Local businesses don’t fail on Facebook Ads because the platform is “too expensive.”
They fail because their campaigns look like chaos.
No structure.
No testing cadence.
No benchmark targets.
No funnel strategy.
These are some of the Biggest Marketing Mistakes we consistently see local brands repeat when they try to run ads without a system.
What we’ve seen at Grow My SME after managing thousands of local campaigns is simple:
Local businesses succeed on Facebook Ads when they follow a structured, three-phase 90-day plan.
This guide gives you the exact blueprint — backed with real CPA benchmarks, example schedules, ad angles, funnel upgrades, and a full copy-paste 90-day calendar. If you’re looking for a broader framework beyond paid ads, this also fits perfectly into our Local Business Growth Guide.
Let’s build predictable ROI.
Why Facebook Ads Still Dominate Local Growth in 2025
Local intent is higher than ever.
People scroll, see an offer, book instantly.
Meta’s 2025 Ad Performance Report shows:
- 71% of local service buyers discovered their provider on Facebook or Instagram.
- 41% book within 72 hours of first seeing an ad.
- CPMs for local markets remain 30–45% lower than national targeting.
- Local-based retargeting (5–15 miles radius) still produces the highest ROAS across Meta inventory.
This is especially true in verticals like hospitality, where structured Restaurant Growth Marketing campaigns outperform generic brand awareness ads by a wide margin.
But only when campaigns are structured.
This is where the 90-day plan comes in.
The 90-Day Facebook Ads Plan (3 Phases)
The plan is broken into three intense, data-driven phases — designed to Engineer Campaigns That Convert rather than burn budget.
PHASE 1 (Days 1–30): Foundation & Rapid Testing
This is where most local businesses skip ahead — and lose money.
Phase 1 is not about scaling.
It’s about installing the plumbing.
Step 1: Install Your Tracking Stack (Day 1–3)
Minimum viable setup:
- Meta Pixel + Conversion API
- Lead tracking (Button clicks, form submissions, calls)
- CRM or Sheet tracking
- Optional attribution tools: Hyros, Triple Whale, Wicked Reports
- Reporting: DashThis, Looker Studio, or internal dashboard
Goal: Clean, consistent conversion data before spending real money.
Step 2: Build Your Local Business Audiences (Day 1–5)
Local targeting is a different sport.
Here’s the Grow My SME Local Audience Framework:
1. Core Radius Audiences
- 3–5 mile radius for urban
- 8–15 mile radius for suburban
- Pin-drop location exclusions (competing regions, low-income clusters when relevant)
2. Interest Layered Audiences
Examples:
- For salons → “Hair care”, “Beauty salons”, “Keratin”, “Makeup”, “Local moms”
- For clinics → “Health”, “Wellness”, “Back pain”, “Skin care”, “Self improvement”
- For gyms → “Fitness”, “Weight loss”, “CrossFit”, “Nutrition”
3. Lookalikes (when volume allows)
- Lead lookalike
- Purchase lookalike
- High-ticket service lookalike (Usually available by Week 4–5 once initial data rolls in.)
4. Retargeting Pools
- 7-day engagers
- 30-day viewers
- Website visitors
- Lead form openers
Step 3: Create 3 High-Impact Offers (Day 5–10)
Local ads live and die on the offer.
Here’s the proven structure:
The Grow My SME “OFFER TRIAD”
- Foot-in-the-Door Offer
- Low commitment
- Hands-down winner for gyms, salons, clinics
Examples:
- “£19 Trial Week” (Gyms)
- “£29 Intro Facial” (Clinics)
- “£15 Skin Fade for New Clients” (Barbers)
- Core Revenue Offer
- Highlight your main bread-and-butter service
- Example: Gyms → “28-Day Transformation Programme”
- High-Ticket Profit Offer
- For retargeting
- Example: Clinics → “£199 Anti-Ageing Package Consultation”
You’ll test all three in the first 30 days.
Step 4: Craft Your Day 1–30 Ad Assets (Day 10–30)
You need 8–12 creatives minimum:
Winning Creative Types for Local Businesses
- Selfie-style owner videos
- UGC testimonials (“I joined this gym 3 weeks ago…”)
- Quick cuts of the service
- Before/after carousels
- Price-based graphics (but tasteful)
- “Open 7 Days” or “Same-Day Appointments” badges
Proven Ad Angles
- “Transformation Story” (gyms, clinics)
- “Local Favourite” — social proof + community angle
- “Scarcity” — “Only 11 slots this month”
- “Convenience” — “Book in 30 seconds — instant confirmation”
- “Pain → Relief” — clinics, home services
Step 5: Launch Your Testing Campaigns (Day 12–30)
Recommended Structure
- TOF Testing Campaign: 6–8 creatives × 3 audiences
- MOF Retargeting: warm audiences, 1–2 offers
- BOF Conversions: strong CTAs, urgency, price incentives
Phase 1 Goal:
Not profit.
