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Running ads on Google, Facebook, or TikTok feels simple: set your budget, launch campaigns, and wait for results. But here’s the truth: most businesses unknowingly waste up to 30% of their ad budget every single month.
In Singapore and Southeast Asia, where CPCs (cost per click) are rising—sometimes hitting $5–$12 for competitive industries like education, finance, and home services—that wasted spend can be devastating. What’s worse is that this “invisible leak” often happens quietly, disguised as normal performance.
Industry studies confirm this. According to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing, 42% of businesses admit they don’t fully track ROI from digital campaigns. And based on Google Ads audits we’ve done for SMEs, budget leakage averages 25–35% due to poor tracking, irrelevant targeting, and weak attribution models.
So, how do businesses lose this money without noticing?
Dashboards look impressive, but they’re often optimized for reporting, not truth. Many agencies highlight metrics like CTR (click-through rate) or impressions while quietly ignoring ROAS (return on ad spend) and actual leads generated.
Case in Point:
A Singapore education provider was thrilled with a 6% CTR shown in their agency report. But when we connected their CRM and checked actual leads, only 12% of those clicks converted into genuine tuition enquiries. The dashboard masked wasted spend by focusing on “vanity metrics.”
👉 Action Step: Always validate performance with independent tools like GA4 and CRM integrations—not just the agency’s own report.
Attribution—the way conversions are credited—can completely change how campaigns look. Agencies that stick to “last-click” or “first-click” models can over-credit certain campaigns and hide underperformers.
For example, if a customer sees a Facebook ad, clicks a Google Search ad later, and finally buys after an email, a last-click model gives 100% credit to Google Search. This inflates some channels while making others “disappear.”
👉 Action Step: Use data-driven or linear attribution models in GA4 to get a fairer picture of what’s truly driving sales.
Connect with our expert team to transform your sales process with proven digital marketing strategies that deliver real results.
Connect with us! →SMEs here face unique challenges:
• High CPC industries: Insurance, finance, and education often exceed $10 per click.
• Cultural buying behavior: Singaporeans and Southeast Asians research extensively before committing. This means multi-touch journeys where attribution errors matter even more.
• Limited in-house expertise: Many SMEs rely fully on agencies and don’t have internal staff checking spend.
• Competitive ad ecosystem: With MNCs bidding aggressively, SMEs end up fighting in auctions they can’t win without smarter targeting.
That’s why budget leaks are not only common but often accepted as “normal cost of advertising.”
Your business deserves more. Let ThriveMediaSG help your business Increase Sales through digital marketing.
Understand hidden risks in ad reporting, attribution, and cost management so you can focus on real results.
Yes. By using last-click or first-click attribution models, agencies can over-credit certain campaigns while hiding underperformers.
No. Use GA4, CRM integrations, and independent audits to validate results and ensure transparency.
Not always. Simpler, transparent models (like linear or data-driven) often reveal clearer truths than convoluted setups designed to obscure results.
Not sustainably. Bid adjustments may lower CPC short-term, but unless you fix Quality Score, ad relevance, and targeting, CPCs will creep back up.
No. The real goal is CPE (Cost per Enquiry) or CPL (Cost per Lead), not just cheaper clicks. Cheap clicks without conversions waste budget.
Our team consists of seasoned digital marketers, bringing years of hands-on expertise driving results for SMEs and enterprises throughout the APAC region.
from first click to final sale—across Meta, Google, TikTok, YouTube, and your CRM so you can see what’s working and what’s not.
Your videos, landing pages, ads, and data are aligned under one strategy no more juggling vendors.
Budgets shift based on real-time performance, not monthly meetings.
Leads and traffic you already have get optimized for higher ROI and less waste.
Clear reports, honest feedback, and no jargon—even when results aren’t perfect.
Digital Marketing isn’t just about running ads—it’s about turning data into visible growth.
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