Advertising, explained and put to work
Guides and analysis for agencies and advertisers: advertising accounts, Meta, Google Ads and TikTok campaigns, conversion tracking and advertising operations.
Performance Max revenue rises while Search revenue falls by almost the same amount. Has the business gained new demand, or has demand moved between reporting columns? The campaign dashboard starts the investigation; it cannot answer the question alone.
One video brought in more orders than another. Should production make ten versions of it? Pause: it may have received more spend, reached a different audience or attracted lower-quality orders. Useful comparison starts with the decision you need to make, then the numbers that answer it.
“This video drove sales; make ten more like it.” A familiar request—but what should be repeated? The opening, product demonstration or offer at the end? Without an answer, the team may produce many copies without learning why the original worked.
Two people search for the same service: one types the business name, while the other looks for a solution without choosing a provider. One blended average may look tidy, but it does not explain where results come from or how messaging should improve.
Imagine an account with a campaign for every city, an ad set for every interest, and similar versions with names that explain nothing. Asked why, the team says, “That's how it started.” Review the structure—but do not take that as a reason to rebuild everything.
Imagine Events Manager showing steady activity while purchase value looks higher than the store's orders. Before blaming the ads, check the trigger: does a purchase fire when checkout starts or when it completes? Does refreshing confirmation resend the same order?
Imagine a B2B service campaign reporting dozens of conversions while sales finds no qualified inquiries. Before changing bidding, inspect the actions: are form submissions, phone clicks and service requests combined into one number? First define what deserves to count as a result.
Your store recorded one order, but Meta's data seems to tell a different story. Was it counted twice? Does the value include shipping? Or are you comparing actual orders with sales attributed to ads? Each question requires a different check.
Ads are bringing visitors, but few orders follow. Do you need another video, or a better experience after the click? Before blaming targeting or content, follow the journey as a user—from the ad's promise to order confirmation.
Your test tool shows success, yet the sales report makes little sense. Where should you look? The event may have arrived with the wrong value, been sent twice, or arrived late. Successful delivery is one checkpoint, not the end of the investigation.
