Facebook Ad Strategy That Delivers 4X ROI: Insights from a Marketing Agency Owner

In this insightful episode of The Nathan Newberry Show, marketing agency owner Jesse Drach shares how he generates $4 for every $1 spent on Facebook ads and reveals the systems that allowed him to scale his business while working remotely from anywhere in the world.

Introduction: Defining High Performance in Digital Marketing

For Jesse Datch, high performance in business isn't about working longer hours—it's about accomplishing meaningful tasks that move the needle forward. As the founder of a successful marketing agency serving tattoo shops nationwide, Jesse defines high performance as "essentially just having a productive day, getting everything accomplished that you thought you were going to, being able to end a day feeling good about it."

This approach to productivity has helped him transform from a construction worker to a marketing agency owner generating over $36,000 in revenue from just $2,100 in ad spend. Through strategic systems, disciplined morning routines, and a laser focus on Facebook advertising, Jesse has built a business that operates efficiently even when he's traveling.

From Construction Worker to Marketing Agency Owner: Jesse's Entrepreneurial Journey

Jesse's path to entrepreneurship wasn't planned—it was born out of necessity. After working in construction from age 15 to 29, a torn quad and subsequent layoff forced him to explore other options.

"I got laid off one winter, and I had switched companies because I had torn my quad in the gym, and because of that, I wasn't able to collect unemployment. So I had to figure out something else to do," Jesse explains.

His first venture leveraged his reputation as a well-known powerlifter in the Pacific Northwest:

1. Started as an online fitness coach, which grew faster than anticipated
2. Launched PR Labs, selling lifting straps, pre-workout supplements, and equipment for powerlifters
3. Grew to $500,000 in three years using Facebook and Instagram ads with zero prior marketing experience
4. Transitioned to a marketing agency for window replacement companies, scaling to $57,000 monthly revenue in two years
5. Pivoted to serving tattoo shops after realizing he had built himself a job he hated

This latest pivot allowed Jesse to build the business and lifestyle he truly wanted—one where he could work from home or while traveling to Boise, Miami, or Portland for weeks at a time.

The Power of Systems: Building a Business That Runs Without You

The key to Jesse's freedom and continued growth is his meticulous approach to systems and standard operating procedures (SOPs). These systems enable his business to operate smoothly even when he's not directly involved.

"Without our SOPs and our systems, it wouldn't run, essentially," Jesse explains. "We have it set up so I can bring in anybody, and within a week, they can be trained on about 90%."

His approach to systems includes:

Detailed Documentation

"We have checklists and videos with each item—click here, do this, enter this copy. It's really hard to mess up unless you don't follow the exact checklist."

Morning Routine Optimization

Jesse transformed his productivity by changing his morning routine:

Old Routine:

• Sleep until 7:30-7:45 AM
• Have an energy shot
• Start work at 8:00 AM

New Routine:

• Wake up at 5:30 AM
• Workout or walk the dog for 20 minutes
• Read and prepare mentally
• Start work feeling energized and focused

"That has probably been the single thing that has given me the most productivity of anything I've tried," Jesse shares. "Just being able to go into work having that energy from the workout, feeling refreshed, feeling good, being awake, having a clear mind, is an absolute game-changer."

Task Batching for Efficiency

Rather than switching between different tasks throughout the day, Jesse batches similar activities:

"For instance, our posts—earlier today, I just spent two hours making and putting all our posts into Social Pilot to schedule them all out. It's just so much easier if you batch tasks together versus trying to have your mind switch between a million different things."

Facebook Ad Strategy: A $1 to $4 Return on Investment

Many business owners fear paid advertising, concerned about wasting money without seeing results. Jesse dispels these fears by sharing his proven approach to Facebook ads that consistently delivers impressive returns.

"Last month I spent $2,126 on ads. We signed 10 clients, which in the first month (because we do a setup fee) was $8,500 in return off that $2,100. And then we do a six-month agreement, so that's $5,500 in recurring revenue."

The result? A $36,000 return on a $2,100 investment over six months—a strategy Jesse says he'll "do all day."

Key Facebook Ad Strategy Elements

Jesse shares several practical strategies for effective Facebook advertising:

1. Accept the Learning Investment

"If you're going to run paid ads you've never done before, you need some money to say, 'If I don't get anything out of this, if I don't get a single client, at least I learned what doesn't work.'"

2. Focus on Audience Targeting Over Ad Design

"Everyone thinks you have to have these beautiful ads with these professional setups. I'll show you some of my ads—they are ugly as heck, but they've brought in clients. It's all about audience."

3. Always Split Test

"We'll never run a campaign or an ad set without at least three different ads in it to test them. You'll slowly see how things work."

4. Research Competitor Strategies

"You can go to the Facebook Ads Library where you can see what any company is running and how long they've been running, and you can get a good idea of what works."

5. Use Lookalike Audiences

"One of the easiest hacks is to go to a company called Coldlytics. They essentially will scrape emails and phone numbers for you. You can take that, put it into Meta, and make a lookalike audience so it will find people that look like that, and then you serve the ads to them."

6. Start with the Basics

"Spend an hour or two on YouTube learning how things work. If you can figure out Facebook and Instagram advertising, you'll be ahead of 90% of people."

7. Target by Income Level

"Meta knows the zip codes with more money and where those people live, so you target by the top 10% income earning in ZIP codes in the US. That's huge—you know they have the money for your service."

Continuous Learning and Mentorship: The Entrepreneur's Edge

Jesse attributes much of his success to his obsession with learning and finding the right mentors:

"I'm always reading a book, always watching YouTube videos. I'm in a paid group, and I have mentors."

His approach to mentorship is strategic:

"Find good mentors that are in your industry and are way above you. I have two right now that do what I do, serve different niches, but they have the same business model, same price point, and they have over 500 clients each."

Jesse recommends finding mentors who are "two steps above" where you currently are—people who have already navigated the challenges you're facing and can provide proven solutions.

Conclusion: Focused Action Beats Information Overload

Jesse's success comes down to focusing on what moves the needle and executing consistently. Rather than trying to implement every strategy from different experts, he recommends:

"Don't go to YouTube, find 10 different people who run ads 10 different ways, and then try to do all 10 of those. Find one, find a good system, get good at that, and then go further."

This focused approach has allowed him to dial in his Facebook and Instagram ad strategy to the point where he knows exactly how much return to expect from his investment. With that system optimized, he's now expanding to other channels like YouTube and podcasting.

As Jesse points out, consistency is key—especially with content marketing strategies like podcasting:

"97% of people start a podcast and then don't get past episode 10. We didn't get our first client until episode either 17 or 27. We're on like 65 now, and we get clients from it every week. It is the easiest, cheapest thing you can do."