Tired of Ad Agencies Burning Your Budget On Cold Traffic—Praying Something Works—And Calling It a Strategy?
After 15+ years in the advertising industry, I’ve seen what happens behind the scenes.
Nobody wants to admit this, but… most ad campaigns are really just expensive guesses.
Throwing money at cold traffic. Hoping something sticks. And when nothing does—when the campaign flops—media buyers blame the algorithm.
“That’s just how Facebook works now,” they say… And then they ask for more money.
That never set right with me, so I take a completely different approach to advertising.
Here’s what I’m about to show you:
- Why your ads are failing (even if your agency is “doing everything right”)
- Why identity buy-in is now mandatory before any offer can succeed—especially in high-ticket or restricted markets.
- The one thing missing from nearly every marketing funnel
- How we use belief-based vertical video content to pre-sell your audience
- And how we build ad campaigns that convert before you show your offer
I’ll explain the whole thing in a moment, but first, you should know this.
Many of our clients have doubled and tripled their conversion rates, even in restricted industries.
One of those clients, Scotty Real from Real Growers, was on the verge of giving up.
He’s in the cannabis space—constant ad shutdowns, blocked payment processors, dead-end campaigns.
After implementing our content funnel, he went from flailing to 7-figures in under a year.
“Nathan got my flailing business back to profitability in just a few months!”
That’s the power of Cultish Content, even in a market that’s nearly impossible to advertise in.
We turn buyers into brand fanatics.
And we don’t waste money on direct response ads to cold traffic that isn’t yet ready to buy.
It’s my secret weapon for businesses that:
- struggle with ad restrictions
- deal in highly-competitive markets, or
- are tired of getting garbage results from traditional ad agencies
Why Your Ads Are Bleeding You Dry And Agencies Keep Telling You It’s Normal
You know the feeling: your ad dashboard’s bleeding red, and your agency shrugs.
“This is normal,” they say. So you approve another budget increase. You give them one more month. You hope this time will be different.
Meanwhile, your competitors are everywhere—going viral, growing fast, while your ads are “under review”… again.
Another $10,000 gone. The report says “reach is up,” but your sales dashboard tells the real story.
You’re running out of patience—and out of excuses.
- Google Performance Max
- TikTok
- “New AI targeting”
Each one sounds promising. Each one drains your budget.
You start wondering if you’re the problem.
Maybe your offer isn’t strong enough?
Maybe your industry is too competitive?
Maybe this is just how ads work now?
That’s the exact moment most agency clients make the biggest mistake:
They double down on cold traffic.
But here’s the hard truth: Even if your agency was doing everything “right,” it still wouldn’t work.
The problem isn’t your offer…
It’s not your targeting…
It’s that you’re skipping the steps that actually create conversions.
The Real Reason Your Ads Aren’t Working
Let me guess…
You think your offer isn’t good enough. You’ve rewritten your sales page three times and tweaked your pricing strategy twice.
Or maybe you think your audience is too difficult to reach.
“My customers aren’t on social media,” you tell yourself.
“Advertising doesn’t work in my industry.”
Perhaps you blame the platforms.
“Facebook hates my industry,” you say.
You’ve convinced yourself that the tech giants have singled you out for termination.
You might even think you need a bigger budget.
“If we could just spend more…”
So you keep increasing your ad spend, hoping quantity will solve what’s really a quality problem.
Here’s the painful truth:
Your ad campaigns aren’t failing because your product is bad or your industry is challenging.
They’re failing because you’re using a broken marketing model based on interrupting strangers who aren’t ready to buy.
I’ve seen this hundreds of times. A business owner comes to me after cycling through different agencies, convinced their industry is “too hard” to advertise in.
“We sell financial services, and Facebook keeps shutting us down.”
“We’re in the health space, and Google won’t approve our ads.”
They believe their situation is unique. They think they need some magical workaround.
