How to Make Your Ads More Effective (And Stop Wasting Money on Marketing)

If you’re tired of running ads that don’t bring in customers, you’re not alone.This guide will show you how to make your ads more effective, capture attention, and actually grow your business.

My First Experience Writing an Ad (And Why It Failed)

I still remember writing my very first ad for my first marketing agency. I had studied the biggest companies in the world and thought I could apply the same strategies to a small local business.

But when it came time to write the ad? I was stuck. Staring at a blank page, second-guessing everything, and realizing I had no real formula to follow.

Like most beginners, I tried to copy competitors. I changed a few words here and there, launched the campaign, and crossed my fingers.

A few days later, I asked my partner how the ad performed:

“Did we make any sales? Did we get calls?”

He smiled and said: “No, no, this ad wasn’t for sales. It was for brand awareness—you know, top-of-mind recognition.”

At the time, I pretended to understand. But here’s the truth: Neither of us had a clue how that was supposed to get customers through the door.

The Real Reason Most Ads Don’t Work

Most businesses waste half (or more) of their marketing budget on ads that aren’t measurable.

Instead of generating leads, ads are often labeled with vague terms like:

• “Brand name recognition”

• “Top of mind awareness”

• “Brand positioning”

These buzzwords sound impressive, but they don’t answer the most important question:

Did the ad bring in new customers or sales?

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

How I Stopped Wasting Money on Ads

After years of testing and trial-and-error, I discovered the formula for effective local business marketing.

And the shortcut comes from something called Pearson’s Law:

“What is measured, improves.”

The fastest way to improve your ad performance is to make every single ad measurable.

That means:

• Adding a clear call to action (call, click, scan, visit)

• Tracking every response

• Testing and improving based on real data

When you can measure the results, you know what’s working and what isn’t.No more guessing. No more jargon. Just ads that generate leads, customers, and sales.

The Rule We Use With Every Client

At my agency, we have one simple rule:

Every ad we run must be measurable. No exceptions.

This is the difference between ads that look good… and ads that actually bring in money.

Takeaway: How to Improve Your Ads Today

If you want to stop wasting your marketing budget and start getting real results from your ads, focus on these three steps:

1. Add a response mechanism (phone number, QR code, unique URL, or form).

2. Track every action your audience takes.

3. Test and refine until you know what brings the most customers.

This works for every business—restaurants, retail stores, local services, e-commerce, and more.

Want Help Making Your Ads Work?

If you’re a local business owner and you want to turn your ads into measurable results, my team at Lionhart Solutions can help.

We specialize in:

• Local business marketing

• Paid social media ads

• SEO and websites that convert

Contact us today to find out how we can make your ads start paying for themselves.