8 Paid Advertising Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A Paid Advertising Business

Here are some real life success stories of starting a paid advertising business:

1. Flying V Group ($3M/year)

Flying V Group was founded by Robb Fahrion and his brother based on an opportunity they identified in the market. After helping a mentor with his website and seeing the demand for digital help, they decided to start a marketing services firm. They focused on serving professional service industries and used SEO and content marketing to establish their clients as industry experts online. The company has since grown to employ 12 people, worked with over 300 clients, and is on track to double its revenue for the second year in a row.

How much they make: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 16

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These Brothers Quit Their Jobs & Started A $3M/Year Digital Marketing Agency

Flying V Group, a digital marketing agency co-founded by Robb and Tyler Fahrion, has experienced explosive growth and profitability through their focus on SEO and content marketing, generating 540% more traffic in 2020 compared to the previous year, and increasing revenue YoY, all while operating debt-free and cash-positive.

About
Robb started Flying V Group about 8 years ago
Revenue
Robb grew the business to $250K/month
Costs
It cost Robb $10000 to start the business
Read by 4,842 founders

2. Vivid Candi, Inc. ($840K/year)

Chris Wizner, the founder and CEO of Vivid Candi, came up with the idea for his digital tech agency at the age of 16. He started by selling graphic design services to neighbors and locals and gradually grew his client base. Through networking events and his willingness to work hard, he was able to land prestigious clients like Pepperdine University and build his business into a successful venture.

How much they make: $840K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
Current team size: 11

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Starting A Business At 16 And Growing It To $70K/Month Thanks To Networking

Founder and CEO Chris Wizner started Vivid Candi, a full-service digital tech agency, at age 16 with only a $300 Taco Bell paycheck as capital, and now the agency has been running for over 22 years with 10+ employees and an impressive clientele, thanks to networking, Google Adwords, SEO, and selective, quality relationships with clients.

About
Chris started Vivid Candi, Inc. about 25 years ago
Revenue
Chris grew the business to $70K/month
Costs
It cost Chris $50 to start the business
Read by 3,681 founders

So... can you actually make money with a paid advertising business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

3. STRYDE ($2.16M/year)

Founder Greg Shuey got his start in affiliate marketing and became interested in search engine optimization (SEO) after seeing affiliates boost their website traffic and revenue. After working at multiple agencies, he decided to start Stryde to offer custom digital marketing strategies, focusing on SEO, paid search, paid social, email marketing, and conversion rate optimization. Stryde has been in business for almost 9 years and has generated over $2 million in revenue.

How much they make: $2.16M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 13

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I Started A $2M/Year Digital Marketing Agency That Focuses On Women Owned Companies

Stryde is a women-owned eCommerce digital marketing agency that has been in business for almost 9 years, focusing on creating custom digital marketing strategies that generated just over $2 million in revenue, with a growth strategy of bringing on the right clients and specializing early.

About
Greg started STRYDE almost 11 years ago
Revenue
Greg grew the business to $180K/month
Read by 4,638 founders

So... can you actually make money with a paid advertising business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

4. NAV43 ($1.14M/year)

Ben Dankiw, co-founder and CEO of NAV43, came up with the idea for his technical digital marketing agency while working as a marketing coordinator. With a strong analytical mindset and experience in Google Ads, he realized the impact he could have on brands at a larger level. After partnering with colleagues and building a client roster, they scaled the business to an MRR in the 6-figures and continue to attract and retain customers through their SEO and PPC services.

How much they make: $1.14M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
Current team size: 7

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How Our SEO & PPC Agency Is Aiming $2M/Year With 40 Retainer Clients

NAV43 is a technical digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, CRO, and PPC services, known for its SEO delivery, averaging an MRR in the 6-figures with a client roster across e-commerce, lead generation, and publisher sites.

About
Ben started NAV43 over 7 years ago
Revenue
Ben grew the business to $95K/month
Costs
It cost Ben $25000 to start the business
Read by 1,307 founders

5. Viscap Media ($33.6K/year)

How much they make: $33.6K/year
Current team size: 38

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A Template For Creating Powerful And Persuasive Ads With Cody Iverson

Viscap Media is an advertising agency that collaborates with influencers to produce highly effective advertisements that have helped e-commerce brands generate multiple 6-figure sales.

About
Cody started Viscap Media about 7 years ago
Revenue
Cody grew the business to $2.8K/month
Read by 293 founders