Overview
In April-May 2025, Crestline partnered with a YouTube automation and monetization business to launch a performance-focused lead generation campaign targeting the U.S. market. With a modest budget of ₹90,815 ($1,090), the campaign achieved a 4.4x return on ad spend (ROAS) and generated over ₹4,10,000 ($4,800) in revenue through strategically scheduled Calendly calls.
Objective
The business needed qualified leads, not generic traffic. The goal was to drive high-intent prospects to book discovery calls via Calendly, where the service offer would be pitched directly. These leads had to be both:
- Interested in content creation / YouTube
- Financially capable of investing in YouTube automation services
KPIs Tracked
| KPI | Target | Actual |
| Cost Per Lead (CPL) | ≤ ₹2,500 | ✅ ₹2,100 |
| ROAS | ≥ 3x | ✅ 4.4x |
| Lead Quality | High (booking + conversion) | ✅ 100% revenue from male prospects aged 25–54 |
| Revenue | N/A (Goal was leads, revenue was bonus) | ₹4,10,000 ($4,800) |
Audience Targeting Strategy
Geographic Focus
- Country: United States (high CPM but high purchasing power)
Demographic & Behavioral Insights
Initial targeting was broad — filtered only by interest in:
- YouTube, content creation, side hustles, financial freedom, and automation tools
After running initial traffic, we observed:
- 81% of Calendly bookings were made by men
- 100% of revenue came from men
- 76% of the calls were by booked by audience in the range of 25-54
This allowed us to tighten the ad delivery mid-campaign:
- Gender: Focused on men
- Age Range: 25–54 only
- Interests: Refined to include passive income, online businesses, automated side hustles
Ad Platforms & Performance Distribution
| Platform | Contribution to Leads | Performance Note |
| 60% | Dominated in reach and conversion for short-form content | |
| 40% | Slightly higher CPL, but helped build retargeting pools | |
| Threads / Messenger | Minimal | Auxiliary reach via Meta network |
Takeaway: Instagram reels proved to be the most cost-effective and attention-grabbing ad format for this niche.
Creative Strategy
Assets Produced
Only 2 ads were used, due to:
- Budget constraints
- Limited turnaround time
- Intentional choice to prioritize quality over quantity
Each ad combined:
- Hook (first 3 seconds): How we built passive income from faceless YouTube channels
- Social proof: Screenshots of channel analytics, income dashboards, testimonials
- Call-to-action: Book your free call now – limited slots available
Creative Insights
- Motion graphics and dynamic text overlays boosted retention
- Combining opportunity with credibility (i.e., proof + possibility) drove higher booking intent
- Ads were optimized majorly for mobile viewing
Copy Strategy & Funnel Messaging
Tone: Aspirational + Practical
Emotion Triggered: Fear of missing out (FOMO) + Future security
Funnel Message:
Thousands are building faceless YouTube channels to generate income on the side. We’ve already done it for dozens — book your free consultation and let’s build your channel too.
Landing Point: Direct Calendly booking page integrated with pixel
Challenges Faced
| Challenge | Resolution |
| Low creative testing capacity | Focused on 2 strong, deeply researched creatives and used iterative copy refinements |
| High CPM for U.S. market | Focused on retention & conversion metrics instead of reach |
| Short campaign cycle | Daily budget pacing + real-time optimization allowed us to extract peak performance from a limited window |
Final Performance Analysis
| Metric | Value |
| Ad Spend | ₹90,815 |
| Cost per 1,000 Impressions (CPM) | ₹6,700 |
| Cost per Lead (Calendly booking) | ₹2,100 |
| Total Leads | ~42 |
| Conversion Revenue | ₹4,10,000 ($4,800) |
| ROAS | 4.4x |
Strategic Takeaways
1. Data > Assumptions
Initial broad targeting taught us that men aged 25–54 were the only revenue-driving audience. Without this data, we may have wasted ad spend on irrelevant segments.
2. Creative Focus Trumps Volume
Instead of 10 average creatives, we ran 2 strategically structured, insight-backed ads. This helped keep our CPL under ₹2,100
3. Calendly as a Lead Gen Tool is Highly Effective
Unlike standard form fills, Calendly bookings required users to commit time — giving us more qualified and intent-driven leads, not just email scrapers.
Final Words: Why Crestline?
This campaign is a testament to Crestline’s strategic agility and performance-first mindset.
We took a low-budget, time-sensitive project and transformed it into a repeatable, profitable lead generation system — powered by audience insights, creative precision, and expert optimization.
👉 If your business needs high-quality leads, even with lean budgets or tight turnarounds — Crestline delivers.