The Real Key To Success Isn’t Running Ads.. Sorry

The Real Key To Success Isn’t Running Ads..

April 13, 20257 min read

Author:
Aziza Azimova
Founder of AZE Media, Entrepreneur & Brand Builder


Hey there!

I want to talk about a big misconception in the PAID ADS world:

“If I could just nail those Facebook ads, my business would take off.”

I see this all the time — businesses jumping from one agency to another, spending thousands on ads, but not seeing the results. It's exhausting, right?

You might even think,
“Maybe I should learn this myself.”
That sounds like a better idea — so you go learn ads.


The Facebook Ads Trap

Next thing: You're pouring your heart, soul, and budget into Facebook ads, believing they're your golden ticket. You tweak, adjust, and obsess over every detail. But the results?
They're just not there. Or worse, they’re sporadic, time-consuming, and not scalable.

So, you start questioning everything — the targeting, the creative, the platform itself. Frustration builds. You’re tired. Your budget’s stretched. Deep down, you wonder if it’s even worth it.

You’ve been led to believe that the right hack, the perfect targeting strategy, will skyrocket your business.

But the harsh truth?

It's not happening because the issue isn’t the ads.
It’s the entire engine under the hood of your business.


Why Fixating on Facebook Ads Is a Waste of Time

I get it. When your ads aren't working, and you’ve been burned by multiple agencies, taking control feels like the only smart move.

But here’s the hard truth:
Most of the agencies and “experts” you’re hiring?

They’re platform experts — not growth experts. And there’s a big difference.

  • Platform experts: They know how to set up and run ads inside Facebook, TikTok, X, etc.

  • Growth experts: They go deeper. They look at your entire business, diagnose the real issues, and build systems that scale.


Most Businesses Aren’t Even Set Up for Scale

I’ve been a marketer for over 10 years, working with small businesses, corporate teams, and fast-growth startups.

Let me tell you what happens almost every time I’m brought in:

  • I’m called in because the ads aren’t working.

  • I take a look, fix a few things in the ad account, and… things are okay for a few weeks.

  • Then… performance drops again.

  • And that’s when I have to spin everyone’s wheels, doing invisible, foundational work — just to keep the business from burning cash.

Why?

Because the business isn’t ready for paid ads.

And what I end up fixing is the boring, invisible work that nobody talks about:

  • The customer journey

  • Making sure the tech stack works together

  • Audience segmentation

  • Funnels

  • Messaging angles

  • Fresh creative

  • Product-market fit

  • Website credibility

  • Tracking and reporting

  • Bounce rates

  • Sales handoffs

Once all of that is solid, then we can run paid ads that work consistently.


Here's What I See 9/10 Times

Businesses think they need Facebook ads.

What they really need is a system — one that can scale sustainably.

The invisible, boring work includes:

  • Building the funnel and automating it

  • Mapping the full customer journey

  • Creating onboarding workflows for repeat buys

  • Developing lead nurture strategies and messaging

  • Crafting compelling website & landing page messaging

Without this, dumping money into ads = burning money.


You Don’t Need a Growth Hack — You Need a Growth Plan

Growth isn't about trying a bunch of random tactics, hoping one works.
It’s not about chasing the next shiny strategy that went viral on Twitter.

A real growth plan means:

  • Thoughtful action over emotional reaction

  • Focused efforts on your brand’s actual levers

  • Deep understanding of your customers and what they want

  • Creating strategies that align with your market, brand, and goals


Case Study: True Classic Tees Went from $3K to $250M

Ever heard of True Classic?

Three friends started with just $3,000 in 2019. Today, the company is doing over $250 million in annual revenue.

At first, it was all about Facebook ads. But they hit a wall — they stocked too much inventory and almost tanked.

Their CEO, Ryan Bartlett, admitted: “We goofed big time.”

Then they got smart.

They started measuring the business, not just the ads.

They looked at:

  • Systems

  • Strategy

  • Operations

  • Messaging

  • Margins

  • Attribution

And that’s what made them truly successful.

Ads didn’t scale the company.
Understanding the business did.


Why You Need to Think Beyond the Ad Platform

Focusing only on ad platforms is like trying to fix a leaky faucet when the whole plumbing system is busted.

