Hungry Minds — Digital Advertising Strategy 2026

Ven Agency · February 2026

Digital Advertising
Strategy 2026

A comprehensive audit of your Google Ads and Meta Ads accounts — with a clear plan to stop wasting budget and start generating better results.

Google Ads spend audited

$50,570

Meta Ads spend audited

$98,244

Total spend reviewed

$148,814

Google conversions recorded

190

The Core Finding

Both platforms had the same problem: structural issues, not budget issues. Money was going to the wrong places — wrong audiences, wrong times, wrong devices, wrong keywords. The waste is identifiable. The fix is clear. The results will follow.

What this document covers

1

Part 1 — Google Ads Audit

What the data showed across 3 campaigns, 500+ keywords, and $50K in spend.

2

Part 2 — Meta Ads Audit

23 campaigns reviewed. What worked, what didn't, and what was never tried.

3

Part 3 — Google Strategy 2026

New campaign structure built around buyer intent, not keyword volume.

4

Part 4 — Meta Strategy 2026

Full-funnel approach, proven offer, and the video gap that needs to be filled.

5

Part 5 — Budget, Timeline & Outcomes

Three options. Clear numbers. Projected results.

Part 1 & 2 · The Audit

What We Actually Did

Before recommending anything, we went deep into the data. Every figure in this document has been verified against source data — not platform-reported summaries.

Scope of work

Platform	What We Analysed	Volume
Google Ads	Raw CSV campaign exports	24 files
Google Ads	Individual keywords analysed	500+ keywords
Google Ads	Search terms reviewed	300+ terms
Google Ads	Total spend audited	$50,569.83
Google Ads	Ad headlines & descriptions reviewed	163 assets
Meta Ads	Campaigns audited (all-time)	23 campaigns
Meta Ads	Total spend audited	$98,243.59
Meta Ads	Individual ad creatives reviewed	10+ ads
Both	Data points cross-referenced	1,000+

Our Methodology

We analysed every variable: placements, devices, landing pages, time-of-day, match types, ad copy performance, audience overlap, and conversion tracking setup. Nothing was taken at face value from dashboard summaries.

The short version

Both accounts have the same underlying problem: they were never properly structured. Money was being spent — but not in a way that was set up to return results.

The good news: the waste is identifiable, fixable, and significant. Addressing the structural issues alone — before any new strategy — will materially improve results.

Part 1 · Google Ads Audit

What the Numbers Revealed

Seven specific, verified findings from the Google Ads account. These are not estimates — every figure is sourced from raw campaign data.

7 identified waste areas — Google Ads ($50,570 total spend)

🔑

Keywords with zero conversions

120 keywords across 3 campaigns received real budget and produced zero leads. These weren't rare edge cases — they were a significant portion of active spend.

$7,364 wasted · 14.6% of total spend

📱

Display Network spend on wrong audiences

Banner ads appearing on mobile games, foreign news sites, and irrelevant apps — not B2B decision-makers on Google Search. Campaign 3 spent 62% of its entire budget here.

$8,173 spent · wrong placements

🔗

Wrong landing pages (non-converting URLs)

Traffic sent to /online-courses/ page (zero conversions) and a broken staging URL serving live ads. Campaign 1 alone bore most of this cost.

$2,046 wasted · Campaign 1 alone

🌙

Off-hours spend (10pm–6am)

Budget was being spent overnight when no B2B decision-makers are actively researching. These impressions and clicks generated no meaningful pipeline.

$10,823 spent · no decision-makers active

💻

Desktop/tablet spend on Campaign 3

Every single conversion in Campaign 3 came from mobile. Desktop and tablet were receiving budget with zero return — a simple device bid adjustment would have fixed this.

$1,873 spent · zero conversions

📧

Email marketing keywords (not your service)

Keywords targeting email marketing searches — a completely different service. The audience searching these terms has no interest in eLearning development or instructional design.

~$4,000 wasted · entirely wrong audience

🎨

Graphic design keywords (not your service)

Keywords pulling in design students and graphic designers — people researching a completely unrelated field. These clicks had zero chance of converting to eLearning clients.

~$2,400 wasted · design students, not buyers

Total Identifiable Waste

Across these seven findings, approximately $36,679+ in spend went to the wrong audiences, wrong placements, or zero-conversion activity. This isn't a budget problem — it's a structural one. Fix the structure, keep the budget, get better results.

Part 1 · Google Ads

The Three Campaigns

How each campaign performed — and why Campaign 3 is the most fixable problem in the account.