What they don’t realize is that they’re dealing with the same problem as everyone else:
they’re trying to sell to people who don’t yet believe in them.
It’s not your industry. It’s not your offer. It’s not even the platforms.
The real problem is way simpler—and more fixable—than you realize.
The Problem with Sales Funnels Nobody Wants to Talk About
The traditional marketing funnel is broken.
It was built for an era when attention was easy to grab.
It assumes you can sell to strangers on the first interaction.
It assumes ads alone can do all the heavy lifting.
Here’s how most agencies still run campaigns:
— Target cold audiences
— Hit them with direct response ads
— Hope they convert before the budget runs out
It’s like walking into a room full of strangers and asking for marriage.
You wouldn’t do that in real life. So why is that still how we advertise?
Buyers don’t say yes because your ad is clever. They say yes because they believe:
“I have a real problem”
“It’s worth solving”
“Your solution can fix it”
“You’re the right one to help”
“Now is the time to act”
Cold traffic ads try to shift all five of those beliefs… in 15 seconds.
That’s not just unrealistic. It’s irrational.
And platforms are punishing you for trying.
Every time someone scrolls past your ad, the algorithm decides your content isn’t valuable.
Costs go up. Reach shrinks. Eventually, your account gets flagged.
That’s why most marketing funnels are quietly dying.
Not because the offer is bad, but because the belief shift never happens.
The good news? There’s a better way that works with human psychology rather than against it.
Cultish Content: Escaping the Trap of Cold Traffic
The ad game changed when iOS updates wrecked tracking—and most agencies still haven’t recovered.
Their funnels still rely on third-party cookies and pixel-based data that just doesn’t work anymore.
Attribution is broken. Retargeting is unreliable. They’re flying blind.
But here’s what most marketers missed:
In-platform engagement signals—likes, comments, views—still work.
And that’s what our system is built on.
Instead of chasing people off-platform to try and pixel them, our system uses in-platform engagement data—likes, comments, views, shares—to identify your warmest prospects.
Best of all, building this warm audience often costs less than six cents per view. And if we run it as organic content to later retarget, it costs nothing at all.
It’s not about spending ad dollars… you’re investing in a loyal, scalable audience asset.
This makes our retargeting more accurate, more scalable, and completely immune to iOS privacy changes.
The result? Lower costs. Higher reach. Better leads.
And a strategy that actually gets smarter over time.
What if instead of interrupting people, they actively sought out your message?
What if you could leverage algorithms to reduce your marketing costs?
What if your prospects developed almost cult-like loyalty to your brand before they ever saw your offer?
Sounds too good to be true? I get it.
But this is what happens when you flip the traditional funnel on its head…
and start with culture-building vertical videos instead of direct response ads.
I call it the 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel, and it’s changing how smart businesses approach marketing.
Here’s what it looks like in action:
Don’t worry—this isn’t one of those “we’ll give you a template, then leave you hanging” setups.
We build the whole system for you:
— Belief-shifting video scripts
— Scroll-stopping edits
— Engagement-first ad campaigns
— And automated DM flows that turn followers into fanatics
You show up to record. We handle the rest.
The principle is simple:
Instead of spending your budget trying to convert cold traffic, invest in creating 30–60 second vertical videos that create connection, establish your authority, and warm up your audience first.
Only then do you present your offer—when they’re already devoted followers of your content.
This works because it aligns with how humans actually make buying decisions.
We buy from people and brands we trust.
We buy when we believe the outcome is possible for us.
We buy when we feel like we’re part of an exclusive group that “gets it.”
The 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel creates these conditions systematically:
Step 1: We create addictive 30–60 second vertical videos that look nothing like ads.
These TikTok and Instagram Reel-style videos reach potential customers, establish your worldview, and train the algorithm to recognize who responds to your message.
Step 2: We run engagement-optimized videos with “keyword-comment” hand-raiser prompts at the end.
When someone comments with the keyword, our system automatically follows up in their DMs—sending them personalized content and directing them to your sales funnel, opt-in pages, or booking calendar.
These keyword-triggered conversations feel organic—and convert like crazy.
Step 3: Only then do we show direct response ads—and only to people who’ve already engaged with your content and begun to see you as their trusted guide.
The result? Your marketing becomes a precision instrument.
Your conversion rates go up because you’re only selling to warm prospects who already see you as the authority.
Your costs go down because the algorithms reward your high-engagement vertical videos.
You build a community of loyal followers who trust your every word, keep buying from you, and evangelize your brand to others.
This isn’t theory. It’s the exact system I’ve used to help businesses in “impossible” industries achieve breakthrough results and build cult-like followings.
Why We Created the Cultish Content System
I’m Nathan Fraser, and I’ve spent 15+ years mastering the dark arts of persuasion.
As a copywriter, I’ve written for dozens of industries.
I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in the trenches of digital marketing.
My most valuable insights came from failures.
Specifically, from clients in restricted industries who kept getting their ad accounts shut down.
These businesses had great products but were flagged as “high-risk.”
Their options seemed limited to watering down their message or abandoning paid advertising.
I refused to accept either option.
I developed a system that worked with human psychology and platform algorithms.
A system that builds almost cult-like levels of trust and belief first, rather than pushing for immediate sales.
The results were dramatic.
Clients who’d cycled through multiple agencies suddenly saw conversion rates double, then triple.
Businesses with multiple ad account shutdowns were now scaling without issues and building devoted audiences.
To date, we’ve helped dozens of businesses grow their reach, build their tribes, and increase their sales.
This Destroys Traditional Funnels and Pre-Sells Your Prospects
The 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel isn’t just another marketing tactic…
It’s a fundamentally different approach to customer acquisition.
Most marketing systems are transactional.
They focus on getting immediate action: click here, buy now, sign up today.
The Cultish Content Funnel is transformational.
It changes how prospects think and feel about your category, solution, and brand.
It makes them feel like insiders—part of an exclusive group that understands something the rest of the world doesn’t.
Traditional funnels treat prospects like transactions.
The Cultish Content Funnel treats them like potential true believers waiting to be converted.
Here’s what makes this approach so powerful:
First, it leverages the psychological principle of consistency.
Once someone engages with your vertical videos and adopts your worldview, they feel motivated to take actions that align with those new beliefs.
Second, it takes advantage of how social media algorithms work.
Platforms show more of what people engage with.
When your 30–60 second videos generate high engagement, the algorithms reward you with lower costs and broader reach.
Third, it builds a moat around your business.
When customers feel like members of your tribe, they become resistant to competitors’ messages—even those offering lower prices.
They don’t just buy your product; they buy into your philosophy.
This isn’t about tricks.
It’s about creating genuine alignment between what your customers need and what you offer,
wrapped in short, addictive content they actually want to watch (not tired sales videos or webinars).
The result is a marketing system that doesn’t just generate sales—
it creates devoted followers, passionate referrals, and long-term customer value.
Done-For-You Complete Cultish Content System
The 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel is a complete done-for-you system, implemented by my expert team.
As a boutique agency, we only work with 5–6 clients at a time to ensure each business gets the dedicated attention they deserve.
This isn’t a mass-market solution—it’s high-touch, personalized strategy and implementation.
Here’s what’s included:
Comprehensive Funnel Strategy: We develop a custom strategy identifying your ideal audience segments, belief-shifting messages, and perfect hooks for your vertical videos.
Professional Video Scripts: My copywriters craft scripts for 30-60 second TikTok and Instagram-style videos designed to connect with and warm up cold traffic.
Full Content Calendar: You receive a detailed content plan for your vertical videos that maximizes algorithmic reach and audience engagement.
Professional Video Editing: Our production team transforms your raw footage into polished, scroll-stopping vertical videos optimized for each platform.
