Solved: Ad Duration Strategy for Mobile Bike Shop

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out!

Happy to give you some initial thoughts on your question. It's a common one, but I think you might be focusing on the wrong part of the puzzle. The question isn't really "how long" you should run ads for, but "how do I run them profitably". Once they're profitable, you run them for as long as you can, right?

The duration is just a small detail. The real wins come from getting the strategy right first: who you're talking to, what you're offering them, and where you're showing your ads. Let's unpack that a bit, as I think it'll be far more helpful for your new mobile bike shop.

We'll need to look at your audience, not your calendar...

Before you spend a single penny, you need to get inside the head of your customer. Running ads from Monday to Sunday is a fine starting point, but it assumes all your customers behave the same way and are looking for you at the same time. In my experience, for a service like yours, you're dealing with two very different mindsets.

Audience 1: The "Help Me Now!" Customer

This is someone whose chain has just snapped on their commute, or they've woken up to a flat tyre on the day of a big ride. They are in a state of mild panic. They are not scrolling through Facebook hoping to see an ad for a bike mechanic. They are grabbing their phone and typing something like "emergency bike repair near me" or "mobile bike mechanic [your town name]" into Google. Their problem is urgent, their need is immediate, and they are actively searching for a solution. For this person, your availability and speed are your biggest selling points. They dont really care about your brand story; they care if you can fix their bike today.

Audience 2: The "I Should Really Get That Sorted" Customer

This person is completely different. Their bike is probably rideable, but it's making a funny noise. They know it needs a service, but the thought of dismantling it, putting it in the car, driving to a shop, leaving it for a week, and then going back to pick it up is a massive pain. They are driven by convenience. They are not actively searching right now, so they're what we'd call 'problem aware' but not 'solution aware'. They might be scrolling through Instagram on a Tuesday evening and see your ad highlighting how you can service their bike at their office while they work. You've just presented a solution to a problem they've been putting off for weeks. You've saved them time and hassle.

Why does this matter? Because you need to use completely different advertising platforms and messages to reach these two people. Trying to catch the "Help Me Now!" customer with a Facebook ad is like trying to catch fish in a forest. It's the wrong tool for the job.

I'd say you need to be on Google, not just Facebook...

Given the two audiences we just talked about, your focus on Facebook Ads is only covering half the story, and probably the less profitable half to start with. Let's be brutally honest: you need to be where your best customers are looking, and for emergency repairs, that is 100% Google.

Google Search Ads: Your Top Priority

This should be your bread and butter. When someone searches for "bike mechanic [your city]", you want your ad to be the first thing they see. The beauty of this is that the intent is incredibly high. They have a problem and they're ready to pay someone to fix it. This is not about convincing them they need a repair; it's about convincing them you're the best person to do it.

You would target keywords like:

• -> "mobile bike shop [your town]"
• -> "bike repair at home"
• -> "emergency bicycle repair"
• -> "fix flat bike tyre"
• -> "same day bike service"

Your ad copy would need to scream speed, reliability, and service area. And most importantly, you'd use a 'call extension' so they can just tap a button on their phone and call you directly. No messing around with websites. This is about removing every possible bit of friction between their problem and your solution. We've run campaigns for other local service businesses, like an HVAC company, and getting leads from people actively searching is always the most effective way to start.

Facebook & Instagram Ads: The Supporting Act

This is where you target the "I Should Really Get That Sorted" customer. Here, your ads are an interruption. They're not looking for you, so you have to grab their attention. You can't lead with "Bike Repair Services!". You have to lead with the benefit. Something like "Hate Wasting Your Weekend at the Bike Shop? We Come to You."

For targeting, you can get quite specific. You can target people in your local area who have shown an interest in:

• -> Major cycling brands (Trek, Specialized, Giant)
• -> Cycling publications or websites
• -> Local cycling clubs or events
• -> People who list 'cycling' as an interest

The goal here isn't necessarily an immediate phone call. It's to get them to your website to learn more about your service packages, see your pricing, and maybe book an appointment online. This is a slower burn. It's about building awareness so that when they finally decide to get that service, your name is the one they remember. It can work very well, but it's a different game to the direct response you'll get from Google.

You probably should focus on the offer first...

An ad is just a vehicle to deliver an offer. If the offer is weak, even the best ad in the world will fail. Your offer needs to be a perfect solution to the specific pain point of the audience you're targeting at that moment.

