Case Studies••6 min read

What I Learned From My Paid Ads Campaign

Discover how I used Meta Ads, Google Ads, and UX insights to drive qualified traffic, grow my newsletter, and improve future marketing campaigns.

By Joe Morris
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#google-ads
Hero image for What I Learned From My Paid Ads Campaign

Paid advertising can be powerful. But only if you know how to track, measure, and adapt.
On July 6th, 2025, I launched two campaigns:

My goal wasn't instant sales. Instead, I wanted to drive targeted traffic to my site and encourage newsletter sign-ups, where I run A/B email tests to sharpen my marketing skills.

How I Prepared My Paid Ads Campaign

Before launch, I:

  • Defined my audiences: hobbyists, collectors, motorsport fans for the article; eBay sellers & small business owners for the service ad.
  • Set budgets: £4.30/day for the article (ad credits), £12.80/day for the service (paid budget).
  • Crafted creatives: clean product shots for the article, service-focused imagery for the offer.
  • Optimised landing pages: Hotjar heatmaps & session recordings helped refine layout and reposition my call-to-action (CTA).
  • Improved Google Ads targeting: Focused on UK cities & niche terms like "selling a model car collection."

Results & Insights

Product photography used in the Meta Ads campaign showing professional presentation

The type of high-quality product shots I used in my Meta Ads campaign to attract the right audience.

Article Campaign (Meta Ads)

Meta Ads results graph showing 15,220 impressions and 446 clicks
  • Spend: £127.50 ad credit
  • Impressions: 15,220
  • Clicks: 446
  • Result: Boosted article views to 1,318

Leads Campaign (Google Ads)

Google Ads results graph showing 121,242 impressions and 1,544 clicks
  • Spend: £256.91
  • Impressions: 121,242
  • Clicks: 1,544
  • Result: Higher click quality & stronger buying intent

UX Impact

Hotjar heatmap showing user behavior and scroll patterns on landing page

Hotjar data revealing where visitors actually looked. This insight drove my CTA repositioning strategy.

Hotjar revealed many visitors scrolled past my original CTA.
By moving it higher & making it more distinct, newsletter sign-ups improved.

Key Takeaways

  • Data-driven UX changes matter. Improving user flow directly improved conversion.
  • Content vs. Offer. Awareness ads give cheaper clicks. Direct offers give higher intent.
  • Keyword exclusions save budget. Removing irrelevant search terms cut wasted spend.
  • Run ads directly. Avoid extra fees from third-party ad managers like Wix Ads.
  • Email list growth compounds. Every sign-up means future test opportunities & leads.

Final Thoughts

This campaign proved that ads, UX optimisation, and targeting refinements work best together.
By combining Meta Ads, Google Ads, and Hotjar insights, I turned paid traffic into lasting audience growth. I learned how to make my next campaign even stronger.

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What to Do Next

Running ads but not getting leads? See how I approach Google Ads management in Cheshire.

If your website is getting clicks but no enquiries, the problem might be the page, not the ads. I cover that in website design in Nantwich and Crewe.

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