So you’re ready to outsource your Facebook and Instagram advertising? Great!

Maybe you don’t have time to do it yourself or it just makes sense to hire an expert.  Either way, now you need to decide who to trust with this important job.

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

Are you the hands-on type? (Or do you just want to let go?)

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.

You’re 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. 

When you work with me you’ll have the comfort of knowing that your ads are being monitored daily and optimised when needed. I can share as little or as much of the detail of that as you’d like. 

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? Or did they learn on the job at an agency? 

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.

I trained with the best, The Two Laura’s. I completed my professional training whilst putting it straight into practice. I’m also a member of The Inner Hub, a membership for ads and social media pros. Providing me with access to 500+ supportive peers to connect with as and when I need to.

Does this person 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 (collecting email addresses). 

You might want someone with knowledge of fitness or fashion, travel or homeware, coaching services or 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!

What about strategy and budget?  

A good 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.

The same goes for budget – they’ll look at what you need to bring in to make a profit and advise from there. 

But they won’t 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.

So bear in mind that for a fully managed ads service you’ll need a minimum ads budget of £300 per month. 

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. You can ask about other services such as power hours, training and mentoring to give you the help you need to run successful ads in-house. 

I’d be happy to talk to you about this, so please get in touch via this form

Agency or independent 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.

Also how much attention will smaller clients get? Will you have a dedicated person who’ll get to know you and your business? You need to ask.

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. 

A good ads manager will care about you and your business, and treat your money as if it were their own.

I can adapt easily, if you need full ads management I can do that for you. If you want to run your ads and use me as a sounding board and check in with me frequently I can do that too.

What results can they guarantee?

This one is key. There are no guarantees. 

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 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 be spending your money for you, honesty is crucial. So the six 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.

Book in a Discovery Call and together we can explore how I can support you and your business.