14.5 ROAS During an Industry Downturn

Meta Ads | Organic Creative | Continuous Optimization

The Challenge

This campaign was launched at a time when the tattoo industry was experiencing one of its toughest slow seasons.

A studio owner in Paris that had my client as guest artist on many occasions were talking about how he had to close 2 of his locations and slashing prices by as much as 20% just to keep a baseline of bookings in the remaining 3. In Lisbon, where my client mainly works, the story was no different.

All of his peers were echoing the same sentiment: appointments had dried up, and even long-standing clients were deferring work until “later.”

The Result

Over the course of 60 days:

• A total of €2,900 in booked appointments 14,5 ROAS was generated from just €200 in ad spend. Not considering bookings indirectly affected by the campaign and organic posts.

• Engagement across paid and organic content remained steady, reaching thousands of potential clients.

• Not considering bookings indirectly affected by the campaign and organic posts, like existing clients taking action after seeing the post or ad.

These results weren’t an accident. They were the product of continuous testing, disciplined optimization, and a commitment to making every euro work harder.

What You Will Learn From This Case Study

✅ How continuous testing and optimization can sustain profitability even in a market downturn
✅ Why data-led adjustments outperform set-and-forget campaigns, especially when demand is soft
✅ How organic content supports and amplifies paid conversions

Introduction

High ticket €400+ tattoos aren’t a purchase people make lightly.

They’re a high-consideration, trust-based investment. And that dynamic becomes even more pronounced when consumers feel financially uncertain.

This project was about more than driving leads.

It was about proving that discipline, testing, and an unwavering focus on the client’s goals can keep revenue flowing, even in the slowest seasons the industry has seen in years.

Campaign Management

From the outset, I approached this campaign as a living system, not a one-time launch.

Setup and Creative:
I developed a library of ads, headlines, and visuals designed to resonate with people who were considering new work but needed a reason to take action now, not someday. Each asset balanced artistry with urgency:

• Portfolios that demonstrated credibility and showcased his talent

• Clear offers that removed friction

• Calls to action that felt personal rather than transactional

Ongoing Testing and Refinement:
Every week, I reviewed campaign data, measuring:

• Which headlines were driving the highest click-through rates

• Which creative variations were producing qualified inquiries

• Which placements (feeds, stories, reels) were delivering leads most cost-effectively

If a headline underperformed, it was replaced. If a creative was stalling, it was rotated out. The process was never static, because the environment wasn’t static either.

Organic Support:
Alongside the paid ads, I managed a steady rhythm of organic posts and reels.

Both duplicates of best performing creatives that  was running in ads and creatives to create a complementary narrative that kept the artist’s name in feeds without fatiguing the audience.

Together, this combination created a consistent drumbeat of visibility that made the client hard to ignore, pleased the organic algorithm by continuous posting, and improved his personal brand.

Data-Driven Optimization

The first few weeks of data were critical.

Certain creative combinations that looked promising on paper simply didn’t convert. Others especially those featuring healed work and mid-session progress mixed with a personal angle of the artist emerged as clear winners.

Over time, I observed:

• A steady decline in cost per lead as data refined targeting.

• Stronger performance on mobile feeds vs. other placements.

• Higher booking intent when urgency was emphasized in the copy.

These patterns were not anecdotal. They were grounded in click-through rates, engagement metrics, and actual appointment confirmations.

Rather than treating each week as an isolated experiment, I approached the process as an evolving system. Insights from week two informed decisions in week four. The best-performing assets weren’t just left running, split testing different elements were done until changes stopped improving performance.

Reflection on Untapped Potential

While the campaign delivered a clear return and kept inquiries steady, there were limitations inherent to the workflow the client preferred.

All leads were directed exclusively to Instagram DMs, and every step of communication with potential customers the artist insisted on handling himself. Over the years, he had built a reputation strong enough that clients often reached out ready to book immediately, with minimal persuasion required. As a result, he never felt the need to adopt structured sales processes or consistent follow-up routines.

This meant that any lead who expressed interest but didn’t move forward on their own, those who needed time to decide, wanted to discuss options further, or simply required a reminder, remained dormant indefinitely. He preferred to let inquiries come to him fully committed, with no use of follow ups, reminders or nudging towards booking an appointment. .

While this created a simple, low-friction experience for the business owner relying solely on his pull effect, it also left potential revenue on the table. In scenarios where even basic follow-up messaging or a simple lead warming sequence is used, similar campaigns typically see higher conversion rates and more predictable booking pipelines.

Conclusion

This wasn’t a campaign that relied on a massive budget or an endless supply of new content.

It was built on:

• Clear objectives

• Consistent optimization

• A commitment to stay visible and relevant while competitors retreated

Over 60 days, €200 in ad spend produced €2,900 in direct related bookings, increased awareness of his service and improved personal branding.

For home improvement businesses, the lesson is the same:

When demand softens, your discipline matters more than ever.
When you keep testing, adjusting, and showing up, you create compounding advantages that will carry you forward, long after the market recovers. 

Final reflection: Willingness to do things differently than what you are used to, especially the harder, less comfortable ones, will have a big impact on your ability to weather bad periods in your business lifecycle and come out ahead.