Paid ad case studies: every result in the database
60 paid-ad results, each credited and linked to the source.
A
→B
−45% cost per purchase
Cut the price by €10, same ads and budget
Offer & priceMeta@SamPiliero
Cost per purchase$32.98
Spend (14 days)$253k
FormatStatic only
Cost per purchase $32.98 on $253k
Static images only in a Meta campaign
Static image adsMeta@runtraffic
A
→B
−39% cost per install
Creator Spark Ads instead of standard in-feed ads
TikTok Spark AdsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · TANP
Sales+328%
Window5 days
Sales +328% in 5 days on cost caps
Switched a DTC brand to cost caps
Bid strategyMeta@EcomRedneck
NC-ROAS +55.65% (1.79)
Split a 50-ad CBO into 5 ad sets
Campaign structureMeta@AshvinMelwani
Old-footage B-roll mashup
CPA $58.61 on $107k spend
Old footage cut into a B-roll mashup video ad
Video adsMeta@alexgoughcooper
~$1.9M incremental revenue
Reallocated YouTube prospecting spend by measured lift
Video adsYouTubeLinkedIn (LiftLab card)
→
+53% ROAS
Colored backgrounds on catalog ads, not plain shots
Catalog & dynamic product adsMetaVendor-reportedMarpipe · Ridge
+3% conversions across ~117,700 advertisers
Meta in-app product browsing: +3% conversions
Placement & aspect ratioMeta@MenachemAni (Meta email)
Before$4.5k/mo
After$505k/mo
Monthly revenueRevenue $4.5k → $505k/month at ROAS 2–2.5x
Raised Google Ads budgets in 10–15% steps
Budget & scalingGoogle@thedanielbudai
Conversions227
Cost/conv$5.41
Conv. rate32.52%
Cost$1.23K
227 conversions at $5.41
Performance Max for a mortgage business
Format changeGoogleReddit user (facts only)
Usual video ads
→Usual ads + Reels ad set
−23% CPA
Added Reels-specific creative to its usual video ads
Video adsMetaVendor-reportedInstagram · Prose
Conversions+44%
CPA−15%
+44% conversions, −15% CPA
YouTube Video action campaigns for auto parts sales
Video adsYouTubeVendor-reportedThink with Google · AutoDoc
Studio
Polished UGC
Car selfie
−62% CPA
Founder car selfie video beat studio and polished UGC
Founder-led adsMetaMHI Media (Kamal Razzak)
Discount ads
→Health-benefit UGC
−65% CPA, +300% ROAS
Health-benefit UGC replaced discount ads
UGC adsMetainBeat · Hurom
Little ad varietyfalling ROAS
→Pain-point messaging40+ ads tested
−10.5% CAC, +20.5% ROAS over 75 days
40+ new creatives built on pain-point hooks
Video adsMetaJanky Patel newsletter
6 standard video adsbefore
→1 swapped for a partnership adsame budget
−20% CPA, +22% ROAS
Swapped 1 of 6 video ads for a partnership ad
Meta partnership adsMetaVendor-reportedInfluee · BabyLoveGrow
Before$50
After$15
CPMCPM $50 → $15
Switched to the M3 method, CPM fell from $50 to $15
Campaign structureMeta@SamPiliero
Spend5x in 3 days
CTR−0.25 pts
Spend 5x in 3 days, CTR −0.25 pts
Scaled Google Search lead gen spend 5x
Budget & scalingGoogle@runtraffic
$7Before
$3After · CPI
CPI $3 vs $7
Spark Ads for app installs: CPI $3 vs $7
TikTok Spark AdsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Endel
$100 spendBefore
$410 salesAfter · Day one
$100 spend → $410 sales on day one
Tested new products on a $100 day-one budget
Product testingMeta@EcomRedneck
1.87x
$186k lifetime spendROAS 1.87
ROAS 1.87 on $186k lifetime spend
Obvi's "Oz v18" angle: ROAS 1.87 on $186k
Angle & messageMeta@AshvinMelwani
CPA$47.13
Hook rate45.9%
CPA $47.13, hook rate 45.9%
Video ad opening with a makeup teacher hook
Video adsMeta@alexgoughcooper
1–2 ads0%
6–10 ads4.1%
11–15 ads6.6%
20+ ads6.8%
20+ ads per campaign: CPA −6.8% vs 1–2 ads
More ads per campaign vs CPA, across 50 companies
Creative volume & testing cadenceMetaLinkedIn (NP Digital chart)
Current copy
→4 copy variations
−77% CPA in one week
Tested 4 new ad copy lines against the current copy
Creative volume & testing cadenceMetaVendor-reportedMarpipe · AgelessRx
No sale
→15% off for Labor Day
Revenue +102%, blended ROAS 10.11x → 13.17x
A 15% off Labor Day sale for a bedding brand
Offer & priceMeta@SamPiliero
Incremental ROAS8.17
New-customer ROAS1.17
Incremental ROAS 8.17; NC ROAS 1.17
Tested whether brand search ads are incremental
Tracking, attribution & incrementalityGoogle@runtraffic
Before$15.18
After$3.14
CPACPA $15.18 → $3.14
Boosted organic TikToks for a Black Friday tire sale
Video adsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Gill's Point S
4.5x
$8.43 CPAROAS 4.50
Cost per purchase $8.43, ROAS 4.50
New video ad in a Meta testing campaign
Video adsMeta@EcomRedneck
Other Obvi anglesresults not shared
→GLP-1 angle123 ads, ROAS 1.06
ROAS 1.06, CPA $58.96 across 123 ads
Obvi tested a GLP-1 angle across 123 ads
Angle & messageMeta@AshvinMelwani
Faceless yapper video
CPA $88.56 on $141k spend
Faceless talking-style video ad
Video adsMeta@alexgoughcooper
Before€84.38
After€58.63
Cost per orderCost per order €84.38 → €58.63 (−30.5%)
Better ads, cut weak ones, same budget
Creative volume & testing cadenceMeta@SamPiliero
MER1.69
New visits82%
GDN MER 1.69, 82% new visits
Google Display as a prospecting channel
Audience & targetingGoogle@runtraffic
Manually managed app campaignmanual
→Smart+ campaignsame bids and budgets
+50% conversions, −30% cost per conversion (Smart+ vs manual, same bids and budgets)
Smart+ vs manual app campaign, same bids and budgets
Campaign structureTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · easypaisa
$767k
1 CBO campaignrevenue in one month
$767k month from one CBO
One CBO campaign for a dropshipping store
Campaign structureMeta@EcomRedneck
CPA $101.29 → $60.50 (−40%)
Launched about 20 new angles to 2 avatars
Angle & messageMeta@SamPiliero
ROAS1.18
New customers94.8%
ROAS 1.18, 94.8% new customers
Demand Gen static ads before Christmas
Static image adsGoogle@runtraffic
Studio assets
Creator-led
Purchase CPA −94%, CVR +44% (Smart+ vs manual)
Smart+ with creator content and catalog ads vs manual
UGC adsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Marks & Spencer with Incubeta
Sales +102% after pixel rebuild
New ad account and pixel after ads were switched off
Tracking, attribution & incrementalityMeta@SamPiliero
Search9.37
PMax7.65
Shopping6.12
Demand Gen2.66
ROAS 6.96 (Search 9.37, PMax 7.65)
Google Ads ROAS split by campaign type
Campaign structureGoogle@runtraffic
Website Form onlycontrol
→Instant Form + Website Form+178% lead volume
+178% lead volume, −7.7% CPM vs Website Form-only campaigns
Instant Form plus Website Form, routed by intent
Video adsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies
$10k/month → $100k week
Restructured the account and added 200+ creatives
Campaign structureMeta@SamPiliero
Before1.37
After1.58
Conv. value/costConv. value/cost 1.58 (+0.21)
AI-made video ads on YouTube at scale
AI-generated adsYouTube@runtraffic
Instant Form only
→Instant Form + Direct Messaging
+47% lead volume, −7.5% cost per lead vs Instant Form-only control
Add Direct Messaging next to the Instant Form
Landing page & funnelTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Ozone Clinics
Ad sets64
Spend$42.5k
Purchases1,238
1,238 purchases on $42.5k (≈$34 CPA)
Creative packs across 64 ad sets
Creative volume & testing cadenceMeta@SamPiliero
0.76Before
1.51After · ROAS
Spend +$682k, ROAS 0.76 → 1.51
Scaled YouTube ads toward $1M a month
Video adsYouTube@runtraffic
Conversion campaigns
→+ Search Ads
+11.7% ROAS, +33% conversion rate with Search Ads (US)
Add TikTok Search Ads next to conversion campaigns
TikTok Spark AdsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Hand Over Enterprise SL
ROAS 2x–5x by avatar
Grüns ads split by customer avatar
Angle & messageMeta@SamPiliero
ROAS1.63
Spend$183k
StatusLimited by budget
ROAS 1.63 on $183k
Demand Gen campaign held back by its budget
Budget & scalingGoogle@runtraffic
In-app event optimisation: +205% SKAN installs, −44% average CPI vs install optimisation
Optimise Smart+ for an in-app event, not installs
UGC adsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Bitaksi
Sales46
Days7
Budget$350/day
46 sales in 7 days at $350/day
CBO prospecting campaign at $350 a day
Campaign structureMeta@SamPiliero
November sales +63% YoY
New agency ran BFCM on Meta and Google
Campaign structureMeta@runtraffic
Blended ROAS2x higher
CTR+11%
Creator-Led Package creative: 2x blended ROAS, +11% CTR vs non-creator assets
Creator-Led Package assets mixed with Target's own ads
Meta partnership adsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · Target
~$9 TikTokBefore
~$2 MetaAfter · Cost per lead
~$9/lead TikTok vs ~$2/lead Meta
Webinar leads: TikTok vs Meta cost per lead
Budget & scalingMeta@SamPiliero
ROAS1.36
Profit$9.7k
Days15
ROAS 1.36, $9.7k profit in 15 days
Affiliate offers run on Google Search as a side project
Product testingGoogle@runtraffic
+36% ROAS, −53% cost per purchase vs standard Catalog Ads
Add GA4 purchases as a second signal to Catalog Ads
Catalog & dynamic product adsTikTokVendor-reportedTikTok for Business · COMFY with Promodo
ROAS5.53
Spend$50k
Window1 month
ROAS 5.53 on $50k
Women's apparel, mostly on ABO, for a month
Campaign structureMeta@SamPiliero
Cost per purchase$33.44
Frequency1.06
Cost per purchase $33.44 at frequency 1.06
Cold-traffic ad sets on Meta at frequency 1.06
Audience & targetingMeta@runtraffic
Ad spend$13,243.44
Applications393
Revenue (claimed)$100k+
$100k+ from $13k ad spend
B2B lead-gen ads, then a low-ticket offer funnel
Landing page & funnelMeta@SamPiliero
ROAS 2.03; £700+ spent in non-buying countries
Opened a UK merch store's ads to Rest of World
Audience & targetingMeta@SamPiliero