Gabe
Janes
Creative strategist
I find the point, test it like a hypothesis and build the ad myself: statics, video, 3D and sound.
gabrielzenjanes@gmail.com
Now
Digital Marketing Manager, Illuminate Designs, Jefferson City, MO
Before
Campaign / Product Specialist, Flypaper Digital (~2 yrs)
Study
B.B.A. Advertising & Marketing, William Woods University
Tools
Meta Ads, Canva, Blender, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, Ableton
$60.1K
ad spend managed
154.8K
link clicks
$0.39
cost per click · median $0.70
10.4M
impressions
24
ad accounts
Meta Ads Manager, Jan 1 – Nov 4, 2026 · 129 ads · 1.33M people reached. Contract work Jan–Mar, full control from April. From Jan–Mar to April onward, cost per click fell from $0.49 to $0.37 and link CTR rose from 1.13% to 1.57%, while monthly spend grew from $2.2K to $9.2K. Median: traffic campaigns, WordStream 2025.
17
client pages
~72
posts a month
79.2K
views
2.2K
engagements
43
posts at 2×+ page avg
My Facebook organic posts since I took over, Apr 1 – Nov 4, 2026 · 513 posts · 1.1K clicks · client-made posts excluded · Meta Business Suite export
Top ads
My best ads by link click-through rate, Jan 1 – Nov 4. Ads with $250+ spend, two per account at most. The median for traffic campaigns is 1.71%.
1
Halloween special, $250 off (patio)
PolyMagic · Oct · 3,884 clicks · $0.16 each
18.2%
link CTR
2
Halloween special, $250 off (garage)
PolyMagic · Oct · 2,602 clicks · $0.17 each
15.7%
link CTR
3
Ditch the old. Love the new.
RRSA St. Louis · Aug–Nov · 1,798 clicks · $0.26 each
7.2%
link CTR
4
Siding
Tired of tired-looking siding?
RRSA St. Louis · Aug–Nov · 2,982 clicks · $0.33 each
4.9%
link CTR
5
Service call
$50 off a service call
Copper Peak Heating & Cooling · Sep–Nov · 775 clicks · $0.36 each
4.1%
link CTR
6
October Membership Month, 2027 specials
Railwood Golf Club · Sep–Oct · 2,540 clicks · $0.20 each
3.1%
link CTR
7
Pool cost
What does a pool cost?
Firebird Concrete & Pools · Sep–Nov · 1,121 clicks · $0.53 each
2.8%
link CTR
8
Alpha-gal
Alpha-gal syndrome
Downtown Chiropractic · Apr–Nov · 6,797 clicks · $0.30 each
2.7%
link CTR
Top posts
My eight best-performing posts since April, across all 17 pages. The winners lead with a face, a local issue or one specific problem or deal, not a general service pitch.
1
“Meet Dr. Dupuis”
Downtown Chiropractic · 04/13
4,676
views · 9.3×
2
Clubhouse Coolers juice deal, $35.76 a pack
Lindyspring · 06/17
1,796
views · 6.3×
3
Alpha-gal syndrome? We can help.
Downtown Chiropractic · 04/21
1,771
views · 3.5×
4
Patient review in his own words
Downtown Chiropractic · 07/28
1,555
views · 3.1×
5
Short-term cold storage for events
TEEL Mechanical · 07/21
1,110
views · 2.5×
6
Alpha-gal is more than just a food allergy
Downtown Chiropractic · 07/21
812
views · 1.6×
7
Commercial plumbing: problems that slow the business
TEEL Mechanical · 04/23
788
views · 1.8×
8
Signs you’re overdue for a pump-out
ASAP Septic · 08/26
774
views · 3.0×
How I work
01 · Point
One thing to say
Every post gets one job: an offer, a fear, a face, a deadline. If I can’t say it in a line, it isn’t ready.
02 · Hypothesis
A bet I can check
“If we show the finished patio, it will out-click the service ad.” Every idea gets framed as a bet the numbers can prove wrong.
03 · Build
Made in-house
Statics in Canva, video in Premiere and Resolve, 3D in Blender, with an AI pipeline I built to draft a month of creatives from a brand kit.
04 · Read
Winners repeat
CTR, cost per click and views against the page average decide what runs again. The winners become the next series.
01
Kansas City + Central Missouri · Concrete leveling + floor coatings
PolyMagic
The point
Sell the after, not the repair.
Oct · 18.2% CTR
Hypothesis
Nobody wants to buy concrete repair, but everyone wants a nicer patio. Show the finished space dressed for the season, add $250 off with a deadline, and it will out-click a service ad.
What I made
- Patio and garage “after” shots, lit for Halloween
- $250 off through Halloween, on the creative
- Split by market: Kansas City and Central Missouri
Result Paid · Meta ads · Jan 1 – Nov 4
18.2%
CTR, best ad
$0.16
per click, best ad
19.5K
link clicks
−54%
cost per click since April
Held. The patio and garage versions hit 18.2% and 15.7% CTR, about 10× the 1.71% median for traffic campaigns. October drew more clicks than the seven months before it combined.
