Ad Basics for Local Brands: Smart Targeting on £5–£15/Day

Think ads are only for deep pockets? Think again. With a clear plan and a modest daily budget (roughly £5–15), local businesses in the South‑East can run lean, effective campaigns that drive footfall and phone calls. You don’t need to outspend your competitors—you just need to outsmart them.

Why small budgets can still shine

Advertising platforms like Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and Google make it possible to set ultra‑low budgets. Recent guides note that you can start Meta ads from as little as £3 per day and that cost‑per‑click often averages around £0.97. For local service businesses using search ads, click costs usually range from £2–£8. That means even a £5/day spend can generate a handful of valuable clicks if you target correctly.

However, industry studies recommend that small local businesses allocate around £500–1,000 per month to generate enough data for meaningful results. Treat your £5–15 daily budget as a testing phase: gather data, refine your audience and creative, and scale up once you see traction.

Choose your platform wisely

1. Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) – Great for B2C brands like cafés, florists or shops. Meta’s local targeting lets you pick very precise geographic zones and interest segments. Local ads also tend to have lower competition and costs, and you can set spending limits to avoid overspending.

2. Google Search Ads – Ideal for high‑intent leads (e.g., “plumber near me”). Use location targeting to restrict your ads to the neighbourhoods you serve; default settings like “All Countries and Territories” can drain your budget. Google also lets you exclude irrelevant areas so you don’t pay for clicks from towns you won’t travel to.

3. TikTok & Reels – Use sparingly with small budgets; these are great for video‑first audiences but require frequent creative updates to stay fresh.

The STEP‑IN framework for lean, local ads

Use STEP‑IN to keep your £5–15/day ad plans tight:

• S – Single Objective
  Focus on one goal (bookings, calls, footfall). Small budgets can’t stretch across awareness, engagement and sales simultaneously; conversion‑focused campaigns tend to perform better than awareness campaigns.

• T – Target precisely
  On Meta, narrow your audience to a postcode radius or specific neighbourhoods. In Google Ads, start by entering your city, then zoom into areas like Kensington rather than targeting the whole of London. Use “Presence: people in or regularly in your targeted area” (not “Presence or Interest”) to avoid tourists or aspirational researchers.

• E – Eliminate waste
  Exclude places you don’t serve—e.g., remove Battersea and Fulham if you only deliver in Kensington. On Meta, avoid broad interest categories; instead, layer two to three interests that strongly relate to your offer (e.g., “Coffee Lovers” + “Live within 2km”).

• P – Pick proven creative
  With small budgets, there’s no room to test dozens of variants. Use the Meta Ads Library to see what successful competitors are runningheathmedia.co.uk and model their style. Keep headlines clear and benefit‑driven.

• I – Inspect metrics patiently
  It’s tempting to tweak ads daily, but every edit resets the algorithm’s learning phase. Give campaigns at least a week (or 500 impressions) before judging performance.

• N – Nurture & retarget
  Capture email or phone leads via a simple form, then follow up. Retarget website visitors and social engagers with a small remarketing budget (10–20% of your daily spend). Retargeting typically has lower CPCs and higher conversion rates.

Example audiences (copy & adapt)

Here are sample £5–15/day audience setups for popular local industries. Use them as a starting point:

• Bakery/ Café (Meta)

  • Location: 1 mile radius around your café.

  • Interests: “Coffee lovers”, “Flat white”, “Morning show watchers”.

  • Age: 25–55, exclude people who don’t reside in your city.

  • Creative hook: “Skip the queue—pre‑order warm croissants before 8am.”

• Barber Shop (Meta)

  • Location: postcode radius or neighbourhood.

  • Interests: “Men’s grooming”, “Barberlife”, “New dads”.

  • Age: 20–45, include a remarketing audience of website visitors.

  • Offer: “30‑minute precision cuts—book by 6pm today, be sharp tomorrow.”

• Plumber / Electrician (Google Search)

  • Keywords: “[your service] near me”, “[city] emergency plumber”.

  • Location: select specific boroughs; exclude high‑traffic districts outside your patch.

  • Ad Copy: emphasise quick response and local trust (“No call‑out fee—Rated 4.9/5 in SE19”).

  • Budget: allocate £7/day to search; adjust based on click costs (industry average £2–8 per click.

• Yoga Studio (Meta + Google)

  • Meta: target a 3 miles radius, interests “Yoga”, “Mindfulness apps”, “Wellness events”.

  • Google: bid on “beginner yoga classes [city]”.

  • Use retargeting to convert site visitors into free‑trial sign‑ups.

Stretch your pounds further

• Optimise your Google My Business (Business Profile) so your ads and organic listing reinforce each other. Include local keywords and up‑to‑date reviews.

• Create location‑specific landing pages (e.g., “Kensington bakery”) so ads match the user’s search term.

• Leverage automation—Meta’s Advantage+ campaigns can outperform manual targeting on small budgets.

• Track return on ad spend. A modest 2×–3× ROAS is realistic for new accounts; chasing 10× can lead to disappointment.

Final sip: make £5 work like £50

Ads don’t have to break the bank. By narrowing your geographic focus, choosing one platform at a time and crafting compelling offers, you can turn a £5–15 daily budget into tangible results. Treat this as an experiment, gather data, then scale your budget when you’re confident. If you’d like help setting up your first campaign or want us to build a ready‑made audience template for your café, salon or plumbing business, just ask—we’re here to make your marketing “small but mighty.”