A system,
not a spike
A system,
not a spike
Long-term impact
Halving CPA doesn't just save money, it frees it.
ACA redirected the difference into student
lifetime value and expanding career placement,
the two things that make the next campaign
cheaper still.
Halving CPA doesn't just save money, it frees it.
ACA redirected the difference into student
lifetime value and expanding career placement, the two things that make the next campaign cheaper still.
−50%
−50%
Lower cost per acquisition, sustained across the
campaign period
99%
99%
Of incoming applications qualified as high-quality
2×
2×
Increase in landing page conversion rate
568
568
Tracked conversions in a single month of live spend
In education marketing, transparency
is the conversion tool.
In education marketing, transparency is the conversion tool.
Quality,
not just volume
Quality, not just volume
The turning point was when we started testing. Once the message
matched what students actuallycared about, the numbers moved
within the same reporting month.
Transparent pricing did something we didn't fully expect:
it filtered. Publishing costs and outcomes up front turned away
the browsers and let through people who were ready to enrol,
which is why 99% of the applications that came in were rated
high-quality. The six-month decline ended and was replaced
by a steady, scalable flow.
The turning point was when we started testing. Once the message matched what students actually cared about, the numbers moved within the same reporting month.
Transparent pricing did something we didn't fully expect:
it filtered. Publishing costs and outcomes up front turned away the browsers and let through people who were ready to enrol, which is why 99% of the applications that came in were rated high-quality. The six-month decline ended and was replaced by a steady, scalable flow.
One Month of Ad Spent
One Month of Ad Spent
The Numbers
Rebuild & test
Outcome-first copy
Every line rewritten in second person, tied to what
changes in the student's life.
Every line rewritten in second person, tied to what changes in the student's life.
Pricing in plain sight
Costs and placement results shown up front, not hidden
behind a form.
Costs and placement results shown up front, not hidden behind a form.
Tested, not assumed
Headlines, hero images and proof order all A/B tested
against live traffic.
Headlines, hero images and proof order all A/B tested against live traffic.
With the positioning locked, we moved to the highest-leverage asset: the landing page. Out went the
generic "About Us" block; in went an experience built around what the applicant is deciding.
With the positioning locked, we moved to the highest-leverage asset: the landing page. Out went the
generic "About Us" block; in went an experience built around what the applicant is deciding.
Phase 3
Was saying
"We are a leading academy
with a proven curriculum."
Was saying
"You'll leave with the job,
not just the certificate."
Everyone assumed applicants were intimidated by the curriculum. They weren't. They were worried
about the job market on the other side of it. Nobody wants a coding course, they want a career change
and the financial security that comes with it. So we stopped selling classes and started selling placement.
Everyone assumed applicants were intimidated by the curriculum. They weren't. They were worried about the job market on the other side of it. Nobody wants a coding course, they want a career change and the financial security that comes with it. So we stopped selling classes and started selling placement.
Audience research
->
Phase 2
We paused all the ads
We held the spend until the foundation could carry it, a decision that
saved thousands before a single impression was bought, and set the tone for how we'd work together.
We held the spend until the foundation could carry it, a decision that
saved thousands before a single impression was bought, and set the tone for how we'd work together.
Phase 1
Three Moves, in order
Three Moves, in order
How we ran it
The variant we believed in least won
by the widest margin.
The variant we believed in least won by the widest margin.
A/B testing log, August 2025
We Paused the ad spend first
Then cut acquisition cost by 50%
We Paused the ad spend first
Then cut acquisition cost by 50%
Six months of falling applications and a rising cost per student.
Instead of buying more traffic, we held the budget at zero, rebuilt
the funnel around what applicants were actually afraid of,
and turned the page back on.
Six months of falling applications and a rising cost per student.
Instead of buying more traffic, we held the budget at zero, rebuilt
the funnel around what applicants were actually afraid of,
and turned the page back on.
Conversions tracked
568
568
Blended cost per result
Blended cost per result
$7.43
$7.43
The turning point was when we stopped guessing and started testing. Once the message matched what students actually cared about, the numbers moved within the same reporting month.
