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Episode 576: Organic First, Paid Second: The Ad Strategy Most Entrepreneurs Skip with Melissa Litchfield

podcast Oct 08, 2025
Organic First, Paid Second: The Ad Strategy Most Entrepreneurs Skip with Melissa Litchfield

Thinking about running ads to scale your business? Before you hit “go,” you’ll want to hear this one. In today’s episode, I sit down with Melissa Litchfield, founder of Litchfield Media and seasoned digital ads strategist, to talk about what’s really working with ads right now—and what’s not. From the importance of building a strong organic foundation before investing in paid traffic to knowing when your offer is truly ready for ads, Melissa shares practical insights that will help you spend smarter and see better results.

 

Melissa unpacks how to run ads without burning out, how to test your funnel for success, and what the latest platform changes actually mean for your strategy in 2025. Whether you’re planning a Black Friday launch or prepping for next year, this episode will help you approach ads with clarity and confidence.

 

Today you’ll hear:

  • Why ads can’t fix a weak foundation—and how to know when your business is actually ready for them.
  • Melissa’s “organic success test” for validating an offer before you spend a dollar on paid traffic.
  • How to blend organic and paid strategies to generate consistent leads and avoid burnout.
  • The ad placements and creative types that are performing best right now (and which ones to skip).
  • How to prep for Q4 campaigns the right way, from lead generation to nurturing cold audiences.
  • Budget expectations and benchmarks for seeing meaningful results without overspending.

 

CONNECT WITH MELISSA:

Website: www.litchfieldmedia.org

Instagram: @litchfiemedia

Proven Pixel Permit: 

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🔗 LINKS MENTIONED:

🌟 Explore Intensives → www.hollymariehaynes.com/intensive

 🎧 Anti-Social School™ → www.hollymariehaynes.com/antisocial

 🌎 Website → www.hollymariehaynes.com

 📲 Instagram → @thehollymariehaynes

 

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Holly Marie Haynes

Written by

Holly Marie Haynes

Business strategist, host of the Crush the Rush™ Podcast, and founder of Anti-Social School™. After 22 years in Fortune 500 strategy, I built a life-first business in part-time hours. Now I help women entrepreneurs grow without living on social media.

Read my story →

A FREE PRIVATE PODCAST FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

How to Grow a Profitable Business without Social Media

A 9-episode private podcast for the founder in the messy middle of business growth. Inside, I'll walk you through the same framework I've taught 1,000+ women entrepreneurs, the one I use to run my business on less than 1 hour a week of social media. Email marketing, AI, GEO, and the systems behind a sales-generating business that runs whether you post or not.

Less than 1 hour a week. Whole weeks offline. No algorithm. No burnout.

Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute quiz →

A FREE PRIVATE PODCAST FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

How to Grow a Profitable Business without Social Media

A 9-episode private podcast for the founder in the messy middle of business growth. Inside, I'll walk you through the same framework I've taught 1,000+ women entrepreneurs, the one I use to run my business on less than 1 hour a week of social media. Email marketing, AI, GEO, and the systems behind a sales-generating business that runs whether you post or not.

Less than 1 hour a week. Whole weeks offline. No algorithm. No burnout.

Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute quiz →

Holly Marie Haynes is a business strategist helping women build profitable, life-first businesses without social media, through Crush the Rush™ and Anti-Social School™.

Holly Marie Haynes is a business strategist helping women build profitable, life-first businesses without social media, through Crush the Rush™ and Anti-Social School™.