Rudy Mawer Review: Facebook Ads Lessons, Strategies, & Alternatives in 2025

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Rudy Mawer is a well-known entrepreneur, digital marketing expert, and agency owner recognized for his high-performance ad strategies and celebrity partnerships. Often called the “ROI Guy,” he has built multiple multimillion-dollar businesses and worked with major public figures, including Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank. Rudy specializes in scaling brands through paid ads, funnels, and direct-response marketing, and he frequently teaches others how to grow online businesses through his coaching programs, masterminds, and marketing courses.

In a YouTube interview by Mark de Grasse of DigitalMarketer, Rudy Mawer said: “There was a big dip during COVID so I actually had a lot cheaper ads because everyone froze, and then everyone restarted ads again. So it’s like a bit of a roller coaster.” In my opinion, selling and marketing using Facebook Ads is like NASA planning missions on weather forecasts that flip every hour. One tweak in the algorithm can tank your results overnight, no matter how much you spend in A/B testing. You’re chained to rising ad costs and constant creative burnout. Worst of all, your sales machine collapses the moment Facebook throttles reach or bans an account.

In this article, we talk about Rudy Mawer’s background as a high-level marketer. We also dive into his Facebook Ads (For 2021 & Beyond) course, breaking down its structure, core strategies, and the pros and cons of using paid ads to grow a business. Finally, we compare the long-term feasibility of relying on Facebook Ads versus building passive income through local lead generation.

local lead generation ippei best page

Who is Rudy Mawer?

Rudy Mawer is a British-American entrepreneur, direct-response marketer, and CEO of Mawer Capital, a marketing agency known for scaling brands through aggressive paid advertising, advanced funnel architecture, and celebrity partnerships. Often referred to as the “ROI Guy,” Rudy has built multiple 7- and 8-figure companies and is widely recognized for his collaborations with high-profile figures like Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank, UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, Hollywood actor Luke Rockhold, and former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal on various business ventures and brand campaigns.

With a background in sports nutrition, a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Nottingham, and certifications in biomechanics and metabolic science, Rudy originally grew a global fitness brand before transitioning into digital marketing. Today, he is known for hosting elite masterminds, running large-scale ad accounts across Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, and teaching entrepreneurs how to scale their businesses using high-performance advertising systems.

rudy mawer

Rudy Mawer is not just a presenter of some Facebook ads content.

In fact, he is a:

  • Facebook ads expert,
  • a retail Ecommerce professional,
  • the CEO of Radioshack,
  • and more.

Furthermore, he is an international entrepreneur, and developed his first multi-million dollar business at 26 years old.

He’s so successful, and has so many useful skills, that the U.S. government even issued him an Extraordinary Individual visa.

Who knew that was a thing?

He has years of experience as the owner of ROI Machines.

roi machines

ROI Machines serves

  • fitness organizations,
  • celebrities, Olympians, and
  • other public figures.

These are just some examples of his successful marketing campaigns.

He also runs Digital Marketer Lab- or DM Lab- where this Facebook ads course stems from.

Is Rudy Mawer Legit?

Yes, Rudy Mawer is legit. He is a well-established entrepreneur, direct-response marketer, and CEO of Mawer Capital, known for scaling multiple 7- and 8-figure brands. Rudy has worked with high-profile names such as Kevin Harrington (Shark Tank), Georges St-Pierre, and Shaquille O’Neal, and he has managed millions in ad spend across Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. He also holds an Extraordinary Ability Visa (O-1) from the U.S. government, which is awarded only to individuals with proven exceptional expertise.

What are the Pros & Cons of Facebook Ads (For 2021 & Beyond)?

ProsCons
There is a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not happy with the course.Even though each section of the course built off the last, it really wasn’t for beginners.
The course only costs $295.Because the live version allowed participants to ask Rudy specific questions, some of the value is lost in the recorded version.
I really like the structure of the course- like I said before, it felt like a professional conference.I’d love for Rudy to give more concrete business examples, rather than just break down ads.
I also liked how each session built off the next, and that Rudy regularly reminded his audience of that.What kinds of businesses should be using Facebook ads? How can each kind monitor them? Probably another course for another time.
The production value was also very nice.
The moderator was helpful in vetting questions.
Both the presentation and the worksheets looked professional and added value.

What is Facebook Ads (For 2021 & Beyond)?

Facebook Ads (For 2021 & Beyond) is a marketing training program by Rudy Mawer that teaches entrepreneurs, agency owners, and business owners how to run profitable Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns in the post-iOS 14 era. The course focuses on Rudy’s updated strategies for adapting to major changes in tracking, targeting, and optimization caused by Apple’s privacy updates and Meta’s evolving algorithm.