Transparent pricing did something we didn't fully expect: it filtered. Publishing costs and outcomes up front turned away the browsers and let through people who were ready to enrol — which is why 99% of the applications that came in were rated high-quality. The six-month decline ended and was replaced by a steady, scalable flow.
The Situation
Three Numbers Moving
The Wrong Way
Three Numbers Moving
The Wrong Way
01
Acquisition cost was climibing
01 Acquisition cost was climibing
Every new student cost more than the last, and the math was
starting to work against the program.
Every new student cost more than the last, and the math was starting to work against the program.
A trend line, with no single channel to blame it on
Breaking a Six-Month Slump in a Saturated
Market
02 Breaking a Six-Month Slump in a Saturated Market
02
03
It talked about the academy's history and reputation, while visitors were looking for outcomes, costs, and career opportunities.
The page talked about the academy, not
the student
03 The page talked about the academy, not the student
A system, not a spike
Long-term impact
Halving CPA doesn't just save money, it frees it.
ACA redirected the difference into student
lifetime value and expanding career placement,
the two things that make the next campaign
cheaper still.
−50%
Lower cost per acquisition, sustained across the campaign period
99%
Of incoming applications qualified as high-quality
2×
Increase in landing page conversion rate
568
Tracked conversions in a single month of live spend
In education marketing, transparency is the conversion tool.
The turning point was when we started testing. Once the message matched what students actuallycared about, the numbers moved within the same reporting month.
Transparent pricing did something we didn't fully expect:
it filtered. Upfront costs turned away the browsers and let through people who were ready to enrol, which is why 99% of the applications that came in were rated high-quality. The six-month decline ended and was replaced by a steady, scalable flow.
Quality, not just volume
One Month of Ad Spent
The Numbers
Rebuild & test
Outcome-first copy
Every section focused on the student's goals,
making the value clear from the first scroll.
Transparent pricing
Costs and placement results shown upfront,
not hidden behind a form.
Tested, not assumed
Headlines, visuals, and page structure were
continuously A/B tested to improve conversions.
With the positioning defined, we focused on the highest-impact asset: the landing page.
We replaced the generic "About Us" content with a page built around the questions, concerns,
and goals of prospective students.
Phase 3
Previous Positioning
"We are a leading academy with a proven curriculum."
New Positioning
"You'll leave with the job, not just the certificate."
Applicants weren’t intimidated by the curriculum. They were worried about the job market after graduation. They didn’t want a coding course, they wanted a career change and financial security. So we stopped selling classes and started selling placement.
Audience research
->
Phase 2
We paused all the ads
We held the spend until the foundation could carry it, a decision that saved thousands before a single impression was bought, and set the tone for how we'd work together.
Phase 1
Three Moves, in order
How we ran it
The variant we believed in least won by the widest margin.
A/B testing log, August 2025
Three Numbers Moving The Wrong Way
The Situation
We Paused the ad spend first
Then cut acquisition cost by 50%
Six months of falling applications and a rising cost per student. Instead of buying more traffic, we held the budget at zero, rebuilt the funnel around what applicants were actually afraid of, and turned the page back on.
Conversions tracked
568
Blended cost per result
$7.43
The turning point was when we stopped guessing and started testing. Once the message matched what students actually cared about, the numbers moved within the same reporting month.
Transparent pricing did something we didn't fully expect: it filtered. Publishing costs and outcomes up front turned away the browsers and let through people who were ready to enrol — which is why 99% of the applications that came in were rated high-quality. The six-month decline ended and was replaced by a steady, scalable flow.
01 Acquisition cost was climibing
Every new student cost more than the last, and the math was starting to work against the program.
A trend line, with no single channel to blame it on
02 Breaking a Six-Month Slump in a Saturated Market
03 The page talked about the academy, not the student
It talked about the academy's history and reputation, while visitors were looking for outcomes, costs, and career opportunities.