We’re bringing you an extra hot topic—paid ads. Yes, your favorite organic marketing duo is going to bring you inside the paid world, with an expert, of course.
We occasionally dip our toes into paid ads (specifically for SEO on Tap launches), but we’re so excited to be joined by Jenny, the founder of Ads Uncorked, a paid advertising agency. She helps product-based businesses grow through strategic ad campaigns across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google.
In this episode, we’re getting into:
- When a business is actually ready to start running ads
- Why so many Facebook and Instagram ads fail
- The difference between boosting posts and running a real ad strategy
- How product businesses can use ads to grow in a way that actually makes sense
Because the truth is… paid ads can be incredibly powerful. Jenny and her team have helped their clients grow to 6 and 7-figure numbers!
So let’s go ahead and dive in.
3 Signs a Business is Actually Ready to Start Running Paid Ads
There are a few things Jenny looks for before working with clients. Most of her clients sell physical products, but this also applies to digital products.
1. Have a strong organic presence
The organic foundation has to be there. Otherwise, ads won’t work.
What Jenny tells her clients is that ads will simply grow whatever results are already there.
So if your website isn’t converting traffic, ads will just show you really quickly and expensively that you’re not ready for it yet.
2. Average order value
You need an average order value that’s high enough to support ads because the expensive part is acquiring that customer.
If you can get them to come to your website and buy even more products from you, that’s where you’ll make that money back.
Jenny tells people to shoot for around $75 with that average order value. If we can get around there, that would be wonderful.
She can still turn a profit for clients who are closer to $50, but the higher, the better. There is some wiggle room there.
3. Conversion rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to your website who make a purchase.
Jenny tells clients to shoot for around a 2% conversion rate on their e-commerce site.
Again, if it’s a little bit lower, Jenny can still work her magic ✨
If average order value and conversion rate are close to those benchmarks, there’s a good chance that paid ads are going to shake out for you.
What Makes a Paid Ad Campaign Successful?
A lot of people are fixated on the return on their ads, which is extremely important.
When you jump into Ads Manager, it’ll show your purchase count and your return on ad spend.
There isn’t really a benchmark number here, but Jenny wants to know that you’re profitable, and that’s subjective to the specific business.
Jenny works with her clients on a profitability exercise because they need to know their fixed and variable expenses each month to determine whether a paid ad campaign will work.
From there, you can weigh the results that you’re looking at and understand the rate of return you need to stay profitable.
A Realistic Budget To See Results with Paid Ad Campaigns
It seems people want to spend as little as possible on paid ads while still getting the biggest possible return.
Budgets vary depending on your end goal. For lead generation, you can get by on $8-$10 a day to grow your email list, registrations for a webinar, or something like that.
You can figure out what you want your budget to be based on how much growth you want.
Ads for selling a product are different because that’s a bigger ask. We’re not just asking for an email address. We’re asking for someone to come check out your brand for the first time and make a purchase on your website.
For that, Jenny recommends budgeting at least $40-$50 a day, then scaling up from there.
If you spend around $20/day, you won’t have enough purchases for Meta to recognize a purchase. If Meta doesn’t have enough conversions in a week’s time, basically, you’ll start losing at the auction.
You’re going to waste your money.
You have to keep the budget high enough to get enough purchases to keep up the pace. Multiple purchases should be coming in every day from the paid ads campaign.
What Jenny’s Team Does for Clients
Her team reviews client ads every day and identifies exactly where the bottleneck is. They will dissect the data and identify any issues with the campaign, including conversion rate, ad copy, ad graphics, platform, landing page, etc.
They can look at the rate at which people are:
- Seeing an ad
- Clicking the website
- Adding to cart
- Initiating checkout
- Purchasing
The data tells a story. It’s not as simple as an ad tanking. Her team always wants to try something new to address the issue and see better results.
If things are humming along and doing well, then they’re brainstorming new creative concepts they haven’t yet tried. It’s always their goal to keep two steps ahead!
Are You Ready for Paid Ads?
Anyone who’s stepped into an ad manager knows how confusing it can be, not to mention all the strategy behind it that Jenny talked about in this episode.
As we always say, sometimes it’s better to outsource areas of your business to the experts. And paid ads are something we definitely want to outsource in the future!
If you’re ready to explore paid ads for your business, connect with Jenny and her team!
FAQs About Paid Ads for Small Businesses
The best platform depends on your audience and goals. Search ads are effective at capturing demand, while social media ads are great for building awareness and targeting specific demographics.
Some campaigns can generate traffic and leads within days, but optimizing performance typically takes a few weeks of testing and adjusting targeting, creative, and messaging.
Yes, a dedicated landing page helps convert traffic into leads or customers. It should match the ad’s message, be easy to navigate, and include a clear next step.
Connect With Jenny on Paid Ads!
Together with my phenomenal team of four, all dedicated and hardworking women, we share a mission to empower businesses like yours to reach and exceed those big dreams on your heart. Guided by my passion for numbers and the art of teaching, we strive to simplify the intricate process of Facebook Ads™, while also helping you achieve the big business goals you have.
Hear the Full Conversation with Jenny
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts with over 20+ years of combined experience working with big brands. They are educators and co-founders of Duo Collective; a boutique organic marketing agency specializing in SEO, branding, and custom websites for women-led small businesses and creative entrepreneurs.
Ready to grow your visibility and become unforgettable?
Learn more or work with our team here.
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