So, you are ready to outsource your Facebook and Instagram advertising? Great! 

Maybe you don’t have time to do it yourself or you’ve tried it before and not seen the results you were hoping for.  Either way, now you need to decide who to trust with the important job of showcasing your brand, to potentially millions of people.

Here are six things to think about before you sign on the dotted line.

1. Agency Or Independent Facebook Ads Strategist?

An agency can seem appealing, with in-house designers and a team to run your ads. However, it can be an expensive option. After working in several agencies in my 12 year career, I was tasked with managing A LOT of clients each month, meaning I could not dedicate the required time to do the best job I knew I could, to maximise results.

How much attention will smaller clients get? Will you have a dedicated person who will get to know you and your business? You need to ask the question, but in my experience working for agencies, the time spent on smaller paying clients was not enough.

Hiring an independent ads strategist can often work out cheaper, as they have lower overheads. Perhaps more importantly, they can provide a more personal service, which, personally has always been one of my number one goals as a freelancer. 

A good Ads Manager will care about you and your business and treat your money as if it were their own.

2. Do You Want To Be “Hands On” Or Just Let It Go To An Expert?

Do you want your ads Manager to become part of your team, working with you and your staff to support you through the whole ads process?

Or maybe you’re the ‘numbers at the end of the month’ type – wanting the freedom of handing over your ads to an expert, knowing it’s all done for you.

Remember, you are placing a lot of trust in this person, so make sure you feel comfortable with them and know how you’re going to work together.

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3. Do They Know Their Stuff?

Is the ad specialist you’re talking to professionally trained? Did they come to ads via social media management and understand how the platforms work?

More importantly, in the constantly changing Facebook world, even the most experienced ads managers need to keep learning.

Find out if they invest in a professional membership for ongoing updates and masterclasses and whether they are part of a network of experienced colleagues.

Ask for case studies that show how they’ve worked with other clients and ask questions about them.

Can the person you are talking to share proven results from previous clients? Maybe, you could even suggest speaking to their past clients to see how it worked for them?

Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you have!

4. Do They Specialise In Your Field? (And, Do You Need Them To?)

Depending on your goals, you might want to hire an e-commerce expert or someone who specialises in lead generation. 

You might want someone with knowledge of fitness or fashion, travel or homeware, B2B or B2B or even online courses.

But remember – what matters most is that they’re curious about your business and your market and have in-depth knowledge of running ads.

If the sort of specialist experience you’re looking for is hard to find or comes with a hefty fee increase, be a little open minded. All you really need them to specialise in is Facebook and Instagram ads!

If you’re in e-commerce and looking to make sales, you need an ads manager who knows what makes people convert, understands retargeting and can get people to click ‘buy now’! They need to understand how funnels work to maximise them sales.

Maybe you are a B2C brand with a highly priced service, your ads manager needs to factor in the consideration period with your ads, therefore retarget customers who have viewed your ad but not requested a quote – are these potential customers in the consideration period?

5. What About Strategy & Budget?

A good Facebook Ads Manager knows that the route to results is through testing and will be quick on their feet when changes are needed. So, while they’ll think and act strategically, they’ll develop the strategy according to results. 

Be wary of anyone who tells you their strategy before they’ve got to know your business, every business is different, everyone’s customers are different, and everyone’s product or service is different – each business requires a dedicated strategy to maximise their results.

The same goes for budget – they’ll look at what you need to bring in to make a profit and advise from there. Are the asking what your average order value is? Are they asking what the LTV of a customer is? Are they discussing your ideal cost-per-acquisition? These are all things an experienced ads manager should be asking you.

Ad experienced ads manager will not be able to give you firm figures without spending time getting to know your business and testing ads. Of course, management fees need to be factored in as well.

As well as the management fee, it is also recommended to have an ads budget of at least £10 per day (per audience). Don’t worry though, what you can afford to pay will depend on where you are on your own business journey, and a decent ads manager will understand that.

If costs mean that you need to look at alternatives to fully managed ads, ask about other services such as power hours, training and mentoring to give you the help you need to run successful Facebook and Instagram ads in-house.

I’d be happy to talk to you about this, so please feel free to drop me an email here.

6. What Results Can They Guarantee?

This one is key. There are no guarantees.

There are so many factors which could hinder the overall results, including your brand identity, the success of your sales page, your lead nurturing process, your sales funnel, your products, your pricing, your overall customer service, and so many more. All a professional ads manager will guarantee is that your budget matters as much to them as it does to you, and that they will spend it wisely. Beware of any false promises.

Running ads isn’t a magic fix – and anyone who tells you otherwise is not being completely honest.

Let’s face it, if someone is going to spending your money for you, honesty is crucial. So, the five steps above should help lead you to one top priority – an ads manager you can trust to do everything in their power to help your business grow.

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Want to discuss Facebook and Instagram management with me? I’d love to chat to you and hear more about your business. Please drop me an email here.