Rudy covers modern ad frameworks such as broad targeting, creatives-first scaling, data diversification, and server-side tracking, while also teaching funnel design, offer creation, and retargeting systems that hold up despite rising ad costs. The goal of the program is to help businesses stay profitable and competitive by using simplified, high-performance ad structures and Rudy’s proven direct-response methods.

facebook ads course

When you pay for the course, you will receive a login to DM lab.

Then, you will be able to access its four sections…

four sections of facebook ads course

Question and answer sessions…

question and answer sections

And multiple worksheets.

worksheets

The worksheets are helpful, as they allow participants to immediately apply what they are hearing from Rudy.

Rudy’s goal at the end of the course is to leave his audience with new headlines and hooks that will bring them success overnight.

A moderator assists with Q&A sessions:

Webinar moderators

And I appreciated the quality videos and lighting.

rudy mawer

I’ve spent a lot of time watching courses made from a webcam or screen share.

In contrast, Rudy’s course felt like a mini-conference.

But, we’ll get more into what was great and what was not so great about this course later.

For now, let’s get into the course content.

session one banner

Session 1: Building the Perfect Offer

The Perfect Offer and Winning Hooks

In this course, Rudy doesn’t just share Facebook ads strategies.

He also shares his knowledge of advertising and copy psychology.

He says that business owners need to get this stuff right first.

Then, their businesses will:

  • be easier to run
  • scale faster
  • Entice affiliates.

This involves finding the perfect offer…

And the right hook.

Why do you need a great offer?

why you need a great offer

Rudy says you can’t build a house on a bad foundation, and its the same with business.

Your offer will make up for poor copy and less-than-optimal marketing.

But remember, great copy can’t save a poor offer.

Next, Rudy encourages the viewers to consider what they are really selling.

Is it really just a product?

Or, are they selling more?

Examples of Companies that Sell More

He references Dollar Shave Club.

dollar shave club

Every product comes along with:

  • A story
  • Deliverables
  • Benefits
  • Outcomes
  • Prices
  • Bonuses
  • Guarantees
  • Urgency

Your Facebook ad needs to convey an interesting story, or a new way of doing an old thing.

Think creatively about what you’re selling.

After all, Amazon prime doesn’t only sell products.

amazon prime

PayPal doesn’t only allow users to send money.

payapal 2000

And Uber isn’t just a rideshare service.

Each of these businesses have certain aspects that make them stand out.

Rudy goes over these companies, and discusses their effective ad strategies.

He also considers Ecommerce (products) and high ticket (coaching/consulting) offers.

Creating a Hook

Then, he dives into how to create strong hooks.

types of hook

He encourages his listeners to aim for a hook that engages customers within seconds-

But also shares that even his multi-million dollar clients don’t always accomplish this.

Finally, he shares the strategy of pattern interrupts:

pattern interrupts

Examples of a good hook, with effective pattern interrupts, are:

  • “Don’t read this page… Unless…”
  • “How I lost 43 lbs while sitting playing video games”
  • “Business lesson I learned from my 9 year old son”

After this, Rudy goes into a short break, followed by the first Q&A section.

Leverages Images, Videos, and User Generated Content

leveraging images

According to Rudy:

  • The most important part of Facebook ads is the offer, hook, and product.
  • The featured image and video are next.
  • Then comes the headline, body copy, and landing page.
  • and more.

In the second half of the first session, Rudy discusses those secondary visual aspects- the image or video.

Images and videos must be attention grabbing.

They must also be optimized to fit the majority of a phone screen.

This controls the ad space in your favor.

He goes through several images and asks the audience which is the best ad.

For instance he shows this comparison:

And suggests the one on the right might be best to sell basketballs.

basketball

He also shows this photo:

intrigued

And this photo:

sad dog

And points out that the first is much better for a business selling dog products.

This is because the dog looks intrigued rather than sad.

He also shows you how to use color better by comparing these images:

Then, he points out that text can now be used in graphics across Facebook ads.

Years ago this was not possible.

He also adds that:

  • Graphical elements
  • Mixed colors
  • Angled lines
  • and comparisons…

all give a striking element to the ad.

User Generated Content

Then, Rudy dives into talking about user generated content- a goldmine not previously discussed.

User generated content is when the people who have purchased your product share it with their followers, without any ad spend necessary on your end.

This strategy works really well with ecommerce, but there are different ways to do this depending on every type of business.

Wondering how to get user generated content?

