#PaidMediaLessons

[laurafaritos]

HDMS045: What I Actually Learned About Ads (So You Don’t Have To Take A Harvard Course To Learn It)

I took Harvard’s Digital Marketing Strategy course so you wouldn’t have to—unless you want to, in which case, I hope you also love spreadsheets.

Module 3 was all about paid media: the ads you pay for, the platforms you run them on, the ways you track whether they did anything, and the absolute brain fog that kicks in the first time someone says “branded vs. generic keywords” like that’s normal human language.

But by the end of it? I actually got it. Not just the how of ads, but the when, why, and what-for—and more importantly, how it applies to comedians and creatives who are promoting themselves on a shoestring budget.

This final lesson in the module pulled it all together: search vs. display, performance vs. brand, when to spend money, when to chill, and how to avoid lighting your budget on fire just to feel productive.

Let me show you what I took from it.

I. What Module 3 of Harvard’s Digital Marketing Strategy Course Actually Taught Me

Module 3 was the deep-dive into paid media, and it covered a lot. Here’s what stuck with me most:

Search ads = high-intent, ready-to-buy energy. These are the people already Googling something you offer. You’re just showing up at the right time. For me, that’s like someone typing “Toronto stand-up show” and seeing my show in the results. Low-funnel, high-conversion.

Display ads = brand visibility. These are your posters, reels, sponsored podcast reads—things people see while doing something else. They’re not there to buy right away, but they might remember you later.

There’s no one right answer. The best campaigns combine short-term performance ads (like search) with long-term brand-building (like video or TV). That’s how you keep sales flowing now and plant seeds for later.

Every channel has a job. The mistake is judging brand-building ads like they’re supposed to convert. That’s like blaming your opener for not selling merch.

Budgets need balance. Spend more where it’s working, but don’t cut off top-of-funnel stuff just because it’s not immediately profitable. You need both to survive.

The module wrapped with a question: How can OOFOS keep growing without just throwing more money at ads? The answer? Use owned and earned media—things like social content, newsletters, PR, and word-of-mouth.

That clicked for me. Because that’s how we do it too!!!!!!!!!!!!

II. How I’m Using This in Real Life (Not Just in Theory)

This module made me feel like I finally have a framework for promo—not just vibes and guesswork.

Here’s how I’m applying it:

Search mindset = podcast SEO, event listings, YouTube keywords. When people are already looking for stuff I offer (like sex ed content or comedy shows), I need to make sure I’m easy to find. That means tagging smart, using searchable episode titles, and submitting my show to event platforms.

Display mindset = my “brand voice” online. This includes the chaotic posts I make on Threads, the jokes I share on Instagram, the stories I tell in newsletters. These aren’t direct “BUY TICKETS” ads—but they’re making sure I live in people’s heads. That way, when it is time to promote, they’re already listening.

Budgeting = time + money. I might not have a $25K ad spend like OOFOS, but I do have to manage my creative energy and limited cash. This course helped me realize: if I treat both like currency, I’ll stop wasting them on tactics that don’t align with my goals.

Testing = survival. I’ve already been doing this with my sex ed project—over years, I’ve tried it as a play, a podcast, a doc, a newsletter. This module validated that process. Nothing’s wasted. Everything teaches you something.

Basically: now I know which tools to reach for depending on whether I want people to remember me, engage with me, or buy from me.

III. What Comedians and Creatives Should Know About Paid Media

If you’re a comic, artist, or content creator, here’s the real talk: You’re already doing marketing. You just might not know which part of the funnel you’re in.

This module helped me see the difference between throwing stuff at the internet and being intentional about it. So here’s how to think like a marketer—without becoming one.

Your ticket link posts? That’s performance marketing. It’s bottom-of-funnel. You’re asking for a conversion. That’s okay! But know that it only works if you’ve warmed up your audience beforehand.

Your reels, jokes, random stories about being Brazilian in Canada? That’s brand-building. Top-of-funnel. It gets people to care, so that later, when you do drop a ticket link, they’re more likely to click.

Your time = your budget. If you don’t want to (or can’t) spend money on ads, focus on your owned media: your website, email list, socials. Make sure they actually say who you are and what you do.

Your audience = your asset. Word-of-mouth, shares, DMs, screenshots, fan art—this is your earned media. You don’t pay for it, but it grows your reach faster than most ads.

The big lesson? You don’t need to do everything. You just need to know what each thing is doing.

And honestly, that’s more strategic than half the brands out there.

TL;DR A Comedian's Guide to Paid Media

Before this course, ads felt like a mysterious corporate language I wasn’t invited to understand. Now? I get it.

Paid media isn’t about doing the most—it’s about doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right audience. And whether you’ve got $10 or $10,000, you can use those same principles to promote your art without burning out or selling out.

So yeah, I took the course. I learned the lingo. And now I’m spending smarter, showing up better, and building a brand that actually feels like me.

Tchauuuuu <33