From discovery to demand, turn clicks into customers with ads across all Paid Social.
Social media ads (like Meta & TikTok) are as powerful as they are nuanced. With the right strategy, your brand can be the next big, beloved thing.
Any of these sound familiar? We've heard the struggles, and we've got the fix.
No Diversification, Just Fatigue?
Fact: Creative fatigue (where viewers lose interest in ads after repeated exposure) happens within 1-2 weeks, or as quickly as 3-4 days. Paid social ads thrive on variety, timeliness and pizzazz. So, we bring you a tried and tested creative framework to keep your ads fresh, always. Nothing tanks performance faster than an audience that's over it.
Getting Clicks, Not Conversions?
If this is happening, odds are, there's a disconnect between your Meta ads and your landing page experience. Fortunately, we've got a CRO team working closely with ad buyers to align creative and copy with your customers' final destination. We'll burn down all barriers to conversion, getting you paid ads that sell — not just attract.
High CPMs, Low Engagement?
Spending more, but getting less? That's a nightmare and a half in our books. Rising CPMs don't necessarily mean trouble — especially if you've got unparalleled targeting, creative, and campaign structures locked and loaded. Meta's algorithm rewards accounts that have all its best practices in place, and we're privy to all of them.
Overshadowed By Competitor Ads?
Applying and iterating what works in your space is great. But there's a time and place for everything and sometimes, you need to stand out. Per the "E" for "Experimental" in our values, we help you cut through the noise that is the millions of ads on social media — with ads that intrigue, grab attention, and put your audience first.
Poor Audience Targeting?
Wrong audience = Wasted budget. It's (unfortunately) as simple as that. Hitting the wrong people with your ads is like selling a car to someone who can't drive. But with first-party data, behavioural insights, AND the powers of Meta's AI-powered tools (e.g. Advantage+ solutions), we'll find people who are in the market for you.
No Idea What's Working... Or Not?
Throwing money at ads with no clue what's driving results? Yeah, nah. From day dot, we can set-up granular event and conversion tracking to measure every change at every touchpoint. We'll A/B test as if your ad account is our lab, and analyse data like it's our full-time job... Because it is. All to get you better returns.
Let's Get Cooking
What's in our Paid Social recipe?
Ad Builds & Campaign Deployment
Basics first. When you enlist a digital marketing agency like us, it means you can be all hands-off on the creation and launch of all future ad campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, even Snapchat too.
We're on the tools, we'll do the work — you just tell us what your wildest fantasies are. No more trudging along within the various Ads Managers, because from Advantage+ to Reels to Spark Ads, Instant Experiences, Lead Forms, Collection Ads, Pins (et cetera), we'll ace any pop quiz you throw at us on all things Paid Social.
Your campaigns will be built with scalability, efficiency, profitability, and maximum impact in mind, making full use of each platform's tools, strengths and constantly evolving best practices.
Full-Funnel, Omnichannel Paid Strategies
You've got an account on more than one social media platform.
That's an assumption we're making, but it's probably fact.
Chances are, your customers do too. And if your audiences aren't just on one channel, why should your ads be? The best paid social strategies work across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more — ensuring that your brand is seen, remembered, and acted on at every touchpoint.
Because one thing we can’t stress enough? You have to meet your customers exactly where they are.
It's the whole TOFU, MOFU, BOFU story that advertisers know and love. We design full-funnel strategies offering different things at different stages of your customers' purchase journey, because shoppers coming back for more don’t need the same information that someone else in discovery mode does.
So, to turn first-time buyers into lifelong fans and maximising every customer’s value, we'll tailor your messaging and strategy PLUS utilise the channels best fit for every purpose. That’s our Marketing 101.
Audience Targeting & Retargeting
Right person, right time, right place.
It's like kismet — except in marketing, we actually have control. That is, if you play your cards right.
We go beyond basic demographics, leveraging behavioural insights, interest layers, custom audiences, and lookalikes to pinpoint the people most likely to engage, click, and convert. First-party data? We’ll use it. Third-party data? We'll source it. AI-powered audience expansion? Done in our SLEEP!
