Case Study · Ads OS · Meta January 2026 · Best month on record

Building pipelines
through storytelling.

Three custom home & cottage builders. One proven Meta Ads formula. Real leads, moving through real pipelines.

142 Total leads
across 3 accounts
~$19 Blended CPL
avg. cost per lead
66,230+ Total reach
unique Meta accounts
~$3,086 Combined spend
January 2026
¶ 00 Executive Summary

Three brands.
One formula.

In January 2026 — our clients' best month on record — storytelling and project-showcase ads on Meta drove high-quality leads for three custom home and cottage builders at outstanding cost-per-lead figures.

Every account ran a different creative angle. Every account benefited from the same underlying formula: a story-led hook, a project showcase, a self-selecting audience signal, and a frictionless lead form.

Leads aren't just numbers here. They're real conversations — buyers actively advancing through builder pipelines, with founders Brian and Sita confirming lead quality on the Ever After side, and Ballantyne's Port Severn campaign generating meaningful builds-in-conversation.

01 / Client Spotlight

Ballantyne Builds

Custom cottages · Muskoka & Port Severn · January 2026

45 Form Leads
$17.08 Cost per Lead
26,986 Reach
$768.63 Spend
2.02 Frequency
Ad Leads CPL Spend Note
Port Severn — Ad 2 35 $17.87 $625.50 Top performer
165 Big Rock Rd — Ad 4 7 $16.15 $113.06 —
Action Island 5 — Ad 5 3 $8.31 $24.94 —
Dwight 2 — Ad 6 — — $5.13 —
The winning creative

Port Severn: the ad that dominated.

The Hook

An aerial drone shot of a stunning completed cottage grabs attention instantly — viewers stop scrolling because the home is aspirational and beautiful.

Location Signal

"Thinking about building your dream cottage in Muskoka?" — naming Muskoka targets buyers already dreaming about the area, filtering for high intent.

Storytelling Format

A 51-second video walks through the finished build — prospects get a real feel for the craftsmanship and what's possible, not just a static image.

The Result

35 of 45 total leads from this one ad — 78% of all leads at just $17.87 CPL. 1.5K reactions and 126 comments signal massive organic resonance.

02 / Client Spotlight

Ever After Homes

Custom homes · Erin & surrounding areas · January 2026

Campaign 01

Build Your Dream House — Permit Leads

42Leads
$18.38CPL
31,688Reach
$771.94Spend
1.60Frequency
Campaign 02

Build Your Dream House — Leads

28Leads
$27.51CPL
11,822Reach
$770.30Spend
2.00Frequency
Totals 70 leads 39,244 reach $22.03 avg. CPL $1,542.24 total spend
The winning creative

Hook C: Brian's permit moment.

The Hook

Brian, the founder, stands on an active job site and opens with: "So with the permits ready, now you are in control." It immediately signals to viewers who already have permits that this is for them.

Precision Targeting

This hook self-selects the audience: homeowners who've already gone through the permit process are in buying mode and ready to move to the build stage — the highest-intent segment possible.

Real & Authentic

Shot on-location at a real build site with the founder speaking directly to camera — no actors, no polish. That authenticity builds immediate trust.

The Result

42 leads at $17.73 CPL from this single hook. Hook C alone delivered 96% of the spend and 100% of the Permit Leads campaign results. 321 reactions and 11 comments confirm strong engagement.

03 / New Client

Simply Home Builders

Spring Parade Home 2026 · First 2 months of partnership · Launched 2 months ago

27 Website Leads
$17.67 Cost per Lead
6,948 Reach
$477.11 Spend to date
2.41 Frequency
Strategy

We built a targeted campaign around their Spring Parade Home 2026 — a high-visibility annual event for new home buyers. By focusing on website leads (instead of form leads), we drive buyers directly to the property listing to self-qualify. 27 leads in under two months at $17.67 CPL is a strong early signal with clear room to scale.

¶ 04 April 2026 · Two-Account Snapshot

The formula keeps working.

A second month of data: in April 2026, the same storytelling and project-showcase formula delivered 50 high-quality leads across Ballantyne Builds and Ever After Homes, with leads actively moving through both pipelines.

50 Total Leads
across both accounts
$44.88 Avg. Cost / Lead
blended CPL
34,118 Total Reach
unique accounts
$2,244 Combined Spend
April 2026
Ballantyne Builds

Port Severn drove 22 cottage leads at $33.98 CPL.

  • 22 leads · 15,406 reach · $747.60 spend · 1.96 frequency
  • "Port Severn" storytelling creative again the top performer.
  • Leads engaging positively on cottage builds.
Ever After Homes

Erin campaign delivered 28 home leads, $53.46 blended CPL.

  • Permit Leads: 15 leads · $49.89 CPL · $748.33 spend
  • Leads: 13 leads · $57.58 CPL · $748.50 spend
  • Brian & Sita confirm strong pipeline activity.
¶ 05 What's Working

The creative formula
that converts.

01

Storytelling ads

Ads that walk through a build — from foundation to finished home — create emotional connection. Viewers see themselves in the journey.

02

Project showcase hooks

Showcasing real completed homes (Port Severn, Erin) anchors quality and trust. Aspirational visuals make buyers stop scrolling.

03

Founder-led creative

Brian's on-site, talking-to-camera style builds instant authenticity. Buyers trust a real person more than polished ads.

04

Self-selecting hooks

"Permits ready?" targets the exact stage in the buyer journey. This filters for the highest-intent audience automatically.

05

Location-specific ads

Naming real communities (Muskoka, Port Severn, Erin) signals local expertise and attracts buyers already searching in those areas.

06

Meta lead forms

Friction-free forms let buyers submit in seconds — keeping CPLs competitive while capturing strong intent signals at scale.

¶ 06 Want results like these?

Let's build your pipeline.

01

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Email Kireeti

Tell us what you sell and who you sell to. We'll come back with a 30-day plan.

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