The problem
Most of the boutique's sales happened in person at summer events. Outside that season, online orders dropped off. The owner wanted steadier year-round sales, but needed to keep costs as low as possible and wasn't confident running ads herself.
What I did
Checked the foundation first
- Audited the Meta pixel and Conversions API, and tested every shopping step (product view, add to cart, checkout, purchase) with a real test order
- Confirmed all 187 products were synced and approved in the Facebook and Instagram catalog
- Explained why Meta can show more purchases than Shopify, so the numbers wouldn't cause panic later
Let the data pick the targeting
- Mapped 800+ past online orders by state and found most shipped to a handful of western and plains states, so ads focused there first
- Used the store's real conversion rate and average order value to set honest expectations for each budget level
- Found the best past ad (a short jewelry video getting add to carts for about $1 each) and used it to shape the content shoot
Built for a small budget
- Kept everything in one ad set so Meta's learning wasn't split across $2-a-day pieces
- Started optimizing for add to cart, a more frequent signal, with a planned path to purchase optimization as sales build
- Wrote a shot list for the client's content day, then built six ads from the footage
- Built a retargeting campaign and left it paused until traffic supports it
The result
The campaign launched with every piece approved by the owner first: budget, targeting, creative and copy. She has a media plan she can comment on, a hard monthly spending cap, a holiday offer and order-by date built into the ads, and a simple weekly checklist that tells her what's good, what needs attention and what to do.
What this means for your business
A small budget can work if the setup respects it. That means trustworthy tracking, one focused campaign, realistic expectations and patience while Meta learns. Here's what to expect in the first 90 days.