project:

Meta Ads Relaunch & Performance Turnaround | senior care finder

Role: Director of Marketing

Date: December 2025-February 2026

TL;DR:

I relaunched and optimized Senior Care Finder’s Meta ad program, transforming an underperforming channel into a predictable inquiry engine. Through strategic audience refinement and funnel alignment, monthly inquiries grew 163% while CPA dropped into our ideal $10–18 range — without increasing spend.

$1,000

monthly budget

62%

CPA reduction

141

inquiries generated

overview

Meta ads had been inactive since early 2024, leaving paid social completely untapped within the acquisition mix.

With a background rooted in organic and paid social strategy, I proposed a structured relaunch designed to do more than generate impressions — it was built to drive inquiries.

Initial approval came in mid-September, allowing for only two weeks of testing. Upon stepping into the Director of Marketing role in October, I paused the channel to rebuild the strategy intentionally rather than scale inefficiencies.

By November, Meta relaunched under a redesigned performance framework focused on lookalike audiences, retargeting, and high-intent conversion events.

In 90 days, the channel evolved from dormant to a scalable, cost-efficient acquisition engine.

the challenge

Meta was generating traffic — but not scalable, efficient conversions.

Key issues:

  • Misalignment between ad formats and funnel goals

  • Overemphasis on awareness without a conversion strategy

  • Limited audience refinement

  • No structured monthly audience refresh cadence

  • Inefficient CPA (up to $76.92 in November)

The goal was clear: Turn Meta into a predictable, scalable inquiry engine — not just a traffic driver.


the strategy shift

Instead of broad awareness campaigns, I simplified the structure into three focused campaign types:

1. National Lookalike Conversion Campaign (Primary Driver)

  • 1% LLA built from qualified consumer leads

  • Monthly audience refresh

  • Optimized for Web Searches (high-intent action)

  • 75–80% of the monthly budget is allocated here

2. TOFU Resource Campaign

  • Targeted SEM priority cities

  • Retargeted website visitors (180 days)

  • Promoted downloadable guides & blogs

  • Built retargeting pool + early-stage engagement

3. Evergreen Boosted Content

  • 1–2 high-performing organic posts

  • Mixed static + video

  • Supported brand reinforcement & engagement


december: funnel realignment

In December, I identified that carousel ads drove traffic but didn’t convert to inquiries effectively.

Key pivot:

Align ad format with funnel intent.

December Results:

  • 609 Web Searches (+143.6% MoM)

  • Landing Page → Search conversion: 28.4%

  • CPA: $27.78

  • Inquiries: 36

This was the stabilization month.

web searches increased by +143.6%

january: audience expansion & retargeting layer

In January:

  • Expanded lookalike audiences

  • Layered 180-day website retargeting

  • Focused on reinforcing the brand across channels

While traffic volume dipped:

  • Landing Page → Search conversion jumped to 53.5%

  • CPA dropped to $21.74

  • Inquiries increased to 46

We weren’t just driving clicks — we were driving intent.

web searches plateaued, but search conversion jumped to 53.5%

february: efficiency breakthrough

In February, I duplicated winning structures instead of reworking them — allowing Meta’s learning phase to mature.

January contacts were added to Lookalikes, strengthening audience quality.

Early February results (as of 2.26.2026):

  • 937 Web Searches (+48.7% MoM)

  • Landing Page → Search conversion: 58.3%

  • CPA: $10.53

  • Inquiries: 95

This placed CPA squarely within our ideal $10–18 range.

while meta continued learning, web searches spiked by +48.7% MoM

results

3-month turnaround

  • 141 inquiries generated

  • CPA reduced by 62% from December to February

  • Inquiry volume increased 163% from December to February

  • Conversion rate nearly doubled (28.4% → 58.3%)

All on:

  • $1,000/month budget

  • No major increase in spend

  • No aggressive scaling tactics

cross-channel impact

Beyond direct conversions, Meta strengthened multi-touch acquisition pathways.

GA4 attribution data from January–February shows Cross-Network and Paid channels contributing significantly to key event paths, reinforcing the role of paid social in supporting search-driven discovery.

This validated the decision to:

  • Layer retargeting on top of SEM priority markets

  • Reinforce brand visibility across platforms

  • Focus on sustained exposure rather than short-term traffic spikes

Meta was not operating in isolation — it became part of an integrated acquisition engine.

conclusion

What I’d Do Next (If Scaling)

If budget were increased:

  • Allocate incremental dollars to the National LLA campaign

  • Test 1% vs 2% LLA expansion

  • Introduce creative testing matrix (hook-first testing)

  • Develop mid-funnel nurture retargeting sequence

The infrastructure is built to scale.

Note on Q1 Attribution

While I will no longer be managing Senior Care Finder’s Meta day-to-day, the February performance and full Q1 results are directly driven by:

  • Campaign structure I rebuilt

  • Audience cadence I implemented

  • Conversion event alignment

  • Budget distribution strategy

Let’s Build What’s Next

From paid social relaunches to full-funnel strategy, I partner with teams ready to think smarter about growth. If you’re looking for clarity, structure, and performance — let’s start the conversation.

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