11 Social Media Advertising Specialist Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A Social Media Advertising Specialist Business

A social media advertising specialist uses social media platforms to promote a product or service. Advertisers often use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok to reach new customers and engage with the current ones.

To become a social media advertising specialist, get the skills you need to discover essential concepts in modern social media marketing. Choose an appropriate social media platform and design your unique advertising plan.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a social media advertising specialist business:

1. Good Chance ($240K/year)

to my old office to pick out a few things I forgot, and I treated myself to - you guessed it - a venti Starbucks iced coffee. I posted on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn that Good Chance Creative was starting to take on clients. I used some of the photos I had taken previously as examples of my work. I sent text messages to friends whose businesses I thought could benefit from my services. And then I waited. Not for long, though! I received my first client inquiry within a couple of hours. It was a friend of a friend who had a small online boutique. She loved my photos and wanted to hire me for product photography and social media management. From there, it was a domino effect. Word spread, referrals came in, and I started to build my client list. It was a slow and steady process in the beginning, but I was grateful for each and every client who trusted me with their social media presence. As the years went by, I continued to refine and expand my services, and here I am today, running a successful full-service social media creative agency.

How much they make: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 1

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I Started My Own $20K/Month Social Media Marketing Agency

This case study follows Kelsey Chance and her creative agency, Good Chance Creative, which specializes in social media content creation, and in just 3 years she has grown her one-woman business to make $20,000 in monthly revenue through a niche in small in-house marketing teams and start-ups managing their social content, with key services including lifestyle brand photography, social media account management, copywriting, and eCommerce strategy consulting.

About
Kelsey started Good Chance almost 6 years ago
Revenue
Kelsey grew the business to $20K/month
Costs
It cost Kelsey $500 to start the business
Read by 6,376 founders

2. The Creative Collective ($2.4M/year)

Yvette Adams, founder of The Creative Collective, came up with the idea to start her marketing agency out of both ambition and necessity. With a diverse background in marketing and media, she saw the potential in offering a one-stop-shop for creative services on the Sunshine Coast. She began by offering her services to people she knew and quickly gained clients and referrals, positioning her agency as a pioneer in the industry.

How much they make: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 20

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I Started A $2.4M/Year Marketing Agency [From Home]

The Creative Collective is a full-service marketing agency that has grown its revenue and doubled its team in the past year, with around 100 active clients and responding to an average of 160 inquiries each month.

About
Yvette started The Creative Collective about 17 years ago
Revenue
Yvette grew the business to $200K/month
Read by 4,406 founders

So... can you actually make money with a social media advertising specialist 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. 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 3,679 founders

4. Social Burro Inc. ($156K/year)

Frank Kecseti, the creator and data nerd behind Social Burro, came up with the idea for the business after being laid off and receiving negative feedback about his overthinking and non-traditional approach to marketing. He walked up and down Main Street sharing his ideas with business owners, and within 48 hours, he secured his first two clients. Since then, Social Burro has grown and helped 37 brands increase their revenue by 235.3%.

How much they make: $156K/year
How much did it cost to start: $125
Current team size: 2

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We Started A $13K/Month Business After Being Laid Off

Social Burro Inc, a social media agency founded during the pandemic, has increased its revenue by 235.3%, averaging $13,000 per month, and has helped 37 brands gain momentum, clarify their purposes, and rally their offline communities.

About
Frank started Social Burro Inc. almost 4 years ago
Revenue
Frank grew the business to $13K/month
Costs
It cost Frank $125 to start the business
Read by 4,006 founders

So... can you actually make money with a social media advertising specialist 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

5. Wealth Lead Generation ($120K/year)

Maria, the founder of Wealth Lead Generation, came up with the idea for her business through her experience as a freelancer and her passion for marketing. After successfully helping a fintech startup raise 7 figures through social media advertising and PR, she realized the potential of digital advertising and decided to start her agency. She focused on creating specific offers that addressed the pain points of her target audience and spent time listening to the market to refine her services. Through hard work and perseverance, Maria's agency quickly scaled to a team of 5 and achieved impressive revenue growth.

How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
Current team size: 5

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After 'Accidentally' Landing Multiple Clients, I Validated And Launched My Own Digital Advertising Agency [$120K/Year]

"Wealth Lead Generation grew from a side hustle to a 6-figure business in 2021, generating an average of 250% increase in revenue for their clients through digital advertising campaigns on social media with a team of 5 people."

About
Maria started Wealth Lead Generation almost 6 years ago
Revenue
Maria grew the business to $10K/month
Costs
It cost Maria $200 to start the business
Read by 2,791 founders

6. Socialistics ($500K/year)

How much they make: $500K/year
Current team size: 8

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How to Start an Advertising Agency (and Make $500K/Year)

Socialistics founder Jason Yormark turned a side project into an advertising agency managing social media campaigns ranging from $2K to $5K for 15 clients, providing content marketing, social media marketing, Facebook advertising and more.

About
They started Socialistics about 6 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $41.7K/month
Read by 803 founders

So... can you actually make money with a social media advertising specialist 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

7. Jumper Media ($19.2M/year)

How much they make: $19.2M/year
Current team size: 50

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From Zero to Multi-Million In Annual Recurring Revenue with Colton Bollinger

Jumper Media-founder Colton Bollinger's Instagram-focused marketing strategies helped him to assist over 3000 small businesses to build brand awareness and boost audience engagement and sales, leading Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Yahoo to recognize him for his efforts.

About
Colton started Jumper Media about 8 years ago
Revenue
Colton grew the business to $1.6M/month
Read by 712 founders