Solved: Finding Top Paid Advertising Companies (Step-by-Step Guide)

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out!

You reached out about finding a top paid ads agency in Chicago. It’s a common starting point, but I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts that might save you a lot of time and money. The truth is, fixating on a specific city is probably the biggest mistake you can make when looking for a partner to manage your ad spend. You're not looking for a local vendor; you're looking for a specialist with proven experience that can actually get you results, regardless of where their office is.

I’ll walk you through a framework for how to properly vet an agency, so you can find a team that's a genuine growth partner rather than just another line item on your expenses sheet.

We'll need to look at why geography is the wrong filter...

Right, let's get this out of the way first. The idea that you need a local agency you can meet for a coffee is a leftover from a pre-internet era of doing business. It feels comfortable, but it's a massive strategic error. By limiting your search to Chicago, IL, you're fishing in a tiny pond when there's an entire ocean of world-class talent available to you.

Think about it this way: if you needed critical heart surgery, would you search for "the best heart surgeon in my neighbourhood"? Or would you search for the best heart surgeon, period, regardless of where they were located? Your business's growth is its lifeblood. You should apply the same logic. The best agency for a B2B SaaS company in Chicago might be based in London. The best agency for a D2C eCommerce brand in Illinois could be in Manchester or anywhere else. Their physical location has absolutely zero bearing on their ability to manage a Google Ads account or optimise a Meta campaign.

The real currency in this industry is expertise and experience. Specifically, it's experience with businesses that look just like yours—same industry, same business model, same challenges. An agency that has scaled ten other subscription box companies to 1000% ROAS knows the exact playbook you need. A local, generalist agency that does a bit of everything for everyone—from the local plumber to a software startup—simply cannot compete with that level of specialised knowledge. The opportunity cost of choosing local over expert is huge. You’re trading proven results for a convenient commute that you'll never even make, since all the work happens online anyway.

I'd say you need to become an expert at vetting case studies...

So, if not location, what should you be looking for? The single most important piece of evidence you have is their past work. Case studies are not just marketing fluff; they are the agency's CV. You need to learn how to read them properly to separate the real experts from the cowboys.

First, look for niche relevance. Don't be impressed by an agency that got a 10x ROAS for a women's apparel brand if you're selling high-ticket industrial equipment. The skills, platforms, and strategies are completely different. You need to see evidence that they understand the nuances of *your* market. For example, we've worked with many B2B SaaS clients. Our case studies show things like '4,622 Registrations at $2.38' or '$22 CPL for B2B decision makers on LinkedIn'. If you're a software company, *that's* the kind of proof you need. It shows we understand your business model and have a track record of delivering the specific outcomes you care about, like trial signups and qualified leads, not just fuzzy "brand awareness".

Second, scrutinise the metrics. Are they talking about results that actually matter to your bottom line? Be very wary of case studies that lead with vanity metrics like "10 Million Views" or "18k website visitors". While impressive, these numbers mean nothing without context. Views don't pay salaries. You want to see business metrics: Return On Ad Spend (ROAS), Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), Customer Lifetime Value (LTV), and ultimately, revenue generated. A good case study will connect the dots: "We spent X, which drove Y leads, resulting in Z in new revenue." For example, one of our eCommerce clients saw a 633% return and a 190% increase in revenue. Another one generated $115k in revenue in just a month and a half. These are the numbers that demonstrate a real impact on a business.

Third, look for transparency and detail. A great case study doesn't just show the result; it gives you a glimpse into the process. It should talk about the initial challenges, the strategy they developed, the audiences they targeted, the creative they tested, and what they learned along the way. If a case study is just a headline and a big number with no substance, it's a red flag. It suggests the result might have been a fluke, or that they don't have a repeatable process they can apply to your business.

Finally, check if their results are recent. The digital advertising world changes incredibly fast. A strategy that worked wonders on Facebook two years ago might be completely obsolete today. You need a partner who is at the cutting edge, constantly testing and adapting. If all their best work is from 2019, you have to question if they are still at the top of their game.

Here’s a little tool to help you score potential agencies based on what you find. Be honest with your ratings. This will help you quantify your gut feeling and compare agencies on a more objective basis.

