$18,000 Revenue From $900 Meta Ad Spend
Everyone talks about ROAS like it's the holy grail of ad performance. But according to chartered accountant and business strategist Fi Johnston, it might be one of the most misleading metrics in your business.
In this episode, Megan sits down with Fi Johnston — founder of Peach Business, host of the Money Secrets podcast, and a business and finance strategist with 16 years in business — for a refreshingly honest conversation about what actually happens when businesses turn on meta ads, and why the number on your ads dashboard rarely tells the full story.
Plus, Fi shares exactly how she turned a $900 ad spend into $18,000 in revenue.
Fi has a unique vantage point: she works both with agencies running meta ads and with the business owners spending the money, which means she sees the front end of the ads and the back end of the balance sheet. Her take? A lot of businesses reach for ads to fix a problem ads were never going to solve.
In this episode, Megan and Fi cover:
Why "my ads look great but my bank account doesn't" is more common than you'd think
Why ROAS in isolation can be a dangerous, misleading metric — and what to look at instead
How fixing your website or landing page can outperform "fixing" your ads
Why meta ads should amplify a good business, not rescue a broken one
The relay race analogy: how ads, website, email and customer service all have to run their leg properly
How Fi overcame her dislike of meta's business ethics to use ads as a tool she controls, rather than one that controls her
The real story behind Fee's $900 ad spend that generated $18,000 in revenue — including the landing page overhaul and the "meat and potatoes" video that halved her cost per lead
Why simpler is almost always better: Fee's "shit or get off the pot" landing page redesign
How to know if you're ready for ads (hint: you need to already know how to get people to take action organically first)
Why treating your organic content like an ad — and your ads like a post — makes both stronger
Whether ads can help you re-engage existing or lapsed customers, not just find new ones
If you've ever felt confused by ad reporting, or wondered whether you're actually ready to invest in ads, this episode will help you get clear on the numbers that actually matter.
Learn more about working with Lume Marketing
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Learn more about your guest:
Fi Johnston is a chartered accountant and business and finance strategist, and the founder of Peach Business. She's spent 16 years working with purpose-led business owners who take a balanced approach to people, planet and profit, helping them get clear on pricing, marketing strategy and team needs so their business can grow sustainably. Fi hosts the Money Secrets podcast and shares weekly insights through her email, The Peach Weekly.
Connect with Fi on Instagram @peachbusiness or listen to Money Secrets wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn more about your host:
Megan Winter is a meta ads expert, an experienced ADMA and AMI-awarded marketer and founder of Lume Marketing.
As an early-adopter of digital marketing and social media advertising, she has consulted to global brands owned by Heineken and Lexus, has taught hundreds of small business owners at The Facebook Ads Academy, and presented on digital marketing at Bond University.
Now, her passion is helping ethical, purpose-led brands achieve more income and impact with high-performing meta ads.
Connect with Megan on Instagram @meganwinter or LinkedIn
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