The Consistent Leads Checklist

7 Must-Haves Before You Run Facebook & Instagram Ads

Let’s keep it real—running ads without being prepared is like showing up to a job interview in pajamas and hoping for the best. 😅 If you’ve ever said, “I ran an ad and it didn’t work,” this checklist is for you.

Whether you're brand new to ads or finally ready to stop posting 24/7 and let your marketing work smarter for you—here’s what you really need to have in place before spending a single dollar.

1. Be Super Clear on What You’re Offering

Before you hit "Publish," ask yourself:

• What do I do, and who exactly is this for?

• What problem am I solving?

• What’s the transformation I’m promising?

• Do I have a simple call to action? (Join my list, book a call, etc.)

• And here’s the big one: Have I sold this before—organically?

• Even if it was just one person from a DM convo, that’s validation. If you haven’t sold it yet, no worries! Just know that you might want to run a lower-cost awareness or traffic campaign first to test the waters.

2. Know Exactly Who You’re Talking To

If you're talking to "everyone," you’re actually talking to no one. Take a minute and really reflect:

• Who is your dream client?
  ➝ Mine? Latina entrepreneurs juggling a 9-5 and growing their business on the side.

• What are they struggling with? What do they really want?

• Are they cold (never heard of me), warm (kinda know me), or hot (ready to buy)?

Knowing where they are in their journey helps you meet them where they’re at—and speak their language. 💬

3. You Have a Way to Capture Leads

Don’t send people to your Instagram and expect them to figure it out. Let’s make it easy:

• Do you have a landing page, sign-up form, or lead form ready to go?

• Does it match what your ad is saying?

• Is there a thank-you page so they know what happens next?

💡 Tools I use and love to collect and organize my leads:

• Kit.com (easy to use, especially for beginners)

• HoneyBook – I’ve used this for years and love how it keeps things organized.
  

Even if someone doesn’t buy right away, if they join your list, you now have a warm lead you can keep connecting with. It’s all about building that relationship. 

4. Your Ad Copy + Visuals Actually Speak to Your Dream Client

We’ve all seen those generic “Buy Now” ads and scrolled right past them. Your audience will too—unless your ad actually connects.

Ask yourself:

• Does your ad sound like YOU? Would you say this in real life?
  Are you calling out something they care about?

• Is your visual scroll-stopping? (Photos of you, behind-the-scenes shots, or bold text graphics work great!)

• Do you tell them exactly what to do next?

Example: “Click below to grab the guide” or “DM me ‘GUIDE’ to learn more.”
Make it clear. Make it easy.

5. You Know What You Want From This Ad

This might sound obvious, but soooo many people skip it.

Ask yourself:

• What’s my goal with this ad? (Leads, clicks, engagement, sales?

• Am I using the right campaign objective in Ads Manager?

• How will I know if it’s working?
  

Not every ad needs to lead straight to a sale. In fact, if your audience is small or new, your first win might just be getting more eyes on your offer or growing your list.

Inside my Marketing Without Burnout Academy, I help you map this out so you’re not guessing.

6. You’ve Set a Realistic Budget

Let’s talk money—because ads don’t have to break the bank, but you do need to have a budget.

Start with $5–$10 a day and let it run for 3–5 days. That gives the algorithm time to do its thing and gives you real data to learn from.

Ads aren’t “set it and forget it”—you’ll want to check in, test different versions (like new images or headlines), and see what works best.

I’ve worked with budgets from $5/day to $5,000/day. The key is to start where you’re at. Even a small budget can teach you more (and faster) than relying only on organic content.

Bottom line: test, learn, tweak. That’s how you grow. 💡

7. You Have Tracking in Place

If you're not tracking, you're just guessing.

• Do you have your Meta Pixel installed on your site?
  (This helps with retargeting and future campaigns.)

• Are you using UTMs or tracking links to see what’s working?

• Do you know how to check things like CTR (click-through rate), CPL (cost per lead), or ROAS (return on ad spend)?
  

If that feels like a lot, don’t worry—I teach all of this inside the Academy in a super simple way (no tech headaches here 🙅🏽‍♀️).

❤️ Want Help With This?

You’re not alone. Most of my clients feel unsure at first—but once they have a plan, they realize how much easier and less stressful ads can be.

That’s exactly why I created Marketing Without Burnout Academy—to help Latina entrepreneurs like you finally understand ads, grow their biz, and stop relying on daily posts to get seen

🎓 Join the waitlist for Marketing Without Burnout Academy today!