outcome-obsession mode, let’s connect.

I’m building a community of growth lovers who care more about the craft than just the clicks.

Let’s grow together — the right way.

Boosting ROAS the Smart Way: The Math Behind More Profitable Ads

Learn how to optimize ROAS with smarter strategies. Discover the math behind Return on Ad Spend and how improving Average Basket Size, Conversion Rate, and Cost Per Click can drive better ad performance and profitability.

I’d be honest. When I first moved into digital marketing from a background in math and quantitative finance, I saw things a little differently. While most marketers focused on creative storytelling and audience psychology (which are undeniably important), I naturally gravitated toward the numbers. I wanted to break down ad performance the way I would analyze financial models—through data, formulas, and strategic optimizations.

One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve seen in performance marketing is the belief that cutting costs alone improves Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). Many marketers think that slashing CPC (Cost Per Click) or reducing spending on “underperforming” campaigns is the key to profitability. But that’s only part of the equation.

ROAS isn’t just about how much you spend, it’s about how much value you generate from every dollar. And to truly optimize ROAS, you need to understand its mathematical makeup. In this post, I’ll break ROAS down into its three core components — Average Basket Size (ABS), Conversion Rate (CVR), and Cost Per Click (CPC), and show you the strategic levers you can pull to drive better ad performance.

Let’s get into it. 🚀

What is ROAS? (Defining the Formula)

Let’s start with the basics. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is one of the most critical metrics in performance marketing. It tells you how much revenue you’re generating for every dollar spent on advertising.

ROAS Formula:

For example, if you spend $1,000 on ads and generate $3,000 in revenue, your ROAS is $3,000 / $1,000 = 3

This means you’re earning $3 for every $1 spent.

While a higher ROAS is ideal, blindly optimizing for it by just cutting costs can be misleading. To truly maximize ad performance, we need to break it down further.

Breaking Down ROAS: The 3 Key Components

ROAS is influenced by three key factors:

1. Average Basket Size (ABS)

What it means: The average amount a customer spends per purchase.

Why it matters: If customers spend more per transaction, your revenue increases without needing more conversions.

2. Conversion Rate (CVR)

What it means: The percentage of visitors who clicked on an ad and made a purchase.

Why it matters: Higher conversion rates mean you extract more value from the same traffic.

3. Cost Per Click (CPC)

What it means: The cost of acquiring each visitor to your site.

Why it matters: Lowering CPC without sacrificing traffic quality means getting more conversions for the same budget.

Rewriting ROAS using these components:

This equation makes it clear: To improve ROAS, you need to increase ABS, improve CVR, or lower CPC. Let’s dive into how you can optimize each.

Strategies to Improve ROAS via Each Component

A. Increasing Average Basket Size (ABS)

Let’s take an e-commerce brand as an example. Instead of focusing on acquiring more customers, they increased revenue by maximizing how much each customer spends.

Tactics to Increase ABS

✅ Upsells & Cross-sells: Recommend complementary products (e.g., “Frequently bought together” or post-purchase upsells).

✅ Bundling: Offer product bundles at a slight discount to encourage higher spending.

✅ Free Shipping Thresholds: Set free shipping at a slightly higher value than the average order to push customers to buy more.

🛍️ Case Study: Ravin Boosting Average Basket Size (ABS)

Ravin, an online fashion retail brand, implemented Wiser’s product recommendation engine to enhance customer engagement. By displaying related and frequently bought together items on product pages, they achieved a 30% increase in conversions and a 12% increase in sales.

B. Boosting Conversion Rate (CVR)

Let’s say you’re running a subscription app. You get clicks, but many users drop off before converting. Improving CVR means turning more of those clicks into paying customers.

Tactics to Improve CVR

✅ Landing Page Optimization: Make checkout seamless, ensure fast-loading pages, and optimize for mobile.

✅ A/B Testing Offers & Creatives: Experiment with different CTAs, ad visuals, and pricing models to see what converts best.

✅ Trust Signals & Social Proof: Showcase reviews, testimonials, and security badges to reduce buyer hesitation.

🥗 Case Study: FastEasy Boosting Conversion Rate (CVR)

FastEasy, a mobile fitness app, faced challenges in efficiently conducting A/B tests for their campaigns. By integrating Reteno’s AI-powered marketing automation platform, they were able to run multiple experiments simultaneously without relying heavily on developers. This approach led to a 29% boost in conversion-to-subscription rates.

C. Lowering Cost Per Click (CPC)

A mobile gaming app wanted to scale its paid campaigns while maintaining profitability. Lowering CPC without sacrificing quality was the key.

Tactics to Reduce CPC

✅ Better Targeting: Use lookalike audiences, retargeting, and negative exclusions to focus on high-intent users.

✅ Ad Quality Score: Platforms like Google Ads reward high-relevance ads with lower CPCs. Improve ad copy, CTR, and landing page experience.

✅ Bid Optimization: Adjust bids based on performance insights such as time of day, device, and geo-targeting can significantly impact CPC.

🕹️ Case Study: Voodoo Games Lowering Cost-per-Install

Voodoo Games, a French mobile game publisher, by actively testing more than 500 videos a week for their hit game Mob Control, reduced their CPI and surpassed $200M in revenue at an average of 150% ROAS.

Final Thoughts: The Smarter Approach to ROAS

Improving ROAS isn’t just about spending more, it’s about spending smarter. By understanding the math behind ROAS and optimizing its key components — Average Basket Size (ABS), Conversion Rate (CVR), and Cost Per Click (CPC), you can make strategic, high-impact changes that drive better profitability.

At the core of all successful ad campaigns is data-driven decision-making. Testing, iterating, and refining based on real numbers, not just gut feelings, ensures that every dollar you invest works harder for you.

So, what’s your biggest challenge with ROAS? Drop a comment below, and let’s discuss! 🚀