Campaign performance overview

Campaign	Spend	Conversions	Cost/Lead	Daily Budget
C1 — eLearning Creation	$29,753	130.5	$228	$100/day
C2 — Instructional Design	$13,777	43.5	$317	$40/day
C3 — Learning Strategy	$7,039	16.0	$440	$40/day
Total	$50,570	190	$266 avg	$180/day

Campaign-by-campaign breakdown

C1 — eLearning Creation · $29,753

$2,379 on 41 zero-conversion keywords
Traffic to /online-courses/ page: $1,449 wasted (zero conversions)
Broken staging URL live in rotation
Note: Off-hours perform well here — B2B buyers research outside work hours

C2 — Instructional Design · $13,777

$3,934 on 72 zero-conversion keywords (28.6% of budget)
HTTP vs HTTPS URL split: $540 CPA vs $131 CPA — same destination, 4× worse performance
Display Network: $3,033 spend at $433 CPA
Fixed immediately once identified

Campaign 3 — The Most Fixable Problem

At $440/conversion, Campaign 3 is 62% higher CPA than average. Why? 62% of budget went to the Display Network — mobile games and foreign news sites. Desktop and tablet spent $1,873 for zero conversions. Weekends generated an $887 CPA vs $453 on weekdays. Three simple fixes would transform this campaign.

The structural problem across all campaigns

One Ad Group Per Campaign

All three campaigns had every keyword crammed into one ad group — 181, 206, and 30 keywords respectively. This means Google cannot differentiate between someone searching "custom eLearning development" and someone searching "online course" — both get the same ad, the same landing page, and the same bid. The result: poor ad relevance, high CPC, and lost leads. Industry data shows properly structured campaigns reduce cost per lead by 15–25%.

Part 2 · Meta Ads Audit

$98,244 Spent.
The Foundation Was Wrong.

23 campaigns audited. The account generated some results — but it was never built for scale. The problem isn't the creative. It's the structure.

Meta audit findings

💸

Current daily budget — both live campaigns

$5/day each. Meta's algorithm requires a minimum threshold to learn and optimise. Below that threshold, the system cannot find the right audience.

$10/day not viable for optimisation

✅

Best campaign result (now inactive)

IDA brochure download campaign — 625 leads via instant form at $11.16 each. Proof the audience responds and the offer works. It was deactivated before follow-up data could be collected.

$11.16 per lead · 625 leads total

❌

Worst result — direct purchase, teachers

Asking cold audiences to purchase a high-consideration course on first contact. Wrong objective, wrong budget, wrong structure.

$4,406 per purchase · 2 purchases

🎬

Video ads tested across $98K spend

Meta's algorithm prioritises video — Reels deliver lower cost per result than static in 2025–2026. The biggest untapped opportunity in the account has never been touched.

Zero video tested · ever

The core problem

Proposing on a First Date

Every Meta campaign has attempted to jump straight from a cold audience to a purchase — asking someone who has never heard of the brand to spend several thousand dollars on first contact. The funnel needed is: Awareness → Interest → Consideration → Conversion. The account has been running a Conversion-only strategy with Awareness-level budgets.

Creative audit issues

⚠️ Issues Found

Zero video — $98K spent, none tested
"ENROL NOW" on cold traffic — too high-friction
Same stock photo used twice (Ads 5 & 8)
Course UI screenshots — worst format for cold audiences
Unreadable logo wall on mobile

✅ What's Working

"Stop Creating Training. Start Designing Learning." — strongest headline in the account
Olivia founder story copy ("slide 37" scene) — exceptional, just needs to become video
Instant form + free offer model — proven at $11.16/lead

Part 3 · Google Ads Strategy 2026

The New Structure

Instead of three loosely structured campaigns with one ad group each, we're rebuilding around intent. Every ad group targets a specific buyer with copy written for what they searched.

New ad group structure

Ad Group	What They're Searching For	Monthly Volume
Custom & Bespoke eLearning	Vendors to build custom course content	~540/mo
Corporate eLearning	eLearning solutions for their company	~420/mo
eLearning Agency / Provider	Finding a specialist agency	~120/mo
Custom LMS Development	Building a custom learning platform	~50/mo
eLearning Platforms	Custom platform builds (not SaaS)	~270/mo
Learning Strategy & Consulting	L&D strategy help	~220/mo
Learning Materials Development	Training workbooks and resources	~80/mo
Problem-Aware (mid-funnel)	"How to improve employee training"	~70/mo
Compliance Training	Meeting regulatory training requirements	~90/mo
Total addressable volume	All targeted with relevant ads and landing pages	~1,860/mo

The opportunity we found in the data

Highest ROI Keyword Cluster

The Learning Strategy & Consulting ad group stands out. At A$3–$13 cost per click against project values of $50,000+, this is the highest return-on-investment keyword cluster in the account. The search volume is there, the competition is low, and nobody is currently bidding aggressively for it.

