Plymouth's Paid Ads: The Founder's Agency Guide

Trying to find a decent paid ads agency in Plymouth can feel like a proper mission. You’ve got a handful of local options, but then you’ve got the whole of the UK just a Zoom call away. The biggest mistake I see businesses make is getting obsessed with finding someone down the road, thinking that a local agency automatically 'gets' the Plymouth market. Tbh, that's rarely the case.

The real question isn't "Who's the best agency in Plymouth?" but "Who's the best agency for my specific business, that just so happens to be based in Plymouth?". The answer might be an agency in Bristol, Manchester, or London. Your priority should be finding deep expertise, not a convenient postcode for a coffee meeting.

Let's break down how to actually compare agencies and find a partner that won't just burn through your cash.

So, is a local Plymouth agency ever a good idea?

Look, I'm not saying you should automatically rule out local agencies. There are some potential upsides. Being able to meet face-to-face can be nice, and they might have a general feel for the local economy in Devon and Cornwall. If you're a restaurant in Royal William Yard or a local tradesperson, they might have run campaigns for similar businesses and understand the local competition.

But the downsides are significant. The talent pool in any single city is limited. An agency in Plymouth might have a couple of good account managers, but are they genuine specialists in B2B SaaS lead generation? Or high-spend eCommerce for a fashion brand? Probably not. Their experience is likely broad and shallow, rather than deep and specialised.

I'd argue that an agency that's scaled five other marine engineering firms from a remote office is infinitely more valuable to a business at Plymouth Science Park than a local generalist agency that's never touched the industry. Zoom and Slack have made geography almost irrelevant. What matters is their track record. When you're looking to choose a paid ads agency, focus on their results, not their address.

The bottom line is this: prioritise expertise over geography. Shortlist agencies based on their case studies and niche experience first, and only use location as a tie-breaker if you have two equally brilliant options.

What are the big red flags to watch out for?

Vetting agencies is mostly about spotting the bad ones early so you don't waste your time. Paid advertising is full of people who can talk a good game but can't deliver. Here are the things that should make you run a mile.

First, anyone who guarantees results. Tbh in paid advertising, you can't really promise anything. No one can guarantee a specific ROAS or number of leads. There are too many variables – market changes, competitor actions, platform algorithm updates. An expert will talk about realistic targets based on experience and data, not make wild promises to get you to sign a contract. I remember one potential client who came to us after another agency promised them a "guaranteed 10x ROAS". They spent £5k and got nothing. A real expert is confident, but also honest about the risks.

Second, a fixation on vanity metrics. If their pitch is all about "reach," "impressions," or "clicks," be very wary. These numbers are easy to fluff up but mean nothing for your bottom line. We once took over an account for an eCommerce client where their previous agency was boasting about getting 100,000 impressions a day. Sounds great, right? But their sales were flat. We switched the focus to conversion-optimised campaigns and, while the impressions dropped, they saw a 633% return. The only metrics that matter are the ones that make you money: cost per lead, cost per acquisition, and return on ad spend (ROAS).

Third, a vague or non-existent discovery process. If an agency is ready to give you a proposal and a price after a 15-minute chat without digging deep into your business, they're not a strategic partner; they're a glorified button-pusher. A good agency will be asking you tough questions about your profit margins, customer lifetime value, sales cycle, and ideal customer profile. If they aren't, they can't possibly build a strategy that aligns with your actual business goals.

How do I *really* know if they're experts?

Alright, so you've filtered out the obvious cowboys. Now you're left with a few agencies that sound professional. How do you seperate the good from the great? It comes down to two things: interrogating their case studies and judging the quality of their questions on the discovery call.

Don't just glance at their case studies. Dig into them. A good case study isn't just a flashy result like "10x ROAS!". It tells a story. It should explain the client's initial problem, the strategy the agency developed, the hurdles they overcame, and *how* they achieved the result. For example, we have case studies that walk through reducing a client's cost per booking by 80% or generating £107k in revenue for a prize draw business. We explain the 'why' behind the numbers. If an agency's case studies are just logos and vanity metrics with no substance, they're probably hiding a lack of strategic depth.

Look for relevance. If you sell high-ticket industrial parts to businesses in Plymouth and beyond, you want to see evidence they've done that before. A case study about a local restaurant is useless to you. Our experience getting B2B leads for $22 CPL on LinkedIn for a software client is far more relevant to a tech firm than our work for a women's apparel brand that got a 691% return, even though both are impressive results.

Then comes the discovery call. This is your chance to interview them. But more importantly, it's their chance to interview you. A great agency will spend 80% of the call asking you questions. They need to understand your business economics before they can ever recommend a strategy. The most crucial calculation they should be trying to figure out with you is your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).

Why? Because knowing what a customer is worth over their lifetime dictates how much you can afford to spend to acquire them (your Customer Acquisition Cost, or CAC). An agency that understands this isn't just thinking about ad campaigns; they're thinking about your business's profitability and growth. This is the difference between a service provider and a strategic partner. Most businesses have no idea what their LTV is, and a top-tier agency will help you figure it out. It's the foundation of any succesful paid advertising strategy.

What's this actually going to cost me?

