Sokol Systems
Blog
Notes on ads that keep working.
Research and practical notes on ad creative: what we find in real ad accounts, what creative costs, and how to build on the ads that already work.
- Research
Why paid ad creative goes wrong: what 167 reviews and forum posts say
We read 167 public reviews and forum posts about ads and marketing help that didn’t pay off. Here’s what went wrong most often, what cost the most, and seven questions to ask before you pay anyone.
- Research
Half the local businesses we checked had a Meta ad running for over a year
We checked the live Meta ads of 35 med spas, restaurants and gyms. Half had an ad running for over a year, and most small advertisers had nothing new beside it.
- Pricing
What ad creative costs in 2026: freelancers, design subscriptions, in-house and agencies
Published prices for the usual ways to get ads made, checked in October 2026: freelancers, design subscriptions, an in-house team and creative agencies, and when each makes sense.