Been running Meta/TikTok campaigns for e-commerce brands in the $10k-100k/mo range for a while now, and the same mistake shows up over and over: brands scale winning ad sets by just raising budget 2-3x overnight.

The algorithm re-enters learning phase, CPMs spike, and the account looks 'broken' for a week — when really it's self-inflicted.

What actually works:

• Scale budget in 20-30% increments every 2-3 days, not overnight

• Duplicate winning ad sets horizontally instead of just raising spend vertically

• Keep 3-5 fresh creative variants entering rotation weekly so fatigue doesn't stall a scaling campaign

Most accounts I audit are leaving 20-40% efficiency on the table just from budget pacing alone — before you even touch creative or targeting.

If you're scaling past $10k/mo in spend and your ROAS is inconsistent week to week, it's almost always this, not your offer.