We spent $2,784 on Meta ads. Meta reported $96,760 in sales.
What we ran that month.
This wasn't a new account. We'd spent the year learning which products and offers moved people to buy. When the brand planned a deep sale on its best sellers, we knew where to start. Inventory ran out before we spent the full budget.
The two-day sale
We started with a sale on the brand's chocolate products. One ad went to new shoppers, another to previous buyers. That let us see how each group responded.
The bundle
Between sales, we put several best sellers into a discounted bundle. It gave people a reason to buy without cutting the price of every individual product.
Black Friday
We were ready to put more budget behind the Black Friday ads. We turned them off after three hours because inventory was running low.
The catalog ad
A dynamic catalog ad stayed on through the month. It showed people in-stock products under $60 that they had already looked at.
All 13 ads from that month.
This is the Ads Manager view, with client and ad names covered. You can see the full $2,784.57 spend and $96,760.70 in reported purchase value at the bottom.
Why this month worked
The season. We built the audiences up ahead of time and had the account ready for their season.
The offer. We were building this customer base from nothing all year, so the offers were aggressive on purpose. What makes that work is knowing what a customer is worth over time.
The content. The content was quick and easy to understand, with no complicated hooks or tricks.
The targeting. We had already found the best performing group, so the ads went straight at them without question.
We could make those calls because we knew the account: who was buying, what we could afford to offer, and what was in stock. I'll look through yours with you and show you where the budget is working, where it isn't, and what I'd change first.
See what I'd checkWhat I'd look for in your account.
I'll pull up the account with you and look at where the budget has gone, which ads brought in new buyers, and whether the reported sales match your store. Then I'll tell you what I'd keep, stop, and test next.
Book a free account audit- How much spend went to ads that didn't produce a purchase?
- Has the cost per link click climbed over the last 90 days?
- How much reported revenue came from previous customers?
- Are purchases being counted correctly?
- Does the product page give people a reason to finish the order?
- Does Meta's reported return agree with your store data?
“I've had some pretty bad experiences with ad agencies... tens of thousands of dollars essentially just flushed down the toilet. My experience with Black Bear is totally different. Not only does Jeremy get results (my website is hitting numbers it has never seen before this time of year) but he is also extremely easy to work with, very open to new ideas...”
More client work
Ad spend to reported sales over 11 months, across 35 campaigns.
Monthly sales growth in three months.
Monthly revenue growth over six months.
New revenue in the first two months.
I've managed more than $14 million in ad spend. I still run the accounts myself.
I started Black Bear Advertising nine years ago and studied psychology and marketing at UVU. I spend a lot of time reading customer reviews and figuring out why people buy. I buy the ads myself, and I work on landing pages when that's where the problem is. A small team helps with creative, tracking, and reporting.
Questions I get before we work together.
Who actually runs my account?
I do. I work in every account I take on. A small team helps me with creative, tracking, and reporting.
How often will we talk?
You'll have a direct line to me, with a weekly check-in on the account. If something needs a decision before then, I'll reach out.
Am I locked into a contract?
No. Management is month to month.
Who owns the ad account?
You do. Your business keeps its ad account and access to the work inside it.
How much do I need to spend on ads?
About $3,000 a month is usually the minimum for the brands I work with. I'll tell you if the budget or starting point makes the project a poor fit.
How soon will I know if it's working?
It depends on the account you have now. I can usually identify the first things to test during the audit, but I won't promise a new account the kind of return you saw in this case study.
Let's look at where your ad budget is going.
I work best with brands that sell their own products and spend at least around $3,000 a month on ads. We'll use the call to find what I'd change first. If I don't think I can help, I'll tell you.