02
Jefferson City · Chiropractic + acupuncture
Downtown Chiropractic
The point
Put a face on the clinic.
04/13 · 9.3× average
Hypothesis
People pick a healthcare provider they trust. A real doctor and a local problem (alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-bite red-meat allergy common in Mid-Missouri) will beat a list of services.
What I made
- “Meet Dr. Dupuis” to open the page
- An alpha-gal series, careful with health claims
- Patient reviews in their own words
Result Organic · my posts Apr 1 – Nov 4 · Paid · Meta ads, from April
9.3×
page average, best post
16.1K
organic views, from zero
6,797
clicks, alpha-gal ad
2.71%
CTR, alpha-gal ad
Held on both sides. “Meet Dr. Dupuis” is my best post on any page, three more Chiro posts are in my top eight, and the alpha-gal angle became the clinic’s main paid ad.
03
Greater St. Louis · Roofing, siding, windows
RRSA St. Louis
The point
Name the eyesore they already see.
Nov · 7.19% CTR
Hypothesis
Homeowners already know their siding looks tired. Call that out, with the new house right beside the old one, and it will out-click a general roofing-and-siding ad.
What I made
- “Ditch the old. Love the new.” before/after
- “Tired of tired-looking siding?”
- Warning-sign and seasonal posts to back it up
Result Paid · Meta ads · Jan 1 – Nov 4
7.19%
CTR, before/after ad
$0.26
per click, before/after ad
−31%
cost per click since April
+73%
CTR since April
Held. The before/after ad hit 7.19% CTR and the siding callout 4.92%, against 1.29% for the general services ad.
04
Lake of the Ozarks · Water treatment, bottled water + salt delivery
Lindyspring
The point
Put the price on the post.
06/17 · 6.3× average
Hypothesis
Water treatment is a slow buy. A specific number, like Clubhouse Coolers juice at $35.76 a pack, gives people a reason to act this week instead of someday.
What I made
- The price on the graphic, not in the caption
- Easy yeses: salt delivery, a free water test
- Timely hooks: the time change, holiday guests
Result Organic · my posts Apr 1 – Nov 4 · Paid · Meta ads · Jan 1 – Nov 4
6.3×
page average, juice post
#2
of my posts on 17 pages
12.5K
link clicks
−26%
cost per click since April
Held. The juice post with the price on it is the page’s best since April and my second-best post anywhere.
Hiring a creative strategist?
I find the point, test it like a hypothesis and build the ad myself. Let’s talk about what that looks like for your brand.
Paid video · Body + skin care
Respiro Spa
The point
Let the owner sell it.
Hypothesis
A real owner on camera builds more trust than stock spa footage, and a native cut for every placement keeps it from feeling like an ad.
What I made
Three concepts, each cut in 9:16, 1:1 and 1.91:1. The owner speaks to camera, the treatment footage shows what she describes, and every cut ends on a Book Now card.
Role · I shot, edited + scripted it
9:16 · 0:45
Ad 1 · Reels + Stories
1:1 · 0:28
Ad 2 · Feed
1.91:1 · 0:20
Ad 4 · Link ad
Organic short-form · Personal injury law
Finder Law
The point
Make a law firm watchable.
Hypothesis
Legal ads are restricted on Meta, so the feed has to earn attention. Repeatable formats an attorney can film in minutes will outlast one-off promos.
What I made
Named series: Cinematic Counsel (who’s liable in famous movie scenes), Legal Lingo (internet slang, legally) and Legal Opinion on famous cases. Fourteen episodes in the first batch.
9:16 · 0:28
Legal Lingo: “Pics or it didn’t happen”
9:16 · 0:59
Cinematic Counsel: Could Jack sue Rose?
Personal work · 10+ years self-taught
3D, film + sound
Blender · 2023
Porcelain + gold figure
Short film · 1:1 · 1:18
Time Keeps Moving Forward
Personal project · 3D + kinetic type
“Let Go” teaser
This is where the production side of my strategy comes from. If I can model it, shoot it, cut it or score it, I can pitch it knowing it ships.
Creative tests
Two hypotheses I’m running on real client accounts. Results go here as they come in.
Test · Opening
Message first or brand first?
Message-first
Lead with the customer’s problem; logo comes after.
VS
Brand-first
Lead with the logo and name, then the offer.
Test · Delivery
Visual-led or voice-led?
Visual-led
The animation carries the story; on-screen text only.
VS
Voice-led
A voiceover carries the story over animated visuals.
More accounts
HVAC, electrical, septic, remodeling, window treatments, insulation, roofing, tree care, plumbing and law.
Open to in-house creative strategy roles
Let’s talk
gabrielzenjanes@gmail.com
Client work shown with real brand names, created at Illuminate Designs for its clients. Ad dates are post dates. Organic stats are Facebook results for my posts since I took over, Apr 1 – Nov 4, 2026 (client-made posts excluded). Paid stats are Meta Ads Manager, Jan 1 – Nov 4, 2026: contract work Jan–Mar, full control from April. Link CTR = link clicks ÷ impressions. Engagement rate = engagements ÷ post viewers. Benchmarks: WordStream Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025, traffic-campaign medians.