What should be in place before running paid ads?

An offer that has already sold to at least five people who have the problem, three to five fliers and three to five videos with several headline and copy variations, a way to reply instantly when someone shows interest, and a closing system to turn conversations into sales.

How many creatives do I need before launching a paid ad?

Three to five fliers and three to five videos is the floor before the first naira is spent, not the target. Once the ad is running, keep adding creatives across different angles so the algorithm has more variety to learn from.

What You Need in Place Before You Spend a Naira on Paid Ads

Back to basics

On Monday I wrote about a friend who wanted to spend ₦1 million on ads with one flier. Today I want to go back to the basics and say what I think you need in place before you spend money on paid advertising.

I believe that in anything, knowing and mastering the basics comes before the tricks and tips you pick up along the way. Ads are no different. There are four things:

A proven offer. Sold to at least five people who actually have the problem.
Creative and copy. Three to five fliers, three to five videos, and several headline and copy variations, not just one.
Instant response. A way to reply the moment someone shows interest, such as a WhatsApp auto-reply, or someone hired to reply fast.
A closing system. A way to turn a conversation into a sale, so a lead you paid for doesn’t go to waste.

First, the starting line

I’ve said before that your product or service should have been sold to at least five people who actually have the problem, and that standard still stands. If you’re sure it sells, and people need it, then you can start thinking about ads.

Creative and copy

You need three to five fliers: images that show what you sell and tell people to take action. You need three to five videos that hook your ideal buyer, sell the offer and make them act immediately. And you need several headlines and copy variations to go with them, not just one.

Three to five is the floor, not the target. Once an ad is running, I keep adding creatives across different angles because more variety gives the algorithm more to learn from. This list is what I’d want in place before the first naira is spent.

Respond the moment someone shows interest

Then you need a way to respond immediately. If your leads message you on WhatsApp, that means an auto-reply, and if you need to hire someone to reply quickly, hire them. If you can’t respond immediately, there’s no point running the ad.

If you can only fix one thing on this list this week, fix how fast you reply to people who message you. It’s the cheapest of the four to improve, and it’s where a lot of paid leads go cold.

Last, a closing system

Once someone has messaged you and you’ve replied, you need a way to turn that conversation into a sale. You paid to get that lead. Don’t let it go to waste because you can’t close.

How it fits together

Your creatives and copy earn the attention, your targeting puts the ad in front of the right people, and if you can’t close the ones who come, all that effort was for nothing. I know this looks like a lot. But what’s worth doing is worth doing well, and when these pieces are right, your ad has a real chance of paying you back.