And of course, we don't stop at new customer acquisition.
Our retargeting strategies ensure cart abandoners, past visitors, and high-intent scrollers see your ads only at opportune moments. Because sometimes, all that's needed to incentivise a purchase is a nudge. Or a killer offer.
Creative Testing, Briefs & Hook Ideation
In partnership with industry leading tech platforms that track ad performance, identify trends, and refine creative in real time, we've incorporated creative analytics into our daily working rhythm.
With our in-house design team, we'll concept, brief, iterate AND create ads that are built to hook viewer attention within the first three seconds. Because the dwindling attention span of the masses? Not a myth.
Think trend-driven TikTok content, high-converting Instagram Reels, and beautifully designed graphic design ads that make people glad they haven't downloaded those pesky ad blockers. Our team never stops and settles on one idea either, because with creative fatigue, getting complacent isn’t an option. Instead, we continuously refine. Meaning A/B tests of copy, visuals, colour, CTAs, and formats to uncover what truly drives results.
And another thing: It's undeniable now that UGC and Influencer Marketing have become king / queen / monarch of the digital marketing world. So, how good is it that we've got our sister-agency Sticki (who specialises in exactly that) right under one same roof, ready to supplement your content bank with a little extra oomph?
Advanced Attribution & Cross-Channel Insights
No greatness goes unreported! We track custom conversions tailored to your KPIs (whether that’s purchases, leads, or engagement) in any cadence of your preference. Daily, weekly, monthly, or real-time too with our live dashboard, it's your business and we make sure you have visibility over performance 100% of the time.
And if you're thinking: "Well, I can access my own on-channel results at any time too."
Our reports take it further, with one source of truth for ALL your data points. Including MER (Media Efficiency Ratio) calculations to LTV (Lifetime Value) and CAC (Customer Acquisition Costs) figures, we've even partnered with CDP platforms like Lexer to measure and attribute in-store performance back to your digital activity.
TL;DR — A partnership with DataSauce means getting to see your cross-channel data come together in a whole new extra informative light. It's in our name after all.
Ready to make some moves?
All good partnerships have to start somewhere. And for us, that somewhere is usually a call. Drop your details via the button below and leave the rest to us.
Welcome to a day in the life of our Strategy Directors.
08:00 am
DAILY PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
Little introduction to Dayna — She's tackled and mastered all the niches. eCommerce, lead generation, B2B, also head honcho of event marketing at our agency. She also gets to work at 8am every day, which is crazy given that Dayna lives in Frankston. So, bright and early, what's Dayna up to? Account checks, for starters.
Meta ad accounts aren't going to monitor, optimise, and budget pace themselves.
09:30 am
CLIENT MEETINGS.
Time for a fortnightly WIP, which Dayna's already prepared for in our hypothetical yesterday.
In it, Dayna and her pod (incl. Dan and Buddy, that is) will take the client through an overview of paid channel performance, extending beyond Meta Ads as well. We are, after all, a full-service agency. Including creative analyses, granular data points with time period comparisons, and solutions to capitalise on key opportunities for optimisation, Dayna's WIPs are all about future planning — advised by what's worked / what hasn't.
10:30 am
CAMPAIGN & AD BUILDS.
Did we mention that Dayna's a professional footy player?
Much like on the field, it's time for a post-WIP cool down. Which, in this case, means ad builds. Dayna's been at DataSauce for over four years now (back when Meta ads were still called paid Facebook ads), so deploying these campaigns is second nature for Dayna.
Perfect task to close off before lunch.
12:00 pm
Time to eat. No peanuts for Dayna, please.
01:00 pm
CREATIVE STRATEGY & BRIEFS.
Back to work, Dayna's feeling creative. So, she's dedicating these next two hours to:
- Review and provide feedback on clients' Meta ads
- Brief our in-house creative team on some upcoming campaign designs
- Extract ad inspo from creative research tools / technologies we've partnered with
- Analyse and report on live Meta ads, with accompanying metrics (CTRs, hook rate, Link CPCs, etc.)
