Day 12: Testing Ads on Instagram – Because We’re All Just Guessing Until We Aren’t

Welcome to my latest foray into the labyrinth of social media ad testing. Armed with a $10 a day budget, a heart full of optimism, and an inexplicable fondness for dogs in costumes, I’m diving into the deep end on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Spoiler alert: So far, I’ve gained four new followers and exactly zero sales, but hey, testing is all about discovery.

So, here’s the plan: Every day, I’m posting a “Dog of the Day”—a photo or a slideshow featuring a very dapper dog alongside some of our favorite products. I’m running this grand experiment using Adobe Express’s calendar scheduling tool, which feels a little like magic: set it, forget it (until the notifications start), and let the dogs do the work.

On top of that, I’m throwing in a giveaway with a little flair: a free T-shirt and free shipping. It’s designed to entice people to engage, share, and join the Isloved world of wagging tails and stylish leashes. I’m also honing in on some niche markets here, targeting dog lovers by breed so each ad feels tailor-made for its audience. And yes, I’m fully prepared for skeptical comments—or, even worse, the sound of digital crickets echoing back.

Results So Far: The balance sheet of this journey reads something like this:

But that’s okay! Testing isn’t a failure if it doesn’t work on the first try. It’s like planting seeds—you don’t wake up the next day expecting a forest. I’m testing the waters and letting the analytics show me which content gets people clicking (or at least scrolling a little slower as they pass by).

The Apple Tax Surprise

At one point, I thought I’d boost a post straight from my Instagram app on my iPad, thinking a little extra oomph might help. But then, out of nowhere, error. Turns out, I’d totally forgotten that I’d locked myself out of in-app purchases on my iPad. Past me wisely knew future me’s weakness for late-night impulse buys and preemptively locked me out. Thanks, past me!

This little hiccup led me to investigate, and that’s when I uncovered the sneaky culprit: Apple’s 30% fee. When you boost posts within Instagram’s app on iOS, Apple takes a generous cut—essentially a “convenience fee”—because they count the boost as an in-app purchase. So instead of paying that extra Apple tax, I’ll be hopping onto my computer to handle boosts from the Instagram website or Meta Business Suite, both free of this fee. Lesson learned: read the fine print, and always, always thank past you for those self-imposed tech limitations.

What’s Next? The name of the game is to keep tweaking—because it’s the minor details that can make a major difference. I’ll test different images, swap out some calls-to-action, and try variations in captions (should I be more “Hey dog lovers, we got you” or go full Shakespearean and ask “Dost thou seek the finest dogwear?”).

The point here is to see what clicks, what sticks, and what doesn’t get a second glance. Whatever works best gets the full spotlight in the next round. Because when you’re starting out with ads, it’s all about learning, refining, and yes, a little guessing until the data starts speaking our language.

So here’s to learning, experimenting, and the hope that my latest dog of the day becomes tomorrow’s viral sensation.