Here’s an embarrassing little truth: I manage Google Ads for my restaurant clients on a regular basis. I know how to set up a campaign, pick a budget, write the copy, watch what’s working, and adjust when it’s not.
And I’ve never once run an ad for my own business.
Not one. In all this time.
I could tell you it’s because I’ve been “focused on other things” (I have). Or that organic has always felt like enough (it hasn’t, not really). But if I’m honest, it’s the same reason a lot of you probably haven’t tried it either — it feels like real money on the line, and there’s something scarier about spending it on yourself than spending someone else’s.
So I’m fixing that. Out loud, where you can watch.
The plan
Starting this week, I’m putting $5 a week toward one of my digital bundles for the next two weeks. That’s it. Ten dollars, total, by the end of this. Small enough that if it flops, I’ve lost less than a coffee run — and small enough that I have zero excuse not to just try it.
I’m using what I already know from client work and applying it to myself for the first time, which honestly feels a little vulnerable to admit. Turns out it’s easier to be objective and strategic about someone else’s business than your own.
What I’m actually nervous about
If you’ve been putting this off too, some of this might sound familiar:
- What if I pick the wrong audience and just burn the budget?
- What if the ad looks amateur next to what I build for clients?
- What if nobody clicks, and that says something about the offer instead of the ad?
I don’t have answers to any of these yet. That’s kind of the point of doing this as a real-time experiment instead of writing you a “how to” post pretending I already know how it’ll go.
What I’m tracking
Nothing complicated — just what I’d want to know if I were you:
- What the ad actually cost per click
- Whether anyone clicked through to the bundle page
- Whether anyone bought
- What I’d change if I ran it again
I’ll come back and share exactly what happened, numbers and all, once the two weeks are up.
If you’ve been putting this off too
You don’t need a big budget or a perfect strategy to find out if paid ads could work for you. You need one offer, a number small enough that it doesn’t feel risky, and a couple weeks to actually see what happens.
If this feels helpful, you’re welcome to try your own tiny version alongside me — same rules: pick one offer, pick a number you won’t stress about, give it two weeks, and see what you learn.
No rush. Just sharing this in case you’re in that season too.
— Selena
