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Most marketing is a complete waste. (How To Actually Make Money From Ads)
- Rhys Durrant
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
Imagine being the guy/girl/lizard/manbearpig who took a look at this Jaguar ad and said:
“Yes, this! This is exactly what we need to be putting out to sell more Jags!”
Quick roulette of the best comments about the ad:
The thing is, no one behind it actually had the intention of selling more Jags. They don’t care about results. At all.
Results for them = We posted a few tweets, created an ad that got views and got people talking and called it a day. #Marketing.
This is how most businesses are going about marketing, whether they know it or not. They’re not measuring. They’re not testing properly. Which means more often than not, they’re losing money on complete bullshit.
That’s why direct response marketing is the only REAL marketing...
It makes you more money than you spend. And if you do it right, it makes you a LOT more money than you spend.
So how does it do this and how can you use it to make sure your marketing actually makes you money and not burn it like a barbeque at Biden's place?
How To Make Money From Ads
The secret is - Action.
The idea is - they’re scrolling on Facebook, going through their email or searching on google. They then see your ad, they read/watch your ad, they click your ad and they take an action.
E.G. They either buy, give you their info or book a call with you.
If the ad isn’t designed to get them to take an action, then you better hope it’s entertaining. Because that’s your next best hope for getting people to buy from you (Spoiler - it won’t).
Ok, so how do we actually make people take action?
Here are my 6 (simplified) steps:
1. Start with ONE Clear Goal
Every campaign should have a single objective:
E.G. Get a lead/ Book a call/ Make a sale.
Not “brand awareness” or “engagement” (those don’t pay the bills).
Make your goal clear, specific, and measurable.
2. Use an Irresistible Hook
People are bombarded with content. Your message needs to stop the scroll.
One of the easiest ways to do it is to call out their biggest pain points.
Example: “Losing sleep to neck pain?”
(^ For a Chiropractor)
Or you can try the opposite. Calling out their biggest desires.
You should use curiosity to create an open loop in their brain so that they’ll want to stick around till the end or click through to your site to get the whole picture.
I’ll be sure to get deeper into this topic in future posts.
3. Craft A Killer Offer
Your offer should make buying or booking very easy.
It should solve a problem for your prospect. Make it specific and results-driven. Add urgency or scarcity (limited spots, time-sensitive bonuses).
Example:
"For this week only, book a 60-minute massage and get:
FREE Hot Stone Add-On that melts away tension + £15 off your first session.
⏳ Only 10 spots available! Once they’re gone, they’re gone."
4. Write Persuasive, Direct Copy (The text in the ad)
Direct response copy is conversational and action-focused.
- Speak to your audience’s pain points
- Show them the dream outcome
- Use simple, clear language (no jargon)
- Tell them EXACTLY what to do next
Example:
Bad: “We provide innovative marketing solutions.” (Too vague)
Good: “We help business owners land 5-10 high-ticket clients per month.” (Clear & direct)
Again, I’ll go deeper into copywriting stuff as well in future articles. It’s a huge part of marketing and can make or break it.
5. Add a Strong CTA (Call-to-Action)
Tell them exactly what to do next. No guessing.
“Click here to book your session"
“DM me ‘SALES’ for the step-by-step outbound playbook.”
“Claim your free trial before it expires.”
More clarity = More leads = More customers.
6. Test, Track, and Optimize
Direct response is all about data. I might lose a couple people here, this is where it gets a bit technical, but it would be a sin not to mention it because it's extremely important.
Test out different headlines, CTA’s, body copy (the text), audience targeting, creatives (the picture/s or video) the offer and response mechanisms (fancy way of saying contact method like calling, forms, messaging, email etc.)
Track conversion rates. Kill what’s not working, double down on what is.
The Bottom Line?
If your marketing isn’t driving action, it’s not marketing—it’s just noise.
Use direct response to get leads, book calls, and make sales. Every. Single. Time.
Want to know what this would look like for your biz, but low on time? Click below.
how to make money from ads
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