London's Guide to Hiring a Paid Ads Freelancer

I get it. You're a London startup founder, you're moving fast, and you need to get your paid ads working. But finding a freelance specialist who actually knows their stuff in this city can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. The market is flooded with 'gurus' who've taken a course and 'experts' who can talk a good game but can't deliver when it's your cash on the line. It's a proper minefield.

The problem is most founders approach this like a standard recruitment process. They look at CVs, years of experience, and impressive-sounding previous employers. This is a mistake. In paid advertising, none of that matters as much as one thing: a proven, repeatable ability to turn ad spend into profitable growth for businesses *just like yours*. This isn't about hiring an employee; it's about finding a strategic growth partner. And for that, you need a completely different vetting framework.

Over the years, I've seen countless startups burn through tens of thousands of pounds with the wrong freelancer. Let's make sure you're not one of them. We're going to break down how to properly identify, vet, and hire a freelance ad specialist in London who can become a genuine asset to your business.

So, why is London such a different beast for paid ads?

You might think advertising is advertising, regardless of location. You'd be wrong. Running ads in London is a different sport altogether, and if your freelancer doesn't understand the local pitch, you're at a serious disadvantage before you even spend your first pound.

Firstly, the competition is brutal. London is the epicentre for some of the UK's most ambitious and well-funded startups, especially in FinTech, B2B SaaS, and high-end D2C. This means you're not just competing against a few local businesses; you're bidding against companies with deep pockets and sophisticated in-house marketing teams. This drives up costs. A click that costs £2 in Manchester might cost £8 in London for the same keyword. A freelancer who quotes you generic UK-wide CPC benchmarks is showing their inexperience immediately. They need to have current data on what it *actually* costs to acquire a customer in your specific London-based niche.

Secondly, the audience is more cynical and ad-savvy. Londoners are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages a day. Generic, bland ad copy gets ignored. Your creative and messaging has to be incredibly sharp and speak directly to the unique pressures and aspirations of a London-based audience. For example, an ad for a meal delivery service in London shouldn't just talk about 'convenience'; it should talk about 'getting an hour of your life back from the Northern Line commute'. It's about understanding the local context. Someone who has only ever run campaigns for US clients won't grasp these nuances.

Finally, the pace is relentless. The London startup ecosystem, particularly around areas like Old Street's 'Silicon Roundabout' or Canary Wharf's FinTech hubs, operates on a different timeline. Growth expectations are high, and capital efficiency is paramount. You need a freelancer who understands the pressure to deliver results quickly and can build a strategy that balances rapid testing and learning with long-term, sustainable growth. They need to think like a founder, not just a campaign manager. This is why having someone who understands the specifics of cost-efficient advertising in London is so critical.

Forget the CV. What should you actually be looking for?

Okay, let's get practical. When a freelancer's proposal lands in your inbox, ignore the page about their 'passions' and 'work ethic'. Go straight to the case studies. This is the only evidence that matters. But don't just glance at them; you need to dissect them like a detective.

1. Niche & Market Relevancy is Everything
Has this person run campaigns for a B2B SaaS company targeting financial services in the City of London before? Or for a D2C sustainable fashion brand targeting millennials in Shoreditch? The closer their experience is to your exact business model and target market, the better. A freelancer showing you a case study for a US-based plumbing company is irrelevant. It shows they don't understand your world. I remember one campaign we ran for a medical recruitment SaaS; we managed to reduce their CPA from £100 down to just £7. That kind of result comes from deep niche understanding, not generic ad skills.

2. Tangible Business Results (in £)
Look for metrics that affect your bottom line. "Increased brand awareness by 200%" is meaningless fluff. "Generated £107k in revenue from £17.3k ad spend (618% ROAS)" is a real result. Look for metrics like Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), Customer Lifetime Value (LTV), and qualified lead volume. Crucially, the results should be in pounds (£). It's a small detail, but it shows they are UK-focused and not just repurposing international case studies.

3. Strategic Depth, Not Just Button-Pushing
A good case study doesn't just show the results; it explains the *strategy* that got them there. Why did they choose LinkedIn over Meta for that B2B client? What audience targeting hypotheses did they test? What was the thinking behind the ad creative? It should read like a story of a problem being solved. If it's just a list of metrics with no context, it suggests they got lucky or, worse, they don't actually have a strategic process. They're just a technician, and you need a strategist.

