Frank Kern Review: Paid Sales Advertising Resources, Courses, and Alternatives

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Don’t be fooled by his looks

Or by his foul language.

Or by the fact that he’s a surfer dude.

Frank Kern is a real powerhouse when it comes to digital marketing and online advertising.

In fact, he is, in my humble opinion, the best in the world.

He has helped countless companies scale to 8 and even 9 figures.

And he just keeps on crushing it.

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Kern started his career selling credit card processing systems door to door.

After very poor results, he moved onto trying to sell credit card machines to shops.

That too went south pretty quickly, and with some of his last money, he bought an online course.

For $275, Frank learned the basics of internet marketing, and its possibilities.

After many failures and a brush with the IRS, he finally made it.

He crushed it by selling pet training manuals to dog owners and parrot owners online.

This was back in the early 2000s, and Frank soon became the go to person for online sales.

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Since then, Frank has partnered with giants of the online guru world, like Tony Robbins and Grant Cardone, to name but two.

He has successfully established himself as a winning marketing Guru.

His books sell like hotcakes, and he only accepts clients who are already at 7 figures.

As a marketing guru he has a good accumulated quite a bit of cash.

His total net worth is estimated to be close to $28 million.

In a YouTube video about Facebook Ads, Frank Kern said: “The second time a campaign is gonna lose money is any given day. You could have a campaign that’s working really really well all week or whatever and then on Friday or Saturday or any given day, it can actually dip down in performance. That’s normal. That’s guaranteed to happen.” And I agree with this. In my opinion, using paid ads for social media or other online marketing campaigns is like a Givenchy perfume where the first spritz catches everyone’s attention. But the longer it lingers in the air, the less anyone notices it. Ads stop working fast as audiences see them repeatedly. Performance decays weekly unless you refresh angles, copy, and videos. Plus, platforms price clicks by competition, not your profit. As more bidders enter, your CPC rises while conversion rates stay the same. You end up working harder to break even.

In this article, we dive into Frank Kern’s personal and professional background, course offers, and business strategies. We also talk about the Inner Circle, FB Ad Campaign Challenge, Mass Conversion, and more. Towards the end, we compare the sustainability of using paid sales ads vs doing local lead generation.

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What are the 7 Reasons Frank Kern is the Best Internet Marketing Consultant?

One of the greatest things that Frank does is to provide value upfront.

Jokingly, he says that if he sells the person with upfront value, he won’t have to pitch anything.

And the running joke is that Frank is terrible at sales.

Not sure if I want to believe him, but a cool byproduct of this is that there are plenty of free courses you can take to learn how to do IM.

Frank Kern collaborated with Grant Cardone, combining omnipresent marketing with high-ticket sales tactics, resulting in their joint agency, CardoneKern, which generated millions before COVID impacted operations.

There are so many fascinating aspects to Frank, so let’s dive right in!

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1 - What is Intent Based Branding?

Intent-Based Branding is Frank Kern’s signature strategy that uses goodwill content to pre-sell audiences by offering free value, then converting through simple offers. It blends authority building with consistent top-of-funnel engagement.

Possibly this is the technique Frank is most known for.

With it, he single-handedly changed the way Internet Marketing is done.

The concept behind it is not new, but the way Frank employs it is crazy.

The concept behind intent-based branding, or direct intent marketing, is simple:

Create valuable content that’s relevant and useful to your target audience.

You then get them to view it, and use the content to springboard an offer that will address their problems.

Yeah, you’ve seen it a million times with courses.

It was popularized by Frank Kern.

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Intent based branding is a basic marketing strategy where you build yourself into a brand while also selling solutions to your clients.

Its purpose is to build a bond and a relationship with a large audience.

How does it work exactly:

  • You find an audience with a need.
  • You check out what results they are getting.
  • You find out what results they desire.
  • You build a relationship giving free advice and knowledge.
  • You create a fanbase that will follow you everywhere.
  • You create an upsell product that solves their problems.

As Frank says, it is a win-win situation, because by the time you pitch the upsell, people will already know if they are in or out.

There’s very little that can go wrong there.

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As Frank says many times during his lives, it’s not just going live on FB.

You can create a channel on YT where you constantly give people value.

