The Paid Ad Academy by Ashley Braswell offers full Meta ad management, monitored ads, and the Big Break Club membership. It has weekly coaching calls, skills training, and ongoing support. You learn to:
- set up your ads manager
- pick an ad strategy
- target the right audience
- make high-converting ad creative and copy
- and track ad performance.
The Paid Ad Academy programs received good reviews for their supportive approach. Drashley Hampton and Rachel Hendrick noted success in boosting sales. Julie Chenell said it's valuable for beginners overwhelmed by Facebook ads. While the feedback is positive, independent reviews outside the program are lacking.
I have tried the PPC strategy for years, but it has become too expensive in the long run. With the platform policy changes, it became difficult to keep up. This Paid Ads Academy review shows the four pillars of ad success, its services, and its inclusions. We also identify who it is for and what students have said about them. By the end, we discuss how to succeed with paid advertising and the best way to scale without relying on PPC.
The Paid Ad Academy Review: Pros and Cons
The Paid Ad Academy offers several services for different business needs and goals.
The Paid Ad Academy shares low-cost, high-impact ad strategies for beginners.
The program offers access to exclusive groups, resources, training, and templates.
The Paid Ad Academy has very limited reviews.
Meta advertising is getting expensive.
Facebook ads faced many challenges, such as targeting inaccuracies and platform policy changes.
The Paid Ad Academy's The Big Break Club membership costs $27/month. Its Monitoring Ads services cost $1000/per month.
The Paid Ads Academy training includes coaching calls, walkthrough videos, tools, and resources.
The Paid Ad Academy's Full Ad Management has a Slack Channel, and The Big Break Club has a Facebook Group.
The Paid Ad Academy has no refund policy.
The Paid Ad Academy started in 2019.
Ashley Braswell has a good reputation as a Facebook Ads expert. She shared her experiences with running ads for her business on different platforms.
January 20, 2025
I am a member of their club, and so far, it’s good. Although it is mainly for beginners, I still learned some valuable insights. I particularly enjoy the coaching calls and the free templates.
Amanda
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars (based on 1 review)
What Are The Four Pillars Of Ad Success?
- Ad Strategy. With the right strategy, you can make the most of your ads and avoid common beginner issues. Ashley shares strategies, setups, optimization, and budget tips to maximize effectiveness.
- Copy + Creative. A successful ad needs high-converting copies and creatives. Ashley reveals best-performing graphics, videos, images, copies, and AI prompts to stand out. To master this pillar, the program shares the following lessons:
- What makes a great ad creative
- Ad angles training
- Ad hooks training
- Scroll stoppers
- Talking video head video creation
- Creation of all other ad types
- How to see anyone on Facebook ads
- Canva templates
- AI Copy prompts
- Setting up your Tech. Proper setup is crucial for ad campaign success to ensure everything runs smoothly. The program includes video tutorials and ad manager setting checklists, such as:
- Ads Manager 101
- Tech Check
- Pixel Perfect
- Facebook Ad Compliance Tips
- Current Audience Targeting
- Geo-Targeting
- Custom Audiences
- Targeting Toolkit
- Warming up a brand-new account
- Warm up your Facebook Page
- Mini Lesson: Setting/ Changing Your Ad Budget
- Mini Lesson: Turn ads on/off
- Results. This is the ultimate testament to your ad success. The team teaches you how to make sense of your data, see if your ad is working, and get better results. Lessons from the program include:
- Finding + Reading Your Data
- AdHQ Training + Template
- Optimization
- Split Testing Deep Dive
What Are The Paid Ad Academy’s Services?
- Done-For-You Facebook Ads. This is an exclusive ads management service for high-end coaches and Shopify stores. You can access a Slack channel with the team for reporting and updates. They handle:
- ad strategy
- creative design
- copywriting
- tech setup
- tracking management
- optimization
- weekly data reporting
- Monitored Facebook Ads. This is for those not ready to hire a marketing agency or do it alone. You get Meta ad support for only $1,000 monthly, but you manage the ads yourself. This service provides:
- Tactical and strategic training. You get creative templates, ad copy prompts, a campaign framework, and an ad review process. They help set up high-converting campaigns, track performance, and optimize budgets and results.
- High touch support in your account. The Paid Ad Academy team is in your ad account to see how your ads perform. You get daily Voxer support, ad reviews every Tuesday, and budget recommendations. They also provide feedback on your visuals and copy to improve your ad campaign.
- Cutting-edge insights + exclusive resources. You get full access to the Big Break Club and the Ad Kits containing templates for every campaign type.
- Done-for-You Ad Reporting. They track your live campaigns using KPIs and suggest adjustments based on data.
- Done-for-You Campaign Planner. You get a personalized campaign planner with goals, roadmaps, progress, and results.
