Why Paid Ads Don’t Fix Broken Funnels
What Paid Ads DO Accomplish, is Shining a Spotlight on What's Working
This comes up all the time, in my DMs, in my Paid Ads Program…
If you’ve run Paid Ads before and felt at some point, “Yeah… that was a waste,” it doesn’t mean you necessarily failed. And it doesn’t automatically mean paid ads aren’t meant for your business.
Most of the time when this happens, ads are just asked to do something they can’t do on their own. Paid Ads don’t fix broken funnels. They amplify what’s already there, both the good and the ugly.
The Real Truth (Let me Hold Your Hand While I Say This)
Paid Ads are not a bandaid!
They’re not meant to rescue an offer that’s not already converting, a confusing message, or a system that hasn’t been fully thought through yet. When those pieces aren’t stable, ads don’t fix them, they put a spotlight on them (and not in a good way).
That’s why these comments make it into my DMs:
- “I boosted a post and nothing happened.”
- “I got clicks, but no sales.”
- “I spent money and felt stressed the entire time.”
The issue usually isn’t the ad itself. It’s what happens after someone clicks.
What a "Broken Funnel" Actually Means
What even is a funnel?? A funnel is the step-by-step system that moves someone from first finding you to becoming a customer. Each step has one job: get them to the next step.
For example: someone sees an ad → clicks to a page → joins your email list → buys your offer. If any one of those steps is unclear or mismatched, the funnel feels “broken,” even if everything else is working.
Funnels don’t break because they’re too complicated. They break because one or two simple pieces aren’t lining up.
Some of the most common cracks I see:
- An offer that’s still a little fuzzy
- A sales page that talks around the problem instead of directly to it
- Someone shows interest… and then isn’t sure what to do next
- Messaging that is off or doesn’t sound like the person it’s meant for
When these pieces aren’t ironed out, Paid Ads don’t magically fix them. They just send more people into a system that isn’t ready to support them.
And that can feel really discouraging, especially when you’re trying to do the “right” thing for your business.
What To Do Before You Run Ads
If you suspect your funnel might be a little cracked, don’t freak out, fix the foundation first.
Instead of sending cold traffic straight to a sales page, start by tightening one simple path: create (or refine) a clear freebie that solves one specific problem and leads naturally into your paid offer. Then focus on what happens after someone opts in. Are they nurtured? Are they guided? Is the next step obvious?
If you want help identifying where your funnel might be leaking (and what to fix first), I put together a free tool for you to use: “Pre-Paid Ads Foundations Checklist”. Drop your email below and I’ll send it your way and we’ll make sure it’s set up properly on the back end so it actually supports your growth.
Because ads work best when the system behind them is ready.
DOWNLOAD THE PRE-PAID ADS FOUNDATION CHECKLIST
Learn how to set up your account without the technical headaches that could cost you $$$. Bonus inside: must-know mistakes you can avoid.
TL;DR:
📍 Paid ads don’t fix broken funnels, they just make them louder
🚫 More traffic won’t solve unclear offers or messy messaging
🧠 A funnel is the step-by-step path to a sale, and every step has to line up
🛠 If something feels “off,” fix the foundation before you scale
📩 Grab the free Pre-Paid Ads Foundations Checklist and tighten your system first
📈 When your foundation is solid, ads become a growth tool, not a stress trigger
🤝 And if you want expert eyes on your funnel and strategy, Ads That Grow™ is where we build it the right way
