Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out!
Happy to give you some of my initial thoughts and guidance on launching your new business in Austin. It's easy to get bogged down in the technical details like ad account structure, but from my experience, focusing on that first is often a misstep. The most perfectly organised ad account in the world can't save a weak offer or poorly defined audience. So let's put structure to one side for a moment and talk about what really drives results.
You probably should forget about account structure for now...
Honestly, best practices for account structure is the wrong question to be asking right now. It’s like asking what colour to paint the nursery before you’re even pregnant. It's a detail that matters later, but it’s completely irrelevant without a solid foundation. The foundation of any successful advertising campaign, especially for a new business, isn't the structure; it’s an obsessive, almost uncomfortably deep understanding of your ideal customer.
And I don't mean a vague demographic profile like "millennials in Austin who like tech and craft beer". That tells you absolutely nothing useful and leads to generic, expensive ads that get ignored. You need to stop thinking about your customer as a demographic and start thinking of them as a person living through a specific, urgent, and expensive nightmare. Your job is to become the world's leading expert on that nightmare.
Your ideal customer isn't just a job title or an income bracket. She's a person terrified of a specific problem. If you're launching a B2B service, maybe your ideal client is a Head of Operations at a local scale-up who's losing sleep because her logistics are a mess and she's convinced she's about to get fired over a major shipping failure. That's a nightmare. If you're launching a consumer service, maybe your ideal customer is a new parent in a specific Austin neighbourhood who feels completely overwhelmed and is desperate for an hour of peace, but feels guilty asking for help. That's a nightmare too.
Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is not a person; it's a problem state. What keeps them awake at 3 AM? What's the one thing that, if solved, would make them a hero in their own story? What are they secretly typing into Google when no one is looking?
Once you've isolated that very specific pain, you need to find out where these people live online. Not just 'Facebook'. Do they listen to specific podcasts on their commute down I-35, like 'How I Built This'? Do they read local Austin business journals or follow specific industry newsletters? Are they in niche Facebook Groups like 'Austin Digital Marketing' or 'Austin Small Business Owners'? Who are the local influencers or business leaders they follow on Twitter or LinkedIn? This intelligence isn't just data; it’s the blueprint for your entire marketing strategy. You have to do this work first, or you have no business spending a single dollar on ads. The account structure will naturally flow from this work, not the other way around.
We'll need to look at your offer...
Once you understand the nightmare, your next job is to craft an offer that feels like the ultimate antidote. This is the number one reason I see campaigns fail, and I've seen a lot of them. The offer is either not valuable enough, or it's not communicated in a way that connects with the customer's pain.
And for god's sake, please do not make your main call to action a "Request a Demo" or "Contact Us" button. These are the most arrogant, high-friction requests you can make. You’re asking a busy person in Austin, who doesn't know you from Adam, to give up their time to be sold to. It’s an instant turn-off and positions you as just another commodity.
Your offer's only job is to deliver a moment of undeniable value. An "aha!" moment that's so powerful, the prospect starts selling themselves on your solution. You have to solve a small, real problem for free (or for a very low cost) to earn the right to solve the whole thing.
What does this look like in practice for a business in Austin?
If you're a B2B SaaS company: The gold standard is a free trial or a freemium plan. No credit card required. Let them actually use the product. Let them experience the transformation firsthand. I remember one B2B SaaS client we worked with who saw a massive shift when they moved from a demo-first model to a free trial. We ran Meta Ad campaigns for them and got them 1,535 trials because the barrier to entry was so low. The product did the selling, not a sales rep.
If you're a B2B service business (like a consultant or agency): You need to bottle your expertise into a high-value asset. Don't sell "marketing services." Instead, offer a "Free Local SEO Audit for Austin Businesses" that automatically shows them their top 3 keyword opportunities. Don't sell "financial consulting." Offer a "15-Minute Cash Flow Health Check" via a simple calculator on your site. For our own agency, we offer a free 20-minute strategy session where we audit failing ad accounts. We solve a real problem upfront, which builds immense trust and demonstrates our expertise far better than any sales pitch could.
If you're a B2C service (like a home cleaner or landscaper): Your offer needs to be specific and low-risk. Instead of "Get a Quote," try "Book Your First 2-Hour Clean for Just $49." It's a tangible, low-cost way for them to experience your quality. We had a home cleaning client who got leads for £5 a pop with a similar introductory offer. It removes the uncertainty and makes saying 'yes' easy.
The messaging around this offer is just as important. You need to speak directly to the nightmare. Don't just list features; talk about feelings and outcomes.
Here’s a copywriting framework we use a lot called Problem-Agitate-Solve:
Problem: "Are your weekend trips to Zilker Park constantly cut short by a messy house waiting for you at home?"