You probably should treat the intro call as an audition...

Once you've shortlisted a few agencies with compelling case studies, the next step is the consultation call. Do not treat this as a sales call where they pitch you. Treat it as a job interview where you are the hiring manager. This is your chance to get past the polished marketing and see how they really think.

Forget the softball questions. You need to ask questions that reveal their process, their honesty, and their strategic capabilities. A huge red flag is an agency that promises you the world or guarantees results. Nobody can guarantee results in paid advertising. There are too many variables. What a good agency *can* guarantee is a rigorous, data-driven process of testing and optimisation to find what works. Listen for talk of process, not promises.

Here are some questions you should be asking:

• "Walk me through a campaign for a client similar to me that *failed* initially. What went wrong, and how did you turn it around?" This is my favourite. It tests for honesty and problem-solving skills. Every good agency has campaigns that underperformed at first. Their answer will show you if they are transparent and if they have a systematic approach to fixing problems, or if they just blame the algorithm.
• "Based on what you know about my business, what would be your strategic plan for the first 90 days?" A good agency won't give you a full strategy on the spot, but they should be able to outline a logical starting point. This should involve things like audience research, creative testing, landing page analysis, and setting up proper tracking. If they just say "we'll run some ads and see what happens," run for the hills.
• "How do you determine a starting budget, and how do you make decisions about scaling spend?" Their answer should be tied to your business goals and metrics. For instance, "We'd recommend a starting budget of £2k/month to gather enough data. We'd look for a target CPA of X. Once we hit that consistently, we can scale the budget by 20% per week while monitoring ROAS." A vague answer suggests they don't have a handle on the financial side of advertising.
• "Who, specifically, will be working on my account? What is their direct experience?" You need to avoid the classic bait-and-switch where the smooth-talking senior partner sells you, then hands your account off to a junior graduate who's learning on your dime. Insist on knowing who is doing the day-to-day work and what their qualifications are.

The call is also about seeing if they are a good fit. Do they listen more than they talk? Do they ask intelligent questions about your business, your customers, your profit margins, and your long-term goals? An agency that doesn't ask about your unit economics isn't a growth partner; they're just a media buyer focused on spending your money. A true partner needs to understand how your business works to make effective decisions.

We should focus on partnership, not procurement...

Ultimately, this entire process is about shifting your mindset. You are not just procuring a service; you are entering into a partnership. A good agency relationship is a two-way street built on trust, transparency, and shared goals. They should feel like an extension of your own team—a specialised department that is fully aligned with your company's success.

This also means you need to be a good client. Be prepared to share your data, be open about your business challenges, and be responsive to their questions and recommendations. The agencies that get the best results for their clients are the ones who have a deep, collaborative relationship with them. If you treat your agency like a black box that you just throw money into, you're unlikely to see the success you want.

This brings me to a final point on due diligence: references. Some people advise asking to speak to an agency's current clients. Tbh, if you've already seen detailed case studies and had an in-depth strategy call where they've demonstrated their expertise, asking for references can be a bit of a red flag for the agency. It signals a fundamental lack of trust from the very beginning. A good agency protects their clients' time and won't want to bother them with sales calls. The case studies and the quality of their strategic advice should be enough to build that initial trust. If it's not, it's probably not a good fit for either party.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you in a table below to give you a clear, step-by-step process to follow.

Finding the right paid advertising partner is one of the most important decisions you can make for your company's growth. Getting it right can accelerate your success massively; getting it wrong can burn through your cash and set you back months. It's why taking a methodical, expertise-focused approach is so much better than just picking a name from a local directory.

An expert partner doesn't just manage your ads. They bring years of experience from hundreds of campaigns, saving you from making costly mistakes. They understand the patterns and have a process for finding what works, which gets you to profitability much faster than you could on your own.

If you'd like, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation. It's a 20-minute session where we can take a look at your business, discuss your goals, and give you some actionable advice based on our experience. It’s a great way to get a second opinion and a taste of the expertise we could bring to your project. You can walk away with some valuable insights, whether we decide to work together or not.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh