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Paid advertising is a powerful tool for growth when you know how to use it strategically. But here’s the thing: many businesses jump into paid ads with excitement, only to be met with disappointing results.
Whether you’re running Google, Meta, or TikTok ads, the fundamentals still apply. Let’s break down the common pitfalls that lead to poor performance and more importantly, how to avoid them.
Too many brands launch ad campaigns without a clear sense of what they want to achieve. “More traffic” or “more visibility” sounds good on paper, but vague goals make it hard to measure success or optimise your ads. If you don’t know what success looks like, how will you know if your ads are working?
Why this hurts performance:
Without a clear KPI, you risk spending money without a direction. Your ad might get clicks, but are they the right clicks? Are they converting? Are they helping your business grow?
What to do instead:
If you’re running multiple campaigns, assign 1 goal per campaign to avoid mixed signals in performance data.
Peer Software is a great example of a brand that nailed this. After working with HawkSEM, they clearly defined their goals—focusing on lead generation rather than just traffic. With this shift in strategy and refined targeting, they achieved a 230% increase in lead volume and a 55% improvement in cost per lead.
Audience targeting can make or break your campaign. If your audience is too broad, you’re wasting money on people who don’t care. But if it’s too narrow, your ads may struggle to get enough reach to even learn and optimise properly. Balance is key.
Why this hurts performance:
Going broad might look like you’re getting reach and impressions, but most of it won’t convert. Going hyper-niche can leave your campaign stuck in “learning” mode or deliver to a tiny pool of users—making scaling nearly impossible.
What to do instead:
Regularly check your frequency. If people see your ad but never click, it’s time to refresh or retarget.
You’ve got the perfect ad creative, the clicks are coming in… and then—silence. If you’re sending users to a cluttered homepage or a confusing landing page, your conversion rate will suffer no matter how good the ad is.
Why this hurts performance:
Paid traffic is only half the equation. The post-click experience determines whether someone takes action. If your landing page doesn’t align with the ad or has too many distractions, you’re wasting money with every click.
What to do instead:
Tools like Google Analytics can help you understand what users are doing after they land and where they drop off.
STI Garage Equipment worked with Livepage to overhaul their PPC strategy, and a key part of the turnaround was optimising their landing pages. After improving UX and aligning the landing content with the ad message, their conversion rate grew by 164%, and the cost per conversion dropped by 42%.
Running a paid ad campaign isn’t a one-and-done situation. If you’re not testing and optimising consistently, you’ll miss out on insights that could significantly boost your results.
Why this hurts performance:
Platforms like Meta and Google are algorithm-driven. If you leave things untouched for too long, performance can drop due to ad fatigue, rising costs, or just irrelevant messaging. Moreover, without testing, you won’t know what’s actually working.
What to do instead:
Always make small, incremental changes—don’t switch up everything at once or you won’t know what caused the improvement.
Putting all your eggs in one basket may feel easier to manage, but it’s risky. Each platform has unique strengths, and if one underperforms or changes its algorithm, your entire strategy could fall apart.
Why this hurts performance:
Over-reliance limits your reach and makes your brand vulnerable to platform shifts. If your audience hangs out in multiple places, you’re missing out by staying isolated to just one platform.
What to do instead:
Paid ads can be incredibly rewarding but only when backed by a smart, strategic approach. It’s not just about spending money; it’s about spending it intentionally.
Avoiding these common mistakes can save you thousands in ad spend—and even more in time and effort.
We’re here to help you build campaigns that truly resonate and drive results.
Reach out to us at hello@medianetic.me, or send a message via our chatbot.
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