The Five Most Common Paid Ads Myths: Busted

Feb 16, 2024 | Facebook Marketing

The world of online advertising can be a minefield. Everywhere you turn, you’ll find myths and misinformation. 

From “ads are only for big businesses” to “run my ads strategy and get immediate results” – it can be hard to know who to trust and what to pay attention to.

So, I think it’s high time we sort the truth from fiction and debunk some of these paid ad myths once and for all.

Paid ads only benefit large businesses

This is one of the most common paid ad myths out there and it couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that paid ads can benefit businesses of all sizes.

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur looking to increase your online visibility, or a bigger business looking to get to the next level, paid social ads can help you achieve your goals.

Paid social media ads allow you to target your audience so your message reaches the right people at the right time – that’s surely something every business can benefit from?! 

The flexibility of paid ads also allows you to adjust your strategy as your business grows and changes over time, too. 

If you’re a smaller business, sure, going toe-to-toe with the big spenders might seem tough, but with a bit of smart planning, you’ll be able to reach your crowd just fine.

Paid ads result in instant success

It would be great if, with the click of an ad, money magically began to pour in. The reality is ads are not a magic bullet for instant success (and anyone who promises you this is lying!) Like any marketing strategy or tool, they require planning,  time, skill, testing and learning to be effective.

That being said, paid ads can certainly speed up the success process! Unlike organic social strategies, which can take months or even years to get results, paid ads can help you reach your target audience much faster.

To be clear though, ads don’t guarantee success. They are one link in a customer journey, and they amplify everything, good and bad! To truly see the benefits of paid ads, you need a clear understanding of what’s working well in your business – that includes knowing your customers, your messaging, your profitability and your long-term customer retention. With these in place and well-optimised ad campaigns, you’re far more likely to get results.


Paid ads are too expensive

Another common myth surrounding paid ads is that they’re too expensive – especially for a business with a tighter budget. While it’s true that some platforms can be quite pricey, the beauty of paid ads is that they can be tailored to fit any budget.

The cost of your ads will depend on many factors, including the platform you choose, the competitiveness of your target audience and also what you want to achieve with your ads. 

But, even if you can’t compete with the big leagues, you can still run well-optimised campaigns that can help you to grow your business, regardless of your budget.


Organic reach is better than paid ads

While organic social posting is important as part of your wider marketing plan, it’s not necessarily better or worse than paid ads. In fact, the two strategies complement each other perfectly, as part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that covers all your bases.

Organic marketing focuses on building a strong online presence over time, but paid ads can help you achieve visibility right away, and making sure that your presence is targeted. 

By combining both organic and paid socia, your business stays at the forefront of your audience’s mind, whether they’re actively searching for your products or services, or simply browsing online. 

Both organic and paid social media do different things that can help you achieve your business objectives. And both have a place in a good marketing strategy!


Paid ads don’t get results

This myth is perhaps the most damaging of all, as it can put off businesses from even considering paid ads, which is a huge shame! Because, the truth is, when done correctly, paid ads can, and do, have impressive results.

Doing anything badly in your business won’t get results, ads are no different. That’s often the problem: it’s not that paid social ads don’t get results, it’s that they can be complicated to set up or that you’ve been poorly advised on ‘how’ to use them. I see many posts from companies claiming to have a fail-proof social media ad strategy, when the reality is what works for one business will not work for another. Basic marketing principles still apply, so if what you’re selling isn’t working without ads, running ads is not going to make people all-of-a-sudden run to buy it (harsh truth!)

By getting clear about your wider marketing plans and knowing where paid social ads fit into this, you’re setting yourself up for success. 

And the beauty of paid social ads is that you can start with a relatively small budget, and scale once you see what’s working. A lot of the time, you do need to spend money to make money, as they say! But there are always strategic ways to get results even with smaller budgets.


The truth about paid social ads

So, there you have it – the truth about paid social ads. 

Paid social media ads are a versatile and highly effective way to market your business – of any size! Whether you’re looking to increase your online visibility, drive traffic to your website, grow your email list or boost your sales, paid ads can help you achieve all of these goals.

Don’t let common paid ad myths hold your business back. If you’re ready to get started with your first ad or want ideas to improve your next campaign, book a consultation hour with me for a 1:1 discussion tailored to your business.

Or, if you’d like your ads audited or you’d like me to manage future campaigns for you, find out more about my services on the website.