Agitate: "You deserve to relax, but the thought of scrubbing toilets and endless laundry makes you dread Sunday evening. You're sacrificing your precious downtime for chores that never seem to end."
Solve: "Get your first 2-hour clean for just $49 and reclaim your Austin weekends. We'll handle the mess so you can enjoy the city you love."
See the difference? It connects emotionally. It shows you understand their specific frustration. A brilliant offer, communicated powerfully, is what gets you a return on investment. The ad account structure is just the plumbing that delivers it.
I'd say you need to pick the right battlefield...
Okay, so you've defined the nightmare and crafted an irresistible offer. Now, and only now, can we talk about where to actually spend your money. Choosing the right ad platform is about figuring out where your ideal customer is in their buying journey.
There are really only two states a customer can be in:
1. They are actively searching for a solution to their nightmare. They are aware of their problem and are looking for help *right now*. For these people, you need to be on platforms where intent is high.
-> Google Search Ads: This is your number one option here. People are literally typing their pain into the search bar. Your job is to show up with the answer. For a local Austin business, this is incredibly powerful. You'd do some keyword research to find what your customers are searching for. For example, if you're an emergency electrician in Austin, you'd target keywords like "emergency electrician austin tx", "24 hour electrician near me", or "electrical repair austin". You're catching them at the exact moment of need. We ran a campaign for an HVAC company in a competitive area, and even with high competition, they were seeing leads at around $60 each, which was highly profitable for them because the contract values were high. For a new business, this is the quickest path to revenue.
2. They are NOT actively searching for a solution. They are suffering from the nightmare, but they might not be aware a solution like yours exists, or they're just putting up with the pain. For these people, you need to interrupt their day with a message so relevant it stops them scrolling.
-> Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads: This is where your deep understanding of the customer's interests and behaviors comes into play. You can't target "people who need a new accounting software," but you can target "small business owners" in Austin who have shown an interest in pages related to QuickBooks or Xero. You can target people based on life events, like "newly engaged" if you're a wedding photographer. The key here is that your creative and your offer have to do all the heavy lifting to grab their attention. It's less direct, but it's how you create new demand.
-> LinkedIn Ads: If you are B2B, this is often the best choice for interruption-based marketing. The targeting is unmatched. You can get your message directly in front of a "Chief Technology Officer" at companies with "50-200 employees" in the "Software" industry, all located within a 25-mile radius of Austin. We've had a B2B software client who was getting leads from decision-makers at a $22 cost per lead (CPL), which was a fantastic result for them. If your customer is a professional, you need to be on LinkedIn.
The platform you choose will start to inform your account structure. But the choice is driven by the customer's mindset, not by a generic "best practice".
You'll need to get your targeting right, and then structure your tests...
Right, this is where we finally get to the ad account. Think of your account structure not as a rigid set of rules, but as a framework for organised testing. Your goal is to efficiently test audiences and creatives to find out what works, then scale the winners. For a new business in Austin, your budget is precious, so we can't afford to waste it.
Let's use Meta as an example, as it's a common starting point. I see so many new businesses make a mess of this. They create one campaign with one ad set and throw a dozen different interests in there, then wonder why it doesn't work. You have no idea what's working and what isn't.
A much better approach is to think in terms of the marketing funnel: Top of Funnel (ToFu), Middle of Funnel (MoFu), and Bottom of Funnel (BoFu). You'll want separate campaigns for each stage.
Simplified Funnel Structure for a New Austin Business
Campaign 1: Prospecting (ToFu - Finding New People)
This is where you'll find new customers in the Austin area. You'll create different ad sets to test different targeting ideas. Don't lump them together!
- Ad Set 1: Broad Austin Targeting (e.g., Men/Women aged 25-55 in Austin, TX). Let the algorithm do some work.
- Ad Set 2: Interest Targeting (e.g., People in Austin who like 'Shopify' and 'eCommerce' if you're a B2B service for online stores).
- Ad Set 3: Interest Targeting - Theme 2 (e.g., People in Austin who follow local business journals or business coaches).
Your objective here will be conversions (leads, sales, etc.). Don't use "Brand Awareness" or "Reach". You are paying Facebook to find you the worst possible audience when you do that, the people least likely to ever buy anything. You want to command the algorithm to find you buyers from day one.
Campaign 2: Retargeting (MoFu/BoFu - Bringing People Back)
This campaign targets people who have already shown interest. These are your warmest audiences and will often provide the best return. Since you're just starting, you can combine them into one ad set to begin with.
- Ad Set 1: Website Visitors & Engagers (Target everyone who has visited your website, liked a Facebook post, or watched a video in the last 30-90 days, but hasn't purchased/become a lead).
You'll show these people different ads, maybe with a testimonial, a reminder of your offer, or overcoming a common objection. The goal is to get them over the finish line.
