📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Stop Using Facebook Ads to Tell the World How Great You Are If your actions aren't speaking louder than your ads, work more and advertise less.

By Steve Eakin

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

coffeeka | Getty Images

We get it. You built a "system" to turn $100 in Facebook ad spend into $301,424.37 in monthly revenue (or something equally absurd.) And now you want to teach us how to do it too.

Congrats on your success, but sorry, no. You're shouting it so loud that we don't really believe you anymore.

If you fancy yourself an entrepreneur of sorts, your Facebook feed is littered with people you've never heard of that "cracked the code" of making money online, and they just can't wait to show you how they did it. It was amazing at first. Then it became cool. Then "neat." Now, its like you're walking past a bunch of used car lots with some shady salesman shouting at you to come test drive their lowest priced, but somehow best, car.

Related: 6 Proven Facebook Advertising Offers You Can Use to Attract More Business

Advertisers are getting so loud that it's hard to take them seriously. It's an understandable trap to get stuck in. Tons of people have figured out how to build million dollar businesses online, and they want to show you how too. After all, there's an even bigger business in showing you the path they took.

The problem is how loud and absurd it's gotten. I'm sure are there are legitimate opportunities hidden in the crowd, but it's just so damn loud now. And the irony of it all is, making money online isn't some DaVinci code to crack. It's not an impossible task or secret only available to a select few. Everyone can do it. It just takes work -- real, honest work. Anyone telling you to try some magic system, sit back and watch the cash flow in isn't telling you the whole story. Yes, you can absolutely do that -- after you put in the work to get there.

People are sick of advertisements selling their souls just to make a buck, and I'm sick of it too. It's much more respectful, and I believe much more profitable, to be honest and humble with your success.

Related: Creating Advertising Hooks That Work on Facebook

That's where long term gains come in. And respect. People become life-long customers from companies they value and respect. They'll buy the shiny new object, but it's a fad, not a trend.

You don't have to shut your ads down, but maybe tone them down. It's not about being the loudest, it's about being honest and connecting with your audience in a real and meaningful way. Unless, of course, you're just looking to make a quick buck. Then, by all means, keep it up. But seriously, enough of the noise and shiny objects already. We've had enough. We want real value from real people. Keep the guru crap to yourself. Your modesty will get you farther than you can get by being a shameless huckster.

Full disclosure: I have ads running. People click it, join my free course to build their first app without learning to code, and turn it into a business from there.

Related: Why Boosting Your Facebook Posts Is Just Throwing Money Down the Drain

I'm not screaming "make tons of money with this system without doing any work!" I'm being honest and letting the success of the free course speak for itself. The goal is to deliver long-term value that will pay me back ten-fold in the years to come -- not to make a quick buck. Yes, there's a paid program for sale at the end, and if people liked what they got for free, maybe they'll buy.

But maybe not, and that's ok too.

Steve Eakin

Founder of Startup Black Belt

Steve Eakin is a speaker, investor, startup advisor and the founder of Startup Black Belt, where he helps tech startups launch, grow and scale.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

The Met Museum, OpenAI Created an AI Chatbot With the Persona of a 1930s Socialite for a New Exhibit

The finale of the Costume Institute's latest fashion exhibit features a wedding dress worn 94 years ago by New York socialite Natalie Potter and an AI chatbot with her vibe.

Business News

Kevin O'Leary Says This Is a 'Huge Red Flag' When He's Looking at Resumes

The "Shark Tank" star took to X to share his opinions on job hopping — and how long you should really stay in a job.

Marketing

4 Things Ecommerce Startups Need to Be Careful About When Running A/B Tests

A/B testing is a powerful tool, but you should be aware of these aspects that people often overlook.

Marketing

10 Ways to Use AI for Hyper-Personalized Marketing

The future of marketing is not just about privacy and personalization. It's predictive, proactive and powered by AI.

Business News

'An Obvious Move': Elon Musk Suggests Warren Buffett Should Make This Investment Move Next

Berkshire Hathaway held its Annual Shareholder meeting over the weekend.