Should I Invest in Paid Ads?
If you’re looking to grow your business, you may have wondered whether paid ads are worth the investment. While organic marketing strategies like SEO and social media can build your brand over time, paid advertising offers a faster way to reach your target audience. But are paid ads right for your business? In this guide, we’ll break down the basics and help answer the question should I invest in paid ads?
Image by Christina wocintechchat/Squarespace.
What Are Paid Ads?
Paid advertising is a marketing strategy where businesses pay to display ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. These ads appear in search results, social media feeds, and websites, helping brands increase visibility and drive traffic.
Types of Paid Ads
There are several types of paid ads, each serving different business goals. Here are examples of common types of paid ads that might suit your campaign goals.
Search ads (PPC) — Appear at the top of Google search results when users search for specific keywords.
Social media ads — Are displayed on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok to target specific demographics.
Display ads — Banner ads that appear on websites and apps.
Video ads — Ads on YouTube and other video platforms to engage audiences visually.
Retargeting ads — Show ads to users who have previously visited your website, increasing the chance of conversion.
Pros & Cons of Paid Ads
Before diving in, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of investing in paid advertising.
Pros:
✅ Fast results — Unlike organic marketing, paid ads can drive traffic and leads immediately.
✅ Targeted reach — Allows you to reach specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviours.
✅ Scalability — You can adjust budgets and strategies to scale your marketing efforts.
✅ Measurable results — Most platforms provide detailed analytics to track ad performance.
Cons:
❌ Costs can quickly add up — Paid ads require continuous investment; once you stop spending, traffic declines.
❌ Steep learning curve — Setting up and optimising ads effectively requires testing and experience.
❌ Ad fatigue — If not managed properly, audiences can become desensitised to ads.
Should You Invest in Paid Ads?
To determine if paid ads are right for your business, we can start by considering these questions:
Do you have a clear goal? (e.g., lead generation, brand awareness, sales)
Is your target audience active on ad platforms?
Do you have a budget for testing and optimising ads?
Are you willing to experiment and refine your approach?
Many beginner advertisers find it easiest to start with a simple campaign, such as creating adverts for an event or a product launch. Once you grow in confidence, you can then expand into more complex ad setups.
How to Set a Test Budget
If you’re new to paid advertising, start small and test before scaling. Here’s a startup ads set-up that we recommend:
Choose one platform that aligns with your target audience (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, etc.).
Set a test budget – $50–$100 is a reasonable starting point to gather data.
Run ads for at least a week to assess performance.
Monitor key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and conversions.
Adjust and optimise based on performance before increasing your budget.
Final Thoughts
Paid ads can be a powerful tool when used strategically. If you have a clear goal, a well-defined audience, and a willingness to test and optimise, they can help accelerate growth. However, if your budget is limited and your audience is easily reached through organic methods, you may want to hold off and focus your efforts on organic growth. In the end, it is important to remember that, especially when building a new brand, organic reach and paid adverts both play their role in creating long-term success.
Ready to take action? Start by setting up a small test campaign and analysing the results!
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