- DIY Facebook Ads Membership. The Big Break Club is a monthly membership for only $27. You can join VIP training and workshops to help you craft and manage ads independently. When you become a member, you get:
- Exclusive Monthly Calls. Ashley and Elizabeth release swipe files of monthly ad trends and strategies. You learn to target your audience, use creatives, and use successful ad copies.
- Little Black Book of Ad Strategies. This contains their proven methodologies, common pitfalls to avoid, and setup instructions. It covers how to grow leads, build an audience, re-target sales, and geo-targeting.
- 14-Day Quick Start Guide. This is for those who have not run ads before, outlining how to set up and run ads in 14 days. It covers ad setup, copywriting, making creatives, business portfolio setup, and quality checks.
- Custom GPTs. Trained in various sectors, it helps set budgets, benchmark ads, and write ad copies.
- Quarterly Training. It discusses advanced ad topics such as growing your audience and lead generation. It also covers tiny or self-liquidating offers, holiday sales, and advanced retargeting.
- Private Facebook Group. This community allows members to share experiences, ask questions, and receive feedback.
- 4 Pillars Ad Training System
- The Paid Ad Shop. It has tools, templates, swipe files, and classes you can add to your cart for onetime purchases.
Who Is The Paid Ad Academy For?
- Business owners who want to grow their business using Meta ads.
- Store owners selling physical or digital products looking to increase conversion.
- Service-based businesses looking for more clients through Facebook or Instagram.
- Coaches and individuals running online courses who want to reach more potential students.
- Agencies running webinars and workshops looking to reach more attendees.
- Bloggers, podcasters, authors, and content creators looking to expand their audience.
- Influencers looking to grow their following.
- Affiliate marketers interested in driving more sales.
- Small businesses with lower ad budgets.
What Is Ashley’s Recommended Ad Campaign Budget for Beginners?
Ashley’s recommended ad campaign budget for beginners is $510 for 30 days. This translates to $17/day, which can be divided into:
- $5/day for an engagement ad campaign
- $10/day for a lead ad campaign
- $2/day for a sales campaign
With this budget, you can increase visibility, expand your email list, and drive sales. However, Ashley stresses that it depends on your product or offer. You can always increase or decrease them depending on performance. Compare it with industry averages for a clearer guide.
Where Can You See A Glimpse of Ashley’s Methods of Teaching Facebook Ads?
You can see a glimpse of Ashley’s methods of teaching Facebook ads on her social media platforms. She also shares a Facebook Ads Starter Kit for beginners. The contents are a part of her paid membership. It has a walkthrough of setting up an ad on Ads Manager, Meta ads tech checklist, and KPIs.
She also appeared on several YouTube channels and podcasts, such as:
- The Make Life Rich Movement Podcast by Sara Ann Kelly. Ashley shared her journey, reasons for failing ads, trendy formats, and customer journey.
- Lee Chaix McDonough–Coach with Clarity. She explained Facebook ad hacks and best practices for coaches.
- Amanda Warfield’s YouTube Channel. Ashley and Elizabeth shared how to use Facebook ads for online course providers. They discuss finding ideal students, setting up high-converting campaigns, and maximizing ad spend.
- Jessica Stansberry’s YouTube Channel. Ashley shares an over-the-shoulder beginner’s guide in setting up your ads.
- Crush the Rush by Holly Marie Haynes. Ashley shares running ads with a $5 daily budget, proper setup, and success metrics.
What Are People Saying About The Paid Ad Academy Programs?
People are saying that The Paid Ad Academy programs are good. Drashley Hampton noted that the call with Ashley and Elizabeth was amazing. Rachel Hendrick finds the Big Break Club good. The strategies shared lead to more opportunities, sales, and connections.
Julie Chenell said it's fantastic for those overwhelmed with Facebook ads. Another comment said she has been waiting for this kind of help and is thankful for the walk-throughs. Despite these positive reviews, there are limited independent reviews outside.
Amanda Warfield is a content marketing strategist and copywriter. She finds the program's resources available, coaching calls, and community helpful.
Is The Paid Ad Academy Worth It?
Yes, The Paid Ad Academy is worth it if you want to grow your business using Meta ads. They have different services for different business needs. However, one crucial fact remains that paid advertising can get expensive. Aside from the service costs, you must also pay advertising costs. Although you can start with a lower ad budget, you must increase it to scale your business to new heights. Choosing The Paid Ad Academy should depend on your goals and budget.
Who Is Ashley Braswell?
Ashley Braswell is an ad manager and agency owner working with her sister, Elizabeth Ward. She graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor's in Family and Livelihood Development in 2011. She runs a podcast called Girl, How'd That Happen? to share different entrepreneurial journeys.
Ashley ran a photography business that photographed weddings and apparel for a boutique. She learned about Facebook ads through one of her jobs and became interested in it. She used what she had learned to run a $300 ad for her business, and it helped her get booked out.