Your goal is to find a pattern of success in businesses that look and feel like yours. If they can't provide at least two or three highly relevant, detailed case studies, they are not the right fit. End of story. Don't let them convince you that their 'skills are transferable'. The nuances of the London market are too important to be a learning ground for a generalist.

How do you structure the vetting process?

Finding the right person is a process of elimination. You start wide and narrow down systematically based on evidence of their ability to solve your specific problem. Here is a simple flowchart that visualises a process that works.

What are the killer questions to ask on the vetting call?

The vetting call is your arena. Don't let them run it with a generic slide deck. You need to take control and ask questions that force them to demonstrate their expertise in real-time. Amateurs will stumble; experts will relish the challenge. Here are the questions you absolutely must ask.

1. "Walk me through a campaign you ran for a London-based company that failed. What went wrong, and what did you learn from it?"
This is my favourite opener. It tests for honesty, humility, and analytical skill. Everyone has campaigns that fail. The expert knows why it failed (e.g., "Our initial assumption about the ICP's core pain point was wrong," or "The offer wasn't compelling enough to justify the high London CPA"). The amateur will blame the algorithm, the client, or the weather. What you're listening for is a structured, data-driven post-mortem, not excuses.

2. "Our target customer is a [describe your ideal customer profile in detail]. Our starting budget is £5,000/month. Talk me through your initial 90-day plan. Be specific about platform and budget allocation."
This tests their strategic thinking on their feet. A vague answer like "We'll start by testing Google and Facebook and see what works" is a massive red flag. A great answer sounds like: "Okay, given you're a B2B SaaS targeting CTOs in FinTech, I'd allocate 70% (£3,500) to LinkedIn Ads and 30% (£1,500) to Google Search. On LinkedIn, we'd initially avoid broad targeting and focus on a specific list of 100 target companies combined with job title targeting. For Google, we'd focus on high-intent, long-tail keywords like 'secure payment processing API for startups' rather than broad terms like 'payment API'. The first 30 days would be about finding a baseline CPL, the next 30 about creative optimisation, and the final 30 about scaling the winning angles." See the difference? Specificity is the hallmark of a true expert.

3. "What are the typical CPCs and CPAs you're seeing for our industry in the UK/London market right now?"
This is a knowledge check. They should be able to give you a realistic range without hesitation. For B2B software leads on LinkedIn, they might say "$20-$60 per lead is a good benchmark, but for your specific niche targeting C-level execs, I'd expect it to be closer to $80 initially." Someone who can't answer this doesn't have their finger on the pulse of the current ad market. I know from experience that a well-run campaign can achieve great results; for one of our B2B software clients we're getting leads for $22 CPL on LinkedIn right now, but that's after significant optimisation. An expert will know and manage these expectations from the start.

4. "How do you approach creative and copy testing? Describe your process."
You're looking for a systematic process, not just "we'll try a few different images." A good answer would be: "We'd start with a 'Message-Market Fit' matrix. We'll test three core value propositions against two key audience segments. For example, 'Speed of integration' vs. 'Security & Compliance' for the CTO persona vs. the Head of Product. We'll run these as separate ad sets with a controlled budget. After 7-10 days, we analyse the data to find the winning message/audience combination, then double down on that with iterative variations of the creative." This shows they have a repeatable framework for optimisation.

5. "Beyond last-click ROAS, how would you propose we measure the real impact of your campaigns on our business?"
This is an advanced question that separates the top 5% of freelancers. They should talk about things like attribution models, tracking view-through conversions, integrating with your CRM to track lead-to-customer conversion rates, and the importance of looking at blended ROAS across all marketing channels. If they just stare blankly and say "we'll track purchases in the ads manager," their knowledge is probably too basic for a competitive market like London.

I've put these questions into a simple table for you to use during your calls.

What are the red flags that should have you running for the hills?

Just as important as knowing what to look for is knowing what to avoid. If you spot any of these during the vetting process, it's a hard pass. Don't make excuses for them; just move on to the next candidate. Your bank account will thank you.

