3 Paid Ads Myths That Are Costing Brands Millions

Introduction: Expensive Superstitions

MarketingTwitter (or X) is full of superstitions. "Duplicate your ad set 5 times at midnight!" "Only run ads on Tuesdays!"

These aren't strategies; they are rituals. And they are distracting you from the fundamentals that actually move money.

Myth 1: "Stuck in Learning Limited"

The Fear: Account managers panic when they see "Learning Limited" in Ads Manager. They think the ads are broken.

The Truth: "Learning Limited" just means the AI doesn't have enough data to predict perfectly. It doesn't mean the ad isn't working.

The Cost: Brands pause high-performing ads just to reset the learning phase. This is madness. If the CPA is good, ignore the warning label.

Myth 2: "Brand Awareness Campaigns Warm Up Audiences"

The Fear: "We can't ask for the sale yet! We need to run a Reach campaign first!"

The Truth: Reach campaigns target people who scroll fast. Conversion campaigns target people who buy. You cannot turn a "Scroller" into a "Buyer" just by showing them a logo.

The Cost: Burning 30% of budget on "Reach" metrics that result in zero revenue. Start with Conversions. Always.

Myth 3: "My Audience is Too Small"

The Fear: "We only sell to Left-Handed Dentists in Ohio. We need to narrow the targeting!"

The Truth: When you narrow the audience to 1,000 people, CPMs spike to $100+. You are paying a "Specificity Tax."

The Cost: Astronomical acquisition costs. It is cheaper to target "Broad" and let the ad copy ("Attention Dentists!") filter the users. You pay for "Waste" impressions, but the "Qualified" clicks come in so much cheaper that the math wins.

Conclusion: Trust the Math, Not the Dashboard

Ad platforms are designed to make you anxious. Red warnings, suggestion pop-ups. They want you to tinker.

Don't tinker. Look at your bank account. Is the money coming in? If yes, let the mythical "Learning Phase" do whatever it wants.