Rudy shares different ideas, like:

  • running hashtag promotions on Instagram, or
  • offering a 50% off reward.
Ad Video Content

Finally, Rudy gives tips for video content.

video

He encourages you to remember the purpose of the ad-

As well as the audience-

And to record batches of video together to use over time.

He stresses that many brands, including his own, have gone viral from great videos.

Worksheet

Following this, Rudy goes into another Q & A section, and introduces the first of many worksheets.

This worksheet is on the RIO Offer Framework.

rio framework

As you can see, RIO stands for Ridiculously Irresistible Offer.

first page of worksheet

These worksheets are designed to go along with the course.

They help participants (and you) figure out how to make their amazing businesses even better through correct advertising.

This ends the first of the heftiest sections.

The next is equally full of information.

Let’s learn more.

session two

Session 2: Setting Up Your Facebook Ads

Building Your Facebook Campaigns

session 2

Here’s the big picture overview on our Facebook campaigns.

In Rudy’s experience, he has found that two problems typically pop up.

One is:

  • Trying to launch ads
  • Getting them to convert
  • Bringing them to the point of scaling.

If this is where you are in your business, the first session will help you with this.

The next problem is being unable to scale your ad spend.

In other words, you might be spending $500-$1000 a day, but are unable to grow that number into the $10,000s.

That’s where Facebook Ad campaigns can help.

TOF Best Practices

TOF, or Top of Funnel, is where you find cold traffic.

Cold traffic is people who don’t know who you are.

With TOF, you want your audience to

  • Become aware of your product
  • Consider buying
  • Get them to buy the product

Use different hooks angles, and ads, and test out which works the best.

Once this is complete, your ads will be highly scalable.

Rudy was only able to grow to multi million dollar businesses because he followed this strategy.

Different Target Strategies

Then, Rudy talks about broad and interest targeting.

ad set level

He states that where possible, you want to be broad.

This is because the Facebook algorithm is so much stronger than previous years.

So, test broader campaigns.

Facebook will bring the right customers to you.

If your ad is too interest based, it will hurt your campaign.

Some examples of good broad products are:

  • Furniture
  • Weight loss programs
  • T-shirts

If it’s too interest based, it will hurt your campaign.

You can always test and try both.

After all, you need to test to see what ads are doing best.

However, with this last few strategies, Rudy ties it all together.

What’s a Dynamic Campaign?

Over 50% of Rudy’s campaigns are dynamic.

And, this is fairly easy to set up.

In fact, it is just a setting within the Facebook ad dashboard.

Just turn it on, and develop your ads.

You’ll be able to fill in all of the aspects of 5 or 10 Facebook ads, including:

  • Headlines
  • Copy
  • Images/video

Facebook will then take all of these ad “pieces” and mix them together.

It’s algorithm will find the most effective matches for you.

This automates testing and makes it much faster.

Once this is done, combine it with CBO:

combine with CBO

Do this by choosing the best performing ads from Facebook…

…and put the majority of your budget into them.

From there, you will really be able to scale.

To Wrap Up This Session:

Finally, Rudy walks us through setting up the Facebook ad audience and how much to spend.

This depends on your budget.

In the end, when you test faster, you’ll spend your budget faster.

So, don’t use your budget up evenly, instead, set a higher spend for just a handful of days.

Then get your data, and move on.

He goes over some smaller tips and tricks, and then briefly touches on single ads, in contrast to the larger campaigns he’s been discussing.

single ads

When you start, do lots of testing, and aim for broad targets.

Once we know the best performing ads, we can go singular, and pump a bunch of money behind it.

Facebook Ad Mistakes To Avoid and iOS14

facebook ad mistakes

Rudy has spent years-

-and thousands of dollars-

Making all of the Facebook Ad Campaign mistakes that you can avoid.

Here are his top 7 mistakes:

Mistake #1 - Making Decisions

mistake 1

You might be tempted to cut statistics early.

But, if you cut ads before the Facebook algorithm can do its thing, you’ll lose access to the best combinations of ads.

So, depending on context, make sure you choose the right amount of days to test.

Mistake #2 - Being Afraid to Spend

mistake 2

Don’t be afraid to spend money, as it is expensive to gather market research and test ads.

Instead, be strategic about your budget by following Rudy’s guidelines.

And remember, with high ticket offers, you’ll be able to cover your testing budget with sales

Mistake #3 - Wrong Campaign

mistake 3

Make sure you are focusing the majority of your energy on conversion campaigns.

And, consider when to optimize for traffic, and when to optimize for engagement.

Mistake #4 - Bad Pixel Setup

mistake 4

Pixel is important for optimization, purchase, and lead generation.

If the pixel is wrong, Facebook can’t optimize.

So, make sure the pixel is correct, and that the right events are firing on the right pages.