Not scaling.
Just discovering 3 things:
- Best-performing offer
- Best-performing audience
- 2–3 winning creatives
Local CPA Benchmark Ranges (Realistic 2025 Data)
| Industry | Avg CPA |
| Gyms/Fitness Studios | £8–£22 per lead |
| Beauty Salons / Spas | £10–£28 |
| Medical Clinics (Aesthetics/Chiro) | £15–£40 |
| Dentists | £25–£60 |
| Home Services | £18–£35 |
| Restaurants / Takeaways | £4–£12 |
| Barbers | £6–£12 |
If you’re above these ranges by Day 30 — something is structurally off.
Phase 1 Micro-Case Study
Local Gym in Manchester
- Before: £38 CPA
- After Phase 1 Testing: £14 average CPA
- Winning combo:
- Offer: “£19 Trial Week”
- Angle: UGC transformation
- Audience: 5-mile radius + “fitness/weight loss” layered interests
PHASE 2 (Days 31–60): Scaling Winners & Fixing Leaks
Phase 1 tells you the winners.
Phase 2 multiplies them.
Step 1: Kill Losers (Day 31–35)
Pause:
- High CPM ad sets
- Creatives with <1% CTR
- Offers with CPA 40%+ above benchmarks
- Audiences with low conversion rate
Only scale what’s making money.
Step 2: Duplicate & Scale (Day 35–45)
Scaling Framework
- Duplicate winning ad set ×2
- Increase budget by 20–30% every 3 days
- Maintain frequency between 2–4
- Ensure landing page load time <2.5s
Step 3: Plug Funnel Leaks (Day 40–50)
Here’s the Grow My SME Local Funnel Upgrade List:
Fix These If CPA Is High
- Slow booking process
- Long forms
- No homepage CTA
- No mobile-first layout
- No WhatsApp quick reply button
- No credibility elements
Add These to Increase Conversions
- 3–5 local reviews
- Before/after galleries
- “Availability Today” badges
- FAQ section
- Social proof strips
- Payment plan messaging (clinics, dental, high-ticket)
Step 4: Heat Up Retargeting (Day 45–60)
Create:
- 7-day offer retargeting
- 30-day social proof retargeting
- Abandoned form follow-up
- “You viewed this but didn’t book” dynamic reminders
Phase 2 Micro-Case Study
Aesthetic Clinic in Birmingham
- Phase 1 CPA: £31
- Phase 2 CPA: £19
- Improvements:
- Added WhatsApp CTA
- Added before/after gallery
- Introduced urgency offer: “15 Only This Month”
PHASE 3 (Days 61–90): Automation, Retargeting & Profit Expansion
Now we transform a working system into a scaling machine.
Step 1: Automate Lead Follow-Up (Day 61–70)
Tools we use:
- GoHighLevel
- LeadConnector
- Zapier + WhatsApp
- CRM autoresponders
Goal:
Contact leads within 90 seconds.
This alone improves show-up rates by 22–45%.
Step 2: Build Multi-Layer Retargeting (Day 70–80)
Your Full Retargeting Stack
- 1-Day Warm Reminder — instant follow-up
- 7-Day Offer CTA — short-term urgency
- 14-Day Social Proof — reviews, testimonials
- 30-Day High Ticket — premium upsell
- 60-Day Brand Ads — community stories
- 90-Day Re-Engagement — “We miss you” angle
Step 3: Launch Profit Expansion Campaigns (Day 75–90)
This is where the money is.
High-Profit Examples
- Clinics → £199–£699 packages
- Dental → Whitening + Invisalign consult bundles
- Gyms → 12-week transformations
- Salons → Memberships
- Home Services → Annual maintenance plans
Phase 3 Micro-Case Study
Local Salon in Leeds
- After 60 Days: £22 CPA
- After 90 Days: £15 CPA with £79 average order value
- Profit expansion came from:
- Membership upsells
- Retargeting testimonials
- Multi-offer funnel
The Copy-Paste 90-Day Calendar
| Phase | Days | Actions | Primary Goal |
| Testing Phase | 1–30 | Install tracking; Create 3 offers; Create 8–12 creatives; Launch 3–5 audience tests; Kill weak ads weekly | Identify 2–3 winners |
| Scaling Phase | 31–60 | Scale winning ads by 20–30%; Fix landing page leaks; Add retargeting layers; Build UGC pipeline | Reduce CPA by 20–40% |
| Automation Phase | 61–90 | Automate follow-ups; Launch upsell funnels; Add multi-layer retargeting; Expand into high-ticket offers | Double ROAS and increase LTV |
Conclusion: The 90-Day Transformation
Most local businesses don’t need “more budget.”
They need more structure.
When you follow this 90-day plan:
- CPA decreases
- Lead quality increases
- Sales pipeline stabilises
- Scaling becomes predictable
This is exactly how we build growth systems at Grow My SME — predictable, profitable, data-backed.