02:30 pm
STRATEGY BRAINSTORM.
We don't work solo at DataSauce. In fact, we try to get fresh pairs of eyes across every account, because you won't believe the number of new ideas you can get from collaboration.
Dayna now has a strategy brainstorm with Aaron, our Strategy Lead.
On the agenda? Chatting through key accounts and any new strategies implemented of late. From recent A/B tests to experimenting with new Meta products and AI tools (which, let's be real, are rolled out often), Dayna and Aaron are bouncing ideas off each other so productively, they're putting the entire sport of basketball to shame.
03:30 pm
ACCOUNT AUDITS & OPTIMISATION PLANS.
New client lead's come through!
Dayna's actually been building a fashion empire (in relation to her client roster, that is) so she's keen to unpack this account's strategies, structures, the whole shebang.
Dayna will now be creating full, comprehensive audit documents for this brand's paid Meta Ads strategy — across ad creatives, targeting, campaign structure, tracking, and overall optimisation hygiene... Are best practices being followed or thrown out the window?
All will be revealed in our official pitch.
We partner with the best, to give you the best.
Google Premier Partners
Highest tier in the Google Partner Program, we're in the top 3% of agencies in the ANZ, with exclusive access to new advertising products and dedicated account support — which we'll always extend to you.
Klaviyo Master Platinum Partners
At this level, an email marketing agency is deemed experts in Klaviyo management. Beyond the badge, it means insider strategies straight from the source — giving you an edge in automation, segmentation, all of it.
Meta Business Partners
Feel free to ask them, but Meta loves us. And as badged tier Partners, this means access to a truckload of benefits. Prioritised support, extra tools for success, ad credits, industry insights, beta products, training... Yours now, too.
TikTok Marketing Partners
Given the expertise of our sister-agency Sticki, you know we’ve mastered content. No surprise then that we're TikTok Partners, who enjoy early access to platform insights and ad solutions that keep the brands we rep ahead of the curve.
Gorgias Elite Partners
For customer support that actually converts, we rate Gorgias. And they rate us too — which is why we're Gorgias Elite, in their top 10% of agency partners (aka. pros at integrations, automation set-ups, and CX strategies)
Okendo Gold Partners
We've also gone for Gold with Okendo, because reviews do much more than just sit pretty. This gives us early adopter access to new tech, plus insider knowledge on all things eCommerce and customer relationships.
Microsoft Advertising Partners
Google Ads? For sure. But there's money in Bing too. As Microsoft Advertising Partners, we bring exclusive access to product betas, optimisation sessions, and expert support to help brands scale via this side of Paid Search.
Real brands, real results. See what we've done.
Screenshots or it didn't happen. Here are the receipts.
Exceeded revenue targets in the brand's US region by 98% MoM.
High fashion meets high performance. When it comes to our highest spending Meta account, goals of global reach, channel efficiency, and scaling were of the essence. Here's how we delivered:
Consolidating campaigns and accounts to strengthen optimisation signals and learnings
Shifting to 7-day click attribution model and eliminating view-through optimisation, improving measurement accuracy
Targeting top revenue drivers by state, with highest purchase intent and historical revenue
Increased total orders by 136% QoQ after launching Meta Ads.
An impressive enough uplift, but even more impressive given that the brand is an already-thriving, wildly popular favourite in Australia. Meaning insane revenue figures whilst always keeping ROAS only 6 and up.
Aligned ad messaging with CRM campaign moments for cross-channel synergy and recall
Video-led creative strategy that entertained, educated, and amplified the brand’s distinct tone of voice
Leveraging Advantage+ targeting to find high-converting customers at scale
Enough of tooting our own horn.
Get In Touch
"Our account managers, Aaron & Mika, are the best! We've learnt so much through our partnership so far. We have such a deeper understanding of Google and have full confidence in what we're doing, and also the advice they provide. The proactiveness from them both is what we love and their 'anything is possible' attitude. BIG love here!"
