Introduction: The Turning Point for Small Businesses

Many small business owners experience the same haunting scenario: great product, poor sales. You’ve tried boosting posts, asking friends to share, maybe even printing flyers—but nothing sticks. This was the exact situation for Sara, a boutique candle seller from Karachi. Until she discovered performance marketing.

This blog dives into how Sara’s business went from nearly closing to making consistent monthly profits—thanks to targeted, measurable, and optimized performance marketing.

Step 1: Recognizing the Core Problem

Sara’s candles were handcrafted, beautifully packaged, and had received praise from previous buyers. Yet, she wasn’t scaling. Why? Because:

• She wasn’t reaching the right audience
• Her marketing spend wasn’t trackable
• She didn’t know what was working (and what wasn’t)

She realized that throwing money into random promotions wasn’t the answer. She needed a performance-based approach.

Step 2: Setting Up Her First Campaign

After researching, she set up her first Facebook Ads campaign. But instead of promoting to everyone, she defined her ideal audience:

• Women aged 20–40
• Interested in home decor, scented candles, and shopping online
• Located in Pakistan’s urban areas

She set up a campaign goal for conversions—targeting website purchases—not just traffic.

Step 3: Fixing the Funnel

Next, Sara realized she didn’t just need traffic—she needed a conversion funnel. Here’s what she built:

• Landing Page: Clear photos, benefits, and reviews
• Lead Form: A discount for first-time buyers
• Retargeting: Cart abandoners received reminder ads with testimonials

These performance strategies ensured that people didn’t just visit—they converted.

Step 4: Tracking ROI with Precision

Using Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics, Sara started tracking exactly what actions people took:

• Which ad creatives led to purchases
• Which keywords on Google Ads had the highest ROAS
• At what time of day conversions peaked

This data was gold. It let her stop wasting budget and double down on what’s working.

Step 5: Scaling Up

As she got consistent conversions, she began increasing ad spend.

• Started with PKR 1000/day, went up to PKR 5000/day within a month
• Introduced lookalike audiences based on existing buyers
• Expanded to Instagram and Google Search Ads

Each platform had different returns, and she adjusted accordingly.

Final Result: From Survival to Success

In just 90 days:

• Website sales increased by 7x
• Cost per acquisition dropped by 55%
• Her return on ad spend (ROAS) climbed to 4.5x

Sara’s candle brand now ships nationwide, with plans to go international—all because of performance marketing.

Key Takeaways for Struggling Sellers:

• Stop wasting money on untracked efforts. Invest in data-driven advertising.
• Know your customer and use platforms like Meta Ads, Google Ads, and Email Marketing smartly.
• Test everything—from headlines to creatives—and scale what works.
• Build a funnel. Ads alone won’t fix your sales unless your funnel is ready to convert.