Or if you’re a more visual person, you could go for IG’s infographics.

Or create a podcast to disseminate your knowledge and good will.

Gary Vaynerchuk has been doing daily Club House lives, where he gives advice to anyone who shows up.

That is a great example of intent based branding.

2 - Collaborations and Friends

One of the most amazing things about Frank Kern is that since his breakthrough in the early 00s, he’s helped loads of celebrities and gurus get off their feet online.

This has created a ripple effect whereby Frank is seen as a guru by most gurus.

When he was still hustling to find a way to make money, he always read a beat up Tony Robbins book.

Years later, Tony would dedicate an entire issue of his magazine New Money Masters to Frank.

And it wasn’t to help a friend out.

Throughout the years, Frank has helped Tony Robbins earn close to $200M in online sales.

I’d be pretty grateful if someone did that to my business!

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Another pretty huge friendship is that with Grant Cardone, self-proclaimed world’s greatest salesman.

The duo formed the Ad agency CardoneKern.com , which had to slow down its business due to Covid.

But the two live close to each other and it’s clear what a powerhouse this duo can be.

Of course you will probably need 7 figures to be able to afford them, but if you do, you’re working with the best.

The following video is a hilarious example of what Frank and Grant got up to and how Grant inspired Frank.

The third and final friend of Frank’s is none other than Dan Kennedy.

For you young ones out there, Dan Kennedy is the OG marketing legend.

He was writing million dollar sales copy when the internet wasn’t even a thing.

There’s a brilliant interview on YT where Frank interviews Dan, and you can tell the two love each other.

Not only that, but most of the secret sauce that made Frank great comes straight from Dan.

Ideas like:

  • People are not rational in their buying decisions.
  • People buy based on emotions.
  • You need to use the e-factors (emotional factors) to make the money.

The fundamentals of Frank’s Intent Based Branding is all Dan’s work.

3 - The Three Pillars of Success

There are some aspects of internet marketers that become a sort of trademark of their work.

When it comes to Frank Kern, it’s definitely the concept of the Three Pillars of Marketing Success.

This is what Frank founds all of his work on and credits all of his success for.

It’s interesting to learn about these, because once you know them, you see them everywhere.

Every piece of content created by Frank, from the shortest live to the most expensive course, has all Three Pillars of Marketing Success.

Often in his videos, Frank talks about how many people and companies have lost their primary focus.

They divert their attention to less important pillars of success.

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The Three Pillars in question are:

  • Good Technology.
  • Good Marketing.
  • A Magic Bullet.

Magic bullet is a term Frank Kern coined for an amazing product that has potential to transform lives.

However, he admits most businesses emphasize the importance of each pillar incorrectly: 90% focus on the least important pillar which is good technology.

According to Frank, businesses still struggle with this pillar of internet marketing.

They run into two primary problems when implementing this strategy.

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  • First they make the mistake of using the internet to market their product rather than sell it. Internet marketers use the internet to SELL their product not market it.
  • Second, companies run into information overwhelm.

Most of Frank’s courses build upon these three pillars.

And most of the work that Frank actually engages with, when working with business, has to do with the three pillars.

These form the basic building blocks of every course or system created by Frank.

4 - What is the Inner Circle?

The Inner Circle is Frank Kern’s premium mentorship and coaching program, designed for marketers, consultants, and business owners who want hands-on help scaling their offers using ads, funnels, and content strategy.

How Much Does the Inner Circle Cost?

The Inner Circle costs $397 per month and you can cancel whenever you like.

The amount of stuff you get by becoming a member is just obscene:

  • Book Funnel Blueprint ($1997).
  • Ultimate Webinar Funnel ($2997).
  • Info Business Blueprint ($2997).
  • High Level Fellowship ($6400).
  • Subconscious Selling ($1997).
  • Upscale Continuity ($1997).
  • Facebook Campaign ($1997).

That’s $20,382 in FREE gifts that you get just for trying the Inner Circle.

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On top of that, you get the chance to speak with Frank twice a month.

He will actually jump onboard and physically help you with whatever is holding you back.

Things Frank helps you with include:

  • Increasing Your Front End *Immediate* Sales.
  • Increasing The Amount of Each Sale.
  • Increasing Repeat Sales And Back-End Sales.

