In this episode of Small Business School, Staci sits down with Britt Holmes, founder of Merit Media, to unpack how small businesses can navigate the shift toward paid advertising and use ads strategically to grow in 2026. With more than 14 years of experience in digital advertising, Britt has worked across hundreds of campaigns and managed multimillion-dollar ad budgets before launching her own agency focused on helping small businesses scale with smarter ad strategies.

Together, Staci and Britt break down the realities of modern marketing, how to know when your business is ready for ads, and the key mistakes entrepreneurs make when trying to run them themselves.

Key topics covered:

Why organic social media reach has declined and what that means for small businesses
The return of the “pay-to-play” marketing model in the digital era
How Britt went from managing $40M in e-commerce ads to building an agency serving small businesses
Why running ads isn’t as simple as setting them up and walking away
The foundational elements every business needs before investing in ads
How ads differ for product-based vs service-based businesses
The biggest misconceptions about DIY ad courses and quick-win marketing strategies
Why businesses need to commit time and testing before expecting results
What realistic ad timelines and budgets look like for small businesses
Smart questions entrepreneurs should ask before hiring an ad agency

As marketing continues to evolve, visibility is no longer just about showing up, it’s about showing up strategically. For small businesses ready to grow, paid ads can become one of the most powerful tools available when used with the right systems, expectations, and expertise behind them.

Britt invites you to check out this recent blog post https://www.meritmedia.com/post/how-to-spot-a-rookie-ad-expert

Connect with Britt:

Instagram: @meritmedia.inc @brittholmeslive

Website: meritmedia.com

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.