Why I Told a Business Owner to Wait Before Spending $500/Month on Marketing (And What They Actually Needed Instead)
You know that feeling when someone asks you to help them run a race, but when you show up, they're wearing flip-flops and their shoelaces are untied?
That's what it's like when a business owner comes to you ready to invest in paid advertising—Facebook ads, Google campaigns, the whole nine yards—but their foundation is completely broken.
A business owner recently reached out about a marketing proposal for their student housing property. A vendor had pitched them on spending $200-500/month on Facebook management plus another $300/month for ads during peak leasing season.
The pricing was fair. The vendor seemed competent. But I had to tell them something they didn't want to hear:
"Don't spend a dollar on ads yet."
Here's why, and what actually needed to happen first.
The Real Problem Wasn't Visibility
When I pulled up their Google Business Profile, I found exactly what I suspected: they were already showing up in searches. In fact, they ranked #7 organically for "student apartments" in their city. That's not bad at all.
But here's what prospects saw when they found the property:
A 3.2-star rating with 77 reviews
Zero responses to reviews—not even the good ones—for over two years
Recent reviews mentioning safety concerns and serious allegations
Broken social media links (the Facebook page didn't exist, the Instagram bio linked to an expired job posting)
A 4-day response time to email inquiries
An unwelcoming phone interaction that left prospects feeling dismissed
You don't need a marketing degree to understand the problem here. You can't advertise your way out of a broken customer experience.
Why Facebook Ads Would Have Been a Waste
Beyond the foundational issues, the channel selection was wrong for the audience.
The property caters to college students—Gen Z renters making their own housing decisions. And Gen Z isn't hanging out on Facebook. They're on Instagram, TikTok, and Google search.
Even if parents were involved in the decision (which we needed to confirm), spending the bulk of the budget on Facebook still didn't make sense when:
The reputation issues would immediately kill conversions
Google Ads would capture people actively searching for student housing (high intent)
Instagram could reach students where they actually spend time
The vendor's proposal wasn't necessarily bad—the pricing was reasonable, and the execution would probably be fine. But it was solving the wrong problem at the wrong time with the wrong channel.
What Actually Needed to Happen First
I broke it down into three phases:
Phase 1: Stop the Bleeding (Week 1)
Before spending a single dollar on ads, we needed to:
Fix the reputation crisis
Respond to all 77 Google reviews—especially the ones mentioning serious concerns
Set up Google alerts for new reviews
Create a plan to generate positive reviews from current happy residents
Repair the digital presence
Fix or remove broken social media links
Upload recent, high-quality photos to Google Business Profile
Complete all missing information on the GBP
Overhaul response times
Set a 24-hour maximum response standard (ideally 4 hours)
Create email and text templates for instant responses
Train the leasing team on urgency and enthusiasm
Address the customer experience
Coach the team on phone interactions
Make it easy to schedule virtual tours via FaceTime or Zoom
Create a follow-up sequence so no inquiry falls through the cracks
Phase 2: Build the Foundation (Weeks 2-4)
Once the immediate fires were out:
Launch a review generation campaign (target: 30+ reviews in the first month)
Implement reputation monitoring tools
Audit and fix website issues (contact forms, mobile experience, scheduling)
Develop consistent branding across all platforms
Phase 3: Then Consider Paid Marketing (Month 2+)
Only after the foundation was solid would I recommend:
Google Ads targeting "student housing [city name]" and nearby campus searches
Instagram Ads targeting 18-24 year olds within 50 miles
Organic TikTok content created by current residents (basically free)
Maybe Facebook Ads—but only if we confirmed parents were decision-makers
The Bigger Lesson: Foundations Before Fireworks
This situation isn't unique to student housing. I see it constantly across restaurants, breweries, medical spas, and other small businesses.
Business owners get sold on the dream of paid advertising—more traffic, more leads, more sales. And that dream isn't wrong. Paid marketing absolutely works.
But it only works when your foundation isn't actively sabotaging your results.
Think about it this way:
Paying for ads when your reputation is broken = Pouring water into a bucket with holes in it
Paying for ads when your response time is terrible = Inviting people to a party and then ignoring them when they show up
Paying for ads on the wrong platform = Fishing in a pond where your target audience doesn't swim
What to Do Instead
If you're considering investing in paid marketing—or if a vendor has pitched you on ads—here's what to audit first:
1. Check your reputation
What's your Google rating?
When's the last time you responded to a review?
What are people saying in recent reviews?
Do you have a system to generate positive reviews?
2. Test your response time
Have a friend submit an inquiry through your website
Call your business like a prospect would
Check how long it takes to get a response
Evaluate the quality of that response
3. Audit your digital presence
Do all your social media links work?
Is your Google Business Profile complete and up-to-date?
Are your photos recent and high-quality?
Is your website mobile-friendly and easy to navigate?
4. Evaluate your customer experience
Are your team members trained to be responsive and enthusiastic?
Do you have systems in place for follow-up?
Is it easy for prospects to take the next step?
Would you want to do business with you based on the experience?
5. Confirm you're targeting the right channels
Where does your audience actually spend time?
Are you making assumptions about platforms (like "everyone's on Facebook")?
What do your current customers say about how they found you?
The Outcome
I walked the business owner through all of this and recommended we pause the vendor's proposal. Instead, we'd:
Fix the critical issues first (1-2 weeks of focused work)
Stabilize the foundation (reputation, response times, digital presence)
Then revisit paid marketing with the right channels
The investment? About the same as 2-3 months of the original proposal, but focused on fixing problems that would sabotage any ad spend.
The timeline? 30-45 days to get everything solid before turning on ads.
The result? When we do launch paid marketing, every dollar will work harder because prospects won't hit a wall of broken links, unanswered reviews, and poor customer service.
Your Turn
If you're sitting on a marketing proposal right now—or if you've been disappointed by past advertising results—ask yourself:
"Am I trying to advertise my way out of operational problems?"
Because no amount of Facebook ads, Google campaigns, or Instagram promotions can fix:
A poor reputation
Slow response times
Broken digital presence
Inconsistent customer experience
Fix the foundation first. Then turn on the marketing engine.
Your future self (and your bank account) will thank you.
Not sure where your foundation stands?
That's exactly what our DIY Marketing Audit Report uncovers—the gaps in your digital presence that are costing you conversions, plus a prioritized action plan to fix them. Learn more here.