• Guaranteed Results: This is the biggest red flag in the industry. Anyone who promises you a specific ROAS or number of leads is either lying or deeply inexperienced. Paid advertising has too many variables. An expert will talk about a data-driven process to *achieve* a target ROAS, not guarantee it.
• Jargon Overload: If they try to bamboozle you with acronyms and technical terms without explaining them in the context of your business goals, they're hiding a lack of real strategic insight. A true expert can explain complex topics in simple terms.
• They Don't Ask *You* Questions: A top-tier freelancer will grill you. They'll want to know your customer LTV, your profit margins, your sales cycle, your core value proposition. If the call is all one-way and they're not digging into your business fundamentals, they're not a strategist. They're just a button-pusher looking for their next paycheque.
• A 'Secret Sauce' or 'Proprietary Method': 99% of the time, this is nonsense. Successful paid advertising is built on proven frameworks, rigorous testing, and deep customer understanding, not some magical black box system. Ask them to explain their 'secret sauce'. If they can't, it doesn't exist.
• Poor Communication: Did they take a week to reply to your initial email? Is their written proposal full of typos? These small things are often indicative of how they'll manage your account. You need someone proactive, clear, and professional. The demands of managing a freelancer effectively mean you can't afford a poor communicator.

How much should you expect to pay a good freelancer in London?

Cost is obviously a major factor for any startup. In London, you get what you pay for. Trying to find the cheapest option is almost always a false economy, as a bad freelancer will burn through your ad spend with nothing to show for it far quicker than their fee will cost you.

Freelancer fees in London generally fall into three models:

1. Fixed Monthly Retainer: This is the most common and often the best model for startups. It's a flat fee each month for managing your accounts. It's predictable for budgeting and aligns your interests: you want the best results for your fee, and they're motivated to deliver to keep you as a client. For a good, experienced freelancer in London, expect to pay anywhere from £1,500 to £5,000+ per month, depending on the complexity, number of platforms, and your total ad spend.
2. Percentage of Ad Spend: Some freelancers charge a percentage of your monthly ad spend, typically 10-20%. This can work, but it can also create a perverse incentive for them to simply encourage you to spend more, rather than focusing on efficiency. I'm not a huge fan of this model for early-stage startups where budget is tight.
3. Performance-Based: This sounds great in theory ("you only pay for results!"), but it's very rare to find a good freelancer who works this way. The models are often complex, and it creates arguments over attribution. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

When you're comparing costs, don't just look at the retainer. Think about the total investment. A £3,000/month freelancer who can generate a 4x ROAS on a £10,000 ad spend is far cheaper than a £1,500/month freelancer who only gets a 1.5x ROAS. The more expensive expert delivers £27,000 in net revenue, while the 'cheaper' one delivers just £3,500. The right expertise pays for itself many times over. Deciding between a freelancer or a larger agency also comes with different cost implications, which are worth exploring in our detailed guide on London ad agency fees.

Use the calculator below to get a feel for how a freelancer's fee impacts your overall profitability.

You've made the hire. Now what?

Hiring the right freelancer is a huge step, but the work doesn't stop there. The success of the relationship depends just as much on how you manage it. You need to treat them as a partner, not just a supplier. This means providing them with everything they need to succeed.

Before they even start, prepare a detailed onboarding document. This should include access to all your ad accounts, Google Analytics, your CRM, and any past performance data. More importantly, it should give them a deep dive into your business: your ideal customer profile, your brand voice, your core value proposition, and your business goals for the next 6-12 months. The more context they have, the faster they can start delivering results.

Establish a clear communication rhythm from day one. A weekly 30-minute check-in call and a concise weekly performance report is usually a good starting point. The report shouldn't just be a data dump; it should highlight key results, insights learned from tests, and proposed actions for the following week. This keeps everyone aligned and ensures the strategy is constantly evolving based on real data.

Ultimately, finding and working with a top freelance ad specialist is one of the most powerful growth levers a London startup can pull. It's not easy, and it requires a rigorous, evidence-based vetting process. You need to ignore the vanity metrics and CV fluff and focus entirely on their proven ability to solve problems for businesses like yours. Use the framework and questions in this guide, and you'll be well on your way to finding a partner who can help you navigate the competitive London market and build a truly scalable customer acquisition engine.

This process takes time and effort, and as a founder, your time is your most valuable asset. If you want to short-cut the learning curve and get an expert-level audit of your current advertising efforts and a clear, actionable growth strategy, that's where we can help.

We offer a free, no-obligation 20-minute strategy session where we can dive into your business, look at what's working and what's not, and give you some immediate, actionable advice. It's a chance to see how a specialist approach can transform your results. If you're serious about making paid ads a key driver of your growth, feel free to schedule a call.