Mistake #5 - Neglecting Ad Creative

mistake 5

As we talked about before, make sure you are designing eye-catching ads with great hooks.

Mistake #6 - Audience Interest

mistake 6

Rudy had covered this before, too.

  • Don’t go too niche, and target a broader audience.
  • Test one interest at a time.
  • And, use a tree trunk and branch approach to find more niche interests and hooks as your campaigns develop.
Mistake #7 - Ignoring Audience

mistake 7

Remember to monitor your ads,

Keep testing,

And run the winners.

Next, he talks about privacy, and the latest Apple update.

iOS14

According to Facebook, they plan to cut small business ads by over half. This is due to the Apple iOS 14.5 update.

privacy

In Rudy’s opinion, Facebook tracking and data has never been good.

So, does Apple really care about privacy?

The new iOS 14.5 will make privacy tighter.

In fact, it will even prompt users to disable tracking.

And, third party cookies will disappear in 2022.

In the end, as long as everything in that first session is strong, you shouldn’t face any problems.

The good news is that tracking is still possible, but it won’t be accessible from one place.

You will be able to get the data points you need- as always, just don’t rely solely on Facebook.

He also suggests diversification by adding another business in case one goes under.

what we did

Rudy returned to lead magnets, testing a new lead gen campaign to 4 segments of his audience.

This way, he was able to figure out what his most popular course was.

He goes over many nuances of his strategies…

…but the biggest takeaway is this:

  • Marketers made money before Facebook.
  • The big idea, hook, audience, and offer still reign supreme.

So, there’s no need to worry about the iOS update.

Worksheet

yellow box ads

In this worksheet, following the next question and answer section, the audience is about to develop their own ad copy hooks.

worksheet 2

This is a great activity in hooks, headlines, and more.

After another break, it’s time for the third session.

session three

Session 3: Scaling and Optimizing

In Rudy Mawer’s facebook ads course, the meat of the information is in Sessions 1 and 2.

So, we’ll briefly touch on the last two sessions…

…tell you what I think of this course…

And get to the big question-

Are Facebook ads worth your time?

But first-

Monitoring Ad Accounts and Optimization

rudy session 3

At the beginning of session three, Rudy asks the audience to figure out what data phase their business is in.

Data Phases
  • Phase 1  means they have no clue about their own data.
  • Phase 2 means they understand the most important metrics.
  • The third phase means they understand important metrics, can pull data, and base decisions of that data.
  • Phase 4 means that they can place key metrics in a report.
  • Phase 5, which he stresses is only 1 out of 100 businesses, has staff doing reports for you.

It took eight years for Rudy to get to the last 2 stages.

He finds that success is found in Phase 3.

Data Optimization

Then, Rudy goes over Facebook Ads key front end data, which he dives into more in session 4.

After, he breaks down a hierarchy of optimization.

hierarchy of optimization

The big takeaway here is that every business decision should be based on data.

In other words, you don’t want to guess in business.

He also gives some guidelines on how to optimize this in the best way:

optimization best practices

Then, he talks about something familiar:

lead gen

With lead generation, he says the most important data is:

  • Bounce Rate
  • Optin Page Conversion Rate
  • Unique Page Views
  • Cost Per Lead
  • Value Per Lead

He also says that if you do lead gen, you’ll need another source of income to recover ad costs.

Interesting.

The type of lead gen that Rudy is talking about is much different than our lead generation-

-but we’ll talk about that later.

After another Q&A session, we’re onto:

Scaling Ad Spend

ad spend

After building your ads, there are certain signs that you are ready to scale the campaign.

Each of these signs has to do with data, and understanding data.

So, once you have mastered each step from the first section of session 3, you’ll be able to make a data-based decision to scale.

Basically, each of Rudy’s sessions is a building block you must master before moving to the next.

He shows us a lengthy worksheet to apply what we’ve learned…

worksheet

And we’re off to the final puzzle piece.

session 4

Session 4: Data Analysis

How We Analyze Ad Data

module 4

He introduces this session as a recap of all of the ad data points.

He includes:

  • Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
  • Cost Per Click (CPC)
  • Click Through Rate (CTR)
  • Average Order Value (AOV)
  • Conversation Rate
  • Return On Ad Spend (ROAS)
  • Earnings Per Click (EPC)
  • Cart Abandonment Rate (CAR)

Rudy draws some scenarios out in real time, to help participants understand the data:

whiteboard

And shows the math that needs to be done to understand the data you bring in.

How We Analyze Ad Data

session 4

The final section of the course is very short- less than five minutes long.

