Fix Your Broken Paid Media Strategy: Here’s How to Improve It

Done right, running online ads can take your business from a slow trickle to steady growth—or even explosive returns.

But the truth?

Most businesses are burning money on ads that never had a shot of delivering a return on investment (ROI). Not because paid media doesn't work, but because there’s a disconnect between spend and strategy.

So what’s the solution? It all starts with understanding the difference between exposure and ROI.

ROI: Defined, Demystified & Done Right

It’s easy to mistake exposure for ROI. If you’re getting eyes on your ads, you may assume the system’s working, even if those ads aren’t converting.

Impressions are certainly nice, but they aren’t ROI. Neither are clicks and likes. Real ROI is about outcomes. Depending on your goals, that might mean:

• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Did we make more than we spent?
• Cost Per Lead (CPL): Are we paying a reasonable amount to generate qualified leads?
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): What does it cost to turn a prospect into a paying customer?
• Lifetime Value (LV): How much is that customer worth to us over time?

The metrics may shift depending on your business, but the goal remains the same: Spend smart; get measurable results.

When Paid Media Goes Wrong

The best way to explain what a strong paid media strategy is is to first illustrate what it isn’t.

Our client Jorgensen, Brownell & Pepin, P.C. (JBP), a Colorado-based law firm, came to us after spending $50,000 a month on paid media ads. Despite ballooning budgets, leads and conversion rates remained stagnant.

Their former agency’s solution? Spend more.

There are two problems with this approach:

• It ignores larger issues: JBP’s website had user experience flaws, a weak SEO strategy, and thin content that didn’t meet Google quality standards. No amount of ad spend would overcome that.
• It treats exposure as success: Their agency’s philosophy was that if more people see more ads, the results will eventually follow. But exposure alone isn't ROI.

This is a textbook example of a paid media strategy gone wrong. Was it JBP’s fault? Absolutely not. They were simply leaning on an agency they trusted—one that prioritized spend over strategy.

What Smart Paid Media Looks Like

Here’s what happens when paid media is done right.

After partnering with WISE, JBP didn’t just change their ad spend—we changed their entire ad strategy.

We rebuilt their website, giving it clearer messaging and a better user experience. We refined their SEO to boost local visibility. We realigned their content, giving users the information they were looking for. Finally, we restructured over 50 ad campaigns to target the right audience with the right message. The result?

• 8,860 new leads
• $13.38 million in new revenue
• 20% increase in ad conversion
• 23% increase in click-through rates
• 38% cost reduction per lead
• 20X marketing ROI

And we made this happen in the first year of our partnership.

How to Maximize ROI From Paid Media

So, what separates paid media campaigns that just spend from campaigns that scale? Regardless of your business or industry, the principles are the same:

Fix the Deeper Problems

Paid media doesn’t work in a vacuum. For better or worse, it amplifies what already exists. If your website is difficult to navigate, your content lacks credibility, and your SEO efforts are nonexistent, your campaigns will fall flat, regardless of how much you spend or how dialed-in your ads are.

Before you worry about scaling ad spend, you need a strong digital foundation.

Target & Segment

If you’re targeting everyone, you’re targeting no one. Strong campaigns begin with clarity about who you are speaking to, what they care about, and where they are in the buying journey.

Segment your audience by geography, demographics, behaviors, and intent. Then, tailor your message accordingly. The narrower your target, the more efficiently you spend.

Build Strong Landing Pages

Your ads are only as strong as the destination. If clicks take users to a generic homepage or an outdated service page, visitors will bounce. Your landing page should match the ad message and guide users to a clear next step. In simple terms, every click should facilitate movement and eliminate friction.

Test & Optimize

Paid media doesn’t work on autopilot. You must continuously test to figure out what works, refine, then repeat. Your first version is rarely the best, so test everything: headlines, visuals, CTAs, targeting, and more. The more you learn, the more effective your campaigns become.

The best-performing ads aren’t lucky. They’re refined.

Think Beyond One Platform

Your prospects don’t live on one platform. Neither should you. Integrate paid campaigns across Google Ads, Meta, and Local Service ads. Why? Because people rarely convert the first time they see you. Instead, they research, compare, and circle back.

Showing up consistently across multiple channels builds trust, reinforces your message, and increases the odds that they come back. The goal isn’t just visibility. It’s intentional repetition—meeting your audience where they are and when it matters most.

Ready to See Real ROI?

You know what a successful paid media strategy looks like—and you’ve seen how it completely turned things around for our client, JBP Legal.

We can help you do the same.

If you’re ready to stop guessing, start scaling, and finally get a return on what you spend, let’s talk. We’ll help you build a strategy that doesn’t just get you clicks—it gets you results. Book a strategy session now!