Meta ads for D2C brands, judged on profit
Facebook and Instagram ads built around contribution margin, with new creatives every week.
Who it is for: D2C brands spending ₹1 lakh or more a month on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta ads: the formats we run
Each one used where it earns.
Advantage+ sales campaigns
These are Meta's automated campaigns for online sales, and we feed them clean conversion data and strong creative.
Catalogue ads
Ads built from your product feed, so every product can be advertised without a new creative.
Reels and Stories
These are vertical video placements, where creator content performs best.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads
Ads that open a WhatsApp chat, useful for high-value or considered purchases.
How we set up Meta ads
Step by step, in the order we do it.
- 1Tracking before budget
We check the Meta pixel, the Conversions API and the deduplication between them, then read the event match quality score. If purchases are not counted properly, nothing else in the account can be trusted.
- 2Fewer, stronger campaigns
We consolidate the account: an Advantage+ sales campaign to prospect at scale, a separate campaign for testing new creative, and catalogue ads for people who have already viewed products. Fewer ad sets leave the learning phase faster.
- 3A catalogue sorted by margin
We connect the Shopify catalogue, fix titles and images, and build product sets by margin, so the products that earn the most get the most spend.
- 4A weekly creative test
New concepts go into the testing campaign every week with a fixed budget. Winners move into the scaling campaign, and losers are paused once they have spent enough to judge.
- 5Budgets raised on margin
We raise budgets in steps of about 20%, and only on campaigns that are profitable after contribution margin. Platform ROAS on its own is not enough.
- 6Regions watched for RTO
We exclude recent buyers from prospecting and compare RTO by state and city. Where returns eat the margin, we cut or exclude that region.
What you get each month
- Four to eight new creative concepts tested, with results written up
- Catalogue and product set upkeep, including new launches
- Audience and exclusion lists refreshed
- A monthly review with the plan and budget for the next month
What we need from you
- Admin access to Business Manager, the ad account, pixel and catalogue. You stay the owner.
- Product cost or margin by product, so we can report contribution margin
- Brand guidelines and any creatives you already have
- Stock updates before sales and launches
Facts we plan Meta ads around
Checked in October 2026, with the source for each.
About 50 results a week
An ad set leaves Meta's learning phase after about 50 optimisation events in seven days. Below that, it shows as Learning limited and costs swing.
Source: Meta Business Help Centre
Pixel plus Conversions API
Meta recommends running the pixel and the Conversions API together, with deduplication, so each purchase is counted once.
Source: Meta Business Help Centre
What we do every week
Run by a senior marketer with five accounts at most.
- Account rebuilt around margin after returns
- Conversions API set up so Meta sees real orders
- New creatives tested every week
- Budgets moved weekly to campaigns above break-even ROAS
- Placements and regions with high RTO cut back
Where brands lose money with Meta ads
Scaling on platform ROAS
Meta counts orders when placed. Returns and RTO come later, so the best-looking campaign can be the one losing money.
Too few creatives
Advantage+ needs fresh creative to find buyers. Four ads a month is not enough.
Broken tracking
Without the Conversions API, Meta misses orders and optimises on half the picture.
What you will see in every weekly report
You see ROAS and contribution margin side by side, every week.
In every weekly report
- ROAS
- Contribution margin after ads
- CPA
- New vs returning buyers
- Frequency and hook rate
- What changed, what is next, and what didn't work
Custom reports, built for how you make money
- Margin by product and size
- ROAS by city and dark store
- Repeat orders by cohort
- RTO by pin code and payment method
- Marketplace vs website profit
Weekly
Report and call
ROAS and margin by channel, what changed, what is next.
Monthly
Report and call
It compares results against your targets and sets next month's roadmap.
Quarterly
Projections and plan
Realistic numbers from your own data, checked against what actually happened.
The first 90 days
How Meta ads usually starts, from the free audit to the first quarterly plan.
Week 1
Audit, tracking fixed, break-even ROAS per product
Weeks 2 to 4
Campaigns and creatives live, losers cut weekly
Month 2
Scale every campaign above break-even
Month 3
Review against written targets, next-quarter plan
How we run your account
The same operating rhythm on every account, from the first week.