On top of that, there are Tech Tuesdays and Facebook Fridays, where Frank will help you with the most minute details of funnels, VSLs, Facebook Campaigns.

And on top of that, there is a cool welcoming gift for joining.

All of this for $397.

You can cancel when you want.

And you get to keep all the courses!

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Who is the Inner Circle for?

The Inner Circle is ideal for people who are already running traffic or offers and want to improve their front-end conversions, raise order values, or increase lifetime customer value.

5 - Low Ticket Courses

Since Frank has always tried to provide value upfront for his followers, it’s not a surprise that he has very low ticket courses.

The latest one is his FB Ad Campaign Challenge , that you can buy into for only $49.

In it you will learn:

  • how to create a Social Media Ad Campaign designed to get leads, customers, or BOTH …in five days or less …without risking (or spending) a fortune.**
  • how to create an ASSET for your business, meaning everything we build together will be YOURS …to use and benefit from as long as you want.
  • At the end of this challenge, you will have a fully functioning ad campaign set up and running.

All of this happens while looking over Frank’s shoulder while he creates his own campaign.

That way you can copy him step by step and learn by example.

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Everything will happen within 5 days, and you:

  • will get a new super-simple video and PDF blueprint every day for five days.
  • will be learning exactly what to do to make an ad campaign that gets leads, customers, or BOTH.
  • will be looking over Frank’s shoulder as he walks you through every step of the process …keeping it super simple and fun.
  • will be added to a special members-only FB group …specifically for this challenge …for more support (and accountability) from me, my team, and your fellow challengers***.***

Thecourse will be taught by demonstration.

No theory, long-winded filler, or out-dated junk that doesn’t work anymore.

At the end of these 5 days, you’ll have a working ad campaign that gets leads, customers, or both.

And Frank will teach you an unorthodox way of getting sales.

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This is typical Frank Kern.

He’ll pitch you a low ticket offer.

Simply put, you’ll learn everything you need to know.

And the reason for the low price is simple:

This has been priced to help you win.

Plus, as you’ll soon see, most people who work with Frank end up being customers for years because they get great value.

And that’s when they end up buying the high end products.

Speaking of which…

6 - High Ticket Courses

Frank Kern has made his fortune by selling his high ticket sales courses.

That’s what made him popular and filthy rich.

There are three courses that Frank is currently pushing hard.

The first one is called Mass Conversion , and, as you can imagine, is all about converting clients.

What’s Inside Mass Conversion?

  • Determine the best type of lead magnet for attracting ideal customers.
  • Get the lead magnets created quickly.
  • Build the automated systems to capture leads online and send them marketing messages.
  • Use Ascension to cross-sell and up-sell existing customers.
  • Drive targeted traffic from qualified prospects using advertising.

It’s a four week beginner/intermediate course that goes for $2997.

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The second course in his arsenal is Info Business Blueprint :
This course teaches you to:

  • Choose the ideal digital product type for your market.
  • Validate the success potential of your idea using the Market Validation Method.
  • Outline your product content using the Escape and Arrival framework.
  • Quickly produce and publish your product using the Content Compounding approach.
  • Sell your products using the four main selling systems exclusive to the Information business online.
  • Drive qualified, targeted traffic to your website using advertising.

Sounds pretty awesome if you have a digital product to market, and someone like Frank in your corner, giving a hand.

This is for intermediate to advanced clients, and costs $2997.

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His flagship course is Client Acquisition System .

It is geared especially towards consultants, coaches, and professional service providers.

In it, Frank will teach you:

  • How to determine your ideal number of clients by reverse engineering your income targets and lifestyle goals.
  • Exactly how much to charge per client in order to have the perfect practice.
  • Your most valuable work that produces the most revenue.
  • Which prospects are likely to pay you the most …with the least resistance.
  • How to use Omnipresence to magnetically attract those prospects to you.
  • How to convert your ideal prospects into highly interested leads using the Low Hanging Fruit, Midlevel, and Cold Campaigns.
  • How to convert leads into clients using the collaborative close, interview-takeaway, and discovery day methods.

This one is intermediate to advanced and sets you back $3997.