"Having worked with many agencies over the years, DataSauce is the clear stand-out. They've helped grow our online revenue an incredible 28 times with solid ROI, and have consistently been a key part of our business success. We're always impressed with the calibre of people. They’re always flexible and act as true business partners, putting our long-term success ahead of any short-term gains."
"Over the last 4 years, our partnership with DataSauce has gone from strength to strength. The team has successfully evolved their offering to include top-notch CRM marketing services with advanced Klaviyo capabilities like A/B testing, RFM analysis, and segmentation strategies. We’re thrilled to see the impact of their work."
"Over the last three years, the DataSauce team have been incredible partners for our brand at 2XU, running our paid activity in multiple overseas markets and here in Australia too. They are very professional and always provide the support we need. We are so happy that we have them as our agency, nothing is too much trouble and their results have been incredible too!"
"Month in and month out, the passionate DataSauce team never ceases to amaze me. They have helped develop our online brand and strive for results that continue to look more and more promising as every week ticks over. Our paid and CRM strategies are entirely down to their hard work and the team complements the brand perfectly."
"The DataSauce team is composed of talented individuals who are very easy to work with and never hesitate to go the extra mile to maximise the value of our investments. A company we can trust and rely on even when things are not going as initially planned."
"We've had an incredible experience working with DataSauce while they assisted and nurtured our CRM and Social Media efforts. We love working with the team, they are real experts, super friendly, and consistently put forward great ideas. They have become key partners to AMF Magnetics. We highly recommend working with DataSauce!"
"Legends! Since partnering with DataSauce, we've seen significant online growth. The team has successfully built and optimised our digital performance strategy to give us clear and transparent results. Like an extension to our team, DataSauce is always flexible and provide insights beyond just the numbers, helping us create meaningful content that engages our audience, whilst maintaining the delicate balance of preserving our brand DNA whilst steering strategic growth."
"As a new business, our success over the last 12 months has been significant. Our brand awareness is building, we have a growing return customer rate, and new market opportunities are presenting. We are incredibly excited for the next chapter as we continue to grow and expand into new markets. DataSauce has been integral to our growth story."
"With DataSauce, we doubled our eCom sales. They have been a great support for a growing brand in a time where growth has been hard to navigate."
"DataSauce has been an integral part of Hairhouse’s digital marketing strategy. Their expertise in paid social performance marketing has been nothing but exceptional. I could not recommend an agency more highly, not only because of skill, but how they treat your organisation like their own."
"It was so good to cut through the noise. Having been burned by so many other agencies, DataSauce was a refreshing change. Trustworthy, result focused, and ultimately they always deliver."
"DataSauce was instrumental in the development of our online marketing capabilities. Their ability to identify the right mix of channels across email, search and device considerations shifting toward a focus on mobile all drove our bottom line hard."
Don't let those burning questions catch fire.
How much would it cost to work with DataSauce?
No two clients are alike, and we aren't a one-size-fits-all agency. Meaning this depends.
When we enter a partnership, DataSauce becomes an extension of your marketing team — not your throwaway digital marketing agency. So, we build bespoke pricing based on your goals, your growth stage, and the level of support you actually need. You can pick and choose from our à la carte service menu, and we’ll craft a strategy (and price) that fits.
You can also find out if we're a good fit here.
DataSauce leans on value-based pricing instead of costing out by time and material.
You're not just buying hours, you’re investing in outcomes. And we price accordingly. But one thing remains for certain: We'll always get your sign-off before charging out any extra costs.
Transparency and alignment are non-negotiables.
What is paid social advertising?
Paid social advertising is all about using sponsored (aka. paid) content (aka. ads) on platforms like Meta (Facebook / Instagram), TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more to reach the exact people who matter to your brand.
And when we say exact, we mean exact. Because the targeting possibilities? Endless. Unlike organic posts that rely on the elusive algorithm gods, social media ad campaigns let you take control — reaching hyper-specific audiences based on interests, behaviours, location, and demographics.
From UGC ads to Reels, Stories, graphic design masterpieces and dynamic shopping ads that let you browse in-app, our Paid Social expertise spans all these formats across all the important channels. So, whether you’re chasing brand awareness, leads or sales, ads like these become your vehicle en route to securing just that.
Paid social is one of the most efficient, scalable, and creative ways to grow your brand, no matter your niche.
And how lucky is it that we happen to be really, really good at it?
How do Meta Ads work exactly?
Meta Ads (that’s Facebook and Instagram, plus Threads and Whatsapp too) can do a lot more than rack up likes.
With the right strategy, putting money behind ad content will help you drive traffic, generate leads, boost sales, and keep your brand front and centre whilst your audiences blissfully partake in their daily scroll.
Meta Ads are built for precision. Meaning for all your business' key moments (and, to be honest, during BAU times too), paid Facebook ads / Instagram ads can drive real business outcomes... As long as you've set everything up right, or it might lead to wasted spend and futile attempts at advertising dating apps to married couples. Just an example.
So, how does it actually work? Here's the breakdown:
- Objective Selection: Specify the goal of your campaign in Meta Ads Manager, which you can think of as "backstage" in the paid ads world. This could either be reach, traffic, conversions, or something else entirely.
- Audience Targeting: Who do you want to reach? Here, we'll input your target audiences by their unique interests, behaviours, demographics, location, or your own customer data (hello, lookalikes and retargeting!)
- Budget & Scheduling: We can set a daily or lifetime budget, decide how long your ads run, and pace your investment for maximum ROAS through meticulous strategising, campaign structures and ongoing optimisations. We've said it once and we'll say it again: Different customers have different needs, and we can work together to determine how much you'd like to spend on acquisition, retargeting, high-value customers, so on and so forth. Budget projections are our Data Science team's bread and butter.
- Placements: Given the plethora of avenues your ads can be shown on (e.g. Facebook Feeds, Instagram Stories, Reels, Messenger, mobile apps via Audience Network), we can either auto-optimise placements or hand-pick the ones that will bring your brand the greatest impact.
- Creative & Copy: This is where the magic happens. Ad visuals, scroll-stopping hooks, and CTAs built to convert.
- Optimisation & Reporting: Once live, we don't go to bed and call it a day. DataSauce ad buyers constantly monitor, test, and tweak, because in Meta Ads Manager, we actually have full visibility over granular performance data to tell us what’s working — and we'll double down on it (as much as you're comfortable with!)
There's still heaps we've left out, but the point is: Meta Ads can do a lot.
And with DataSauce behind the wheel? They’ll do even more.
What types of social channels do you work across?
If it’s got a feed, a FYP, an inbox, a scroll, or a swipe — we're there.
Paid Social for us involves all major paid social platforms, including:
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Spotify
- YouTube (as part of cross-channel strategies, which ties in with Paid Search too)
Want us to explore a niche channel? Keen to bring back X, formerly Twitter? We’re always down to test and learn.
How will I know if my paid social campaigns are successful?
Spoiler: It's in the first half of our name.
We look at the data, of course. But success first depends on what you're trying to achieve. So, we start by aligning your campaigns with clear, measurable KPIs. And set up custom events and tracking pixels to truly corroborate the results we say we're getting you.
For awareness campaigns, we'll look at things like Reach, Impressions, and Engagement.
For conversions or lead generation, we’re tracking CTR, Avg. Costs per Result, ROAS, Conversion Rate, AOV, and of course, the ever-important number of conversions. Quantity and quality.
Not sure whether the numbers you're seeing are "good" or not? Our account managers are beyond equipped to provide industry benchmarks relative to your account metrics. Through tools like in-platform data (e.g. via Klaviyo, Shopify) or exclusive intel from our agency reps and partners, know exactly where you stand amongst the competition — plus which areas we could benefit from improving / focusing on together.
And because no campaign is ever set, forget, and soon to regret, we constantly test and optimise. Everything. Creatives, audiences, placements, whatever it takes to keep performance trending upwards.