Your Google Ads Offer: The Lifesaver

For the "Help Me Now!" customer on Google, your offer is speed and reassurance. The ad copy needs to reflect this. Don't be clever; be clear.

Headline: Mobile Bike Repair in [Your Area] | Call Now
Description: Flat tyre or snapped chain? We come to you. Fast, reliable service at your home or office. Get a quote in minutes.

The promise is simple: your problem will be solved quickly. That's it. That's the offer.

Your Facebook Ads Offer: The Time Saver

For the "Convenience" customer on Facebook, the offer is about giving them back their free time. The ad needs to paint a picture of a better way to get things done.

We often use a copywriting formula called Problem-Agitate-Solve for this. It looks something like this:

• Problem: Is your bike gathering dust because you can't face the hassle of taking it to a shop?
• Agitate: Don't let a simple service stop you from enjoying the sunny weekends on the trail. Stop wasting your precious time off.
• Solve: We bring the full workshop to your doorstep. Get a professional bike service at home or work. Book your slot online in 60 seconds.

See the difference? One is about solving panic, the other is about selling convenience. A lot of buisness owners make the mistake of running the same generic ad everywhere, and it speaks to no one. You have to tailor your message. Its one of the first things we look at when a new client comes to us with ads that are'nt performing.

You'll need to get your numbers right...

This brings us back to the most important question: what's a new customer worth to you, and how much can you afford to spend to get one? This is far more important than worrying about running an ad for a week.

For local services, the cost to get one person to call you or fill out a form (a "lead") can vary massively. We've had a home cleaning client who got leads for about £5 each. On the other end, we're currently running a campaign for an HVAC company in a competitive area, and their cost per lead is around £48. For your mobile bike shop, you're probably going to land somewhere in the middle, maybe £15-£30 per qualified lead once things are optimised.

But is a £30 lead expensive or cheap? You can't know without understanding your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). Let's do some rough maths:

• Let's say an average service/repair job is worth £80.
• A happy customer might use you twice a year (a spring service and an autumn tune-up). So that's £160 per year.
• If you provide great service, they might stick with you for 3 years.

LTV = £160/year * 3 years = £480

Suddenly, paying £30 to acquire a customer worth £480 over their lifetime looks like an incredible deal. You've spent £30 to make £480. This is the maths that lets you scale your business. As long as the numbers work, you keep the ads running. You don't turn them off on Sunday just because the week is over. You only turn them off if they stop being profitable.

To make this easier, I've built a little calculator for you. Play around with the sliders to see how your average job value and customer loyalty affect how much you can afford to spend on ads.

So, back to your original question...

Now that we've covered the important stuff, let's answer your actual question about duration. Hopefully you can see now why it's not the first thing to worry about.

For your Google Search Ads (the "Help Me Now!" customer): These should be "always on" during your business hours. You don't run them for a week and stop. You set a daily budget (e.g., £20/day) and let it run continuously. The goal is to be there every single time someone in your area has an urgent problem. You'd only pause this campaign if you're fully booked, on holiday, or if the cost per lead gets too high and it's no longer profitable.

For your Facebook/Instagram Ads (the "Convenience" customer): Here, your Monday-to-Sunday idea makes a bit more sense, but I'd think of it differently. You might run a campaign for 2-4 weeks to test a specific offer or a new ad creative. During that time, you're just gathering data. Is the ad getting clicks? Are people visiting the site? Are they booking? If after a few weeks it's working well and bringing in profitable jobs, you wouldn't stop it. You'd leave it running and it becomes another "always on" campaign. If it's a total flop, you kill it and test something new.

The mindset shift is from "campaign flights" that have a start and end date, to a continuous system of "testing" and "scaling". You're constantly looking for profitable ad combinations, and once you find them, you let them run for as long as they keep working.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

To pull this all together, here is a simple table outlining the strategy I'd recommend you start with. Forget the weekly schedule for now and focus on getting this structure in place.

As you can probably see, there's a fair bit to get right here. It's not just about boosting a post and hoping for the best. Getting the targeting right on Google, writing ad copy that works, setting up your website to convert visitors, and tracking everything so you know your actual numbers – it's a full-time job.

This is where expert help can make a massive difference, saving you a lot of time and wasted ad spend by getting the strategy right from day one. We do this day in, day out for businesses just like yours.

If you'd like to chat through this in more detail, we offer a completely free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can look at your specific situation and give you a more detailed plan of action. It's often the most valuable 20 minutes a new business owner can spend on their marketing.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh