Help, how do you know when to scale a campaign?

ajensen · 11-23-2010, 12:59 PM

I seem to fumble the ball every time I try to scale my CPA Facebook campaigns...

I'm sure it's all part of the learning process but I'm curious to hear how others decide when it's time to scale up.

Here's a typical example of my problem:

Although, I usally run 50 ads or so for a given test campaign, my latest campaign had only 15 ads. Several of the ads were converting at greater than 25% so I figured things were going well enough I would break even. I pushed around $80 total through all the ads in the campaign on day 1 and earned around $78.

At the end of day 1 I had several ads with 20+ clicks each converting between 20% and 25%. I paused all but 5 ads figuring that should get me in the ballpark of 100% ROI. But then on day 2 when I try to really start pushing clicks the ROI is like -300%?

From what I've read or heard it's good to push 2 to 3 times the offer through an ad before scaling. I also hear people spend around $100 for their intial campaign data (I don't know for how many ads? but $100 seems to be a common number people throw around). These are the rules of thumb I've been using but it doesn't seem to be enough data.

I guess I could spend a huge amount on each ad to make sure I know which ones are good and which are bad. That would ensure good data, but I don't want to spend more than I'm going to make off the campaign just during the testing process...

Maybe my campaigns are still losers even though day 1 stats looked good? But maybe my loser ads were actually good and just performed bad on the first day

. How do you guys decide?

What rules of thumb are you guys using?

Michael55555 · 11-23-2010, 07:33 PM

i think when you've made a dollar profit.. then you start scaling..

i've not done this before, or made money... but that is what i've heard..

if you spend 9 dollars and make 10 - netting 1 in profit.. then start to scale slowly and work up...

again.. what i've heard.

ryodante · 11-23-2010, 09:48 PM

In fact, this is what i want to ask too, i just want to start a thread but i read yours, so let's share here.

I need help here, since i just made serious money from CPA.. thanks God, thanks to Warrior Forum!

for last three days, my campaign has given me money, so i'm sure that this is the time, but i still need advice.

For @TS.. i have done second - third - fourth campaign but didn't give me good result, what i got just ROI 0% or minus 0 - 5%.

Maybe i have done it wrong, i create another campaign not scaling it up. So me and @TS need help...

badboy_Nick · 11-24-2010, 05:16 AM

When to scale a campaign?

When you are making profit with the first batch of keywords. If the market is too saturated (you making no profit) then theres no point scaling it up, as competition is too stiff.

Finance market is quite tricky, but it will never go away so it has good legs to stand on despite the credit crunch.

Any questions just let me know

Nick

williamrs · 11-24-2010, 06:30 AM

Basically, you start scalling a campaign when you get a good ROI.

About your campaign you went from 100% to -300% in 24h, and it's really weird. Maybe your audience is too low? Maybe you tested the campaign durring different periods of the day?

Anyway, what I do on FB is start with CPC, test ads and find ones with a CTR close to 0.1%, which is usually the point when I can switch to CPM and start paying less for click. After doing this I can work with a low CPC and get profitable.

Campaigns don't last too long on FB, but they usually last much longer than a day, so what happened to you is definetely not normal.

William

ajensen · 11-24-2010, 07:34 AM

Thanks William and Nick. I'm wondering if it is somehow day (same hours but Monday vs Tuesday?) or maybe even Thanksgiving related? My other thought is I need more data or maybe I should gather data over several days instead of basing it on a single day to get an ROI that was nicely averaged over many days?

I'm going to leave the campaign paused since I'm not sure how tomorrow's Holiday will effect the numbers (and I have other things to do anyway) and then run again on Monday during the exact same hours to see if I get my profit back.

This campaign is in the dating niche and the demo is about 250k...

11-23-2010, 12:59 PM	#1
ajensen Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: In my house Posts: 104 Thanks: 15 Thanked 22 Times in 12 Posts	Help, how do you know when to scale a campaign? I seem to fumble the ball every time I try to scale my CPA Facebook campaigns... I'm sure it's all part of the learning process but I'm curious to hear how others decide when it's time to scale up. Here's a typical example of my problem: Although, I usally run 50 ads or so for a given test campaign, my latest campaign had only 15 ads. Several of the ads were converting at greater than 25% so I figured things were going well enough I would break even. I pushed around $80 total through all the ads in the campaign on day 1 and earned around $78. At the end of day 1 I had several ads with 20+ clicks each converting between 20% and 25%. I paused all but 5 ads figuring that should get me in the ballpark of 100% ROI. But then on day 2 when I try to really start pushing clicks the ROI is like -300%? From what I've read or heard it's good to push 2 to 3 times the offer through an ad before scaling. I also hear people spend around $100 for their intial campaign data (I don't know for how many ads? but $100 seems to be a common number people throw around). These are the rules of thumb I've been using but it doesn't seem to be enough data. I guess I could spend a huge amount on each ad to make sure I know which ones are good and which are bad. That would ensure good data, but I don't want to spend more than I'm going to make off the campaign just during the testing process... Maybe my campaigns are still losers even though day 1 stats looked good? But maybe my loser ads were actually good and just performed bad on the first day . How do you guys decide? What rules of thumb are you guys using?

11-23-2010, 07:33 PM	#2
Michael55555 Part Time Thomas Edison Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: West Coast, USA Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 100 Thanked 145 Times in 118 Posts Social Networking	Re: Help, how do you know when to scale a campaign? i think when you've made a dollar profit.. then you start scaling.. i've not done this before, or made money... but that is what i've heard.. if you spend 9 dollars and make 10 - netting 1 in profit.. then start to scale slowly and work up... again.. what i've heard.
	Becoming A Doctor \| Research Life Extension \| New Business Ideas \| Possibly Good Ideas

11-23-2010, 09:48 PM	#3
ryodante HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 105 Thanks: 10 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Help, how do you know when to scale a campaign? In fact, this is what i want to ask too, i just want to start a thread but i read yours, so let's share here. I need help here, since i just made serious money from CPA.. thanks God, thanks to Warrior Forum! for last three days, my campaign has given me money, so i'm sure that this is the time, but i still need advice. For @TS.. i have done second - third - fourth campaign but didn't give me good result, what i got just ROI 0% or minus 0 - 5%. Maybe i have done it wrong, i create another campaign not scaling it up. So me and @TS need help...

11-24-2010, 05:16 AM	#4
badboy_Nick Super Affiliate War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,255 Thanks: 3 Thanked 186 Times in 159 Posts	Re: Help, how do you know when to scale a campaign? When to scale a campaign? When you are making profit with the first batch of keywords. If the market is too saturated (you making no profit) then theres no point scaling it up, as competition is too stiff. Finance market is quite tricky, but it will never go away so it has good legs to stand on despite the credit crunch. Any questions just let me know Nick
	Read my incredible story: www.affiliatechamp.co.uk

11-24-2010, 06:30 AM	#5
williamrs Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Brazil Posts: 3,496 Thanks: 174 Thanked 1,159 Times in 614 Posts	Re: Help, how do you know when to scale a campaign? Basically, you start scalling a campaign when you get a good ROI. About your campaign you went from 100% to -300% in 24h, and it's really weird. Maybe your audience is too low? Maybe you tested the campaign durring different periods of the day? Anyway, what I do on FB is start with CPC, test ads and find ones with a CTR close to 0.1%, which is usually the point when I can switch to CPM and start paying less for click. After doing this I can work with a low CPC and get profitable. Campaigns don't last too long on FB, but they usually last much longer than a day, so what happened to you is definetely not normal. William
	>> STOP... << Stop struggling alone. Stop wasting time. Stop being scammed. Only 1 SPOT LEFT - CLICK HERE

11-24-2010, 07:34 AM	#6
ajensen Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: In my house Posts: 104 Thanks: 15 Thanked 22 Times in 12 Posts	Re: Help, how do you know when to scale a campaign? Thanks William and Nick. I'm wondering if it is somehow day (same hours but Monday vs Tuesday?) or maybe even Thanksgiving related? My other thought is I need more data or maybe I should gather data over several days instead of basing it on a single day to get an ROI that was nicely averaged over many days? I'm going to leave the campaign paused since I'm not sure how tomorrow's Holiday will effect the numbers (and I have other things to do anyway) and then run again on Monday during the exact same hours to see if I get my profit back. This campaign is in the dating niche and the demo is about 250k...