How a Fractional CMO Thinks About Ads
One thing I hear time and time again as a Fractional CMO is how clients want to run ads. And that’s because ads are often seen as a magic bullet that will instantly drive sales.
Ads are a powerful tool—one that should be deployed strategically as fuel for the fire, not as the spark. Ads work best when you have a proven business model and a robust marketing ecosystem in place. They’re not meant to be the foundation; they’re meant to amplify what’s already working.
My philosophy is simple: Ads are most effective when they’re used at the right time. Think of your marketing ecosystem as a well-built engine. Once that engine is running smoothly (complete with your brand messaging, organic channels, and conversion funnels) ads act as high-octane fuel that propels your growth to the next level. They can supercharge results and drive significant revenue, but only when the foundation is solid.
How I Identify Whether or Not to Use Ads
Ads are not the right call for every business model. And the type of ads a business uses will also vary greatly based on their business model. Before even considering ads, I evaluate the core components of your business:
Business Model: What type of business are you? Ecommerce, service-based, membership-model, subscription-model, or product-based? Are you location-based or solely online? What is your price point?
Proven Marketing Ecosystem: Have you tested and validated your organic channels? Are you seeing consistent results from your current efforts? Does your lead magnet and funnel convert well?
Customer Journey Clarity: Do you have a clear picture of your buyer’s journey, and have you identified where ads could effectively bridge gaps or scale what’s already working?
Performance Metrics: Are your conversion rates and customer acquisition costs within healthy ranges? If your foundational metrics are strong, then it’s time to explore ads as a means to scale.
Goal for Ads: Are you looking for brand awareness or sales? This will help you determine if ads are a good fit for you and the type of ads you need to run.
When the right criteria is met, ads become a natural extension of your strategy—an accelerator that pushes your proven tactics into overdrive. That’s why it’s important to look at how ads fit into your marketing strategy and if your business model is best suited for them.
What You Need Before Running Ads
Even though ads are likely a top-of-funnel marketing initiative (with the exception of retargeting and remarketing ads), you need to make sure you have all your other parts of your marketing funnel optimized. If you don’t, you’re just going to be wasting your money.
That’s why I always start at the bottom of the funnel and work my way up. That way we know once we’re getting people into the funnel, they are converting.
Here are some of the key pieces I always make sure are in tip-top shape before we fun ads:
Optimized Website: Your website should be fully optimized for conversions. This means fast loading times, clear messaging, and an intuitive design that guides visitors toward your desired actions. You may also need to have certain pages specifically designed and optimized for ads.
Robust Sales Funnel: Ensure that your sales funnel is well-defined, from lead capture to nurturing and conversion. Ads will only be as effective as the system they feed into.
Data Tracking & Analytics: Have systems in place to track performance and cross-reference with your other marketing. This way, you can measure the impact of your ads and adjust on the fly. For example, you may think your ads are performing well in terms of cost-per-result, impressions, etc. but you’re not seeing sales. That could mean you need to further optimize your landing page or you have a messaging issue.
Without these prerequisites, even the best ad campaign can fall flat. They’re the foundation that allows ads to truly act as the fuel for growth.
Real-World Examples: When Ads Made the Difference
I do not run (or recommend) ads to all of my clients. Sometimes the cost would be too high or we just wouldn’t see a return. That’s why it’s always helpful to speak with a professional before you decided to turn to ads.
However, I have seen ads work really well for some of my clients.
I have 2 CMO Partnership clients that, while in very different industries, are both location-based and we used ads to build brand awareness. This would be the exception to the rule of having a proven marketing ecosystem, but you need to make sure you have proof of concept in your business model. If your goal for ads is to simply let people know you exist, then they will likely work really well for you. These clients both saw an uptick in website visits but also in visitors to their new locations.
I have another client that is not location-based but used ads in a similar way for their conferences. This is where they find the majority of their leads so we decided to run geofencing ads during the conference to get more people to visit their booth. Then we’re running retargeting ads after the conference to increase conversions.
I’ve also had clients that are strictly online businesses using ads to promote their memberships and courses. The one things those clients have in common in their ads strategy is that we use the ads to promote a free offer to get people into a funnel and ultimately convert. This is where having a fully optimized funnel is going to be critical.
As you can see there are a lot of ways to use ads but the one hill I will die on is they are not always ideal for every single business and are best used as an amplifier.
Scale Wisely with Ads
Ads aren’t a shortcut to success; they’re the fuel for a proven strategy. When you’ve already validated your business model and built a robust marketing ecosystem, ads can propel your growth to new heights. They’re the fuel that, when added at the right time, ensures your marketing engine is firing on all cylinders.
If you’re ready to take your marketing strategy to the next level and harness the power of ads effectively, let’s connect. As a Fractional CMO, I’m here to help you fine-tune your approach, ensuring every ad dollar is spent wisely and every campaign aligns with your overarching goals.
