Hungry Bear
“Sign-ups are cheap. Nobody activates.”
A $6 trial that never logs in twice is a $6 waste. Optimising for sign-up alone fills the funnel with tyre-kickers who forget they signed up.
Benjamin Boman · Freelance Media Buyer
Meta ads that turn sign-ups into paying users
I run Facebook and Instagram sign-up campaigns for SaaS and app businesses that need free trials, freemium accounts and demo requests that actually activate and convert. Twelve years, one process: ad → sign-up → activation → paying user.
Sign up campaigns
Industries I've run Meta campaigns for
- Marketing agencies
- B2B manufacturing
- Family law
- Flight schools
- Training & certification
- Pilates studios
- Gyms & personal trainers
- Online coaching
- SaaS
- Junk removal & movers
- Mobile apps
- Shopify apps
- Ecommerce
- Business coaches
- Low-ticket digital products
Sound familiar?
The three things I hear from SaaS founders and growth leads on almost every first call.
“Meta sends us the wrong kind of user.”
Broad targeting and a “start free” button attract hobbyists, not buyers. The pixel needs to see who activates and pays, so Meta can find more of them.
“We can't tie ad spend to MRR.”
Sign-ups land in Meta, activation in your product analytics, revenue in Stripe. Nobody can say what a paying user actually cost.
The sign-up chain I run for every SaaS
Each link is measured on its own: cost per sign-up, activation rate, cost per paying user. When one drops, we know exactly where to look.
- 1
Targeted ad
Built around the one job your product does better, aimed at the people who have that problem this week.
- 2
Sign-up page
A fast page or in-app flow with the fewest fields that still qualify. Trial, freemium or demo, whichever fits your model.
- 3
Activation sequence
Onboarding emails and nudges that get people to the first “aha” moment. Activation events fed back to Meta so it optimises for real users.
- 4
Paying user
Activated users and dormant ones get different follow-ups. Upgrade prompts, trial-ending sequences and retargeting, tracked through to MRR.
What's included
One retainer, no setup fees, no long lock-in. You keep full ownership of your ad accounts and data.
Campaign build & management
Strategy, targeting, budgets, daily checks and weekly optimisation inside Meta Ads Manager.
Ad copy & creative direction
Hooks, body copy and briefs for your designer or video person. New variants every fortnight.
Sign-up flow, tracking & onboarding emails
Landing page, pixel and Conversions API for sign-up, activation and purchase events, and the onboarding email sequence, connected to your CRM.
Weekly plain-English reporting
Cost per sign-up, activation rate and cost per paying user. A short Loom, not a 30-page PDF.
Why one media buyer instead of an agency
I've been running Meta campaigns for 12+ years, across pretty much every industry you can think of: agencies, law firms, flight schools, gyms, SaaS, movers, ecommerce brands, coaches. Different offers, same underlying process.
What I've noticed is that the businesses that do well aren't the ones with the cleverest ads. They're the ones where someone is actually watching the numbers every day and adjusting. That's the job.
I'm one person, not an agency. You talk to me, I run the account, and I only take on a handful of clients at a time so that stays true.
Benjamin BomanFreelance Media Buyer, Hungry Bear
Questions I get asked
What does it cost?
A flat monthly retainer, quoted after the first call once I've seen your account and goals. Ad spend is paid directly to Meta from your own account.
Do you optimise for sign-ups or paying users?
We start on sign-ups to get volume, then move the optimisation event to activation or purchase as soon as there's enough data. That's the point where user quality jumps.
Is there a minimum ad budget?
Yes — $1,500 per month in ad spend. Below that, Meta doesn't get enough sign-ups to optimise properly and we'd be guessing. Most clients spend more; we'll work out the right number on the call.
Can you improve our activation rate?
Usually the biggest win. Setting the right expectations in the ad, cutting sign-up friction and a proper onboarding sequence lifts activation, and Meta gets better users to learn from.
Do I have to sign a long contract?
No. Month to month after an initial three-month setup period. You keep the ad account, the pixel, the creative and the data.
What happens on the strategy call?
15 minutes. I'll look at your current ads and funnel beforehand, tell you what I'd change and why, and you decide if you want help doing it. If we're not a fit, you'll still leave with a plan.
Let's look at your sign-up funnel together
Leave your details and I'll get back to you within a working day, or skip the wait and grab a free 15-minute strategy call. Limited spots per month so I can actually prepare.
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