GrowthRise Mastermind Recap Apr 21, 2026

1) Topics Covered

Topic: AdRoll Platform Evaluation

• Challenges: Considering whether to use AdRoll for display advertising after previous unsuccessful attempts
• Advice: AdRoll works best when Google's $50K spending threshold hasn't been met for matched audiences. If already spending over $50K on Google with active matched audiences and retargeting, Google Display performs better than AdRoll

Topic: Click-Through Rate (CTR) Performance

• Challenges: CTR declining over time, uncertainty about whether 1.8-2% is acceptable
• Advice: 1.5-2% CTR on Meta is very strong; industry benchmark is 0.5-1% being good, 1%+ being really good. Focus on link clicks rather than all clicks for accurate measurement

Topic: Bing Ads Configuration Issues

• Challenges: Extremely high impressions (19,878) with very low CTR (0.67%) on branded campaigns
• Advice: Disable "select traffic" distribution network, verify exact match keywords are used, and check geographic targeting to reduce wasted impressions

Topic: Google Display & Performance Max Campaigns

• Challenges: Exploring retargeting options after meeting Google's spending threshold
• Advice: Use Google Display for retargeting with uploaded audience lists; Performance Max works well but expands beyond pure retargeting using signals

Topic: Marketing Funnel Analysis

• Challenges: Determining where conversion issues occur in the customer journey
• Advice: Track metrics at each funnel stage separately—if CTR and landing page conversion rates are solid (1-3%), issues likely exist in sales processes rather than marketing

2) Tools Recommended

• Cometly: For tracking conversions across ad platforms using UTM parameters, with custom reporting dashboards and filters
• Report Builder in Cometly: To analyze performance metrics by channel, week, and campaign type
• Recruit: For hiring specialized marketing practitioners who understand ad platforms operationally

3) Best Advice Given

The most valuable advice was about proper funnel analysis: Don't blame advertising performance without examining each conversion stage independently. If click-through rates are strong (1-2%) and landing page conversions are solid (1-3%), then 80% of marketing's work is complete—issues likely exist further down the funnel in sales processes rather than in ad targeting or creative.