From the Desk of Danielle, Your Friendly Ads Strategist
If you’ve already launched a few ad campaigns and started learning your way around Google Ads or Meta Business Suite, you’ve probably realized something: ads are simple to start, but much harder to master.
That’s where this next phase of learning comes in. You’ve moved past the basics of boosting a post or setting a budget, and now you’re ready to get more out of your campaigns. That doesn’t mean diving into hyper-advanced strategies just yet. It means tightening up the fundamentals and building smart habits that give you more return for your effort and spend.
Here are a few expert digital advertising tips I share with my clients that you can start applying to your own strategy. No advanced degree in data science required.
Stop Thinking of Ads as a Standalone Fix
One of the biggest mindset shifts I encourage is thinking of ads as part of your ecosystem, not a silver bullet. Even the best campaign will struggle if your offer isn’t clear, your landing page is clunky, or your content isn’t aligned.
Before you launch, ask yourself: If I turned off the ads tomorrow, would this funnel still work? Your ads should amplify what’s already resonating. If they’re trying to patch up a leaky offer or weak messaging, you’ll be burning budget fast.
Don’t Skip Audience Testing, Even If You Think You Know Your Buyer
If you’ve been running ads for a while, you probably have a strong sense of who your ideal customer is. But assumptions can get expensive. Audience fatigue is real, and even small shifts in messaging or creative can perform wildly differently across segments.
Try testing your ads with a few lookalike audiences, cold interest groups, or segmented retargeting. You might be surprised by who converts best or which messages resonate most. Let the data confirm your gut feeling.
Warm Up Your Cold Traffic
You wouldn’t ask a stranger to marry you on the first date, so don’t ask cold audiences to buy right away either. Instead, think about how you can introduce your brand in a way that builds trust before the pitch.
Use lead magnets, video content, or testimonials to create top-of-funnel touch points that warm people up. The more value you provide up front, the more effective your conversion ads will be later.
Track More Than Just Clicks
Click-through rate is helpful, but it’s not the whole picture. You should also be tracking what happens after someone clicks your ad. Are they bouncing off the page? Spending time on your site? Signing up or making a purchase?
This is where tools like Google Analytics, Meta Events Manager, or your CRM become essential. Even a simple conversion event setup can help you understand which ads are driving real results, and which are just bringing empty traffic.
Refresh Creative Regularly, Even If It’s Performing Well
I know it’s tempting to “set and forget” a campaign that’s working. But every ad has a shelf life. Over time, performance can drop as people see the same creative over and over.
My rule of thumb: if performance has plateaued or frequency is creeping up, it’s time to rotate in something new. That could mean testing different visuals, rewriting your headline, or experimenting with a new call to action. Creative fatigue is a fixable problem as long as you’re paying attention.
Don’t Neglect the Landing Page
You’ve heard this one before, but it bears repeating: the ad is only half the equation. If someone clicks your ad and lands on a page that’s slow to load, confusing, or off-brand, they’ll leave.
Your landing page should echo the message in your ad, load quickly, and make the next step clear. And yes, this applies to mobile too, because that’s where a big chunk of your traffic is likely coming from.
Be Willing to Pause and Pivot
Sometimes an ad just isn’t working. That doesn’t mean you failed, it means you’re learning. One of the most valuable habits you can build as a marketer is knowing when to pause, reevaluate, and test something new.
Look at your data with curiosity, not judgment. Every click, bounce, or conversion is a clue. The faster you respond to what’s actually happening, the more effective your campaigns will become.
Final Thoughts
Getting better at digital advertising isn’t about finding a secret hack, it’s about layering smart strategy on top of strong fundamentals. If you can commit to testing, tracking, and staying curious, you’re already ahead of the game.
You don’t need to be perfect to get results. You just need to stay intentional, ask the right questions, and keep showing up. And if you ever want someone in your corner to help you fine-tune, you know where to find me.
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