If you've never run Facebook or Instagram ads before—or if you've tried and didn't see results—it's easy to be sceptical.
And honestly, you should be. Plenty of businesses waste money on ads that don't work because they were set up poorly, targeted incorrectly, or abandoned too quickly.
But when done properly, paid social advertising can be one of the most effective ways to generate consistent enquiries for local service businesses.
This page explains how it actually works, what realistic success looks like, and what mistakes to avoid.
Your potential customers are scrolling Facebook and Instagram every day. Paid ads let you put your business directly in front of them—at the moment they might be thinking about the service you offer. Unlike traditional advertising, you're not paying to reach everyone. You're paying to reach people in your area who fit the profile of someone likely to need your services.
With paid social ads, you decide exactly how much you want to spend. You can start small, test what works, and scale up when you're seeing results. If something isn't working, you can adjust or stop at any time. You're not locked into expensive contracts or long-term commitments with the platforms themselves.
One of the biggest advantages of digital advertising is that everything is trackable. You can see exactly how many people saw your ad, how many clicked, and how many enquired. That means you're never guessing. You know what's working and what isn't, based on real data.
The first few weeks of any campaign are about learning. The platform needs time to figure out who responds to your ads, and we need time to test different approaches. During this period, you might see some enquiries, but the real value comes from the data we gather. That data informs everything we do moving forward.
A great campaign doesn't mean 50 leads in week one and then nothing. It means a steady, predictable flow of enquiries month after month. That's what allows you to plan, hire, and grow—without the stress of wondering where your next job is coming from.
We're not trying to flood you with enquiries. We're trying to bring you the right enquiries—people who are genuinely interested, located in your area, and likely to convert into paying customers. A campaign that generates 10 high-quality leads is far more valuable than one that generates 50 tyre-kickers.
Many businesses run ads for a few weeks, don't see immediate results, and assume it doesn't work. But good campaigns are built over time, through testing and refinement. The businesses that succeed with paid ads are the ones that commit to the process and give it time to deliver.
This is the biggest killer of ad performance. If someone fills out a form or sends a message and doesn't hear back for two days, they've already moved on. Fast, professional follow-up is essential. If you can't commit to responding quickly, paid ads won't deliver the results you're hoping for.
If someone promises you'll 10x your business in a month, they're lying. Real growth is steady, sustainable, and built on a foundation of consistency. The businesses that do best are the ones who understand that good marketing is a long-term investment, not a get-rich-quick scheme.
If you don't know where your enquiries are coming from, you can't make informed decisions. Proper tracking is essential—and it's something we set up from day one.
If your ads are being shown to the wrong people, they won't work. We spend significant time upfront making sure your campaigns are reaching the right audience in the right locations.
Your ads need to speak directly to the problems your customers are facing and position you as the solution. Generic, salesy ads don't convert. We create messaging that's clear, relevant, and focused on what your customers actually care about.
A campaign that isn't actively managed will decline over time. We test different creatives, audiences, and approaches constantly—always looking for ways to improve performance.
Good campaigns take time to mature. We work with clients who understand this and are willing to invest in building something that lasts.
If you're curious about paid social advertising but not sure where to start, we're happy to talk it through with you. There's no hard sell. Just an honest conversation about whether it's the right fit for your business right now.
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