Case Study›Aspiring Guides Paid Media

Aspiring Guides Paid Media

Aspiring Guides Paid Media Strategy: Modest Budget, Big Results

April 2025

The Partner

Aspiring Guides, an adventure company based in Wānaka, launched their new website in July 2024, designed and built by Data Story. The site highlights their refreshed brand and an impressive lineup of outdoor adventures available for online booking. From small group hikes and alpine courses led by qualified instructors to glacier ski trips and guided ascents of world-renowned peaks, they offer something for every level of explorer.

Data Story Services

Analytics & TrackingPaid Advertising

237%

Increase in form submissions through Google Ads

1100%

Increase in leads from Facebook Ads

130%

Increase in conversions from Google Ads

The Challenge

Aspiring Guides turned to Data Story seeking help with their Paid Media strategy. Although their existing campaigns were generating plenty of impressions and clicks, they were falling short on leads, mainly due to a broad targeting on a limited budget and a seasonal, ad-hoc campaign approach. With their fresh new branding and website, it was the perfect moment to reset and create a smarter, more efficient system. They needed a simple, sustainable, year-round strategy that would consistently attract leads and bookings, while being easy to manage in-house.

Our Approach

We applied Data Story's proven Dream / Plan / Book paid media framework as the foundation.

Mapped the customer journey and booking behaviours for key segments: Trek, Climb, Ski & Courses

We did a deep dive in each of the 4 product segments and gathered as much information on monthly search volumes, booking lead times and current sales distribution.

Created a new always-on Google & Facebook ad strategy aligned with the Dream / Plan / Book funnel

With our findings, we built a new strategy where each product segment would get a share of the budget and established monthly budgets for each. We also made sure the full funnel would be covered, no matter the product category and which platform would be involved at each level. Meta would cover the Dream layer with carousels and videos, while Search and PMAX campaigns in Google Ads would cover the Plan layer. Finally, we closed the funnel with a retargeting layer in both Google and Meta.

Built and launched new campaign structures, including keywords, audiences and ad creatives

With the help of the client, we built the new Google Ads and Meta ads, tracking URLs, audiences and campaigns, before launching it all just before Christmas.

The Results

The results proved our hypothesis that investing time in detailed keyword research and sticking to a focused, high-intent list will drive better results and higher-quality leads. In the first three months, compared to the previous period with 57% more budget, Google Ads delivered a +130% increase in conversions and a +237% increase in enquiry and contact form submissions, alongside an 18% increase in website engagement rate. Facebook Ads, running on 40% less budget, delivered a +1100% increase in leads through targeted and retargeted campaigns, a +72% increase in website sessions, and maintained strong engagement rate and time on site.

Key Takeaways

Keep the targeting tight & the ads simple

While many ad platforms encourage broad targeting and keyword matching, this approach often wastes budget, especially when funds are limited. Investing time in detailed keyword research and sticking to a focused, high-intent list will drive better results and higher-quality leads.

Adopt an always-on strategy (if you can)

Not every customer follows the same path. Some plan their adventures months ahead, others book at the last minute. A year-round presence ensures you're visible whenever your audience is ready to book. Adjust your monthly budgets based on seasonal demand, but stay present in the market.

Anyone can optimise for conversions

High-value, low-volume offerings don't mean you're stuck with click or impression-based goals. Define meaningful micro-conversions, like time on site, scroll depth, or button clicks, that help ad platforms optimise more effectively for your customer journey.

"Our paid media strategy implemented with Data Story delivered immediate results. Not only did we experience an increase in the number of enquiries, but we found that the leads generated were genuinely interested in our services and were more likely to convert into bookings."

Victoria, Digital Marketing Manager

Work with Data Story