Complete Ad Management: We handle all aspects of your campaigns, from audience targeting to budget allocation.
Automated DM Marketing: Your fans and followers get indoctrination sequences sent straight to their inbox after engaging with your content.
Weekly Strategy Calls: You get direct access to me and my team through regular strategy sessions.
Continuous Testing & Optimization: We test new messages, audiences, and creative approaches for your vertical video content. We scale what works and cut what doesn’t.
Full-Funnel Attribution Setup:
We install advanced tracking like Hyros, Segment, or server-side tagging—giving you full visibility into the real customer journey, not just last-click.
Unlike other agencies that hand you a template, we implement the entire system for you. You focus on running your business… we handle everything else.
The result is a marketing engine that consistently delivers pre-sold prospects who already trust you like a devoted follower before they ever see your offer.
The Anti-Agency Approach That Actually Works
You’ve probably tried traditional marketing approaches and found them wanting.
Maybe you’ve:
- Spent thousands on direct response ads that generated clicks but few sales
- Hired content creators who delivered pretty videos that didn’t drive revenue
- Worked with agencies that promised the world but couldn’t deliver when your industry proved “too challenging”
- Built funnels that looked good on paper but leaked prospects at every step
The 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel is different because it addresses the root causes of these failures:
Instead of interrupting people with sales messages, we create content they actually want to watch.
Instead of trying to force a quick decision, we build belief systematically over time.
Instead of treating all prospects the same, we identify those who are most likely to resonate with your worldview.
Instead of fighting against ad platform restrictions, we work with their algorithms to lower your costs and expand your reach.
Instead of separating your content and advertising strategies, we integrate them into a single coherent system.
Perhaps most importantly, we don’t ask you to pay for cold traffic that isn’t ready to buy.
The bulk of your ad budget goes toward reaching people who’ve already shown interest in your message or who match the exact profile of your existing customers.
This approach works because it’s aligned with how humans actually make decisions.
We don’t buy from strangers. We buy from people and brands we trust.
The Cultish Content Funnel creates that trust and re-enforces shared identity, turning strangers into believers before they ever see your offer.
From Ad Waste to Marketing Asset
Imagine your business with:
- Ideal customers addicted to your vertical videos and actively seeking out your content
- Sales conversations starting with “I’ve been following your TikToks for months”
- Customer acquisition costs decreasing as your content builds momentum
- A stable ad account, even in a restricted industry
- A tribe of loyal followers who trust your every word and defend your brand against critics
- Marketing that builds lasting assets—content, audience, reputation
It’s not an empty promise… It’s what our clients experience.
David Garfinkel, owner of Garfinkel Coaching, says:
“I’m on a first-name basis with many top marketers. But when it came to marketing my own message, I’ve never found anyone who comes close to Nathan Fraser.“
Here’s the full story from Scotty Real, one of the clients I mentioned earlier… he saw amazing results:
“Nathan got my flailing business back to profitability in just a few months! He got me to 7 figures by delivering a clear, useful message to my customers.“
Chris Geo of Beyond the Veil radio show experienced an immediate impact:
“After running the ads for just a few days, we saw an immediate increase in listener support. Subscriptions went up over 23% and they’re still increasing.“
These aren’t anomalies. They’re the predictable outcome of a marketing system that builds cult-like trust before asking for the sale.
Will This Work for You?
At this point, you might be thinking: “Will this work for MY business?”
I understand the skepticism. You’ve been promised breakthroughs before.
The 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel works exceptionally well for businesses that:
- Sell high-ticket products or services ($1,000+)
- Compete in saturated, highly competitive, or highly regulated industries
- Know they must build emotional trust before pitching offers
- Want to lower acquisition costs while increasing loyalty and lifetime value
If you’re looking for an overnight fix, this isn’t for you.
But if you recognize that the best customers come pre-sold on your approach, the Cultish Content Funnel is exactly what you need.
You might be thinking…
“I don’t have time to create all these vertical videos.”
