Paid advertising isn't essential for your success, it's a tool. And like any tool, its effectiveness depends entirely on how, when, and why you use it. Most artists approach ads backward, starting with "I need to promote this song" rather than asking the critical question: "Does this song have the organic signal to justify amplification?"

Great promotion doesn't create value; it reveals it. The songs that truly resonate will show their potential even with minimal investment. Your job is to spot these signals early and amplify them. Put simply, don’t use ads to create momentum, use them to accelerate momentum that already exists. 

Here's what this looks like in practice:

1. First, find signal: Track your content metrics religiously (track plays, saves, shares, and organic engagement)
2. Identify momentum: Look for tracks or content with unusually high engagement rates, not just total numbers
3. Test small: Run minimal ad spend ($5-10/day) on high-performing content before scaling
4. Measure ruthlessly: Track every dollar against concrete results (new followers, streams, or sales)
5. Scale winners, kill losers: Double down on what's working, immediately cut what isn't

Instead of begging for attention from cold audiences, you're finding the people already resonating with your music and making it easier for them to find more of it.