This simple two-campaign structure is all you need to start. It allows you to have a dedicated budget for finding new people and another for converting warm leads. It's clean, it's organised, and it lets you clearly see which audiences and ads are performing. After a few days, you can look at the data. If Ad Set 2 in your prospecting campaign has spent three times your target CPL and has zero results, you turn it off and test a new idea. It's a system for learning, not a magic bullet.
You probably should know your numbers...
This brings me to the final, and perhaps most overlooked piece of the puzzle for a new business. Most people ask "What should my cost per lead be?". A better question is "How much can I afford to pay for a customer?". The answer to that lies in calculating your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).
Without knowing your LTV, you're flying blind. You might be turning off ads that are actually profitable in the long run. Let's do a quick, hypothetical calculation. This is the math that separates amateurs from pros.
Let's imagine you run a subscription service in Austin:
- Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA): What you make per customer, per month. Let's say it's $100.
- Gross Margin %: Your profit margin on that revenue. Let's say it's 70%.
- Monthly Churn Rate: The percentage of customers you lose each month. Let's say it's 5%.
The LTV calculation is: LTV = (ARPA * Gross Margin %) / Monthly Churn Rate
So, LTV = ($100 * 0.70) / 0.05
LTV = $70 / 0.05 = $1,400
In this example, each customer is worth $1,400 in gross margin to your business over their lifetime. A healthy LTV to Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) ratio is 3:1. This means you can afford to spend up to $1,400 / 3 = ~$466 to acquire a single customer and still have a very healthy business. Suddenly, a $50 lead from Google Ads doesn't look so expensive, does it? It looks like a bargain.
This is the kind of strategic thinking that needs to happen before you even worry about the nitty-gritty of campaign setup. To give you a rough idea of what to expect cost-wise, here are some general benchmarks we often see. Remember, Austin is a competitive US market, so you'll likely be in the 'developed countries' range.
General Cost Per Result Estimates (Developed Countries)
| Objective | Low CPA | High CPA | Typical Assumptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads / Signups | £1.60 (~$2) | £15.00 (~$19) | Based on a CPC of £0.5-£1.5 and a landing page conversion rate of 10-30%. |
| eCommerce Sales | £10.00 (~$12.50) | £75.00 (~$94) | Based on a CPC of £0.5-£1.5 and a store conversion rate of 2-5%. Your actual ROAS is more important. |
Note: These are rough estimates and can vary wildly based on industry, competition, and the quality of your offer and website.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below as a final summary. This is the strategic process we follow, and it prioritises the things that actually move the needle.
| Step | Actionable Recommendation | Why It's Important |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Define the Nightmare | Forget demographics. Identify the single most urgent, expensive, and specific problem your ideal Austin customer faces. Become an expert on their pain. | This is the foundation of all effective messaging and targeting. Generic ads fail. Ads that solve a specific nightmare get attention and drive action. |
| 2. Craft an Irresistible Offer | Build a low-friction, high-value offer that solves a small piece of their nightmare for free or at very low cost (e.g., a free trial, a valuable checklist, an automated audit, a cheap intro service). | This builds trust and proves your value upfront, making the final sale much easier. It replaces risky "Request a Demo" calls with tangible value. |
| 3. Choose the Right Platform | Decide if your customer is actively searching (use Google Ads) or needs to be interrupted (use Meta/LinkedIn). Place your bets based on their intent. | Wasting money on the wrong platform is the fastest way to burn through your launch budget. Match the platform to the customer's mindset. |
| 4. Build a Simple Test Structure | Start with two simple campaigns: one for prospecting new customers in Austin (testing a few distinct audiences in separate ad sets) and one for retargeting website visitors. | This keeps things organised, allows you to clearly identify what's working, and prevents you from wasting money on blended audiences you can't analyse. |
| 5. Calculate Your LTV | Work out, even with estimates, what a customer is worth to you over their lifetime. Use this to determine how much you can afford to spend to acquire one. | This frees you from the tyranny of chasing cheap, low-quality leads and allows you to invest confidently in acquiring the right customers. |
As you can see, launching and scaling with paid ads is about a lot more than just setting up a campaign structure. It's a strategic process that involves deep customer insight, compelling offer creation, and rigorous, data-driven testing. Getting it right from the start can be the difference between a successful launch and a frustrating waste of money.
This is where expert help can make a huge difference. An experienced eye can help you avoid common pitfalls, accelerate your learning curve, and implement these strategies far more effectively. If you'd like to chat through your specific business and get a second opinion on your launch plan, we offer a free, no-obligation 20-minute strategy call. We could dive into your specific situation in Austin and map out a clear path forward.
Either way, I hope this has been genuinely helpful and gives you a much stronger framework for thinking about your launch.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
