Student to $31K Earner: How a Nigerian Publisher Monetizes Facebook Ads with Monetag
What if your part-time job during university turned into a stable, $30K+ annual income stream – powered only by Facebook ads? That’s exactly what happened to our publisher, a Nigerian mechanical engineering graduate, who figured out how to turn paid social traffic into real profit with Monetag.
In this case study, he shares how he scaled his monetization journey from zero to consistent earnings, using nothing but smart targeting, viral content, and a strategic ad budget.
The Background
So, our partner from Nigeria began his online journey while still a student. Looking for flexible income opportunities that wouldn’t interfere with his studies, he discovered Monetag – and the results speak for themselves.
“Thanks to Monetag, I was able to earn money without disturbing my studies.”
His background in engineering helped shape his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills – essential qualities when navigating the evolving world of Facebook traffic monetization. The first earnings came fast, but our partner wanted more! He said:
If I can get $100, I can surely get $1,000 with more effort.
And he was right. Read on.
Why Facebook? Bigger Audience, Better Targeting
Our partner focuses exclusively on Facebook traffic – and it’s a fair choice.
“There are more than 2 BLN users on Facebook – more than both Twitter and Google combined. It’s also easier to target my audience there.”
Unlike other platforms, Facebook’s detailed audience segmentation allows him to zero in on top-performing African countries where Monetag offers strong CPMs and steady performance.
Getting Started: Learning, Pivoting, and Scaling
Our publisher didn’t start making serious money overnight. His first attempts involved cooperating with Facebook groups and sharing viral news content links there. But when Facebook changed its page interface and reduced organic post reach, his strategy had to evolve.
“At first, I shared links to my website in groups. But after Facebook updated the page format, I had to switch to paid ads.”
That decision was a game-changer. Previous year, our publisher hit his first $1,000/month milestone. Now, he consistently earns by investing in paid promotion to drive traffic.
Workflow: Technical and Focused
Our partner’s process is straightforward but data-driven:
- He has a Facebook account.
- Ads Manager is used to set up a campaign.
- He chooses a target audience (primarily African countries).
- Sets a custom budget (up to ₦300,000 or $200).
Here is our publisher’s comment on the budget:
“If I spend ₦100K ($65) on Facebook ads, I usually get around 60K to 70K visitors to my site with a Monetag ad. That can earn me $80 to $90, – a solid return on investment.”
- Uses a catchy image to grab attention.
- Then he pastes the link to his website in a post. A Monetag direct link is located on his website.
- And launches and monitors the campaign after Facebook approval.
His ROI fluctuates between 30-40%, depending on Facebook’s cost-per-click at the time. Let’s see how this strategy performs. It’s statistics time!
Performance Overview
So, as we already know, over the course of a year (July 2024 – July 2025), our partner generated 7.8MLN+ impressions and earned a total of $31K through Monetag. His success was driven primarily by Onclick (Popunder) ads and strategically targeting top-performing African countries.
Statistics by top-GEOs:
As you can see, the earnings are diversified across multiple countries, but all within the African region, which proves smart targeting and correct approach to viral content (indeed, most content gets viral around the similar cultural and social environments).
And by Monetag ad formats, where the average CPM was $4.08, reflecting well-optimized paid traffic:
So a highly focused and effective setup, plus – fast adaptation to new Facebook trends combined with patience and steady effort paid off entirely!
Tools and Optimization Strategy
As for the toolkit, our partner keeps it lean – no external instruments, no complex software:
“Aside from Meta Ads, there are no other tools needed.”
His main focus is on:
- Lowering CPC to improve ROI.
- Monitoring ad performance directly via Facebook Ads Manager.
- Adjusting budget dynamically based on campaign results.
As for Monetag, our publisher decided to stay with us, saying:
Compared to other monetization platforms, it’s easier to work with Monetag. There’s flexibility, and having a dedicated manager I can talk to directly is a big advantage.
Lessons Learned from This Case Study
So if you are willing to reach the same amazing results and want some practical tips, we’ve made it even easier for you with these key takeaways:
| Strategy | Why does it work? |
| Using paid traffic from Facebook Ads | Facebook allows precise audience targeting by region, interests, and demographics. This ensures a steady, scalable traffic source with high monetization potential. |
| Focusing on top-performing African GEOs (Nigeria, Cameroon, etc.) | These regions offer strong CPM rates on Monetag and consistently convert, delivering a better return on ad spend (ROAS). |
| Running high-volume Onclick (Popunder) campaigns | Onclick format delivers high impressions and proven profitability – over 99% of the total revenue came from this format. |
| Testing with flexible daily budgets (up to ₦300K / $200) | Allows scaling based on performance and ROI, with enough volume to identify winning setups. |
| Optimizing for low CPC in Facebook Ads | Lower CPC = more traffic per dollar spent, which boosts profit margins and allows experimentation. |
What’s Next? Scaling Up, of Course!
If you are wondering, how is it going for our publisher now, well, we are happy to say that he is not slowing down. He’s reinvesting his earnings to expand his reach and revenue.
“I’m working massively this period to scale my daily ads promotions.”
With efficient Monetag monetization formats, consistent performance and a deep understanding of Facebook’s ad system, he is on a clear path to even bigger wins!
And if you are also searching for monetization opportunities for your website/blog, either full-time or while juggling university or a job, register at Monetag!
