TL;DR
An entertainment business reports a 50% revenue drop over three months after Google Ads stopped delivering leads despite increased spending and a temporary bonus. The owner is shifting marketing to short-video platforms, email outreach and in-person events while launching new product projects.
What happened
The proprietor of a small entertainment business says revenue fell by roughly half in the prior three months after a long reliance on Google Ads failed to generate leads. Having used Google advertising for about a decade, the owner escalated budgets and ran simultaneous campaign experiments without improvement. Google provided a one-time credit equal to five months of typical ad spend over December; that credit and later increased budgets produced no measurable return. After exhausting funds, the owner decided not to invest further in Google Ads. To compensate, the business is testing ads on short-video platforms, expanding an email newsletter that began regular sends two months ago, planning in-person marketing at a weekend market with free performances and handouts, and preparing physical products tied to a "Magic Poi" project. The owner also offered services building websites and IoT projects, noting current cash flow constraints.
Why it matters
- Shows how sudden changes in a dominant ad platform’s performance can threaten long-standing small-business marketing strategies.
- Highlights a shift toward short-video social platforms and owned channels (email, in-person) when paid search underperforms.
- Illustrates the financial vulnerability of businesses that concentrate lead generation on a single paid channel.
- Signals that business owners may diversify revenue and marketing tactics, including product pivots and local outreach.
Key facts
- Author reports a 50% revenue decline over the past three months.
- Google Ads had been the primary paid lead source for about 10 years.
- The business increased ad budgets over the past year and ran multiple simultaneous campaigns.
- Google issued a promotional credit equal to five times the monthly ad spend for December; the owner later increased budgets up to 10x with no returns.
- Owner stopped further spending on Google Ads after funds ran out.
- The business is testing ads on TikTok and Instagram.
- Approximately 50% of the customer base are returning customers, per the owner.
- An email newsletter has been sent regularly for the last two months.
- Plans include attending a market, performing free shows, handing out business cards, and selling items related to a 'Magic Poi' project.
- Owner offered website or IoT development services and noted being AI-assisted.
What to watch next
- Performance and ROI from trials on TikTok and Instagram ads — not confirmed in the source.
- Engagement and conversion rates from the recently reactivated email newsletter over coming months — not confirmed in the source.
- Sales and reception of the Magic Poi–related products after supplies were ordered last week — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Google Ads: An online advertising platform where businesses bid to show ads in search results and across Google’s network.
- Short-video platforms: Social media services, such as TikTok and Instagram, focused on brief video content often used for discovery and advertising.
- Email newsletter: A regular email sent to subscribers intended to inform, retain customers, or promote products and events.
- IoT (Internet of Things): Networked physical devices that collect and exchange data over the internet to provide connected functionality.
Reader FAQ
Why did Google Ads stop producing leads for this business?
Not confirmed in the source.
How much revenue did the owner lose?
The owner reports revenue down by about 50% over the past three months.
Is the business switching to social-video ads?
Yes. The owner said they are trying ads on TikTok and Instagram.
What is the Magic Poi project?
Not confirmed in the source.
Google is dead. Where do we go now? It’s anecdotal, I know, but my main entertainment business revenue is down 50% over the past 3 months. Our main paid source…
Sources
- Google is dead. Where do we go now?
- Can small businesses compete on Google Ads anymore?
- Learn How Small Businesses Are Crushing TikTok Ads
- Google Ads unpopular opinion from an ex-Googler: I like to …
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