Field notes
Notes from live ad accounts.
What’s working in paid social and search right now, written by the strategists running the accounts. One idea per post, no fluff.
Measurement
6 min read
Platform ROAS vs real profit: how to tell the difference
Ad platforms grade their own homework. Here is how we check the numbers they report against what actually reaches your bank account.
Creative
4 min read
The phone-shot ad that beat our studio shoot
We spent two days on a polished studio shoot. A 20-second video filmed on a phone in a kitchen outsold it three to one.
Budgeting
5 min read
How much of your budget should go to testing?
Too little testing and you run out of winners. Too much and you never scale the ones you find. Our rule of thumb, and when to break it.
Creative
5 min read
Why your best ad stops working after six weeks
Every winning ad wears out. Here is how to spot fatigue early and what to launch before it hits.
Strategy
6 min read
Broad targeting vs interests: what our tests show
We ran the same ads to broad and interest audiences across twelve accounts. The winner surprised a few clients.
Reporting
4 min read
The five-minute Friday report we send every client
No forty-slide decks. One short video, three numbers and one decision for next week.
Creative
6 min read
How to brief a creator so the video actually sells
Creators are great at making people watch. A good brief makes sure they also make people buy.
Tracking
7 min read
Server-side tracking, explained without the jargon
Browsers block more of your tracking every year. Here is what server-side tracking fixes, in plain words.
Offers
5 min read
When to stop discounting
Discounts are the easiest offer to launch and the hardest to quit. Signs it is time to try something else.
Budgeting
5 min read
A simple way to set a target cost per purchase
Your target should come from your margins, not from what the ad platform says is normal.
Search
6 min read
Performance Max: what to feed it and what to keep out
Google’s automated campaign is only as good as what you give it. Our checklist before any launch.
Conversion
5 min read
Landing pages matter more than your ad account
A better landing page can halve your cost per purchase without touching a single ad.
Strategy
4 min read
What a good first 30 days with an agency looks like
Week by week, what you should expect from a new agency before you judge their results.