Self-Audit Your Meta Ads in 30 Minutes — The 32-Point Checklist

Before you blame the platform, audit the account. 80% of 'Meta ads don't work' complaints trace back to fixable issues inside the account. Go through this checklist. Check every box. The ones you can't check are your fix list.

1. Campaign Structure

• You have separate campaigns for prospecting and retargeting
• Each campaign has a clear objective (Leads, Conversions, Traffic)
• You're not running more than 3–5 ad sets per campaign
• Your campaigns exited Learning Phase (50+ conversions each)
• You're not making budget or audience changes mid-Learning Phase
• Your campaign objective matches your goal — don't use Traffic to chase Leads

2. Audiences

• You've tested broad targeting (no interest layers) as a separate ad set
• Lookalike audiences are built off your pixel or customer list, not just page followers
• Retargeting includes: website visitors (30/90/180 day), video viewers (75%), leads (not customers), engagement audiences
• Customers are EXCLUDED from prospecting campaigns
• Employees and competitors are excluded
• Your geographic targeting matches your actual service area (not broader, not narrower)

3. Creative

• You have at least 3 distinct creative angles running
• You have both video and static ads — not just one format
• Your hook (first 3 seconds) is strong — direct callout, number, or pattern interrupt
• You've refreshed creative in the last 30 days
• Your ad copy passes the 'phone-it-to-a-friend' test (doesn't sound like corporate copy)
• You have at least one UGC-style or owner-filmed ad in rotation

4. Landing Page / Lead Form

• Page loads in under 3 seconds on mobile
• Headline matches the ad promise — no bait-and-switch
• Single, clear call-to-action (not 5 competing buttons)
• Social proof above the fold (reviews, results, recognizable logos)
• Form has no more than 4 fields for cold traffic
• Mobile layout is polished — 70% of your traffic is mobile

5. Tracking & Attribution

• Meta Pixel fires correctly on page view, form submit, and key events
• Conversion API is installed and sending server-side events
• Domain verification is complete in Business Manager
• Event prioritization reflects your actual funnel (Lead > ViewContent > PageView)
• You can see actual conversion data in Ads Manager (not all attributed to 'unknown')

6. Lead Follow-Up

• Leads receive an auto-SMS within 60 seconds
• Leads receive an auto-email within 5 minutes
• Your team's phone call to a new lead happens within 1 hour
• You track close rate by source (ads vs. referrals vs. organic)
• Unsold leads get a follow-up sequence over 7–14 days

7. Reporting & Review

• You review performance at least weekly (not just monthly)
• You know your cost per booked job, not just cost per lead
• You have a weekly scorecard: spend, leads, calls, appointments, closes, revenue

If you want us to do this audit for you — free, in-depth, with specific recommendations for your account — book a strategy call.