POSTED BY Brittany Lewis | Dec 4, 2025
Paid ads are a powerful growth tool, so it’s natural to feel eager to jump right in.
But the truth is, paid ads aren’t the first step—especially for newer brands. Before you invest in paid media, you need to establish your brand and build a foundation that supports growth and aligns with your long-term goals.
So how do you know when it’s actually the right time to bring paid strategy into the mix? Let’s break it down.
Your Ad-Readiness Checklist:
1. Your Website Is Your Foundation
Before you spend a single dollar on ads, your website needs to be ready to convert. That’s non-negotiable.
This means your website:
• Clearly explains your services or products
• Builds trust through your About page, social proof, or mission
When you’re ready to run targeted campaigns, you’ll need landing pages that give visitors a clear next step. Nothing derails paid performance faster than a slow, confusing, or outdated site.
2. You Know Who You’re Talking To
Paid ads won’t work if you’re guessing at who your audience is.
Paid media is all about precision, leveraging data, and putting the right message in front of the right people at the right time.
You’ll need to define:
• Where they spend their time
• What motivates them to take action
Understanding your current and future customers is essential before spending on ads.
3. Your Brand Message Is Clear and Consistent
Before you put money behind your message, make sure it’s dialed in.
Your messaging needs to be:
• Consistent across platforms
• Built around a strong value proposition
Paid strategy works best when it amplifies a solid brand, not when it tries to fix a weak one.
4. You Have Goals and a Budget That Make Sense
Paid ads without clear goals and a realistic budget won’t move the needle. We don’t recommend launching ad campaigns unless you can spend enough to stand out and track performance. It's important that you budget for multiple months as optimization naturally takes time; the most meaningful results just can't be accomplished in 3-4 weeks.
Your budget allows you to:
• Test and optimize your campaigns
• Gather meaningful data
A clear budget, aligned for growth over time, paired with measurable goals, gives your ads room to perform and gives you the insight you need to make changes.
5. You’re Already Seeing Traction from Organic Marketing
Paid strategy works best when you’re already seeing momentum on your organic channels.
Brands typically see stronger results when they have:
• A growing audience
• Content that’s performing well
All of these pieces can help your paid ads accelerate results.
6. You’re Ready to Learn, Optimize, and Scale
Effective ad campaigns take testing, iteration, and time.
Brands that see long-term success are willing to:
• Learn from performance data
• Make decisions based on new learnings
You’ll need to dedicate time and energy to the process, but that investment is what turns paid media into long-term growth.
Why Our Partnership with Pathlabs Changes the Game
At Primitive, every successful paid campaign is backed by strategy. That’s why we partner with Pathlabs, a highly selective media execution team that supports top-tier agencies like ours.
Through this partnership, our clients gain access to:
• Industry-leading ad tools and optimization with a team of hands-on ad buyers
• Deep analytics and monthly reporting
• Real-time insights on what’s working in paid media right now
We lead strategy and creative, and then Pathlabs helps us take your campaigns even further. Together, we create a seamless, results-driven experience for brands ready to scale.
Ready to Grow With Paid Media?
If you're ready to invest in paid ads, we’re here to guide you. Our goal is to help you make smart decisions, understand your results, and use paid media to drive growth.
Let’s talk about whether paid ads are the right next step for your business.
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About the writer, Brittany Lewis
Brittany is a copywriter at Primitive and enjoys connecting with people, exploring new ideas, and expressing thoughts through written language almost as much as she loves a latte. As a Texas Tech University graduate, she is a Red Raider through and through. She graduated with honors in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Since then, she has spent a large part of her career in the field of education, teaching English to secondary students and working in early childhood programs.