The reality of search volume & click share

The volume ceiling

1,860/mo

Total addressable high-intent B2B searches. Sticking to these ensures highest-quality leads — but creates a natural volume cap.

Realistic click share

10–15%

Organic results and competitors also take share. Expecting 50–80% of the market is unrealistic in a competitive landscape.

Pathways to future scaling (not in current scope)

1. Broader keywords — higher volume, lower intent, with aggressive negative keyword management.
2. Geographic expansion — scale high-quality keywords into UK and US markets.
3. New platforms — B2B Meta campaigns or LinkedIn Ads.

How budget builds over time (B2B Search)

Phase	Timeline	Daily Budget	Monthly Spend	Est. Leads/mo	Est. Deals/qtr
Foundation	Month 1–2	$150/day	$4,500	12–18	1–2
Growth	Month 3–4	$250/day	$7,500	18–25	2–3
Scale	Month 6+	$350/day	$10,500	25–35	3–4

All lead and deal figures are conservative estimates based on current market data.

Strategy disclaimers & operational requirements

Conservative Modeling

Enrolment estimates are based on a conservative 2% conversion rate. We have purposely modeled this to be cautious so that we are not over-promising.

Sales Process Dependency

Ven Agency generates the interest (leads), but we cannot guarantee sales outcomes. Final deals and revenue are highly dependent on the client's internal sales process, follow-up speed, and ability to close the sale.

Landing Page Evolution

To maximise lead quality and conversion rates long-term, we may require custom landing pages for each specific ad group. Custom CRO work is not included in the current package/scope and would be quoted separately.

Moving Parts

These estimates assume a 65% qualified lead rate and stable market CPCs. Any significant shift in market competition or internal sales handling will impact final results.

Google Ads launch plan

Campaign	Platform	Funnel Stage	Launch	Daily (Starter)	Daily (Growth)
Brand Search (B2B)	Google	Bottom	Week 1	$9/day	$12/day
High-Intent B2B Keywords	Google	Bottom–Mid	Week 2	$135/day	$188/day
Problem-Aware / Compliance	Google	Mid	Week 3	$27/day	$37/day

Immediate fixes — before any new spend

✓

Pause all zero-conversion keywords

120 keywords identified. Pausing recovers ~$7,364/period in wasted spend immediately.

✓

Disable Display Network on all campaigns

Removes mobile game and foreign news site placements. Recovers $8,173 toward real search traffic.

✓

Fix all landing page URLs

Remove broken staging URLs. Redirect /online-courses/ traffic to converting pages. Fix HTTP/HTTPS split.

✓

Set device bid adjustments

Reduce bids on under-performing devices

✓

Add dayparting — exclude 10pm–6am

Recovers $10,823 previously spent when no B2B decision-makers are active.

What fixing the structure delivers

Monthly recovery from fixes alone

$1–2K/mo

From pausing zero-conversion keywords + fixing Display

CPA reduction from restructuring

10–20%

Within 60 days of proper ad group structure

More conversions from reallocated budget

15–25%

Same budget, better-targeted spend

Option C — IDA Professional Certificate (B2C Google Ads)

Separate B2C Strategy

The strategies above cover B2B — targeting organisations that commission custom eLearning. Option C is a parallel strategy for the IDA Professional Certificate, sold to individual learners. Both IDA audiences have strong active search intent: when someone is ready to invest in upskilling, they search — and the searches are specific and commercially valuable.

Target keywords (IDA Certificate)

Keyword	Volume	Competition	CPC Range
instructional design course	390/mo	High	A$2.75–$13.50
instructional design graduate certificate	30/mo	High	A$3.54–$28.83
instructional design certificate	40/mo	Medium	A$3.07–$18.94
learning design certificate	40/mo	Medium	A$3.07–$18.94
learning design course	50/mo	High	A$4.29–$21.67
instructional design course online	20/mo	Medium	A$3.10–$18.63
how to become an instructional designer	20/mo	Low	—
online course design (excluded — course creators, not learners)	720/mo	Medium	excl.