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Who is Frank Kern’s Courses Best for?

Frank Kern’s courses are best for consultants, coaches, and service providers already generating consistent leads who want to amplify results using omnipresent content and evergreen ads.

Why Does Frank Kern Avoid Hard Sales Tactics?

Frank Kern avoids hard sales tactics because his philosophy centers around giving upfront value so the sale becomes a natural conclusion. His personal style avoids aggressive closes, opting instead for humor, storytelling, and clear transformation.

What are the 3 Reasons Why I Don’t Like Facebooks Ads?

  1. They can fail spectacularly: you can follow all the templates you want, but sometimes FB Ads just don’t work, and you’re left pumping more money trying to resurrect a dead ad. That money slowly bites a chunk in your finances.
  2. After a while, your ad will exhaust its lifespan. Those who were supposed to click on it, already have, and no matter how much cash you throw at it, it just ain’t worth the hassle.
  3. Banking all your chips on Facebook Ads is very risky business: your money is going to be spent without any guarantee. Sometimes you’ll get returns, other times you won’t and you’ll need to be monitoring the ad constantly: chances are that, with a low return of investment,  you are potentially going to lose money.

Final Verdict: Is Frank Kern’s Marketing Strategy Still Effective in 2025?

Yes, Frank Kern’s strategy is still effective in 2025, but only for the right kind of marketer. Frank Kern’s core strategies, especially Intent-Based Branding and Omnipresence Content, remain effective in 2025 because they’re grounded in principles of human behavior, not fleeting platform tricks. His emphasis on building goodwill through valuable, pre-sale content still aligns with how users engage across social, video, and email channels, especially as algorithmic trust signals now favor consistency and authority.

However, the execution needs to evolve. The rise of short-form video, AI-generated content, and increased ad competition means Kern’s tactics work best when paired with:

  • Fresh, attention-grabbing hooks.
  • A data-driven funnel backend.
  • Personalized, human-toned messaging that stands out from AI noise.

If you’re actively publishing content, managing email sequences, and investing in ad testing, Frank’s strategy can outperform trend-based tactics. But for creators looking for passive or automation-heavy approaches, his system may feel too hands-on.

Is Local Lead Generation More Sustainable Than Paid Sales Ads?

In my experience, local lead generation is more sustainable than paid sales ads because it doesn’t bid per click, so margins are between 80%-95% like finding your own “Philosopher’s Stone” in Harry Potter where it keeps creating magic (leads) forever once discovered. You invest once in building and ranking, then compounding traffic lowers your already minimal costs over time. Unlike the regular content creation in paid ads, local lead gen only needs occasional content updates to stay competitive. It’s not on a hamster wheel of continuous content grind. Plus, you can target local niches by city, suburb, and intent. You can capture winnable micro-markets instead of fighting national bidders.

Webpages don’t fatigue like ads. Strong service pages, FAQs, and reviews keep pulling searches for months. Your output compounds instead of burning out. Local lead gen assets are steadier in performance and lower in maintenance compared to ads.

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Why I Recommend Local Lead Generation Over Other Biz Models

I recommend local lead generation over other biz models because it creates consistent, long-term results without ongoing costs. Unlike paid ads that disappear when the budget stops, local SEO builds trust and organic visibility in your community. Over time, this approach delivers higher ROI and more qualified leads who are actively searching for your services. For instance, my lead gen site Huntington Beach Pro ADU Builder 7772 Warner Avenue Huntington Beach, California 92647 714-464-7610 https://www.huntingtonbeachproadu.com/ generated 9 new leads worth $39,124 for my client in under 15 days. Since I get a 10% commission for the leads I forward, I got paid $3,912.40 even without daily site updates.

Local lead generation isn’t just about getting more leads, it’s about building a lasting presence in your community. By focusing on organic visibility and trust, you create sustainable growth that keeps delivering results long after paid ads fade. Start local, stay consistent, and watch your business thrive.

Ippei Kanehara

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Ippei Kanehara

Founder/CEO

$52K per month providing lead generation services to small businesses

Ippei.com is for digital hustlers, industry leaders and online business owners.

His #1 online business recommendation in 2024, is to build your own lead generation business.