Ashley closed her photography business and went full-time as an agency owner. In 3 months, she scaled her revenue to 400%. After a year, she reached 6-figures and scaled to over 852K collective ad spend managed. Elizabeth Ward worked in finance for a decade before joining Ashley in 2023. The Big Break Club was born the next year, serving over 78 clients.
What Are Ashley Braswell’s Claims?
Ashley claimed that paid advertising is not scary, hard, or expensive. Facebook and Instagram are one of the biggest platforms. It helps grow an audience, nurture leads, and avoid constant hustling or pitching. Also, she claimed that you don’t need an ad agency to get agency-level results. Her solution is a club membership where students can do ads independently. With this, you can run successful ads even without experience.
What Are The Main Reasons Ashley’s Claims Are Unrealistic?
- Facebook advertising is highly competitive and costly. WebFX says the average Facebook ad cost is $0.1- $5.00, with an average conversion rate of 9%-10%. The actual costs depend on the campaign goals, niche, and target customers. Ad costs can escalate quickly if your audience is very specific or in a competitive market. Regardless of your chosen service, you will still incur both the ad and service costs.
- Seeing significant results from paid ads takes time. Paid ads are a test, fail, learn, and improve cycle. Unlike Ashley’s claims, the learning curve for Facebook Ads Manager is complex. You need to test creatives, audiences, and copy, which can take weeks or months to get it right.
- Depending on one platform for leads is risky. A Redditor said that Meta is always changing and can complicate campaign performance. Copying what works for others without testing and research may not work in your niche. Also, plenty of accounts were banned because of restrictive Facebook policies.
- Facebook ads are not suitable for all businesses. Common problems with Facebook ads include ad rejection and low engagement. If your target demographic doesn’t use Facebook actively, ads on it won’t perform well. This makes it hard to gain conversion from your ads. If targeting is not on point, you attract low-quality leads who drive ad spending up but do not convert.
- Facebook ads rarely contribute to long-term growth. Facebook ads depend on current trends, so you must always create ads to keep up. Without a clear sales funnel or an optimized website, it is hard to scale without paying so much for ads.
What Is The Average Cost Per Lead On Facebook Ads?
The average cost per lead (CPL) on Facebook Ads across industries is $21.98, as per LocaliQ. The attorney and legal services have the highest CPL of $104.58, while real estate has the lowest CPL of $13.87. CPL depends on ad placement, targeting, landing page, bidding, budget, and competition. Compared to other platforms, Facebook ads are second highest to Google in CPL. The lower the CPL, the better your ad performance.
To lower your CPL, focus on one campaign goal and tailor your campaign for a specific region. It is also important to perform continuous testing. A Redditor said testing landing page versions can lead to improvements. For example, you can showcase product visuals and social proofs. Lastly, nurture leads through follow-ups because they might need more time to commit.
How To Succeed In Paid Advertising?
- Create focused ad groups with one keyword each to improve targeting and CTR and reduce CPC costs.
- Use tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to find terms with good search volume and relevance.
- Craft ad text with relevant keywords and emotional appeal to boost engagement.
- Exclude negative keywords like “cheap” or “free” to refine targeting and improve conversion.
- Combine broad-match keywords with audience targeting to expand reach and target custom-intent audiences.
- Use site links, callouts, and structured snippets to make ads more interactive.
- Experiment with text, display, and videos to find what resonates with your audience.
- Create fast, mobile-friendly landing pages with clear CTAs to improve user experience
- Track CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience for better ROI and lower CPC.
- Run ads on your audience's peak times to maximize ad effectiveness.
- Focus ads on specific locations if you want to increase foot traffic and sales.
- Analyze metrics like CTR, conversion, and bounce rate to refine campaigns as needed.
- Test variations of ad elements like headlines, CTAs, and visuals using A/B testing.
- Include natural language and long-tail keywords to capture voice search traffic.
- Use short, engaging videos with strong CTAs to drive traffic and conversions effectively.
- Analyze competitors’ keywords and ad performance to identify opportunities to outperform them.
- Allocate more budget to high-performing campaigns and adjust underperforming ones.
What Makes Local Lead Generation More Sustainable Than Paid Ads?
Local lead generation is more sustainable than paid ads agency because of cost-effectiveness. It relies on SEO and organic content to help bring leads to local businesses. The initial setup requires an upfront investment, but the recurring cost is minimal. Paid ads, in contrast, need ongoing spending to maintain visibility. Although it drives traffic and sales, you must keep increasing your ad budget to scale.
Local lead generation targets people with a high potential to buy a product or a service. Meanwhile, paid ads need precise targeting to increase conversion. Leads from local lead gen efforts are more qualified prospects and are likely to convert. Businesses value actual leads rather than metrics from ads.
Moreover, you don’t depend on trends in local lead generation. So, once established, it can continue generating leads. Paid ads rely heavily on trends, so you must update your campaigns constantly to adapt. With local lead gen, you can scale using the same SEO strategies to rank in a different niche or locality. So, if you want a sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective business, check out local lead generation.
