Perpetual Traffic: SaaS Case Study – The Lazy Way to a 26.31 MER Using Creative Diversification

Host: Ralph Burns (CEO of Tier 11)
Date: Nov 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Ralph Burns delivers a behind-the-scenes case study of a SaaS client who scaled from $1.3k to $393k monthly revenue (and ultimately over $8 million in attributed revenue) through smart, creative diversification and advanced data strategies. Ralph details the exact frameworks and strategies Tier 11 used to help the client achieve a staggering 26.31 MER (Media Efficiency Ratio)—that’s $26 back for every ad dollar spent. This episode provides actionable insights for SaaS marketers, agency owners, and performance marketing pros eager to unlock higher returns while reducing ad spend.

Key Takeaways & Discussion Points

1. The Client & Initial Challenge ([04:30])

• Business Overview: SaaS company focused on credit repair and coaching others to consult in this area.
• Starting Point:
  • Before working with Tier 11, the client earned just $1,300/mo online.
  • Marketing knowledge and infrastructure were minimal; no functional ad account.
  • MER was a dismal 0.06 on $1,300 monthly ad spend.

2. Resurrecting The Ad Account: "Calling Batman" ([06:20])

• Account was banned due to credit/finance vertical compliance; client lost the ability to advertise.
• Quote:

  “So the first thing that we had to do is we had to get on the bat phone. We still have the Meta bat phone to this day.”
  (Ralph Burns, 07:30)

• Tier 11 leveraged direct Meta partnerships to quickly reactivate the ad account, clarifying the business model was distinct from prohibited lending categories.

3. NCAC Reducer Framework: Redefining Acquisition ([09:12])

• Old Approach: Excessive retargeting, high ad frequency (up to 7), limited new customer growth.
• Tier 11 Strategy:
  • Lowered frequency to ~3, shifting focus to acquiring new prospects instead of bombarding existing ones.
  • Spurred purchases from $77k/mo pre-engagement to $341k/mo after strategic changes.
• Metric Evolution: Shift from outdated ROAS focus to MER & NCAC (New Customer Acquisition Cost).
• Quote:

  “If you have a 7 frequency at Meta Ads and you’re only spending $77,000 a month, you’re basically showing your ads to the same people over and over…”
  (Ralph Burns, 10:20)

4. Channel Synergy: Meta Tees, Google Sinks ([14:10])

• Simple but powerful multi-platform approach: Use interruption platforms (Meta) for brand awareness and Google Ads (including branded search) to ‘seal the deal’.
• Process:
  • Prospect discovers brand via Meta ads (cold traffic), then is converted via branded Google search or remarketing.
  • Result? Substantial lifts in conversion rate—cited examples of Google ads with 18-27% conversion rates.
• Quote:

  “It’s just teeing things up on one side and then getting the conversion on the other side. Very, very simple strategy here which I think any business can do.”
  (Ralph Burns, 16:15)

5. Creative Diversification: The Secret Sauce ([19:00])

• Initial Problem: Early creatives were repetitive, visually and narratively similar—limiting engagement and reach.
• Solution: Built a creative ‘engine’ deploying 30+ fresh, differentiated assets monthly—each at least 80% unique.
• Framework: Developed an early version of the Creative Strategy Framework (CSF), mapping creative concepts to varied Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and storytelling angles.
• Quote:

  “You can’t have all the same ad copy, you can’t have the same look and feel… we realized that we really had to shake things up.”
  (Ralph Burns, 19:48)

6. Example: Transformational Story Video Ad ([25:35])

• Structure: Eye-catching thumbnail (with local context), short biographical intro, relatable ‘before’ problem, “aha!” discovery, proof of transformation, social proof, call-to-action.
• Encouraged UGC-style, authentic testimonial creatives to drive engagement and trust.
• Quote:

  “This one was very compelling because it sort of told a transformational story… I had my problem with my credit and suddenly I use some of their systems and all of a sudden my credit score went up to 721.”
  (Ralph Burns, 26:35)

7. Landing Pages Matter Too ([27:30])

• High-converting custom landing pages were crucial for post-click conversion—though only briefly mentioned, Ralph noted ongoing testing to optimize performance at every stage.