Good news: Our team handles everything from strategy to production.
Your only job is to show up for weekly calls and occasional filming sessions for your 30–60 second videos.
Or, maybe you’re saying…
“We’ve tried video marketing before and it didn’t work.”
What most businesses call “video marketing” is just unfocused content with no strategic progression toward a sale.
The Cultish Content Funnel is different.
Every 30–60 second video has a specific belief-shifting purpose designed to build fanatical trust in your brand.
Our Commitment to Your Success
Unlike agencies that make wild promises, I believe in setting realistic expectations from day one.
Here’s what I can promise:
Complete Transparency:
Our team provides detailed weekly reports showing exactly what vertical videos we’ve created, which ads are running, and how your audience is responding.
No vanity metrics. No sugar-coating.
A Strategic Roadmap:
Building a content-first marketing system is a process.
We provide a clear roadmap with milestones so you know what progress looks like at each stage.
Accountability:
Our weekly strategy calls are working sessions where we collaborate on optimizing your funnel.
You’ll have direct access to me and my team.
This level of transparency is rare in the marketing world.
Most agencies hide behind jargon because they don’t want you to see how the sausage is made.
Or, because they don’t have a systematic approach.
We’re different.
We know exactly how our system works and how to navigate the challenges of building fanatical followers.
The 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel isn’t a quick fix—it’s a sustainable marketing system that builds trust and value over time.
Book Your Cultish Content Discovery Call
If you’re tired of wasting money on ineffective advertising…
If you’re ready for marketing that builds cult-like loyalty while driving immediate sales…
Book a Strategic Discovery Call with our team.
No more wasted ad spend, only to get cold clicks and weak results.
On this call, we’ll break down how our funnel flips that.
You’ll see how to use vertical video, engagement-first ads, and automated DMs to build a pre-sold audience that converts like crazy.
Because we maintain a small client roster (just 5–6 clients at any time), we only have limited spots available for new partnerships.
This ensures we can give your business the focused attention it deserves rather than spreading ourselves thin across dozens of accounts.
On this call, we’ll:
- Analyze your current marketing approach
- Outline a custom vertical video strategy
- Determine if our approach is right for your specific goals
There’s no cost for this call, but we have qualification criteria:
- You must be spending at least $5,000 monthly on advertising (or be prepared to)
- You must have a proven offer that delivers real value
- You must be committed to a content-first approach
If you meet these criteria and want to transform your marketing from a cost center to a tribe-building engine, book your call today.
Note: This approach isn’t for everyone, and that’s by design.
We work with business owners who have a proven offer, a serious budget for growth, and a desire to build something people obsess over.
Most of our clients invest $10K–$15K/month once the system is running.
If that level of commitment feels doable—and you’re done burning money on cold traffic—this call will feel like a breath of fresh air.
If it looks like we’re a good fit, we can discuss availability for one of our limited client spots.
When they’re gone, they’re gone.
The businesses that thrive today aren’t those with the biggest ad budgets; they’re those that build the strongest beliefs and most loyal followings.
The brands that dominate competitive markets aren’t spending more. They’re building deeper emotional loyalty… They’re turning their audience into advocates before they sell anything.
The 3-Step Cultish Content Funnel gives you a way to build those beliefs, warm up cold traffic, and convert ideal customers into devoted fans—without wasting ad spend on audiences that aren’t ready to buy.
You’ve tried the old way:
— Cold traffic.
— Direct response ads.
— Agencies with fancy reports and no ROI.
It didn’t work—not because you failed. But because that system is broken.
The Cultish Content Funnel wasn’t made for everyone. It was made for brands ready to lead a movement.
If that’s you, book your call. We’ll show you how to stop chasing strangers—and start building believers.
P.S. Every day you continue with your current approach is another day of wasted ad spend.
Book your call today and discover what’s possible when you stop interrupting strangers and start building believers who trust your every word.