Everyone loves to talk about paid ads like they’re some kind of magic button that’ll flood your SaaS business with leads overnight.
I’ve been on too many Zoom calls with folks ready to blow their entire budget chasing that dream, and spoiler alert: that’s not how it works.
Recently, Mario Aldayuz, our Head of Partnerships at HL Pro Tools, broke it down in one of our sessions: “Paid ads are like poker — you need a big buy-in and a solid strategy, or you’re just burning money.”
🔥 So if you’re building a SaaS offer on HighLevel (or reselling it), here’s what you actually need to know before you even think about launching those campaigns.
Don’t Run Ads Unless You’re Ready to Lose Some Money
I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out.
Mario put it like this: If you’re not spending at least $5,000–$10,000/month AND you don’t have a tested, proven offer, don’t even bother.
Why? Because:
- Testing ads takes time and money. Lots of both.
- If your offer isn’t dialed in, no amount of traffic will save it.
- You’ll end up blaming the platform, the copy, the designer — when really, it’s the foundation that’s shaky.
Better Than Free Trials? A Little Skin in the Game
Look, I get the appeal of free trials. But here’s the truth:
🧊 Free trials = cold leads.
😬 You’ll get fake signups.
👻 Ghost customers who never log in.
💸 And worst of all — they waste your time AND mess up your metrics.
Mario suggests this instead:
✅ Try a $7 trial or a small setup fee.That tiny payment filters out the tire-kickers and gives you leads who are at least a little bit serious.
It’s not about making money — it’s about qualifying who’s worth your time and onboarding energy.
Start Organic First
If you’re early-stage (or even mid-stage), you don’t need ads. You need relationships.
Mario recommended these instead:
- 🧠 Build strategic partnerships with people who already serve your target market
- 📲 Join local networking groups (yes, like actually in person)
- 🎤 Host workshops, lunch & learns, or collab webinars
- 🤝 Ask for referrals from happy users
These organic moves build actual trust — which is the one thing ads can’t buy you.
Recap: The Truth About Ads for SaaS
✨ Don’t run ads until you have budget AND a proven offer
✨ Ditch the free trial — ask for a tiny payment
✨ Build organically first and test everything before scaling
✨ Think like a poker player — strategy beats emotion every time
Cool Free Thing
Before you can help businesses with your service, you need to establish trust.
And the fastest way to earn that trust? ⭐️ Testimonials.
So in the spirit of free stuff that actually helps…
🎉 I’m giving you our Testimonial Workflow — the same one my team uses to collect, organize, and publish testimonials on autopilot.
No tech headaches. No awkward follow-ups. Just a clean, easy process.
Want More Proven Tools Like This?
Whether you’re building a SaaS offer, selling services, or just trying to get HighLevel to stop feeling overwhelming — we’ve got you covered.
👉 Head over to hlprotools.com
That’s where we keep all the good stuff: templates, workflows, shortcuts, and battle-tested strategies that actually move the needle.