A senior marketer
Owns your account and your targets, with five ad accounts at most.
Weekly report and call
ROAS next to contribution margin, what changed and what happens next.
Live dashboard
Every channel in one view, so you never wait for the weekly call.
Monthly review
Results against the targets agreed in writing, and next month's plan.
Quarterly plan
Projections built from your own numbers, checked against what happened.
Slack or WhatsApp
Day-to-day questions answered by the person who runs your account.
Agency vs in-house vs Mobile First, for Meta ads
| Typical agency | In-house team | Your growth teamMobile First | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget decisions | At the monthly review, on platform ROAS | When someone gets time to check | Every week, on margin after returns and RTO |
| New creatives | A fresh batch when results drop | Whatever the founder can brief | New concepts tested every week, including creator videos |
| Tracking | Pixel installed at onboarding | Set up once by a freelancer | Pixel and Conversions API, checked against your store's orders |
| Who runs it | A junior across 15 or more accounts | One person across every channel | A senior marketer with five accounts at most |
Industries where we run Meta ads
Each industry page covers the season, channels and checks for that category.
IndustryFashion and apparelApparel RTO averages 25 to 40%; ethnic wear runs 30 to 45%.IndustryFood and beverageAbout 16 to 17% of India's e-retail spend went through quick commerce in 2025 (Bain).IndustryJewelleryJewellery has one of the lowest RTO rates, 4 to 12%, so trust and photography decide conversion.IndustryBeauty and personal careCOD returns run 18 to 22%, mostly 'not as described' and skin sensitivity.IndustryFootwearSize problems drive over 60% of footwear returns.IndustryEyewearPrescription glasses are about 73% of eyewear sales by value, so the lens and power step decides online sales.
Meta ads: questions brands ask
How much should a D2C brand spend on Meta ads?
Enough to give each campaign about 50 conversions a week, which is when Meta's delivery settles. For most D2C brands that starts around ₹1 to 3 lakh a month. We set the budget from your break-even ROAS, so spend only grows on campaigns that make money after returns and RTO.
What is a good ROAS for Meta ads in India?
It depends on your margin. A brand with 50% margin before ads breaks even at a ROAS of 2. A brand with 30% needs 3.3. We calculate your break-even ROAS for each product before we start and judge every campaign against it, not against an industry average.
Do you use Advantage+ sales campaigns?
Yes, we use them where they fit. They work best with clean conversion data, a healthy product feed and a steady flow of creative. We run them alongside manual campaigns so you can see which one makes more money after returns.
How quickly can you start scaling?
Campaigns go live in the first week. From day 14 we raise budgets on every campaign above break-even ROAS, usually in steps of 20 to 30% so performance holds. Campaigns below break-even are cut or rebuilt, never scaled.
Do you run Instagram ads too?
Yes. Meta ads cover Facebook and Instagram, including Reels and Stories placements.
Do you use catalogue ads?
Yes. Catalogue ads build ads from your product feed, so every product can be advertised without a new creative.
How often do you change the ads?
We test new creative every week and move budget towards the ads that make money after returns.
Do you set up the Conversions API?
Yes. It recovers orders the pixel misses and gives Meta better data, so campaigns optimise for real sales.
Can you advertise to customers who returned items?
We can exclude repeat-RTO buyers and high-RTO pin codes, so ads stop chasing orders that come back.
What will we see each week?
You see ROAS next to contribution margin for every campaign, what changed and what we will do next.
60 seconds
Are we a great fit?
Five questions, no email needed. You get an honest answer on screen.
Great fit
Your answers match the brands we help most.
Book 30 minutes and we will read your accounts before the call.
Book a callGood fit
A 30-minute call will show where your profit is leaking.
You keep the findings either way.
Book a callNot yet
A full team may be more than you need right now.
Our free tools will show you where your money goes today. When you cross ₹5 lakh a month, come back and we will read your accounts. If you would like advice before then, we are happy to talk.
Talk to us about Meta ads
Tell us about your brand. We read your accounts before the call, so it is about your numbers.
- Free growth audit, yours to keep
- ROAS and profit read for every channel
- WhatsApp reply within one working day