8. Results & Attribution Evolution ([29:05])

• Tier 11 Data Suite enabled high-transparency, multi-channel attribution.
• Major ramp in spend and sales (from 764 sales/$48k in one month to 4,200 sales/$772k in six months during the ramp-up).
• Eventually, optimization allowed lower spend for greater returns:
  • MER reached 26.31 in the most recent window (2025)—remarkable leap from pre-engagement numbers.
  • Total attributed revenue surpassed $8M.
• Quote:

  “It’s not all about spending more. It’s about spending less and getting more out of it.”
  (Ralph Burns, 32:50)

9. Key Strategic Principles ([34:45])

• Creative diversity is more critical than ever for paid social.
• Brand awareness powers lower-funnel conversion across platforms.
• True full-funnel measurement, not channel siloing, is required to scale SaaS profitably in 2025 and beyond.

Memorable Quotes

• On account rescue:

  “We had to get on the bat phone… I had to nudge Meta probably every couple of months in New York just to kind of maintain the relationship because it’s so important for us.”
  – 07:30

• On creative testing:

  “The only way to succeed is through great data, great media buying and great creative. And when I say great creative, that’s 30 plus creatives per month that are fully diversified… and then you iterate on the ones that do the best.”
  – 03:45

• On philosophy shift:

  “It’s not all about spending more, it’s about spending less and getting more out of it. And that’s a key differentiator.”
  – 32:50

• On agency comparison:

  “Our old agency was like a horse buggy. Tier 11 are flying in outer space.”
  – Guest testimonial, 36:55

Important Segment Timestamps

• Intro & Context: 00:00 – 04:00
• Client Background & Initial Challenges: 04:30 – 07:00
• Meta Account Resurrection ("Bat Phone"): 06:20 – 09:10
• Retargeting Problem & NCAC Reducer Framework: 09:12 – 14:00
• Channel Synergy (Meta + Google): 14:10 – 18:45
• Creative Diversification Begins: 19:00 – 25:30
• Transformational Story Ad Breakdown: 25:35 – 27:30
• Landing Page & Full Funnel Testing: 27:30 – 29:00
• Ramp Up to 26.31 MER and $8M Attributed Revenue: 29:05 – 36:00
• Summary Principles & CTA: 36:00 – 38:30

Recap: How They Got to 26.31 MER

• Rescue and reactivation: Leveraging direct Meta relationships.
• Smart segmentation: Refocus from saturating existing customers to acquiring net-new, high-intent leads.
• Full-funnel, multi-platform: Meta for first-touch awareness, Google for conversion.
• Relentless creative innovation: 30+ uniquely diverse new ads per month, mapped to detailed ICPs and tested against evolving creative frameworks.
• Landing page & conversion optimization: Not just the ads—the post-click experience was iteratively refined.
• Advanced attribution: Using Tier 11 Data Suite to see, optimize, and validate each channel’s role.

In Ralph’s Words:

“As long as you have tremendous creative diversification upfront, you don’t necessarily need to ramp up your ad spend. You can actually capitalize on SEO and your branded keyword searches on Google.” – (31:40)

For Listeners Wanting More

• Ralph invites SaaS founders and marketers to explore the Creative Diversification Package, including full media buying and data support, at tier11.com/cd.
• Only a limited number of slots are available, reflecting the hands-on, intensive nature of the Tier 11 approach.

Final Thought:
This episode provides a masterclass in balancing creative scale, platform synergy, and pragmatic data strategy. For SaaS marketers tired of “spend more to get more,” Ralph’s approach proves that a diversified, strategic, and data-driven method can multiply returns while reducing risk and cost.