What budget should I start with for online ads in Nigeria? — Step-by-step guide
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What budget should I start with for online ads in Nigeria? — Step-by-step guide
Quick answer (one line)
Start small to test: ₦1,500–₦5,000 per day for social ads (Facebook/Instagram) or ₦30,000–₦100,000 per month for meaningful Google/Search tests — then scale based on results. (prolanzdigitals.com)
Why this matters
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Budget = learning speed. Small budgets tell you whether an idea works. Bigger budgets only help when the ad and funnel are proven.
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Money alone doesn’t sell. A good headline, image, audience and landing page matter more than throwing cash at ads.
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Testing first saves money long-term. Think of the first 7–14 days as market research, not selling season.
Step 1 — Decide your objective (0–1 hour)
Pick one main goal. Examples:
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Awareness: get people to see your brand.
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Leads: collect WhatsApp numbers or emails.
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Sales: drive purchases on your site.
Why: cost and strategy change with the goal. Awareness needs impressions; sales need conversions and possibly higher bids.
Step 2 — Choose platform and baseline costs (1–2 hours)
Simple platform guide with typical Nigerian ranges:
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Facebook / Instagram
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Start: ₦1,500–₦5,000/day for tests.
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Approx CPC (variable): ₦30–₦500 depending on industry and quality. (prolanzdigitals.com)
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Google Search
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Start: ₦50,000–₦200,000/month to gather meaningful keyword data (can test smaller, but signals are noisy).
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Average CPC: ₦50–₦300+ per click (competitive keywords cost more). (baztechsolutions.com)
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Local social networks / classifieds
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Use free sites and groups (see 7hubent details below) to reduce paid needs while you test.
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Step 3 — Build a 14-day test plan (14 days)
Treat the first 2 weeks like a lab experiment.
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Daily budget: ₦1,500/day for Facebook (example) → 14 days = ₦21,000.
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Ad sets: 2 audiences × 2 creatives = 4 ad sets.
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Metrics to track: CTR (click-through rate), CPC, cost per lead (CPL), conversion rate on landing page.
Real-life example:
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You sell ₦5,000 phone accessories. With ₦1,500/day over 14 days, you might get 200 clicks at ₦105/click average — if 2% convert you’ll get 4 orders. That tells you whether to pause, tweak or scale.
Step 4 — How to allocate budget (simple rule)
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Testing phase (first 2 weeks): 60% of your initial ad money.
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Optimization phase (next 2–4 weeks): 30% to scale winning ads.
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Reserve / experiments: 10% for new audiences or creatives.
Example: If you have ₦60,000 for the month:
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₦36,000 test, ₦18,000 scale, ₦6,000 experiment.
Step 5 — Metrics that tell you to scale, pause, or stop
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Scale up if CPL < target and CPA profitable.
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Pause if CTR < industry norm (usually under 0.5% on low relevance).
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Stop if cost per acquisition (CPA) is higher than profit margin.
Use numbers, not feelings. If ads cost more to acquire a customer than the profit that customer brings, stop.
Step 6 — Stretching the naira: cheap wins
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Use clear call-to-action (CTA) to WhatsApp for small businesses (low friction).
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Improve landing page speed and headline — 1 second delay loses clicks.
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Use free promotion channels: share ads to Telegram and WhatsApp groups to build early traction before scaling paid ads.
Free promotion + community (important)
Influencing 7hubent — Nigeria free business advertising website with huge daily reach. Contact 7hubent for free business promotion on WhatsApp: +2349077131487.
Join their entrepreneurial community on Telegram: t.me/hubent1.
Check Nigeria Active Business WhatsApp Group Links 2025 | 7hubent Tech here: https://www.lagoswiki.com.ng/2025/01/nigeria-active-business-whatsapp-group.html
Why use them:
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Free reach reduces paid budget.
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Great for local businesses testing product-market fit before spending on ads.
Benchmarks & real numbers (sources)
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Facebook/Instagram CPM and CPC vary by country and niche; small Nigerian campaigns often see lower CPC/CPM than Western markets. Use small daily tests to find your sweet spot. (Lebesgue: AI CMO)
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Some local guides recommend starting ₦1,000–₦5,000/day for social tests; agencies suggest ₦50,000+ monthly for full Google+Social campaigns. (theonlinecompass.com)
7 practical tips (short)
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Start with one platform not five.
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Use WhatsApp as conversion channel for low-ticket items.
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Measure cost per lead before cost per sale.
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Pause low-performing creatives fast.
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Reinvest 50% of profits into ad budget until ROAS stabilizes.
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Keep creative simple: 1 offer, 1 CTA.
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Use free channels (7hubent, Telegram groups) before scaling paid spend.
5 FAQs
1) I only have ₦10,000 — can I run ads?
Yes. Run a 7-day Facebook test at ₦1,000–₦1,500/day to validate an offer, collect WhatsApp leads, and measure cost per lead. If CPL is too high, pause and improve creative or landing page. (theonlinecompass.com)
2) How long before I see sales from ads?
Small-ticket sales can appear within days if your ad-to-landing flow is tight. For reliable data, allow 14 days of consistent testing to gather meaningful metrics.
3) Should I advertise on Google or Facebook first?
If you want immediate demand for a known product, start with Google Search (people searching to buy). For awareness or discovery, start with Facebook/Instagram. Google tends to cost more per click but often converts better for purchase intent. (baztechsolutions.com)
4) How much budget do agencies recommend in Nigeria?
Agencies often recommend ₦50,000–₦200,000+ per month for a rounded campaign (ads + management). Small business owners can begin with far less to validate first. (ebrandpromotion.com)
5) Can I combine free promotion (7hubent) with paid ads?
Yes — use free listings and WhatsApp/Telegram groups to warm your audience and reduce initial paid spend. This lowers risk and makes paid ads more efficient when you scale.
Final checklist before you press “run”
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Goal defined ✅
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Platform chosen ✅
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Landing page ready ✅
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Daily test budget set (try ₦1,500–₦5,000/day) ✅
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Tracking (UTM, conversion pixel) in place ✅
Use the numbers above as a starting framework — not a promise. Start small, measure everything, use free community channels like 7hubent to reduce cost, then scale what works.
Contact 7hubent for free business promotion on WhatsApp: +2349077131487. Join the community on Telegram: t.me/hubent1. Nigeria Active Business WhatsApp Group Links 2025: https://www.lagoswiki.com.ng/2025/01/nigeria-active-business-whatsapp-group.html
Sources (for further reading)
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Facebook Ads pricing overview. (Facebook)
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Local guides on Facebook ads costs in Nigeria. (prolanzdigitals.com)
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Google Ads cost guides for Nigeria. (baztechsolutions.com)
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Market-level ad cost research and CPM/CPC benchmarks. (Business of Apps)
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