You’ll also get transparent, jargon-free reports from us, so you'll always know how your ads are performing AND how we’re planning to make them even better.
TL;DR — “Success” with DataSauce isn’t a static number, it’s a moving needle we keep pushing higher.
How much should I spend a month on Facebook ads?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer, unfortunately. We have accounts spending well over $5,000 per day on Meta, and others on a $50 daily budget. Good news is you're always in control.
Meta Ads (and TikTok too) run on a pay-per-click or pay-per-impression model, so your ad spend can be tailored to your business goals, whether that’s brand awareness or conversions. You can choose to set a daily or lifetime budget, giving you full visibility over your spend while we make sure every cent is wisely spent.
Keep in mind: Costs can vary depending on your industry, audience, competition, and ad relevance.
Meta runs on an auction system. So, if lots of brands are bidding for the same audience, prices go up. That’s why having the right strategy, targeting, and creative is key to keeping your costs low — and results high.
So how much should you spend? We recommend starting with a test budget that’s enough to gather real data, learn what’s working, and scale from there. And as a start, try not to get too reactive either. We've seen brands pull back before Meta's algorithm can understand what works best for the account, and that never goes well.
Our data scientists can also help you find your sweet spot between cost-efficiency and performance. Sweet.
What ads work best on Instagram?
Think about what you enjoy seeing and odds are, your customers might like the same.
But as a rule of thumb, Instagram is always visual-first. We don't necessarily mean excessively polished cinematic masterpieces at 8K resolution, but ones that hook and catch your eye from the first millisecond.
Per our experience, the best-performing ads are the ones that feel native to the platform. High-quality, attention grabbing, and made to stop the scroll. Like Reels, interactive carousels, even memes, as well as short-form UGC ads that deliver value fast and speak directly to your audience.
At the moment, Reels and vertical video are what works best due to Instagram's algorithm push.
But it’s not just about format, it’s about the hook. You’ve got 3 seconds to lock in attention, so open your ads strong, personable, and timely (aka. tying in with current on-platform trends).
We also see strong results from influencer collaborations (ergo the creation of our sister-agency Sticki!), problem-solution hooks, and carousels that tell a story or tease a product range.
Just remember to be relevant, really. But in ways that's still on-brand for you.
Why should you advertise on TikTok?
For starters, here's the amount of time global users spend on the TikTok app:
On average (aka. the 50th percentile median user) — Around 75 to 80 minutes per day.
Top users in the 90th to 95th percentile? Will often reach two to three hours a day.
Point is: TikTok is where high engagement, rapid growth, and unparalleled purchasing potential lies.
With over a billion users and one of the most addictive personal algorithms / For You Pages (FYPs) in the game, TikTok is the perfect destination for brands that know how to entertain, educate, or just stop the scroll. It's especially powerful for reaching Gen Z and Millennials, who don’t just watch — they engage, share, and buy.
From In-Feed Ads and Spark Ads to TikTok LIVE, the app offers a range of ad formats built for interaction and virality. Bonus: If your content is good, the algorithm gives you a shot at organic reach too.
TikTok also gives you robust targeting options based on user interests, behaviours, and interactions. And with lower competition (for now) plus strong engagement rates that don't require a large following to generate views, it’s one of the most cost-effective platforms to chase those goals via short-form video.
How much would it cost to work with DataSauce?
No two clients are alike, and we aren't a one-size-fits-all agency. Meaning this depends.
When we enter a partnership, DataSauce becomes an extension of your marketing team — not your throwaway digital marketing agency. So, we build bespoke pricing based on your goals, your growth stage, and the level of support you actually need. You can pick and choose from our à la carte service menu, and we’ll craft a strategy (and price) that fits.
You can also find out if we're a good fit here.
DataSauce leans on value-based pricing instead of costing out by time and material.
You're not just buying hours, you’re investing in outcomes. And we price accordingly. But one thing remains for certain: We'll always get your sign-off before charging out any extra costs.
