You've set up your Facebook ads. You're spending money. But the sales aren't coming in. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Most businesses waste thousands on Meta ads because they skip the fundamentals.
After managing over $2M in ad spend across dozens of accounts, we've seen the same mistakes over and over. Here's what's actually going wrong and how to fix it.
The Real Problem: You're Selling Too Fast
The biggest mistake we see? Running conversion campaigns to cold audiences with a "Buy Now" message. It doesn't work. These people don't know you. They don't trust you. And they're definitely not ready to pull out their credit card.
Think about it this way: Would you marry someone on the first date? That's what you're asking people to do when you run purchase-focused ads to cold traffic.
The Fix: A Simple 3-Stage Funnel
Stage 1: Awareness (Top of Funnel)
Your goal here is simple: get eyeballs. Run video ads that educate, entertain, or inspire. No hard sell. You're just trying to get people to stop scrolling and pay attention to you.
Optimize for video views (ThruPlay) or engagement. Cost per result should be cheap here. If you're paying more than $0.05 per ThruPlay, your creative needs work.
Stage 2: Consideration (Middle of Funnel)
Now you're talking to people who actually watched your video or engaged with your page. They know who you are. This is where you can introduce your product or service.
Lead magnets work great here. Free guides, quizzes, webinars. Give them something valuable in exchange for their email. Now you own that relationship.
Stage 3: Conversion (Bottom of Funnel)
This is where you go for the sale. But only to people who have already engaged with you. Retarget your video viewers, your website visitors, your email list.
These people are warm. They know you. They trust you. Now when you say "Buy Now," they actually might.
The Checklist That Actually Matters
Before you spend another dollar on ads, make sure you can check every box:
- Your Pixel is installed correctly and firing on all pages
- You have at least 3 different creatives per ad set (video performs best)
- Your landing page loads in under 3 seconds on mobile
- Your offer is clear and compelling within the first 5 seconds
- You're running separate campaigns for cold and warm audiences
- You have a retargeting campaign set up for website visitors
- Your ad copy speaks to a specific pain point, not generic benefits
Quick Wins You Can Implement Today
If your ads are struggling, try these fixes first:
- Kill any ad that hasn't gotten a purchase after spending 2x your target CPA
- Test a video ad if you're only running static images
- Narrow your audience. Broad doesn't work until you have tons of data
- Check your mobile landing page. 80%+ of your traffic is on mobile
- Add social proof. Reviews, testimonials, user-generated content
The Bottom Line
Facebook ads work. We've seen them transform businesses. But they only work when you respect the buyer's journey. Stop trying to close on the first touch. Build the relationship first.
Start with awareness. Move to consideration. Then go for the conversion. It takes more patience, but it's the only approach that scales profitably.
Need help setting this up? That's what we do. Reach out and let's talk about your ad strategy.