The Power of Strategic Ads - Episode 195

 Advertising today is a totally different game than it was even just two years ago. The rules are changing fast, algorithms are smarter, attention spans are shorter, and let's be honest, most businesses don't have the luxury to experiment endlessly. If your ad doesn't hit in the first five seconds, it's done. 

But that doesn't mean you should give up on advertising. It means we need to get strategic. Because when ads are done right, they create fast, powerful momentum. 

So if you're tired of pouring money into campaigns that don't produce, or you've never tried advertising because it feels like a gamble, this episode is your starting line. Welcome to the Budding Entrepreneur Podcast.

Good day and welcome to the Budding Entrepreneur Podcast.

I'm your host, Randy Bridges. In each episode, we dive into practical business strategies that you can put to work in your business right away. We also focus on inspiring stories from leaders who are shaking and making things happen in their industry. 

It's all about giving you the tools and insights to take you and your business to the next level. So get comfortable, and let's jump right in. 

All right, all right. 

We are on episode 195 of the podcast, and today is April 18th, 2025. I had planned to go deeper into the one-page dashboard from last week, but my own experience over the past month with advertising for a client made me rethink my topic for today. So we're going to dive into one of the most misunderstood growth tools in the business, strategic advertising. 

Now if you're running a service-based business, especially if you've been burned by bad ads before, this episode is going to be for you. Because this isn't just a deep dive on video sales letters. We call them VSLs. 

We're not talking about 10-minute infomercials. We're not talking about all this crazy stuff that you're probably used to seeing. What we're going to be talking about is focused tactical advertising that gets the right message in front of the right people, and it happens fast. 

How fast? Would you believe 15 seconds? When Google builds you an ad that's only 15 seconds long, you have to believe in your own heart that that's plenty of time to get a strong message across to the right people. So here's what's on deck today. We're going to kick off with a mindset shifting quote related to this particular topic. 

We'll unpack why most ads don't work, and why that's great news for you. I'll be walking through what strategic advertising really looks like in 2025. Then I'll give you three tools to create fast converting ads, and finally I'll give you a sneak peek at next week's conversation. 

So let's get rolling everybody. In our quote of the week, let's start with a quote from Henry Ford, the guy who knew a thing or two about business momentum. He said, stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time. 

And many times people get involved in advertising and they go overboard with it, and they think they have to spend a lot of money, and they have to do it very quickly. That kind of advertising really doesn't work as well as you would like it to. For most people, advertising isn't the problem. 

The wrong advertising is. Cutting your ad spin because a few campaigns didn't land isn't the solution. It's about advertising smarter. 

So let's dig into that. If we want to get real, most ads underperform for one simple reason. They're built on assumptions. 

Not data, not strategy, just guesses. I mean you've seen it, ads that try to speak to everyone, and they end up converting to no one. You've been on the receiving version of this, and you're like, who are they talking to? Why am I even hearing this ad? That's usually a good sign that it's not for a lot of people, and it really might not even be for anyone in particular. 

Business owners try to create one perfect ad, and they hope that it lands. They launch it, they wait a week, and when the leads don't come, they pull the plug. Or worse, they let the ad run without tracking anything. 

Now the way this all works out is your result is going to be wasted money, no engagement, and total frustration. And here's the kicker. It's not necessarily the ad platform's fault. 

It's not the budget's fault. It's the lack of repeatable, tested process in getting the right message to the right people. Now sometimes you might get lucky. 

The ads actually produce. They go out, they bring in a lot of people, you make a lot of good money, everybody's happy. But then there's a gap because you needed to wait for a period of time.

Maybe you got too busy. I had this happen with one of my clients. He just got absolutely slammed, and he waited for a year and a half, and then wanted to go back and run the exact same ads again. 

Now when that happens, the markets change, people's general habits change, it might even change with the time of the year. What was successful before may absolutely flop this time. And because you think you had it right the first time, you think you're going to get the same results the second time. 

And anyone who's been in business for any length of time knows that's really not likely. So let's shift our lens and look at what smart advertising actually looks like in 2025. The recipe is really simple.

There's only three things that you really need to do. You target one specific person. You speak to one clear problem or one clear outcome. 

And more often than not, you do it with video. That's right, video. Even if your camera's shy, even if you're in a professional industry, short form selfie style videos are crushing it in ads right now. 

Why? Because people crave real over polished. Let me give you a perfect example from this past week. I set up a basic video ad. 

Not fancy, no production crew, just me, PowerPoint presentation, basic software, and built it. Straightforward two-minute message about a real business problem that we solve. I ran it through YouTube with a $5 a day budget, targeting my ideal audience from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. 

