How one “expensive” campaign led to a 1000% ROI—and taught us a lesson we’ll never forget

We’ve got to be honest.

There’s one client campaign that used to drive us a bit mad.

Every time we checked the dashboard, we’d groan slightly.

Why? Because the cost per lead (CPL) was high.
Like, higher than we wanted it to be—especially compared to the other campaigns we were managing.

And being the ad nerds we are, it bugged us.
We were testing creative. Adjusting targeting. Tweaking offers.
Doing everything we could to bring that CPL down.

But the client?
Totally unfazed.

In fact, they said:

“If it keeps working like this, I’m happy.”

And then we looked closer.

The 1000% ROI Moment

Turns out, while we were sweating about the CPL, this client was sitting back watching the sales roll in.

Despite the higher cost per lead, the campaign was bringing in:

• High-quality prospects
  
• High-ticket conversions
  
• A return on ad spend of over 1000%
  

That’s not a typo.
For every £1 they spent on ads, they were making over £10 in return.

Suddenly, that “expensive” CPL didn’t look so bad.

In fact? It looked like an absolute bargain.

What That Taught Us (Again)

Yes, we still believe in watching CPL carefully.
We always aim to get the best value per lead.
It’s something we test and optimise constantly.

But here’s the big learning (and something we remind ourselves and our clients of all the time):

Your success shouldn’t be measured by cost alone.
It should be measured by what that cost brings back in return.

Because you can have a super low CPL…
But if none of those leads convert?
You’re just collecting email addresses—not customers.

ROI > Everything

When you're running Facebook or Instagram ads, it’s easy to obsess over the surface numbers.

• Cost per click
  
• Cost per lead
  
• Impressions
  
• CTR
  

All useful.
But none of them matter as much as this:

Is this campaign making you money?
Are the leads converting into paying customers?
Are we building something sustainable—not just affordable?

That’s what we’re always working toward.
Because when we’re aligned on outcomes, not just costs, that’s where the real growth happens.

Final Thoughts: Keep an Eye on Cost—But Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

If you’ve ever looked at your ad account and panicked because the CPL was higher than expected—take a breath.

Then ask yourself:

Are these leads converting?
What is each customer actually worth to my business?
Is the campaign profitable, even if it feels expensive?

We’ll never stop working to get the best possible cost per lead for our clients.
But we’ll always prioritise what matters most:

Strong ROI. Smart strategy. Sustainable results.

And if that’s the kind of thinking you want behind your ad campaigns?

We’re here for it. Every step of the way.

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