How to Know if Your Ads Are Working (And What to Do if They Aren’t)

How to Know if Your Ads Are Working

(And What to Do if They Aren’t)

You finally hit “Publish” on your Facebook or Google ad… Yay! And then comes the part no one warns you about: the waiting…

Maybe you’re refreshing your screen. Obsessively checking your ad stats. Wondering, “Is this thing even working?”

If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company. But here’s the thing—ads can work. And when they do, it’s powerful.
You just have to know what signs to look for (and which ones not to stress over).

Let’s break it down:

1. Start With the Metrics That Matter

What to ask:

Are people clicking?
Are those clicks turning into leads or sales?
Is your cost per result reasonable for your budget?

What to watch:
Instead of obsessing over likes or views, zero in on:

CTR (Click-Through Rate): Tells you how well your ad is grabbing attention
Cost Per Result: How much you’re paying for each lead, sale, or action
Conversion Rate: Are people taking the action you want on your landing page?

Pro tip: Evaluate your data once per week, not every day.
This gives the algorithm time to optimize and avoids unnecessary panic over daily fluctuations.

2. Zoom Out and Look at the Funnel

Not all ad problems are actually ad problems.

Sometimes your ad is doing its job—getting people to click—but they’re dropping off once they land on your site.

Ask yourself:

Is my landing page clear and easy to navigate?
Is the checkout process smooth, especially on mobile?
Does the page align with the promise made in the ad?

If the answer to any of those is “meh,” that’s a sign to optimize your funnel, not just your ad. Your landing page should easily answer these three questions:  

What does this company do?
Who is it for?
Why should I care?

3. Give It Time (But Not Forever)

Here’s the real talk:
Most ads aren’t instant money-makers. Even with a great offer and creative, you’ll likely need 7–14 days to gather real data.

But if you’ve passed the 14-day mark and:

The cost per result is climbing
You’re seeing no engagement or clicks
You’ve tested different audiences with no improvement…

It might be time to pause, reassess, and try a new approach.

Remember: Testing isn’t failing. It’s how you find what does work.

Final Thoughts: You’re Doing Better Than You Think

If you’ve made it this far, take a deep breath. You care enough to learn, to adjust, and to improve, and that already sets you up for success.

And if this still feels like a lot? That’s okay too.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. You’ve got the smarts. You just need the strategy. And I’ve got a free one ready for you: Grab my Free Ads Strategy Guide to learn what to tweak, track, and test—so you can run ads with more confidence and less confusion.