Done wrong, ads are just a fast way to light money on fire. Done right, they are the quickest way to get in front of people who are ready to buy. I run Google and Meta ads with real tracking, so we always know what is working and what is a waste, and we put the money where it is working.
The difference between ads that work and ads that waste money is almost always tracking and targeting. Here is how I run them.
Catch people the moment they search for what you do. These are the highest-intent clicks there are, and they tend to turn into calls the fastest.
Facebook and Instagram ads that get you in front of the right local people before they are even looking, and back in front of the ones who already visited.
We measure calls and form fills, not just clicks and impressions. If a campaign is not producing, we see it fast and cut it.
No set-and-forget. I move spend toward what is producing leads and away from what is not, so every dollar keeps earning.
A lot of ad money is wasted not on the ad, but on where it sends people. Because I also build the website and the landing pages, the click and the page are built together to turn attention into a lead. You get a straight recommendation on spend before you commit a dollar, and no long contract.
It depends on your market and what a customer is worth to you, but most small businesses start somewhere around $500 to $1,500 a month in ad spend. I will give you a straight recommendation before you commit a dollar.
Google ads catch people already searching for what you do, so they tend to convert faster. Facebook and Instagram ads are better for getting in front of people before they are looking. The right mix depends on your business, and I will tell you which to start with.
I set up real conversion tracking, so we see calls and form fills, not just clicks and impressions. If something is wasting money, we cut it and move the budget to what is working.
Ads get the phone ringing now, but they land best on a fast website, and local SEO builds the free traffic that keeps coming after you pause spend.