Why Your Ads Aren’t Working

Why Your Ads Aren’t Working (And What to Fix First)

Are you pouring money into Facebook or Instagram ads and seeing little to no return? You’re not alone. Many coaches and course creators feel the frustration of “failed” ads – the clicks that don’t turn into clients, the money spent with nothing to show for it. As a straight-shooting ads expert at Right Hand Social, I’m here to tell you the hard truth: if your ads aren’t working, there’s a reason (actually, several). The good news? You can fix them – starting with the most critical issues first.

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In this guide, we’ll break down why your ads aren’t delivering and what to fix first to turn things around. Get ready for candid insights, empathy for the rollercoaster you’re on, and actionable fixes you can implement today. Let’s dive in.

The Hard Truth About “Failed” Ads

Let’s start by debunking a myth: Ads alone don’t magically create clients. Ads are fantastic at driving traffic and getting eyeballs on your offer. But most ads aren’t designed to directly generate sales – that’s the job of your funnel and follow-up to convert that traffic into paying clients ​webonize.com.au. In fact, about 95–98% of people who visit your site won’t buy on the first visit​ webonize.com.au. That’s normal human behavior. People need to know, like, and trust you through multiple touchpoints before they commit.

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So if you’ve been blaming the Facebook algorithm or thinking “ads just don’t work for me,” take a step back. Usually, the problem isn’t just the ad itself, but the ecosystem around it – your offer, your messaging, your landing page, your follow-up, etc.​webonize.com.au. In other words, something is broken in the journey that turns a cold click into a client.

Common Reasons Your Ads Aren’t Working

Let’s troubleshoot the usual suspects. Below are the most common reasons coach and course creator ads fail, plus how to spot them:

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• Weak or Unclear Offer: Be honest – is what you’re advertising something your ideal client truly wants? If your offer (be it a freebie, webinar, or paid program) doesn’t address a burning pain or desire, no ad can save it. A telltale sign is very low conversion on your landing page (lots of clicks, but nobody opting in or buying). Fix: Refine your offer so it’s a no-brainer. Talk to your audience, understand their needs, and possibly reposition or add value to your offer.
  
  
• Blurry Messaging: Maybe your service is gold, but your ad copy and creative don’t convey that. If your ad’s message isn’t resonating – perhaps it’s too vague (“achieve your dreams!”) or too jargon-filled – people scroll past. Fix: Sharpen your copy. Speak directly to the biggest pain or goal of one ideal client. Be specific and outcome focused. (E.g., “Lose 10 lbs in 8 weeks without giving up pizza” is clearer than “Transform your health.”) A clear, compelling message is EVERYTHING in ads ​webonize.com.au.
  
  
• Targeting the Wrong People (or Too Broadly): You might have the right offer and message, but the wrong audience. Many coaches make the mistake of targeting too broad (“all women ages 18-65 interested in ‘coaching’”) or relying on random Boosts that scatter ads everywhere. The result? Your message hits people who don’t care. Fix: Revisit your targeting. Define your ideal client avatar and use Facebook/IG’s detailed targeting or lookalike audiences to reach them. Narrow it down by interests or behaviors that align with your niche (without going so narrow that the audience is tiny). It’s better to speak to one specific type of person than to shout into the void. (At Right Hand Social, we often help clients identify surprisingly specific niche audiences that convert far better than broad ones.)
  
  
• Leaky or Non-Existent Funnel: This one’s huge. If you’re running ads without a proper funnel behind them, it’s like pouring water into a bucket with holes. For example, you promote a webinar, but you don’t send reminder emails – so only a few show up. Or you get webinar sign-ups but have no email follow-up or retargeting ads, so warm leads slip away. Many coaches also try to run ads straight to a high-ticket offer with no warming up, which is an uphill battle. Fix: Map out your customer journey. Ensure you have the funnel pieces in place: an enticing landing page, a thank-you/confirmation step, email nurture sequences, a solid sales page or call booking process, and retargeting ads for those who don’t immediately convert. Even a simple funnel (ad → lead magnet → email nurture → offer) works better than a direct “buy my $2,000 program now” ad to cold traffic.
  
  
• No Trust or Proof: Coaches sell something personal – often themselves (their expertise). If your marketing lacks trust-builders like testimonials, case studies, or valuable content, cold prospects may be skeptical. Fix: Inject social proof and value. Use client testimonials or results in your ad (or on the landing page it leads to). Offer a taste of your expertise for free (like a helpful tip series or mini-training via email) to build credibility. This isn’t about adding fluff – it’s about showing you can deliver. People rarely buy coaching from one ad; they buy from someone they feel can help them, someone who’s shown evidence of success.
  
  
• Ignoring the Data (No Optimization): One hallmark of a struggling ad campaign is the “set it and forget it” approach. Or the opposite: panicking and turning off campaigns too soon without analysis. Maybe you’re not checking key metrics or you don’t know what to look for. Fix: Embrace a bit of data. You don’t need to be a math whiz, but watch a few important metrics: Click-Through Rate (CTR) (are people even interested enough to click your ad?), Cost Per Lead/Acquisition (are those clicks converting at a reasonable cost?), and Conversion Rate on your landing page (do the clicks take the action?). For example:
  
  
  
  • If your CTR is very low (significantly under ~1% on Facebook, depending on industry), that signals your ad creative or targeting isn’t appealing. Try new images or copy, or a different audience.
    