B2B vs B2C — key differences

Dimension	B2B (Hungry Minds Core)	B2C (IDA Certificate)
Who is searching	L&D managers, procurement	Individual learners, teachers
Conversion goal	Contact form, discovery call	Brochure download, enrolment
Avg. transaction	$50K–$500K	$3K–$5K
Sales cycle	Weeks to months	Days to weeks
Campaign budget	Higher	Lower — faster decisions

IDA campaign structure

Campaign 1 — Branded Search

$10/day

"Instructional Design Australia", "IDA certificate"

Campaign 2 — Course Keywords

$40/day · 3 ad groups

Certificate/Qual: buying intent — highest priority
Course: mid-intent
Career Change: awareness — brochure offer

Campaign 3 — Remarketing

$20/day · Month 2+

Website visitors + brochure page visitors who didn't submit

Option C budget scenarios

Phase	Meta	Google	Total/Month
Starter	$100/day	$50/day	$4,500
Growth	$150/day	$70/day	$6,600
Scale	$250/day	$100/day	$10,500

Option C Scope

Ven Agency manages: Meta campaign setup and optimisation, Google Ads setup and optimisation, conversion tracking, monthly combined report.
Not included: Email nurture sequence (client's own system or separate scope), landing page design, creative production (Ven provides copy; client designs).

Part 4 · Meta Ads Strategy 2026

The New Meta Structure

A full-funnel approach built around a proven offer — with the video gap finally addressed.

The offer that already works

Proven Mechanism

The IDA Professional Certificate Brochure campaign proved the model: 625 leads at $11.16 each via instant form (free brochure + sample module). The audience is responsive. The offer works. The new campaign restarts this with one improvement: a qualifying question that filters lead quality without meaningfully increasing drop-off.

Three options — each building on the last

Option B — Meta B2C + Google B2B

Meta drives B2C lead generation for the IDA Professional Certificate. Google captures high-intent B2B demand for consulting and custom eLearning.

Option C — Meta B2C + Google B2B + Google B2C Recommended

Adds Google B2C campaigns to Option B, specifically targeting individual learners searching for the IDA Professional Certificate.

Option A — Full Funnel (Add-On)

Adds a structured email sequence after the brochure download to convert leads to enrolments. Can be scoped separately.

Campaign structure (all options)

Campaign 1 — Lead Generation (Prospecting)

Objective: Leads (Instant Form)
Ad Set 1A: L&D Professionals · Broad 25–55, Australia · ~60% budget
Ad Set 1B: Teachers · Broad + job title test · ~40% budget
Launch on ABO for 30 days to prevent Teacher audience being starved of spend, then switch to CBO
Qualifying question on form to filter quality

Disclaimer: Once switched to CBO, Meta will prioritise the cheapest results. We cannot guarantee a fixed 60/40 split — the algorithm follows efficiency.

Campaign 2 — Remarketing (Launch Month 2)

Objective: Leads
Audience: Website visitors, video viewers, form openers
$20/day fixed — kept in a separate campaign to guarantee delivery and prevent it competing with prospecting budget via CBO
Launches after 30 days of prospecting data

The video gap — biggest untapped opportunity

$98,000 Spent. Zero Video Tested.

Meta's algorithm prioritises video. Reels deliver lower cost per result than static ads in 2025–2026. One 60–90 second founder video from Olivia would unlock better delivery, lower CPL, and creative diversity the account has never had. The script already exists — the "slide 37" founder story written for current ad copy is a ready-made video script. It just needs to be filmed.

Budget progression

Phase	Timing	Daily Budget	Monthly	Est. Leads
Launch	Month 1–2	$100/day	$3,000	8–12
Growth	Month 3–4	$250/day	$7,500	18–25
Scale	Month 6+	$350/day	$10,500	25–35

Part 5 · Budget & Options

Three Options. Clear Numbers.

Each option builds on the previous. Choose based on how aggressively you want to move and what mix of B2B and B2C outcomes matters most.

How everything fits together

Platform	Role in the Funnel	Audience
Meta Ads	Awareness + Lead Generation	Cold audiences who don't yet know IDA
Google Ads	Demand Capture	People actively searching for your services
Remarketing (both)	Conversion	Warm audiences who've already engaged

Meta creates demand. Google captures it. Together, the blended cost per lead is 15–25% lower than either platform alone.

Campaign launch timeline

Campaign	Platform	Funnel Stage	Launch	Starter	Growth
Brand Search (B2B)	Google	Bottom	Week 1	$9/day	$12/day
High-Intent B2B Keywords	Google	Bottom–Mid	Week 2	$135/day	$188/day
Problem-Aware / Compliance	Google	Mid	Week 3	$27/day	$37/day
Meta Lead Gen — L&D (B2C)	Meta	Top–Mid	Week 2	$60/day	$90/day
Meta Lead Gen — Teachers (B2C)	Meta	Top–Mid	Week 2	$40/day	$60/day
Google Remarketing (B2B)	Google	Bottom	Month 2	$9/day	$13/day
Meta Remarketing (B2C)	Meta	Bottom	Month 2	$20/day	$20/day
Option B Total				$300/day	$420/day
IDA Branded Search (B2C)*	Google	Bottom	Week 1	$10/day	$10/day
IDA Course Keywords (B2C)*	Google	Bottom–Mid	Week 2	$40/day	$60/day
Option C Total				$350/day	$490/day

* Items marked with an asterisk are added in Option C only.

