Choosing help to fix ads that spend but don't convert

Your ads are running, your budget is depleting, but the phone isn't ringing and the cart stays empty. The problem is almost never the media spend itself—it's the words underneath it. When you hire someone to rewrite those ads, the gap between a competent copywriter and one who actually fixes conversion is not about polish or style. It's about whether they know how to diagnose *why* people clicked but didn't buy, and whether they have a track record of turning that diagnosis into revenue.

Most copywriters can write copy that reads well. That's not the skill you need here. You need someone who can look at your existing performance data, understand your customer's actual objection, and rewrite the message so the right person clicks and the right person converts. This is a different muscle entirely. Before you send a brief to anyone, think about what separates the people who'll waste another month of your budget from those who'll actually fix it.

The evidence in their portfolio

A copywriter's portfolio is almost useless for this decision if it's just samples of finished work. What matters is the *before and after*. Did they take a campaign that was spending without converting and improve the metrics? What was the percentage lift? How long did it take? If they can't walk you through a real example—with genuine numbers, real client context (anonymised if needed), and honest talk about what they found broken and how they fixed it—then they probably haven't done this work before.

Ask to see the actual ad copy they wrote, not just a testimonial. Ask them to explain the change they made and why it mattered. If they start talking about "better headlines" or "stronger calls to action" without tying it to a specific problem they uncovered first, they're guessing. The ones who truly specialise in fixing broken campaigns can tell you exactly what the old copy assumed that was wrong, what the customer's real hesitation was, and how the new copy addressed it. That clarity is the real signal.

Also ask how they gather that diagnostic information. Did they analyse your traffic data, customer reviews, sales calls, or competitor landscape? Did they interview your team or your customers? The best repair work starts with curiosity, not templates. If their process is "send me a brief and I'll rewrite," you're getting a guess, not a fix.

How they price and what that tells you

Price alone tells you something, but not what you might think. Someone offering a cheap flat rate to rewrite your ads is either junior or not specialised in conversion work. Someone charging a premium might have the depth you need—or might just be expensive. The real separator is how they price: do they charge by the hour, by the project, or by results?

A conversion specialist who understands the stakes will often want to understand your business model and risk before they quote. They may ask for access to your current data so they can assess the job properly. They might tie at least part of their fee to performance—either a retainer plus a commission on revenue lift, or a flat fee only if certain metrics hit. This isn't a universal rule, but it suggests they believe in what they're selling.

Don't confuse willingness to work on commission with being a cheaper option. Some of the best practitioners are expensive upfront because they do the diagnostic work before they touch the copy. They spend time interviewing you, analysing existing performance, talking to your customers, and understanding your margin. That takes time. Then they charge for the rewrite itself. It feels pricier initially because you're actually paying for the diagnosis, not just the wordsmithing.

When you compare candidates, ask specifically: what's your process before you write a single word? If they can't articulate a concrete diagnostic phase—questions they'll ask, data they'll review, people they'll talk to—they're not approaching this as a repair job. They're approaching it as a writing job. For your situation, that's the wrong skill.

Finding someone on Strove who's proven they can rebuild broken ad performance means looking past their credentials and into the specifics of what they've fixed. The right practitioner will make the conversation about your numbers, not their style.