Transparency and alignment are non-negotiables.
What is paid social advertising?
Paid social advertising is all about using sponsored (aka. paid) content (aka. ads) on platforms like Meta (Facebook / Instagram), TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more to reach the exact people who matter to your brand.
And when we say exact, we mean exact. Because the targeting possibilities? Endless. Unlike organic posts that rely on the elusive algorithm gods, social media ad campaigns let you take control — reaching hyper-specific audiences based on interests, behaviours, location, and demographics.
From UGC ads to Reels, Stories, graphic design masterpieces and dynamic shopping ads that let you browse in-app, our Paid Social expertise spans all these formats across all the important channels. So, whether you’re chasing brand awareness, leads or sales, ads like these become your vehicle en route to securing just that.
Paid social is one of the most efficient, scalable, and creative ways to grow your brand, no matter your niche.
And how lucky is it that we happen to be really, really good at it?
How do Meta Ads work exactly?
Meta Ads (that’s Facebook and Instagram, plus Threads and Whatsapp too) can do a lot more than rack up likes.
With the right strategy, putting money behind ad content will help you drive traffic, generate leads, boost sales, and keep your brand front and centre whilst your audiences blissfully partake in their daily scroll.
Meta Ads are built for precision. Meaning for all your business' key moments (and, to be honest, during BAU times too), paid Facebook ads / Instagram ads can drive real business outcomes... As long as you've set everything up right, or it might lead to wasted spend and futile attempts at advertising dating apps to married couples. Just an example.
So, how does it actually work? Here's the breakdown:
- Objective Selection: Specify the goal of your campaign in Meta Ads Manager, which you can think of as "backstage" in the paid ads world. This could either be reach, traffic, conversions, or something else entirely.
- Audience Targeting: Who do you want to reach? Here, we'll input your target audiences by their unique interests, behaviours, demographics, location, or your own customer data (hello, lookalikes and retargeting!)
- Budget & Scheduling: We can set a daily or lifetime budget, decide how long your ads run, and pace your investment for maximum ROAS through meticulous strategising, campaign structures and ongoing optimisations. We've said it once and we'll say it again: Different customers have different needs, and we can work together to determine how much you'd like to spend on acquisition, retargeting, high-value customers, so on and so forth. Budget projections are our Data Science team's bread and butter.
- Placements: Given the plethora of avenues your ads can be shown on (e.g. Facebook Feeds, Instagram Stories, Reels, Messenger, mobile apps via Audience Network), we can either auto-optimise placements or hand-pick the ones that will bring your brand the greatest impact.
- Creative & Copy: This is where the magic happens. Ad visuals, scroll-stopping hooks, and CTAs built to convert.
- Optimisation & Reporting: Once live, we don't go to bed and call it a day. DataSauce ad buyers constantly monitor, test, and tweak, because in Meta Ads Manager, we actually have full visibility over granular performance data to tell us what’s working — and we'll double down on it (as much as you're comfortable with!)
There's still heaps we've left out, but the point is: Meta Ads can do a lot.
And with DataSauce behind the wheel? They’ll do even more.
What types of social channels do you work across?
If it’s got a feed, a FYP, an inbox, a scroll, or a swipe — we're there.
Paid Social for us involves all major paid social platforms, including:
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Spotify
- YouTube (as part of cross-channel strategies, which ties in with Paid Search too)
Want us to explore a niche channel? Keen to bring back X, formerly Twitter? We’re always down to test and learn.
How will I know if my paid social campaigns are successful?
Spoiler: It's in the first half of our name.
We look at the data, of course. But success first depends on what you're trying to achieve. So, we start by aligning your campaigns with clear, measurable KPIs. And set up custom events and tracking pixels to truly corroborate the results we say we're getting you.
For awareness campaigns, we'll look at things like Reach, Impressions, and Engagement.
For conversions or lead generation, we’re tracking CTR, Avg. Costs per Result, ROAS, Conversion Rate, AOV, and of course, the ever-important number of conversions. Quantity and quality.