  • In this time, Rudy goes over some budget suggestions.
  • He also goes over key metrics and indicators of scalability.
  • These include things like a large audience, or board ad copy.
  • Rudy says to perform an ad health check every three to four days, and clear ad sets out.

He also says to check your biggest accounts at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.

A final question and answer session wraps up this final session.

question

Now that we’ve summarized the content that Rudy Mawer presents in this course:

Let’s get into what’s GREAT-

And what’s not so great-

About this Facebook ads course.

pros and cons

To Summarize…

In the end, Rudy’s Facebook Ads Course was nicely presented and useful for those who already have strong businesses and a background in creating Facebook ads.

However, making money using Facebook ads just isn’t the best way to do it anymore…

…and that’s really my biggest issue with the course.

Why spend time taking a course that won’t help you reach REAL passive income?

Why not take the time to learn about this lead generation course instead?

facebook ads banner

After all, lead generation has grown my monthly income to over 50K a month…

…all without having to monitor Facebook ads and metrics daily.

Here’s what you need to know about lead generation.

What are Other Facebook Ads Courses Available Online?

  1. Ads Accelerator Membership by Nicole Diedrich teaches how to run Facebook and Instagram ads, focusing on lead generation, retargeting, and conversion campaigns. It provides an ad-course, done-for-you services, live strategy calls, and community support, though the VIP upgrade is costly.
  2. The Paid Ad Academy by Ashley Braswell walks you through setting up Meta Ads accounts, targeting the right audience, crafting high-converting creatives & tracking performance. It’s praised for its structured approach for beginners but lacks extensive independent third-party reviews.
  3. Facebook Ads for Entrepreneurs by Dan Henry focuses on how to set up and run laser-focused Facebook Ads, covering everything from funnel creation to client acquisition. It walks you through using the Facebook Pixel, selecting the right ad types and targets, and charging $1K+ per client.

Final Verdict: Is Learning From Rudy Mawer Worth It?

Learning from Rudy Mawer is worth it for entrepreneurs already running established businesses that rely heavily on paid traffic and have the budget to test, analyze, and scale ads. His deep expertise, data-driven frameworks, and ad psychology insights have produced results for larger brands, influencers, and e-commerce companies spending substantial amounts on Facebook advertising.

If you’re spending $3,000–$6,000 monthly on ads and actively managing creatives, funnels, and optimization cycles, then yes, Rudy’s system can work. However, for solo entrepreneurs or those seeking passive income, the ongoing ad spend, constant monitoring, and vulnerability to platform changes make Facebook Ads less scalable and more operationally demanding.

If you’re a beginner, or if you’re looking for a lower-risk model that compounds over time without constant spending, consider a model like local lead generation, where assets rank organically and produce leads on autopilot.

Is Local Lead Generation More Stable Than a Facebook Ads Business?

In my experience, local lead generation is more stable than a Facebook Ads business because it doesn’t require continual spending, daily monitoring, or adapting to unpredictable algorithm shifts. It’s like navigating a marked trail in Zion National Park. Once the path is established, you can follow it with confidence, knowing it consistently leads where you need to go. In contrast, Facebook Ads is like trekking through an unmarked desert canyon where shifting winds can quickly alter the terrain, forcing you to constantly re-evaluate your next move just to keep progressing.

Local lead generation gives you fixed, predictable outcomes once your site ranks. Leads come in, businesses pay monthly, and your income remains steady. Facebook Ads require ongoing testing, creative refreshes, budget adjustments, and risk management, none of which guarantee stable returns.

conclusion lead gen maps

Why Local Lead Generation Creates More Control and Predictable Passive Income

Local lead generation creates more control and predictable passive income because you own the digital asset, you control the rankings, and you are not dependent on ad platforms that can become more expensive or unstable overnight. Once you rank a site, the leads flow organically without requiring ongoing ad spend or complex campaign management. For example, my site Norwalk Superior Roofing 10900 Imperial Highway Norwalk, California 90650 562-667-5055 https://www.norwalksuperiorroofing.com/ generated 16 leads worth $55,388 in revenue to my client. Since I get a 5% commission for the leads I forward, I earned $2,769.40 in passive income.

This model allows you to build multiple income-producing assets that can each earn $500–$2,000 per month, compounding your revenue without increasing your workload. Unlike Facebook Ads, where your results are tied to continuous spending and constant optimization, local lead generation rewards consistency and smart setup rather than nonstop vigilance.

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Ippei Kanehara

Founder/CEO

$52K per month providing lead generation services to small businesses

Ippei.com is for digital hustlers, industry leaders and online business owners.

His #1 online business recommendation in 2024, is to build your own lead generation business.