Why Most Ads Fail and How Adelo Can Help

Most businesses run social campaigns… but very few actually know if they’re working. Over the last few years, I’ve noticed one big gap: measuring what really matters. Here are 4 things I focus on to make digital campaigns impactful: 1️⃣ Define KPIs before launch – Engagement rate, CTR, Leads, Conversions. Without this, reports are just numbers. 2️⃣ Run A/B Tests – Tiny changes in creatives, headlines, or CTAs can boost results by 20–30%. 3️⃣ Optimize continuously – Audience behavior changes fast. Campaigns need weekly fine-tuning, not “set and forget.” 4️⃣ Translate data into insights – A report should tell a story: where money went, what worked, and what to improve. 📊 When you shift from “posting content” to strategic campaigns, marketing stops being an expense and starts being an investment. 

Why most ad campaigns underperform isn’t because of the ads, it’s because of the system. Here’s what I mean: 1. No clear funnel strategy Many brands launch campaigns without mapping where their audience actually is in the buying journey. Cold audiences get hard-sell ads, warm audiences get the same generic creative, and conversions stall. 2. Data without interpretation Clicks, CTR, ROAS, yes they’re useful, but only if you know what story they’re telling. Numbers without context lead to the wrong optimizations. 3. Creative fatigue Audiences burn out on the same creative faster than most teams expect. If you don’t have a rotation system, performance will always drop off. The fix? Think of campaigns as living systems, not one off projects. Map the funnel, analyze data like a narrative, and plan creative refreshes before fatigue sets in. Good marketers run ads. Great marketers build systems.

Marketing trends come and go. One minute it’s TikTok hacks. The next it’s AI prompts. Before that it was “going viral.” And in another 12 months, something else will take centre stage. That doesn’t mean trends aren’t valuable, they can create amazing short-term results, generate buzz, and help you stand out. But they aren’t the foundations you build a business on. They’re more like tools you use once the groundwork is already there. Because trends will always change. But the principles of great marketing never do. For me, there are a few timeless truths that matter more than any new platform or shiny idea. 🔑 Know your audience.  🔑 Build trust.  🔑 Deliver quality. At Serviced, this has been our approach since day one. Build strong foundations first, then use trends and tools to scale. It’s why we’ve been able to partner with household names while still keeping relationships genuine and results consistent. Because when the dust settles on the latest “must-do” trend, the businesses that thrive are the ones that know their audience, earn trust, and deliver real quality, time and time again. Trends can amplify. But the basics are what sustain. 📩 If you need help cutting through the noise and building marketing that lasts, DM me, always happy to chat.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." vs. "Pick one channel and go really deep on it." I never fully supported this one-channel guidance. I do get that having several badly performing channels can be worse than having one great, e. g. YouTube channel. However: Your audience won't be only on one channel all the time. AI platforms don't only get input from one single platform. Even if you check your own user behaviour, you will notice how you switch from platform to platform all the time. In a multi-platform environment, cross-platform marketing is a much better bet. This doesn't mean equal efforts on all platforms that matter to your audience. But you definitely want to spread your resources across multiple social networks or other sites, rather than only having "the biggest egg" in one single basket. When we apply the PlatformLeverage methodology to a brand, we first of all analyze where their audience actually hangs out. Then, we prioritize efforts and lay out a complete strategy for each of the platforms, not only for publications, but also for engagement: who to follow, how to engage, when to comment, and so on. Our clients get access to a complete ClickUp board with tasks their team can work through, some of which are repetitive, some of them will be one-off tasks. Every 2 weeks, we fill up the clickup board with new suggestions, things they can improve, things that work well for competitors, and how to write better comments and DMs. A consistent process that gets your brand known directly where your audience hangs out.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." vs. "Pick one channel and go really deep on it." I never fully supported this one-channel guidance. I do get that having several badly performing channels can be worse than having one great, e. g. YouTube channel. However: Your audience won't be only on one channel all the time. AI platforms don't only get input from one single platform. Even if you check your own user behaviour, you will notice how you switch from platform to platform all the time. In a multi-platform environment, cross-platform marketing is a much better bet. This doesn't mean equal efforts on all platforms that matter to your audience. But you definitely want to spread your resources across multiple social networks or other sites, rather than only having "the biggest egg" in one single basket. When we apply the PlatformLeverage methodology to a brand, we first of all analyze where their audience actually hangs out. Then, we prioritize efforts and lay out a complete strategy for each of the platforms, not only for publications, but also for engagement: who to follow, how to engage, when to comment, and so on. Our clients get access to a complete ClickUp board with tasks their team can work through, some of which are repetitive, some of them will be one-off tasks. Every 2 weeks, we fill up the clickup board with new suggestions, things they can improve, things that work well for competitors, and how to write better comments and DMs. A consistent process that gets your brand known directly where your audience hangs out.

