#126: Why I Waited So Long To Try BookBub Ads

Read Time: 2.5 Minutes

For years, I ignored BookBub Ads for one core reason...

I'd convinced myself it only worked for $0.99 and free books.

Classic mistake: dismissing something before you know what it's really capable of.

But earlier this year, I finally took the plunge.

And I'm kicking myself for waiting so long.

Here's what happened (the good, the bad, and the "why didn't I do this sooner").

What Actually Worked

The conversion rates were different.

Facebook Ads? I'm thrilled with 2-4% conversion rates.

BookBub Ads? I was seeing 10-15% conversion rates right out of the gate. Some campaigns are pushing 20%.

The traffic quality is just... better. These aren't random scrollers who might like (and buy) books. They're active readers hunting for their next read.

My cost-per-sale dropped too. In some cases, half what I was paying on Facebook Ads for the same book.

And here's what really stung... it worked for full-price books.

Not just discounted. Not just free. Full price.

That myth I'd believed for years? Completely wrong.

Just goes to show... don't assume anything until you've tested it for yourself.

The BookBub Ads I'm running for full-price books are converting at anywhere from 7%-15% (that's for a $4.99 book), with a cost per sale of $3-5.

And what's more... I'm seeing solid readthrough to later books in the series (tracked in Amazon Attribution and directly attributed to the BookBub Ads), that are priced at $5.99. 

I did track everything from day one using Amazon Attribution.

I understood the power of Amazon Attribution from running Facebook Ads for years. Without Attribution, I knew I'd be flying blind—no idea which campaigns actually drove sales. Just clicking around hoping something worked.

With Amazon Attribution in place though, I knew I'd be able to see which ads actually converted into sales/page reads, not just what got clicks.

What Flopped Hard

My first month was rough.

I spent money like I was testing Facebook Ads—big budgets, fancy creative, throwing spaghetti at the wall.

Burned through $694 before I realized BookBub Ads works differently.

Smaller audiences. Different targeting logic. Some images that convert on Facebook Ads completely flopped on BookBub Ads.

The ad fatigue hits faster too. You can't run the same creative for months like you can on Facebook Ads. The audiences are smaller, so you need to refresh more often.

Took me 5 weeks to figure that out. Five expensive weeks.

What I'd Do Differently

Start with volume testing, not big bets.

$2-$3 daily budgets. Lots of campaigns. Test fast, turn off losers quickly, scale winners.

I was trying to apply Facebook Ads logic to a completely different platform. Bad move.

Another thing I'd do differently is not pay so much attention to CTR (Click-Through Rate) – one of the metrics in the BookBub Ads dashboard.

Yes, it's a useful metric and I do use it in certain situations, but at the end of the day, it's a secondary metric, and not a metric I use to make big decisions on an ad. 

I'd focus on the images used in the ads, more so than the targeting.

Yes, targeting is critically important, but I found the creative (image) you use in your BookBub Ads to be the real needle-mover. 

And I'd give myself permission to be a beginner again.

I came into BookBub Ads thinking "I've run Facebook Ads for five years, this'll be easy."

Wrong mindset. Different platform, different rules, different learning curve.

The Bottom Line

BookBub Ads isn't going to replace Facebook Ads or Amazon Ads. Just as Facebook Ads or Amazon Ads won't replace BookBub Ads.

But BookBub Ads are an incredible addition to your advertising arsenal.

They allow you to diversify your advertising and reach a different audience of readers who may never have come across your books otherwise. 

BookBub Ads is a platform with less competition, higher purchase intent and better conversion rates. 

Yes, there's a learning curve to BookBub Ads. Yes, you'll make mistakes. Yes, it feels uncomfortable at first.

But I can confidently say that BookBub Ads are one of the best decisions we've made for our author business.

That's it for this week.

Thank you so much for reading, enjoy your weekend and see you next Saturday.

To Your Success
– Matt