Growth marketing = fixing the entire system.

The goal?

Build a machine that spits out more cash than it eats.
That’s how businesses grow.

Not from the ad itself. But from how everything connects:

  • Ads

  • Emails

  • Funnels

  • Product pages

  • Tech

  • Brand voice

  • Targeting

  • Retention systems


You Don’t Need to Hack Facebook Ads

Let’s be real:
The FB ad "hacks" that worked 5 years ago are dead.

Why?

Because:

  • Privacy laws killed precise targeting

  • Audiences are savvier (and burned out)

  • Everyone uses social differently now

  • Creative has to be better

  • People are skeptical after being burned

What used to work simply doesn’t anymore.


The Truth About Why Your Ads Aren’t Working

You're not broken.
Facebook ads aren't broken either.

The truth is: Your business needs growth expertise.

That could be you.
Or someone you hire.
But it’s not about learning the ad platform.

You need strategy.
Not hacks.
Not trends.
Not another agency.


So What Is Growth, Really?

Growth is the master output of your business.
We measure it through two main KPIs: Revenue and Customers.

All marketing activities = growth inputs.
Those levers control the machine.
If you pull them in the wrong order, you won’t get results.

But when you pull the right ones in the right order?
✦ You get consistent, scalable customer acquisition.


Growth Is NOT:

  • Jumping from one tactic to another

  • Copying competitors blindly

  • Spreading yourself thin

  • Running on emotion instead of data

Growth IS:

  • Strategic

  • Focused

  • Logical

  • Repeatable

  • Data-backed


Why Growth Marketers Are the Missing Piece

Growth marketers aren’t campaign operators.

They’re high-level thinkers.
They connect all the pieces — from paid media to funnels to messaging to retention.

They're often on executive teams because they own the vision and implementation of long-term, scalable growth.


What’s Changing in Marketing (And Why It Matters Now)

AI is already reshaping everything:

  • Campaign setup is automated

  • Targeting is smarter

  • Platforms are easier

But strategy? Still on you.

That’s why the growth skillset will always be relevant.
It’s the skillset that connects the data to the customer to the outcome.


Your Next Step: Build a Growth Engine

If you’re tired of being burned by agencies, stuck in ad platform hell, and unsure why your ads aren't working…

This is your sign to zoom out.

Look at your business like a growth marketer.

Start by:

Auditing your entire marketing funnel
Mapping your customer journey
Reviewing your offer, messaging, and product-market fit
Fixing backend tech, automation, and measurement
Building a reporting structure so you know what works
THEN… run paid ads

Only after this groundwork will Facebook ads (or any channel) actually scale.


Have I Convinced You That Your Business Needs a Growth Marketer? No? Let's Look Deeper, Then.

Growth marketers are top-level employees, and they can be considered a member of the executive team — sometimes comparable to C-levels, sometimes just below them.

They're responsible for:

  • High-level strategic vision

  • Long-term planning

  • The short-term actions used to implement those long-term strategies

I find that this long-term vision differentiates a company between a small, struggling business and a successful long-term endeavor.

Small businesses often operate month to month and sometimes even week to week. Their budgets are tight; they don't have the time or energy to devote to:

  • Marketing

  • Experimentation

  • Metric monitoring

They might not have room in their roster to hire someone to do it, even though it would be a smart move.


The Problem with Staying Reactive

So they end up struggling — flailing wildly through Facebook ads and across trending social media platforms. They might use out-of-date techniques they read about or half-remembered from past reading.

They often look like trend-chasers.

Rather than pushing forward with strategy and clarity, they’re stuck trying to keep up.

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Meanwhile, a company that has the foresight to hire a growth marketing manager, by whatever title you want to call them, is a company that can develop longevity.

They can:

  • Identify what’s worked in the past

  • See what’s working now

  • Evaluate what isn’t working

  • Know exactly where to invest, even on a tight budget

  • Turn that budget into consistent, repeatable growth

In short?

They grow the company.


Final Words

You don’t need to learn how to run Facebook ads.
You need to learn how to grow your business.

Let’s build your growth engine together.
Because ads are just one piece of the puzzle.

When you're ready, the strategy is waiting.

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