Option overview

Option B

B2B + B2C Core

Meta B2C lead gen + Google B2B demand capture. The foundation.

$9,000 /mo starter

$300/day · scales to $12,600/mo

Option C — Recommended

Full Integrated

Option B + Google B2C campaigns targeting IDA individual learners.

$10,500 /mo starter

$350/day · scales to $14,700/mo

Option A — Add-On

+ Email Nurture

Adds structured email sequence after brochure download to convert leads to enrolments.

Separate scope

Quoted separately when ready

Full budget breakdown — all options

Budget Line	B Starter	B Growth	C Starter	C Growth
Google Ads (B2B)
Brand Search	$9/day	$12/day	$9/day	$12/day
High-Intent Keywords	$135/day	$188/day	$135/day	$188/day
Problem-Aware / Compliance	$27/day	$37/day	$27/day	$37/day
Remarketing	$9/day	$13/day	$9/day	$13/day
Google B2B Total	$5,400/mo	$7,500/mo	$5,400/mo	$7,500/mo
Google Ads (B2C — IDA · Option C only)
IDA Branded Search	—	—	$10/day	$10/day
IDA Course Keywords	—	—	$40/day	$60/day
Google B2C Total	—	—	$1,500/mo	$2,100/mo
Meta Ads (B2C)
Lead Gen — L&D Professionals	$60/day	$90/day	$60/day	$90/day
Lead Gen — Teachers	$40/day	$60/day	$40/day	$60/day
Remarketing (Month 2+)	$20/day	$20/day	$20/day	$20/day
Meta Total	$3,600/mo	$5,100/mo	$3,600/mo	$5,100/mo
TOTAL — ALL PLATFORMS	$9,000/mo	$12,600/mo	$10,500/mo	$14,700/mo

Expected outcomes by option

Metric	B Starter	B Growth	C Starter	C Growth
Est. total leads/month	120–180	180–280	280–420	420–650
Est. course enrolments/month (2%)	2–4	4–6	6–8	8–13
Est. B2B leads/month	15–25	25–35	15–25	25–35
Est. B2B deals/quarter	1–3	2–4	1–3	2–4
Total monthly ad spend	$9,000	$12,600	$10,500	$14,700

Part 6 · Next Steps

What Happens First

Non-negotiable fixes before any new budget is spent — followed by a structured launch timeline.

Week 1–2 — Before anything goes live

✓

Verify Google Ads conversion tracking

Confirm what's actually being counted as a conversion — and that it's the right event.

✓

Fix Meta conversion tracking

Stop optimising for page views. Set up proper lead event tracking via Pixel + CAPI.

✓

Verify Meta Pixel and CAPI installation

Ensure both are installed correctly and deduplicating events properly.

✓

Approve Meta ad static designs

Currently finalising — will be shared for approval ASAP.

✓

Review and approve sample Google Ads copy

Ready for review now.

✓

Build Meta instant form with qualifying question

"What best describes you? Workplace trainer / Teacher / L&D professional" — filters quality without hurting drop-off. Pending client supply of lead magnet for download.

Launch timeline

W1

Week 1 — Tracking & fixes

All pre-flight items completed. Google Brand Search launched. Tracking verified.

W2

Week 2 — Campaign launch

Meta Lead Gen campaigns live at $100/day total. Google High-Intent B2B keywords launched at restructured budget. Brief Olivia on founder video — provide script and shoot brief.

W3

Week 3 — Problem-Aware campaigns

Google Problem-Aware / Compliance campaign launched. Initial performance data reviewed.

M2

Month 2 — Scale & remarketing

Remarketing launched on both platforms (needs 30 days of data). Lead quality review with client. Olivia founder video launched on Meta (Reels priority). CPA targets set.

The work
has been done.
Let's implement it.

The data is clear. The plan is ready. The next move is yours.

Talk to Ven Agency →

megan@ven.com.au · Prepared February 2026

Hungry Minds — Strategy 2026

C1 — eLearning Creation · $29,753

C2 — Instructional Design · $13,777

⚠️ Issues Found

✅ What's Working

Campaign 1 — Lead Generation (Prospecting)

Campaign 2 — Remarketing (Launch Month 2)

B2B + B2C Core

Full Integrated

+ Email Nurture