    
  • If CTR is okay but conversion on the page is low (say, under 10-20% for an opt-in page), that points to a landing page or offer issue. Tweak your page headline, ensure the offer is crystal clear, and remove distractions.
    
    
  • If people convert to leads but not to sales, examine your follow-up: Are your emails engaging? Do you address common objections? This might be a funnel step to fix.
    
    
• And please, don’t give up too soon. I’ve seen coaches kill an ad after two days because “no one bought yet.” Ads take time and testing. Facebook’s algorithm needs about 50 conversion events to really optimize in what’s called the “Learning Phase.” Turning things off too early resets that learning. So, give your campaigns enough run (a week or two, and some budget) before judging – while you keep an eye on metrics.
  
  
• Tiny Budget or Unbalanced Budget: On the flip side of blowing money is spending so little that the algorithm can’t learn or you can’t gather data. If you’re only spending $5/day and expecting 10 new clients in a week, we have a problem. Conversely, if you’re spending a lot but all in one part of the funnel (e.g., only cold ads and nothing on retargeting), that’s unbalanced. Fix: Ensure your budget aligns with your goals and funnel. A rule of thumb for lead generation: estimate your cost per lead and allocate enough to get at least 50-100 leads to evaluate conversion to sales. Also allocate some budget for retargeting warm audiences (people who visited or engaged). This doesn’t have to be huge – even 10-15% of your ad spend toward retargeting can significantly boost overall ROI, because you’re nudging the most interested folks (more on retargeting later).
  
  
• Technical Gremlins: Sometimes, everything seems fine, but an unseen technical issue trips you up. Common culprits: your Meta pixel isn’t tracking properly (so Facebook’s optimizing for the wrong thing), or your ads got disapproved and you didn’t notice, or a broken link in the ad (yes, it happens!). Fix: Do a thorough check. Verify your pixel is installed and events (like Lead or Purchase) are firing correctly​wordstream.com. Ensure your landing page loads fast and looks good on mobile (slow or non-mobile-friendly pages kill conversions​wordstream.com). And double-check your ad links and compliance with Facebook ad policies to avoid silent rejections.
  
  

That’s a lot of potential issues, I know. But don’t worry – you likely don’t need to fix all of them. Usually, one or two factors are the big levers holding your ads back. The key is knowing which ones.

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What to Fix First: Find Your “Big Leaks”

When you’re faced with disappointing ad results, it’s tempting to either throw your hands up or frantically tweak 10 things at once. Instead, I recommend a focused approach: find the biggest leak in your funnel and fix that first. Here’s how to pinpoint it:

1. Start at the Offer & Audience Fit

Ask yourself: Is my offer truly irresistible to the people I’m targeting? If you suspect a misalignment (e.g., you’re offering a general life coaching webinar to an audience looking for specific career advice), address that before anything else. No amount of clever ad copy can sell something people don’t want or need. Fix first: Refine your offer or adjust your target audience so they match. Sometimes this means narrowing your niche or simply rephrasing the offer to hit the right pain point. Example: A business coach client of ours had an ad for a “Boost Your Business” workshop that flopped. We discovered her audience of new entrepreneurs actually wanted very tactical help with getting their first 5 clients. We repositioned the workshop as “Get Your First 5 Clients – Fast Track Workshop” and boom – sign-ups poured in. Lesson: Nail the offer-audience fit early.

2. Examine Your Ad Metrics Like a Doctor Checking Vitals

Take a diagnostic look at the numbers (if you have them). It’s like checking whether the patient’s heart rate or blood pressure is off – the metrics will tell you where the “illness” is:

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• Very low CTR (click-through rate) – below ~0.5% for cold traffic – indicates the ad itself isn’t attracting interest. This often means your creative or headline isn’t hitting the mark. First fix: try a more eye-catching image or a bolder headline addressing a core desire or fear of your audience. For example, if your current ad headline is “Life Coaching for Women,” that’s bland. Test something like “Stuck in a Rut? Here’s Your Roadmap Out (Free Workshop)” – something that sparks curiosity or emotion.
  
  
• Decent CTR but low conversion on landing page – people click but then leave without signing up or buying. This screams landing page problem. First fix: make sure the page they land on matches the ad (message continuity) and has a clear call-to-action. Remove extraneous info and make the benefit of taking action ultra-obvious. Also check loading speed; if your page takes forever to load on mobile, people bail (use tools like Google PageSpeed to test).
  
  
• Good lead flow but no sales – if you’re getting leads (e.g., webinar registrations or ebook downloads) but very few are converting to clients, then the follow-up is the leak. Maybe your webinar content isn’t convincing them to book a call, or your sales emails aren’t compelling. First fix: strengthen one step in the follow-up. For a webinar funnel, perhaps tweak your webinar itself – ensure you deliver value and clearly pitch your offer with a strong incentive. Or add an extra email or call-to-action for those who didn’t act. Sometimes adding a limited-time bonus or a reminder of the problem you solve can tip indecisive prospects over the edge.
  
