Sarafan

Blog

Practical guides: what to do about ads, leads and pricing when you run a business in the US.

How to shoot photos and video for ads on an ordinary phone

Phone footage beats studio work when a few simple rules are followed. Light, framing, and the first three seconds.

3 min read

Starting with Facebook and Instagram ads as a small business

No magic and no secret settings. What to prepare before the first dollar, which campaign goal to pick, and what to watch in the first two weeks.

4 min read

The funnel in plain words: where customers are actually lost

Five steps from impression to payment, and a way to find the leaking one in a single evening. No textbook diagrams.

2 min read

What the page behind your ad has to have

Seven blocks that keep a click from becoming a closed tab. The order matters more than the design: people decide in three seconds.

3 min read

Five reasons your ads bring no customers

It is rarely the platform and rarely the budget. Five causes we see in almost every ad account, and what to do about each one.

3 min read

Advertising legal and immigration services

Expensive clicks, slow decisions and a high cost of error. How to get enquiries without promising outcomes or breaking advertising rules.

3 min read

Advertising for realtors: getting enquiries instead of followers

A long cycle and a high value per client. What to show, how to stay inside fair housing rules, and why the list matters more than the campaign.

3 min read

Advertising a restaurant, cafe or delivery

Photos, maps and repeat visits decide it here. How to measure payback when the ticket is small and the guest comes often.

3 min read

Why a lead has to be answered right away

A lead lives for minutes, not days. How to set up a fast reply when you work with your hands and are not sitting by the phone.

3 min read

How to collect Google reviews without breaking the rules

Reviews decide who people drive to. How to ask properly, what to do with bad ones, and what you must never do.

3 min read

Advertising an auto shop and related services

Auto repair lives on repeat visits and trust. How to earn first visits without sliding into discounts, and what to count instead of calls.

3 min read

What a lead should cost and how to work it out yourself

The price of a lead means nothing on its own. What matters is how much a customer is worth to you. Simple math, no textbook formulas.

3 min read

How to tell whether your ads make money or spend it

Clicks and reach do not answer the question. Here is the four column table that is enough for most small companies.

3 min read

Google Ads or social: where a small business should advertise

The two platforms solve different problems. The difference explained with examples, plus a rule that lets you choose without guessing.

3 min read

How much ad budget you need to start

Not "whatever you can spare", but enough to get an answer. How to work out the minimum from your cost per lead, and when to add more.

3 min read

How to choose an ad agency and not lose money

Eight questions to ask before signing, and three promises that should end the conversation.

3 min read

Consent for calls and texts: what a US business owner should know

A plain explanation of TCPA: why the checkbox under your form matters, what it should say, and how it protects you.

3 min read

Ads for beauty salons: what works for Russian speaking stylists in the US

Why followers are not bookings, how to measure payback across repeat visits, and what to show besides the interior.

3 min read

Advertising medical and dental practices: what is allowed and what is not

Healthcare plays by different rules: patient data, promises of results, sensitive categories in ad platforms. A careful walkthrough.

3 min read

Advertising home services: remodeling, cleaning, plumbing, roofing

The winner here is not the prettiest site but whoever picks up first and gives a price range. How to stop paying for the wrong people.

3 min read

Advertising for insurance and financial advisors

A regulated field where trust decides everything. How to get enquiries without collecting complaints.

3 min read

Get the planWhatsApp
WhatsAppCallText us