Unlock the Power of Micro-Moments: How Split-Second Decisions Shape Your Marketing Success Today’s consumers make choices instantly—often in less than a minute. Are your campaigns prepared to deliver value in these micro-moments? Focus on creating content that answers immediate questions, streamlines purchasing, or provides quick solutions. Meet your audience where they are—on mobile, in search, or on social. The brands that win are those that anticipate needs in real time. Is your marketing strategy built for speed?

Scaling ads isn’t a targeting problem. It’s an economics problem. Meta CPMs in 2025 are higher than Snoop Dogg on a Sunday lol. And you’re still trying to profit on a $50 product? Good luck. The thing is, your ad account doesn’t care if you sell 1 brush or 3. The algorithm doesn’t magically lower your CPM just because you “optimize better.” The only lever that makes paid ads sustainable is AOV. That’s why smart brands don’t scale single products. They scale bundles. A hairbrush by itself? Meh. A “full styling kit” with brush + spray + case? Suddenly you can spend 3x more and still print profit. One of the fastest fixes we make when scaling stuck brands is brutally simple: We don’t touch the targeting. We don’t touch the budget. We just raise the AOV. Ads are expensive so your offer better be worth the spend. Follow me Nick Theriot for more content like this.

Want to hear a bad marketing joke? If reach was all that mattered, spam would be the best strategy. And yet, every time I meet a founder, the first few questions are almost always the same: “Will we be running ads?” “How many times will we post every day?” "How many emails will you be sending, every month? Actually every week?" After speaking with 60+ founders, I’ve noticed this pattern repeats itself. Your marketing team will be content showing daily traffic of 10,000 people on the website. The performance marketer will edit the campaign, targeting and even audience.  But here’s the truth I keep coming back to: Brand marketing isn’t about frequency or formats. It’s about connection. No one will talk about relevance, truth or product. Thinks that stand out in a brand, that push the perception and build the connection. It’s about showing someone you understand their world. That you can help solve problems. And that you’re here to build something real. You are here to think beyond the myopic magic. Marketing, at its core, is about communicating right. Through words, visuals or even tiny icons that hold meaning. It’s not a flash-in-the-pan activity, and it’s definitely not about reach or ROAS. It’s a long game. Of showing up with intention. Of building consistency and trust. Of putting heart into everything you put out there. The slow, steady growth of a community that’s here not because of hype, but because of meaning. Marketing is attraction, not interruption. It is detailing before disruption. And when you approach it with clarity and care, it becomes more than strategy. It becomes a service. If you’re tired of chasing numbers that are not converting into business and want to build meaning, let’s talk. (Image: A sticker available at the silver spider printshop) #business #marketing

MARKETING DIDN’T START WITH INSTAGRAM REELS Watching the new wave of social media agencies, here is the uncomfortable truth: • ❌ Zero research discipline: Decisions made on vibes, not insights. • ❌ Weak strategic thinking: Chasing trends, not building brands. • ❌ Poor integration skills: Digital is treated as the whole game, not part of the mix. • ❌ No clue about traditional media (ATL/BTL): As if marketing started with Instagram and TikTok. • ❌ Addiction to vanity metrics: Likes and shares celebrated, conversions ignored. • ✅ Strong at gimmicks and stunts: Viral moments that evaporate overnight. ➡️. The result? Noise. Not marketing. Buzz. Not business impact. Marketing is bigger than reels and memes. A viral stunt might impress clients but without strategy, research, and integration, it’s empty calories. Social media isn’t the strategy. It’s a tool. Social media should strengthen the marketing mix, not replace it. The real opportunity lies in blending creativity with strategy, and digital with traditional. Integration is the key.

Why is it that we settle for less (in many ways), but not in marketing? I dare you to clock it. When you see a terrible ad, you skip it. Maybe it's because we're saturated in them all day, on everything. Scroll, suggested ad, tap. Simple as that. The advertisers have us all in their hands... except that they don't. The data might be dime a dozen, but it takes a lot for customers to convert. When we don't have scarcity or novelty, our eyes glaze over. Or worse: we pick it to shreds (shots fired to that Cracker Barrel rebrand, RIP). If that's the case, then why do we keep seeing terrible ads? Naturally, you'd hope the bar would be raised. Not so. Advertisers play it safe or incorrectly, then they're swiped left. These men in the streets are pulling more than some ads. As marketers, it's not the time to despair. Actually, it's time to level up. Don't be skippable. This is the time to shine with: - buyer targeting - funnel flow - intense insights DESPITE being all the wiser, consumers follow from clever marketing tactics done well. Hitting it right doesn't look like hiding or fitting in—it looks like shining. Light that beacon for your target persona(s). Done well, it'll resonate. I'll settle on a subpar meal, knowing that I'll get a better one later. As far as painful dates, I manage to get through with the end in sight. A misaligned ad though? Sorry bud, that'll be the miss you can't correct. Especially when another is to follow... in this economy, the dollars won't settle.