Based in Iowa · Booking 2 spots this month

Cinematic ads that flood your calendar with qualified jobs.

The Local Lead Scaling System replaces slow marketing with cinematic video ads that generate booked calls, not just views. One shoot day. Months of content. New leads every day.

You Already Know the Old Way Is Broken

Most local businesses are stuck in marketing strategies that worked ten years ago. You deserve better than hoping and waiting.

Waiting on Referrals

Hoping the phone rings instead of controlling your pipeline.

Paying for Low-Quality Leads

Angi's List, Thumbtack, and directories that send tire-kickers.

Agencies That Outsource Everything

Your campaign gets handed to a junior in another country.

6-Month SEO Promises

Months of waiting with nothing to show for it.

It's not your fault. But there's a faster way.

The System

The Local Lead Scaling System

A complete, done-for-you system that combines cinematic video, Meta ads, and automated follow-up to generate booked calls — not just leads.

Cinematic Video Ads

Scroll-stopping content that builds trust and authority. Not generic stock footage.

Precision Meta Targeting

Your ideal clients in your exact service area. No wasted ad spend on tire-kickers.

Low-Friction Lead Funnel

Optimized for mobile. Captures intent before they leave. No complicated forms.

Automated Follow-Up

Speed-to-lead sequences that book calls while you work. No leads slip through.

This Is Not Just Content Creation

Most agencies sell you video OR ads. We built a complete system where every piece works together to generate revenue — not vanity metrics.

Scripts

Filming

Editing

Ad Launch

Follow-Up

Optimization

The Process

From Strategy to Booked Calls

A clear path from first conversation to qualified leads in your inbox. No mysteries. No delays.

Discovery Call

We learn your business, your offer, and your revenue goals. No B.S. — just strategy.

30-minute call to map your ideal client and winning angles.

Script & Strategy

Phil writes direct-response scripts proven to convert. Not creative jargon — conversion architecture.

Hook structures, objection handling, and clear CTAs.

One-Day Shoot

A single focused shoot day captures up to 4 months of ad content. Filmed on your turf.

Recognizable locations that build local trust.

Launch & Manage

Ads go live on Meta within days. We handle targeting, optimization, and scaling.

Your phone starts ringing. Your calendar fills up.

Leads → Calls

Automated sequences follow up instantly. Hot leads get booked into your calendar.

No leads left behind. Maximum speed-to-call.

Why Heartland Creative Agency

Not Another Generic Agency

Most agencies are middlemen. They sell you on one thing, then hand you off to someone else. Heartland Creative Agency is different by design.

Actually Local

Based in Eastern Iowa with teams in Bettendorf, Des Moines, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Shows up in person. Knows your market.

Full Ownership.

Our team scripts, films, edits, launches, and manages. No handoffs.

Speed Over Bureaucracy

Ads live in days, not months. Built for businesses that move fast.

Skin in the Game

The same person who sells the strategy is the one executing it.

"I built this system because I got tired of watching local businesses get burned by agencies that overpromise and underdeliver."

— Phil Dodds

Is This For You?

This Is Built For Serious Operators

Not every business is a fit. Here's how to know if this system is right for you.

Great Fit

  • You're a high-ticket service business ($1k+ jobs)

  • You're based in or serve Iowa or Western Illinois

  • You want predictable lead flow, not random referrals

  • You're ready to invest in real growth

  • You can handle 10-30+ new leads per month

Not Right Now

  • You're looking for the cheapest option

  • You're not ready to scale operations

  • You want to 'try' marketing for a month

  • You expect overnight millions with zero effort

Industries we specialize in: Home Services, Contractors, Landscapers, Lawyers, Doctors, and other high-ticket local services.

Book Your Call

Ready to Stop Waiting

and Start Scaling?

Book a free strategy call to see if the Local Lead Scaling System is right for your business. No pressure. No obligation. Just clarity.

Systems-focused

Iowa Focused

Same-week availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about working with us.

How fast will I see results?

Qualified leads typically hit your phone within 3 days of launching your ads. But most of our customers see their first leads within 24 hours.

Ads are scripted, Meta access is granted, tracking is set up, and filming day is scheduled on week one. Retargeting and nurture sequences follow shortly after.

Week two, we film and launch. Ads go live by the end of the week.

Best performance is seen in months two through four as creative, targeting, and follow-up compound into predictable lead flow.

Does the price include ad spend?

Our fees are separate from ad spend and include scripting, filming, editing, funnel setup, Meta launch, automations, and campaign management.

We'll help you pick the right ad budget based on goals and historical data.

For most local service businesses, we find starting at $30/day is sufficient to see results.

You keep full control of the ad budget. We optimize how it's deployed for maximum impact.

What size companies do you work with? Are we too big/small?

We typically work with companies doing at least $15K/month in gross revenue and looking to grow faster with paid acquisition.

If you can handle more volume, have a clear service, and have the capacity to take on new clients, you're in the right zone.

