Building a 7-figure business without spending money on ads might sound counterintuitive, but I’m living proof that it’s possible! In this post, I’ll share how I grew a successful online course and coaching business without paid advertising and why it might be the best strategy for you.

Why I Didn’t Use Ads to Build a 7-Figure Business

I've been involved in Google Ads and digital marketing since 2010. Despite teaching people how to run Google Ads campaigns, I didn’t spend any money on advertising to grow my own business. Here’s why.

1. Paid Ads Magnify What’s Already Working

Before running any kind of paid ad campaign, whether it’s Google Ads or Facebook Ads, you need to ensure that your business’s fundamentals are solid.

If:

• Your landing pages aren’t converting.
• Your pricing strategy isn’t optimized.
• Your sales funnels are underperforming.

Running ads will only magnify those problems. This is why many businesses end up thinking Google Ads is a scam or that they’re “wasting money on ads”—but the truth is, if your conversion mechanisms aren’t strong, paid ads won’t help.

2. Build Credibility Before Running Ads

Another key reason why I didn’t start with paid advertising is that selling online courses or coaching programs is different from selling physical products. People need to trust you before they commit to buying your educational services.

For example, when someone buys a t-shirt online, they know exactly what they’re getting. But when people buy a course or coaching program, they’re buying into your knowledge, expertise, and teaching ability. You need credibility to make that sale.

Steps to Build a 7-Figure Business Without Ads

If you’re looking to build a 7-figure business, here are the foundational steps you need to take before you even consider running paid ads.

1. Perfect Your Offer

Your product needs to be:

• Priced correctly – Know what people are willing to pay.
• Landing page optimized – Ensure that when people visit your website, they convert.

Once these key elements are in place, then you can consider using ads to scale your business. But until your offer is strong, paid advertising will only be an expensive experiment.

2. Build an Online Presence

Instead of relying on ads, I focused on building my organic presence. Here’s how I did it:

• YouTube channel – I started providing free value to build trust and showcase my expertise.
• LinkedIn and Instagram – I created content that engaged my audience and demonstrated my authority in the digital marketing space.

When someone sees your ad, they will likely do their research to learn more about you. If they can’t find anything, it will be much harder to close the sale. Building this online presence gives you credibility, and then, when you’re ready, ads can help you scale faster.

👉🏻 Why Owning Your Audience is Essential for Building a Sustainable Business

Why This Strategy Works for Course Creators and Coaches

For course creators, coaches, and personal brands, this strategy is particularly effective. When you focus on creating high-quality content and growing an organic audience, you build a community of engaged, loyal followers who trust you before you ever spend a dime on ads.