  
• High cost per click or lead – if everything is working but costs are sky-high (relative to your product price), you might have a budget or targeting issue making Facebook spend inefficiently. First fix: tighten targeting or try different campaign objectives. Also, test different ad placements or formats. For instance, video ads can sometimes get lower costs by engaging people more (and you can retarget viewers later).
  
  

If diagnosing these metrics sounds complex, this is exactly where Right Hand Social can help. We offer a free ad audit where we dig into your funnel metrics and pinpoint the biggest opportunities. Often, just identifying the one broken piece can turn a “failed” campaign into a profitable one.

3. Fix the Biggest Issue and One Thing at a Time

Now that you’ve identified the most glaring issue, attack that first. For example: if you determined your landing page is the culprit, focus on improving it before you overhaul your entire ad creative library. Implement the changes, then let the ads run to gather new data.

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Why one at a time? Because if you change everything simultaneously, you won’t know what actually made the difference. Iterative improvement is the name of the game in advertising. Fix, test, then move to the next issue.

4. Add What’s Missing: Retargeting and Trust Builders

If you weren’t retargeting before, once the basics above are fixed, set up a simple retargeting campaign. This could be as straightforward as an ad shown to people who visited your landing page but didn’t convert, reminding them to check out your offer (perhaps with a fresh angle or testimonial for persuasion). Remember, since only 2-5% convert on first touch, retargeting is your friend​ webonize.com.au​webonize.com.au. And it doesn’t have to be creepy or annoying (we’ll talk more about non-creepy retargeting strategies in a later post!). Keep frequency reasonable and offer value in these follow-up ads.

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Also ask: Am I doing enough to build trust? If not, inject some credibility. For example, one coach we worked with added a short video testimonial (as an ad and on her page) from a client success story – this alone boosted her webinar sign-up conversion rate by 20%. People got to hear a real person talk about results, which eased skepticism.

5. Consider an Expert Eye or Hand

Let’s be real – as a coach or course creator, your zone of genius is likely in teaching or coaching, not geeking out over ad metrics. If trying to diagnose and fix your ads makes you want to pull your hair out, bring in help. A fresh set of expert eyes can spot issues you overlooked. At Right Hand Social, I’ve lost count of how many times a quick audit revealed a single overlooked issue (like an improperly set conversion event or a mismatch between ad and landing page messaging) that was a quick fix away from unlocking results.

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We offer strategy discovery calls (free of charge) where we can discuss your current ad approach and identify quick wins. Sometimes, handing off the day-to-day ad management to a pro (through our retainer-based done-for-you service) is the ultimate fix – it not only improves your ad results but frees you from burnout (so you can focus on coaching your clients). If reading this is making you realize you’re wearing too many hats, it might be time to get a Right Hand (pun intended) for your marketing.

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Turning “Ineffective” into Impactful: A Recap

Your ads not working isn’t a mystery curse – it’s a solvable puzzle. To recap the key points and fixes:

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1. Check your offer and audience alignment first. No ad works if the offer isn’t compelling or aimed at the wrong people. Fix that foundation before anything else.
   
   
2. Use data to locate the leak. Look at CTR, conversion rates, and costs. They will usually point to whether the problem is the ad, the landing page, or the follow-up. Focus your fix on the area with the weakest metric.
   
   
3. Optimize your funnel, not just the ad. Ensure you have the proper support system (emails, retargeting, etc.) so that your ad clicks have a place to convert. A great ad with a bad funnel is like a great coach with no program to offer – wasted potential.
   
   
4. Take a systematic, patient approach. Implement one fix at a time and give it a few days to gather results. Scaling too fast or panicking will only muddy the waters. Remember, successful advertising is equal parts art (messaging) and science (testing and data).
   
   
5. Don’t hesitate to seek help. There’s no shame in getting expert assistance. It can fast-track your progress and save you money in the long run.
   
   

Sound like a lot? It can be, especially if you’re doing it alone. The silver lining is that once you patch the big holes, your ads can go from money pit to client-generating machine. I’ve seen it time and again: one or two tweaks and a campaign that was floundering starts bringing in quality leads at a great cost per result.

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Ready to Fix Your Ads for Good?

Imagine a month from now, looking at your campaign reports and seeing steady growth: leads flowing in, sales being made, and a cost per acquisition that doesn’t make you spit out your coffee. That’s achievable once you address the right issues.

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If you take away one thing from this post, let it be this: failed ads are not final. They’re just feedback. Now you have the insights to interpret that feedback and act on it.

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Now, if you’re ready to stop guessing and get results faster, let’s talk. As the founder of Right Hand Social, I specialize in turning around underperforming campaigns for coaches and course creators. We’ll audit your funnel for free, give you our straight-shooter assessment of what to fix first, and even handle the heavy lifting for you with our done-for-you ad management if it’s a fit.

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Don’t let frustration keep you from the impact (and income) you’re meant to have. Fix the first thing, fix the next, and soon your ads will be working for you, not against you. You’ve got this – and we’ve got your back if you need a hand. 🚀

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