Most small business owners think you need thousands of dollars to run ads. You don't. Here's a framework I've used to help dozens of businesses get their first profitable campaigns running on just $5/day:

Step 1: Pick ONE platform. Don't try to be everywhere. If your customers are 25-45, start with Meta (Facebook/Instagram). Under 25? TikTok. B2B? LinkedIn.

Step 2: Start with a "proof" ad. Your first ad should show a result — a before/after, a testimonial, a number. Not a brand awareness campaign. Not a cute video. Proof.

Step 3: Target warm audiences first. Upload your email list or website visitors as a custom audience. These people already know you — they convert 3-5x better than cold traffic.

Step 4: Run it for 7 days before changing anything. The algorithm needs data. Most people kill ads after 48 hours and wonder why nothing works.

Step 5: Look at cost-per-result, not impressions. Nobody cares how many people saw your ad. How many took action? That's the only number that matters.

This is just the surface. Inside Ad Mastery Lab, I break down real campaigns with real numbers every week — targeting setups, creative templates, and the exact frameworks I use to scale from $5/day to $500/day.