Not sure whether the numbers you're seeing are "good" or not? Our account managers are beyond equipped to provide industry benchmarks relative to your account metrics. Through tools like in-platform data (e.g. via Klaviyo, Shopify) or exclusive intel from our agency reps and partners, know exactly where you stand amongst the competition — plus which areas we could benefit from improving / focusing on together.
And because no campaign is ever set, forget, and soon to regret, we constantly test and optimise. Everything. Creatives, audiences, placements, whatever it takes to keep performance trending upwards.
You’ll also get transparent, jargon-free reports from us, so you'll always know how your ads are performing AND how we’re planning to make them even better.
TL;DR — “Success” with DataSauce isn’t a static number, it’s a moving needle we keep pushing higher.
How much should I spend a month on Facebook ads?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer, unfortunately. We have accounts spending well over $5,000 per day on Meta, and others on a $50 daily budget. Good news is you're always in control.
Meta Ads (and TikTok too) run on a pay-per-click or pay-per-impression model, so your ad spend can be tailored to your business goals, whether that’s brand awareness or conversions. You can choose to set a daily or lifetime budget, giving you full visibility over your spend while we make sure every cent is wisely spent.
Keep in mind: Costs can vary depending on your industry, audience, competition, and ad relevance.
Meta runs on an auction system. So, if lots of brands are bidding for the same audience, prices go up. That’s why having the right strategy, targeting, and creative is key to keeping your costs low — and results high.
So how much should you spend? We recommend starting with a test budget that’s enough to gather real data, learn what’s working, and scale from there. And as a start, try not to get too reactive either. We've seen brands pull back before Meta's algorithm can understand what works best for the account, and that never goes well.
Our data scientists can also help you find your sweet spot between cost-efficiency and performance. Sweet.
What ads work best on Instagram?
Think about what you enjoy seeing and odds are, your customers might like the same.
But as a rule of thumb, Instagram is always visual-first. We don't necessarily mean excessively polished cinematic masterpieces at 8K resolution, but ones that hook and catch your eye from the first millisecond.
Per our experience, the best-performing ads are the ones that feel native to the platform. High-quality, attention grabbing, and made to stop the scroll. Like Reels, interactive carousels, even memes, as well as short-form UGC ads that deliver value fast and speak directly to your audience.
At the moment, Reels and vertical video are what works best due to Instagram's algorithm push.
But it’s not just about format, it’s about the hook. You’ve got 3 seconds to lock in attention, so open your ads strong, personable, and timely (aka. tying in with current on-platform trends).
We also see strong results from influencer collaborations (ergo the creation of our sister-agency Sticki!), problem-solution hooks, and carousels that tell a story or tease a product range.
Just remember to be relevant, really. But in ways that's still on-brand for you.
Why should you advertise on TikTok?
For starters, here's the amount of time global users spend on the TikTok app:
On average (aka. the 50th percentile median user) — Around 75 to 80 minutes per day.
Top users in the 90th to 95th percentile? Will often reach two to three hours a day.
Point is: TikTok is where high engagement, rapid growth, and unparalleled purchasing potential lies.
With over a billion users and one of the most addictive personal algorithms / For You Pages (FYPs) in the game, TikTok is the perfect destination for brands that know how to entertain, educate, or just stop the scroll. It's especially powerful for reaching Gen Z and Millennials, who don’t just watch — they engage, share, and buy.
From In-Feed Ads and Spark Ads to TikTok LIVE, the app offers a range of ad formats built for interaction and virality. Bonus: If your content is good, the algorithm gives you a shot at organic reach too.
TikTok also gives you robust targeting options based on user interests, behaviours, and interactions. And with lower competition (for now) plus strong engagement rates that don't require a large following to generate views, it’s one of the most cost-effective platforms to chase those goals via short-form video.
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PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TOGETHER
DataSauce is a full service digital marketing agency based in Melbourne, Australia. Via digital and paid channels, we help established brands scale their revenue and online presence.
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