Method 27 · Paid
Paid Ads
Facebook, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, X, Instagram, with retargeting.
What it actually is
Buying attention from platforms with self-serve targeting. Each platform has a different math: cold prospecting, warm retargeting, brand campaigns, and search intent each have their place.
Best for
Businesses with proven unit economics, a clear funnel, and a working organic motion. Paid amplifies a working business; it does not fix a broken one.
Watch-outs
Burn rate is real. Most early founders should not run paid ads until they have closed a few sales organically and know which message converts.
Real talk
On a $5K monthly budget you should expect to lose money for sixty days while you find the working creative. After that, paid is the most predictable lever in the playbook.
First steps
- 1.Validate the offer organically before you put paid traffic against it
- 2.Pick one platform that maps to your buyer and run it for ninety days
- 3.Test creative angle, not audience targeting; the creative is the variable
The numbers
- Effort
- High effort
- Impact ceiling
- Compounding impact
- Timeline
- Results in weeks
- Time required
- 10 to 20 hrs/week
- Budget required
- $2K+/mo
- Primary medium
- Automation and tech
- Channel type
- Paid channel
- Stage fit
- Early revenueGrowingScaling
- Goals served
- LeadsSalesAwareness
Tools and examples
Meta Ads (Facebook + Instagram) · Google Search Ads · LinkedIn Ads for B2B · TikTok Ads · YouTube Ads