Is Paid Ads the Right Fit for Your Business?

Introduction  

Paid ads are everywhere. And while they can absolutely work—they’re not a magic  pill.  

The truth? Ads amplify what’s already working. So how do you know if you’re ready?  

In this post, we’ll help you self-assess whether paid ads are right for your business right  now—and what you should have in place first. 

1. You Need a Validated Offer  

Ads won’t fix a product or service that people don’t want.  You’re ready for ads if:  

• You’ve sold your offer at least a few times organically  • Your messaging resonates with your audience  

• You’re clear on who it helps and how  

Paid traffic accelerates momentum—it doesn’t create it from scratch.  

2. You Know Your Ideal Audience  

If you can’t clearly describe:  

• Who you serve  

• What their pain points are  

• Where they spend time online  

…then ads will be a guessing game.  

You don’t need perfect targeting—but you do need clarity.  

3. You Have a Way to Convert Leads  

Leads are great. But if you don’t have a follow-up system, they’ll disappear.  Check your readiness:  

• Do you have a landing page, opt-in, or sales funnel? 

• Do you have a lead magnet or low-ticket offer?  

• Do you reply to DMs or email leads within 24–48 hours?  If not, fix your funnel before paying for traffic.  

4. You Have at Least $300–$500 to Test  

Good ad results come from testing and optimizing—not one perfect ad.  You need enough budget to test:  

• 2–3 creatives  

• 1–2 audiences  

• 2–3 hooks or offers  

Don’t spend your last $100. Use a small testing budget and scale from results.  

5. You’re Ready to Learn (and Pivot)  

If you’re willing to:  

• Track performance weekly  

• Try new creatives  

• Learn basic ad metrics  

• Run tests that might flop  

…you’re in a great position to win with paid traffic.  

Ads are data. Learning to use that data = profitable business. 

Who Should Not Run Ads Yet  

�� You don’t know your offer yet  

�� You don’t have a website or landing page  

�� You’ve never created content or grown organically  

�� You expect instant ROI without a plan  

What to Do First Instead  

• Grow your email list with organic lead magnets  

• Post 3x/week to build content proof  

• Get at least 3–5 sales manually  

• Interview ideal clients for real language and objections  

• Build a simple landing page with 1 CTA  

Conclusion  

Ads can absolutely change your business—but only if your foundation is ready.  

Get clear on your offer, audience, funnel, and follow-up system. Then add fuel to the fire  with paid traffic.  

Follow @carlamariabruno and @ottawareels 

�� contact@carlamariabruno.com for more information