10X Return? The Simple & Effective Ads Formula with Nickolas Natali

Jul 31, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Nickolas Natali, a podcast host and advertising expert, shares invaluable insights for service-based businesses. He unpacks a straightforward roadmap for creating and testing ads, emphasizing a low-budget strategy for validating offers. Nickolas highlights the importance of a compelling offer and reveals how to balance organic and paid content. With tips on navigating Meta and Google Ads, he explains how to attract quality leads while building trust through effective messaging. Get ready to transform your ad strategy!

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ADVICE

Validate Offers With Small Budgets

Test new offers with low budget ads ($100-$500) to validate market interest before full fulfillment.
Use small-scale ads to identify winning offers and build up backend fulfillment after validation.

ADVICE

Prioritize Headline and CTA

Focus 80% of your ad budget on crafting an attention-grabbing headline and clear call to action.
Your headline should unambiguously communicate the offer to avoid confusing the audience.

ADVICE

Simplify Ad Funnel Design

Keep ad funnel simple: run ads straight to lead application forms or direct DMs.
Using Meta lead forms or Instagram DMs ensures easy user interaction and higher booking rates.

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Are you feeling intimidated by the thought of running ads for your service-based business? Us too! Many entrepreneurs struggle with this crucial aspect of marketing, unsure where to start or how to make it work effectively. Today I sit down with Nickolas Natali, a successful podcast host (Top 1% whoop whoop!) and advertising expert, to finally figure out how to run ads for service-based businesses (and online as you’ll see at the end!) We dive into actionable strategies that you can implement today to boost your lead generation and conversions. Today’s #GoldenBoulders! • A simple, clear roadmap for setting up and testing ads for your service-based business • The key components of an effective offer formula • Where to focus 80% of your attention in your ad strategy • How to choose the right offer to test your ad system • The balance between organic content and paid advertising You’ll have a clear understanding of how to create an effective ad strategy that drives conversations and conversions for your service-based business. Enjoy and let’s make some $$$

Timestamped Overview: [00:00:00] Intro: Why paid ads feel scary — and what this episode promises to fix [00:02:40] Nick’s background: From podcasting to high-converting media strategies [00:03:30] Luis reveals their past ad attempts and what stopped them from scaling [00:05:15] Nick breaks down a low-budget ($100–$500) testing strategy to validate offers [00:06:50] What to expect in your first 30 days of running ads [00:09:30] The "I help X do Y without Z" formula and how to craft a strong offer [00:11:40] Platform breakdown: When to use Meta vs. Google Ads (and why) [00:13:45] Why 80% of your budget should go into the headline and CTA [00:16:55] The friction question: Should you make it harder or easier to convert? [00:18:30] DMs as an ad destination — and how they outperform clunky funnels [00:20:15] Done-for-you vs. done-with-you vs. do-it-yourself: Choosing your ad offer [00:23:40] Should you lead with high-ticket or low-ticket? Nick’s practical take [00:26:30] Tracking success: What ROAS, CPL, and other metrics really mean [00:29:50] Paid ads vs. organic content — how to make them work together [00:33:00] Creative ideas: Story-driven or sitcom-style ads for brand awareness

Connect with Nickolas:

Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nickolas-natali-show/id1454542200

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickolasnatali

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali/?hl=en

Website https://allthingsmediallc.com/

Connect with Fonzi:

Connect with LUISDA:

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