Paid Ads for New Business Launches: A Smart Guide for SMBs
When launching a new business, one of the biggest challenges is getting noticed quickly. Paid advertising is one of the fastest ways to build brand awareness, attract customers, and generate sales during your launch phase.
Here’s a practical guide for Australian SMBs to get started with paid ads and maximise ROI from day one.
Paid Ads Launch Checklist
Before you run your first campaign, make sure you’ve ticked off these essentials:
✔ Set campaign goals
✔ Choose your ad platform
✔ Define target audience
✔ Design ad creative
✔ Install tracking pixels
Google Ads vs Meta Ads
Not all ad platforms work the same way—choosing the right one depends on your launch goals.
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Google Ads → Ideal for capturing customers already searching for your product or service (high-intent leads). Example: “Newcastle web design” or “tax accountant near me.”
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Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) → Perfect for building awareness and telling your brand story to a broad audience, even before they know they need your service.
👉 Many SMBs see the best results by combining both: Google for conversions, Meta for awareness.
Setting Realistic Campaign Budgets
New businesses often ask: “How much should I spend?” The answer depends on your goals.
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Awareness campaigns → Focus on reach; budget can be smaller.
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Conversion campaigns → Higher cost per click, but more sales-ready leads.
A good rule of thumb: invest 10–15% of expected monthly revenue into advertising, then adjust once you see performance data.
Retargeting Setup for the Launch Period
Only a fraction of people convert the first time they see your ad. That’s where retargeting comes in.
Examples of retargeting ads:
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Show a testimonial ad to people who visited your service page.
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Offer a discount to those who added to cart but didn’t purchase.
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Remind video viewers about your business with a follow-up offer.
Retargeting can increase conversions by 30–50%, making it essential for any launch campaign.
Creating Ads for Awareness and Conversion
Different goals require different ad types:
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Awareness ads → Video introductions, carousel posts, brand story ads.
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Conversion ads → Strong CTAs (“Book Now”), testimonials, urgency-driven offers.
💡 Tip: Use consistent brand colours, fonts, and tone so that customers recognise your business across every platform.
Using UTM Tracking for Performance
Without tracking, you can’t tell which ads actually drive results. That’s why UTM tags are so important.
Example UTM:?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=businesslaunch
With UTMs, Google Analytics shows exactly which ads bring leads, helping you spend smarter.
Final Thoughts
Paid ads give SMBs the chance to stand out during a new business launch, drive awareness, and generate sales fast. By choosing the right platform, setting clear goals, running retargeting, and tracking performance, you’ll make your ad spend work harder.
At Bottrell Media, we help Australian businesses design, launch, and optimise paid ad campaigns that deliver real results.
👉 Ready to launch your business with impact? Let’s build your paid ads strategy today.
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