Many entrepreneurs step into the world of advertising with a simple equation in mind: money spent equals clients gained.

And yeah, back when the internet was new and advertising cost pennies, that equation was 100% true.

But as time moved on, the internet got more complex. People became smarter, more careful about what they chose to interact with on the internet.

This equation has transformed into something else. Now, money spent equals the opportunity to generate a client.

What you’re actually paying for are only impressions (views on your ads) and clicks.

Read that again.

And because it is only an opportunity to generate a client, we fall into a trap where the focus becomes the sheer volume of engagements.

The more impressions and clicks the higher the chance that someone will turn into a client, right?

These numbers may sound like indicators of success, but this approach overlooks and essential aspect of marketing: the connection between a brand and its audience.

Typical marketers focus more on the quantity of engagements rather than the quality of connections.

A thousand clicks might look good on a report, but if they don’t turn into clients, it’s meaningless.

Same reason why word of mouth and referrals aren’t simply created through large numbers of customers, they’re created through great service and meaningful connection.

The real value in advertising lies in developing relationships with your audience.

Same as what you do in person. Help a stranger that comes into your world and guide them with information, patience, and care, until they know and trust you enough to become a customer.

It’s not a race, it’s a journey.

Advertising is not about ads, it’s about a marketing experience that turns strangers into customers with ads as the starting point.