Is Your Advertising Working?
How to Tell (Even If You’re Not a Marketing Expert)
I’ve lost count of how many business owners have asked me, “How do I know if my ads are working?” If you’re running Google Ads or any online advertising, measuring results isn’t about fancy reports — it’s about knowing if your advertising is actually bringing in leads, sales, and customers.
Advertising platforms throw a lot of numbers at you: impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC… it’s like they want you to feel you need a degree just to understand if you’re getting your money’s worth.
The good news? You don’t need to be a marketing expert to figure out if your ads are pulling their weight. You just need to know what really matters.
Step 1: How to Know If Your Ads Are Working — Start with the Basics
If you’re running ads, you should be able to answer three simple questions:
How much did I spend?
How many leads, sales, or bookings came in from that spend?
Was it worth it?
If you can’t answer those, your ads are flying blind.
The Problem in Numbers
A recent EU study found that 76% of SMBs see personalised ads as key to competing with bigger players — but many still don’t measure them properly [Source].
Step 2: Check if you’re tracking results properly
A lot of businesses set up ads but never set up conversion tracking.
That’s like running a shop without a till — you see people walking in, but you have no idea if they’re buying.
If you sell online, tracking is straightforward. If you work on calls, quotes, or bookings, it’s still possible — you just need the right tools set up.
Step 3: Look for patterns, not just spikes
A great ad campaign doesn’t just bring you a one-week boost.
You should be seeing:
Steady leads or sales over time.
Customers mentioning “I saw you online” more often.
Increased website visits from your target area.
If you only get a big jump and then silence, something’s off.
A Local Reality
In Ireland, 96% of SMBs say personalised advertising directly contributes to their growth [Source] — but that only happens when they know what’s working and what’s not.
Step 4: Make small tweaks, not big gambles
If something isn’t working, don’t panic and stop everything.
Often, small changes — better targeting, clearer headlines, more relevant keywords — can make a huge difference without increasing spend.
Step 5: Keep it simple
You don’t need to drown in reports. You need one clear view that shows:
Spend vs. Results
Cost per lead/sale
Overall profit from ads
That’s it. If you can see those numbers, you can make confident decisions.
The Bottom Line
Advertising isn’t magic. It’s numbers, testing, and fine-tuning.
The problem is, most small businesses aren’t given the tools to understand those numbers — they’re just told “trust us.”
At AdWiseM, I believe you should always know exactly how your advertising is performing. I set up clear, plain-English reporting so you can see what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus your budget — no jargon, no guesswork.
If you’re spending on ads and not sure if they’re worth it, it’s time to find out. Because nothing’s more expensive than advertising that isn’t working.
Not Sure If Your Ads Are Working? Let’s Find Out — Together.
Book a free 30-minute Ad Performance Check and I’ll walk you through:
Where your ad budget is going.
What’s working (and what’s not).
Quick fixes you can make right now.
