More Customers, Less Cost

High Customer Acquisition Costs

While a substantial volume of software trials were being generated each month through paid media channels such as Meta and Google Ads, the conversion rate from triallist to paying customer was steadily declining. Customer acquisition costs (CAC) had risen to unsustainable levels, with some months yielding only marginal growth in new customers despite significant advertising spend.

Low Demand Generation

Compounding the issue, Fergus’s paid social campaigns were rudimentary and primarily focused on lead generation, with limited creative variation and no strategic funnel planning. Fergus needed a more efficient, targeted and scalable advertising approach that could reduce CAC while driving high-quality conversions and maintaining a sustainable flow of new customers.

• Campaigns with conversion rates often below 5%
• Customer acquisition costs exceeding $5,000 per customer
• Budget being allocated to non-converting campaigns
• Audience targeting lacking precision, resulting in triallists with poor ICP fit

Our solution focused on a data-driven overhaul built around precision, efficiency and sustainable growth.

1. Account Overhaul and Budget Recalibration

We undertook a large-scale account restructure, reallocating budget towards high-performing campaigns and shifting the focus beyond clicks and trials to actual customer conversions.

This included detailed analysis of lag-time factors between trial and conversion, ensuring performance was measured accurately across the full customer journey.

2. Targeting Optimisation

We refined and rebalanced keyword targeting by:

• Removing irrelevant or low-converting search terms
• Focusing on high-intent keywords aligned with Fergus’s ideal customer profile (ICP)
• Improving the quality of triallists entering the funnel

3. Demand Generation on Paid Social

To address shortcomings in Fergus’s social advertising efforts, we introduced a sophisticated demand generation strategy.

This included:

• A comprehensive funnel-based campaign structure
• Creative and messaging tailored to awareness, consideration and conversion stages
• Educational content designed to build product awareness and trust before driving action

We also focused on cross-channel amplification, recognising that Meta campaigns would influence high-intent search activity and planning accordingly to maximise channel synergy.

4. Brand Elevation

We delivered a suite of high-quality branded advertising creatives that:

• Enhanced Fergus’s market perception
• Improved consistency across platforms
• Built credibility with trade professionals
• Increased engagement throughout the customer journey

Conversion Rate

• Before: 8.9%
• After: 37%
• Increase: 315%

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

• Before: $5,323
• After: $1,851
• Reduction: 65%

Efficiency Gains

These results were achieved despite operating with a $30,000 lower advertising budget, demonstrating that better targeting and strategic planning can outperform increased spend.

Cross-Channel Impact

Demand generation activity on Meta increased branded search conversions by 142% in February, despite the shorter month, highlighting the effectiveness of integrated cross-channel campaigns.

Enhanced Brand Perception

The delivery of polished, high-impact creative assets helped Fergus stand out in a competitive market, increasing engagement and reinforcing its position as a leader in job management software for tradies.