Sweet spot is businesses already spending something on marketing or ready to start, but frustrated with inconsistent results or referrals-only growth.

If you're below $15K/month but serious about scaling and can handle an increase in demand, we can talk and see if the system makes sense for where you are.

What industries do you specialize in? Do you understand our business model?

We specialize in high-ticket service businesses where each new client can significantly impact your Return On Ad Spend.

Our strongest verticals are home services that involve premium installs or remodels.

If you sell a premium transformation, an outcome people can see, or a service with clear financial or lifestyle value, we can likely help.

What is your onboarding process? How long does it take?

Onboarding starts as soon as you sign. Week one is access, tracking setup, scripting your ads, planning the filming day, and get your Go High Level CRM set up with lead notifications, automations, and intake pipelines. We also set up your KPI tracker for real-time CPL, cost per close, ROAS, and lead status so you always know where every lead sits.

Week two is execution. We film, edit, and launch six ad variants with Meta lead forms, retargeting, and nurture sequences running through the CRM. No downtime - Campaigns go live while we continue dialing in the funnel and metrics.

From there, we optimize across the four-month program. Bi-weekly KPI review calls keep performance accountable and track what's working, what isn't, and where to scale.

What's required from my team?

You just need to show up on filming day, say the lines on the teleprompter, keep your KPI tracker updated, and call the leads that come in.

We handle scripting, filming, editing, launch, tracking, automations, and everything backend.

We need one point of contact who can approve creative and confirm offer details. This isn't a "set it and forget it" relationship - your side matters - but you won't need to manage us.

How long are your contracts? Can I get out of them?

Our program starts with a four-month agreement. That gives us enough time to build, launch, optimize, and fully dial in the funnel before judging performance.

After the initial term, it rolls to month-to-month. Stay if it's working, leave if it isn't — no long-term handcuffs.

If you're not in a position to commit to four months, the system won't have enough time to mature. In that case, we're probably not the right fit.

What if I already have a CRM?

If you're already on Go High Level (or a white-label of it), we work inside your account. No disruption to your current flow.

If not, we set you up with your own GHL instance under our account so we can build the automations, notifications, pipelines, and lead routing correctly. It's fully transferable if you ever leave.

GHL is our source of truth for notifications, pipelines, and automation, and every lead is tracked in the KPI tracker. If you want to keep using your existing CRM we can push leads to your existing CRM through Zapier in addition to the GHL we set you up with. Our goal is to strengthen what you have, not rebuild your world.

How do you handle creative fatigue and ad decay?

Creative fatigue is inevitable. Our system is built around it.

If necessary, we'll launch snew ads every month. Meta prioritizes the winners, we keep what's working until it isn't, and we always feed the algorithm something new. When performance dips, replacements are already in rotation.

Most agencies react to fatigue. We predict and prevent it.

What if it doesn't work?

On the audit call, we make an honest determination of whether the Local Lead Scaling System is actually the right move for your business. If it is, we move forward with confidence. If it isn't, we tell you what we recommend instead.

The goal is clarity, not pressure. You get value either way… Whether that means working with us or walking away with a better plan.

If we can't help, we say so upfront. No hard sell.

What makes you different from everyone else?

We're not a hands-off agency. We show up, script the ads, film them in person here in Iowa, edit them ourselves, launch them, and manage campaigns end to end. It's the exact system we use to generate leads for our own business. It's likely the exact reason you're here right now.

Because we handle both creative and strategy, everything is aligned. Out-of-state agencies film nothing, launch generic Canva graphics, send a weekly update, and collect a check.

We work with a small number of clients at a time, so you get speed, bi-weekly KPI calls, and actual operators - not junior operators who have never ran ads for themselves.

The goal is simple: build a profitable demand engine that makes referrals optional and turns paid ads into predictable growth.

How many ads do I get?

It depends on how much ad spend you are doing each month. But our typical client is getting 3-6 new ads launched per month, plus 2–3 retargeting ads for viewers who stick past the first few seconds. We keep what's working and cycle out the losers for more potential winners.

Most of the time, we can film all four months of ads in one day. If the creative strategy calls for it, we'll schedule a shoot day each month to film for that cycle. The goal is leads and sales not making as many videos as possible.

How long do clients typically work with you?

Most clients stay past the initial four-month program. Some have been with us since the beginning. The few who leave usually aren't ready for paid acquisition or don't have the capacity to handle new demand yet.

We're selective. If we don't believe this can last beyond four months, we say so before you sign. The goal isn't to pack the roster - it's to build partnerships that actually scale.

How is your pricing structured?

Pricing varies based on what you actually need to scale. After the audit call, we outline the plan and tell you the exact investment.

Do you guarantee results?

No. Guarantees in marketing are impossible. What we do guarantee is the process, the execution, and that we've built this system successfully before.

Our part is doing the work required to deliver you qualified leads. Your part is simple: Answer the phone when the leads come in, update the tracker, and maintain communication and feedback when decisions are needed. When both sides do their job, results follow.

Heartland Creative Agency

Video ads that generate leads.

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