I made sure that I was locking in on keywords that are going to be relevant to my target market. Ready for the results? I received 3,900 impressions. That's how many people have had the opportunity to see it. 

About 1,500 actually watched the video. Of those, nearly 30% watched the full two minutes, which is huge in ad terms. And here's what really shocked me. 

58% watched it on their TVs. Not phones, not tablets, TVs. And the total cost out of my pocket for the whole week? $31. 

That's it. You may ask, well Randy, how do you know all this? It's because YouTube tells me. It tracks it all in real time. 

It's not a surprise here. What we're really talking about is the power of strategic advertising. It's targeted, it's measurable, and when it's done right, it moves quickly without draining your budget. 

A lot of my clients want to spend $20, $30, $50 a day. And I say, why don't you just set up a three-day ad and run $300 to it for the total three-day period, and leave it at that. You'll know right away, because you're pumping a lot of money into the equation, that you can get better clicks, more clicks, you're going to be seen by more, and your response rate is likely to be higher than it would be if you did necessarily the nickel and dime. 

Now in all transparency, I'm not trying to get new clients by doing this. I'm trying to warm up an audience to an idea, so that they go look in other places. That's what I'm trying to do.

And I'm also looking for what keywords are dialing it in. With this kind of ad, because it is targeted, you do need to have a period of time where you let the ad ramp up, and let the algorithm do its work for you. So that, as in now, I have very few impressions and a lot of views. 

30% of the views. That's a lot, and a lot of people are watching a two-minute video all the way through. So when we look at this, and we put this all together, if you're actually taking some time out and looking at your numbers in a way that makes sense to you and to the algorithm, life is going to be good. 

You don't have to spend a million bucks to do this. So now that we've done that, and we've talked about that as an idea, let's talk about three keys to ads that can convert quickly. And these are really simple. 

Number one, your hook has to stop the scroll. Think headlines, questions, tension, emotion. You've got three seconds at the most. 

Use them, and use them wisely. In video, say the boldest thing you can first. No long intros, no high I'm XYZ, and I'm here to help this, that, and the other. 

Cut straight to the pain point or the benefit. Here's some examples. If you're stuck at six figures, this is why. 

Or, the most profitable businesses do this one thing differently. That's a hook. It's to create an environment where the other person can go, wait, what did he say? Well, what was that? Did I hear that right? Because in the process, especially with video, you've got to be noticed almost immediately, or you're going to be forgotten right away. 

Number two, one offer, one outcome. Now this isn't the time to explain your entire program or walk them through your services. The goal is one thing. 

Get the click. That click might lead to a strategy session, maybe a lead magnet, a video walkthrough. Whatever you do, keep it clean. 

One message, one promise, one next step. Your goal is simply to get them out of viewing mode and into either thinking mode, absorbing mode, some other mode of thinking besides passively watching. And number three, follow the metrics, not your gut. 

Don't be guessing. Be testing. Try a selfie video versus a polished promo, an image post versus a 15-second video, a bold hook versus a story-based opener. 

And watch what happens. Ads don't fail. You still get a chance to learn something. 

As a quick tip for this part, YouTube shorts and Instagram reels are outperforming almost every other format for video right now. If you're not using vertical videos, now's the time. I don't get paid to say this, but I tend to use Opus One for converting my horizontal videos into vertical format, where people can get just enough of the view to figure out what's going on. 

It includes the transcript underneath in nice bright letters, and they don't have to see the whole action to get the whole message. So let's wrap up with the big takeaways. Most ads don't work because they're too broad or they're built on guesses, whereas strategic advertising is targeted, problem-driven, and testable. 

Video gives you fast traction, especially short form, raw style video. And the key is combining a hook, a message, and data to build ads that work fast. Now if you've been frustrated with your ad performance, or you've never really known how to get started, let's talk. 

I'm happy to schedule a maximum business impact session, and we'll take a look at how ads might fit into your business. Keep in mind ads aren't for every business, and different types of ads work differently. But the idea is to be able to get something that will work for you without breaking the bank. 

So take a look down in the show notes for that link to the maximum business impact session. Next week we're gonna flip back to that one-page business dashboard. We'll talk about how it gives you clarity, control, and confidence all in one place. 

Until then, keep testing, keep growing, and keep building your momentum. That's it for this episode. I hope you picked up some valuable insights, and maybe even sparked a few new ideas. 

If you want to keep the conversation going, or maybe even explore partnerships, don't hesitate to reach out. And hey, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who needs to hear it. The steps you take today could be the start of something big tomorrow. 

For The Budding Entrepreneur, I wish you the best in your health, your wealth, your business, your family, everything about you. Take care, and we'll see you back here in the next week.