This is the big question, isn't it? The cost breaks down into two parts: the agency's fee and your actual ad spend (the money that goes to Google, Meta, etc.).

Agency fees in the UK vary wildly. Some smaller freelancers or agencies might charge a flat retainer of £500 - £1,500 per month. More established agencies will often charge a higher retainer (£2,000+) plus a percentage of ad spend, typically 10-15%. Be cautious of anyone charging very low fees. Often, you get what you pay for. A cheap agency might just be setting up a campaign and letting it run on autopilot, whereas a more expensive, expert team will be actively managing, testing, and optimising your account every week. When you're thinking about the cost of a PPC agency versus hiring in-house, remember that a good agency brings a wealth of experience from multiple accounts that's hard to replicate with a single internal hire.

Then there's your ad spend. This is the budget you need to compete. I usually recommend a minimum of £1,000 - £2,000 per month to start. Anything less and it's very difficult to gather enough data quickly to make smart decisions. You'll just be trickling money away without learning anything.

What can you expect for that spend? It really depends on your industry and the compatition in the Plymouth area. For local service businesses, getting leads is often the main goal. Based on our experience, CPLs can be all over the place. We’ve managed a campaign for a home cleaning company that got leads for £5 each. But we're also running one for an HVAC company in a competitive area where leads are closer to $60. For a Plymouth-based electrician or plumber using Google Ads, a CPL between £15 - £50 would be a realistic starting point.

For eCommerce, you're looking at Cost Per Purchase (CPA) and ROAS. In developed markets like the UK, a CPA could be anywhere from £10 to £75 or more, depending on your product's price and your conversion rate. The goal isn't just a low CPA; it's a profitable ROAS. We've achieved over 600% ROAS for eCommerce clients, meaning for every £1 spent on ads, they made over £6 back in revenue. That's the kind of result a good strategy can acheive.

What strategy should a good agency suggest for my Plymouth business?

A good agency won't have a one-size-fits-all solution. The strategy must be tailored to your specific business model and customer. But, there are some common starting points they should be discussing for different types of Plymouth-based businesses.

For Local Service Businesses (e.g., trades, solicitors, accountants):
The strategy should be laser-focused on capturing intent. This means Google Ads is king. They should be talking about a tightly-themed Search campaign targeting people actively looking for your services. Think keywords like "emergency plumber in Plympton," "commercial solicitor Plymouth," or "accountant for small business Devon." The goal is to show up at the exact moment someone needs you. They should also discuss setting up call extensions and location extensions to make it incredibly easy for local customers to get in touch. For many service businesses, the phone ringing is the most valuable conversion. This is the bread and butter of paid advertising for local lead generation in Plymouth.

For B2C eCommerce & Retail (e.g., selling online or from a physical store):
Here, the conversation should be about building a full-funnel strategy, likely using Meta (Facebook & Instagram) ads. A good agency will talk about more than just running conversion ads. They'll plan a structure that includes:
-> Top of Funnel (ToFu): Reaching new, cold audiences who haven't heard of you before. This involves testing different interest-based audiences (e.g., people in the South West interested in sustainable fashion) and lookalike audiences built from your existing data.
-> Middle of Funnel (MoFu): Re-engaging people who have shown some interest but haven't purchased. This means retargeting website visitors, video viewers, and social media engagers with different messaging to draw them back in.
-> Bottom of Funnel (BoFu): Closing the deal with high-intent users. This is where you target people who've added products to their cart but not checked out, reminding them to complete their purchase, maybe with a small incentive. They should also be talking about Google Shopping ads to get your products in front of people searching for them directly.

For B2B & Tech (e.g., firms at Plymouth Science Park or selling services nationally):
If your customers are other businesses, the strategy gets more complex. LinkedIn Ads will likely be a key part of the discussion. The targeting on LinkedIn is unparalleled for B2B. A good agency will talk about building campaigns that target specific job titles, company sizes, industries, or even a list of named target accounts. The offer here is rarely "Buy Now." It's about lead generation. They should propose strategies to get prospects to download a whitepaper, book a demo, or attend a webinar. For one of our B2B SaaS clients, we generated leads from decision-makers for just $22 CPL on LinkedIn. They should also discuss using Google Search for high-intent keywords related to the problem your software or service solves, like "project management software for construction firms."

The key takeaway is that the proposed strategy should sound like a logical plan designed specifically for how your customers think and buy, not a generic template they apply to every client.

Your Final Checklist: How to Hire the Right Agency

Choosing an agency is a big decision that can have a massive impact on your business's growth. It's easy to get bogged down in sales pitches. To simplify it, here's a step-by-step plan. If you are serious about this, checking out a founder's vetting guide might be a good next step.

Here’s the main advice I have for you:

Ultimately, finding the right agency is about finding a partner you can trust to spend your money wisely and act as a strategic extension of your team. This process takes time and effort, but doing this diligence upfront is the best way to avoid months of wasted ad spend and frustration.

If reading through all of this feels overwhelming and you'd just like an honest, expert opinion on your current situation, it might be worth having a chat. We offer a completely free, no-obligation 20-minute strategy session where we can look at your business and give you some actionable advice on what your next steps should be. Sometimes a quick chat with an expert is all you need to get some clarity.

Hope this helps!