Facebook Ads Expert: The Ultimate London Guide

Finding a good Facebook ads person in London is a proper nightmare, isn't it? The market's flooded with people calling themselves 'gurus' who've watched a few YouTube videos and now think they can run ads. They talk a big game, promise you the world, and then burn through your cash faster than a tourist at a West End show, leaving you with a handful of likes and no actual leads. It’s a frustrating and expensive experience that leaves a lot of business owners, especially coaches like you, feeling pretty jaded about paid advertising altogether.

The truth is, most of them fail because they focus on the wrong things. They don’t understand that for a coaching business, an ad campaign isn’t about 'brand awareness' or 'engagement'. It's about one thing and one thing only: getting qualified, high-intent people to book a call with you. It’s a direct line to revenue. Anything else is just noise. So, I'm going to walk you through how to spot a genuine expert from the cowboys, and more importantly, how to build the foundations of a lead-generating machine for your coaching business yourself. It’s not simple, but it’s definitely not the black magic most freelancers want you to believe it is.

Why are most ‘Facebook Ads Specialists’ in London a waste of time and money?

The core of the problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of what advertising is supposed to do for a service business. You hire someone to get you clients, but you end up with a report full of fluff. Sound familiar? Let’s break down where it all goes wrong.

First, they fall into the trap of vanity metrics. They'll proudly show you a report with a massive 'reach' number, thousands of 'impressions', and a decent number of likes. But what does that actually mean for your bank account? Absolutely nothing. When you set up a campaign on Meta (Facebook/Instagram), you tell the algorithm what you want. If you tell it you want 'Reach', it will do exactly that - it'll find the cheapest, easiest people to show your ad to. These are the people who scroll endlessly but never click, never engage, and certainly never buy anything. You're literally paying Facebook to find you non-customers. It’s a complete misapplication of the tool. For a coaching business, you should almost always be optimising for conversions – leads, applications, or booked calls. If a specialist doesn't understand this from the get-go, they're not a specialist.

Second, they have no real strategy. Their entire plan is often just to 'boost a few posts' and 'see what happens'. This is the equivalent of chucking spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. A real strategy starts way before you even log into the Ads Manager. It starts with a deep understanding of your business, your ideal client, their deepest frustrations, and your offer. Without that foundation, the best ad creative in the world will fail. They should be asking you hard questions about your sales process, your client's lifetime value, and what makes a lead 'qualified' for you. If their first question is just "what's your budget?", run for the hills.

Finally, there's the issue of unrealistic promises. "I'll get you 50 leads in your first month, guaranteed!" It sounds great, but it's a massive red flag. Tbh, in paid advertising, you can't promise anything specific. No one can predict exactly how an audience will respond or what the cost per lead will be, especially in a competitive market like London. A real professional will talk in terms of a process of testing and optimisation. They’ll talk about establishing a baseline, finding winning angles, and scaling what works. They manage your expectations because they understand the realities of the platform, they dont just sell you a dream to get your signature on a contract.

So, how do I spot someone who actually knows their stuff?

Alright, so you know what to avoid. How do you find the genuine article? It's about looking for proof and expertise, not slick sales pitches. There are a few non-negotiable things you should be looking for.

The absolute number one thing is their case studies. Not testimonials, but proper case studies. You need to see proof that they've worked with businesses similar to yours – other coaches, consultants, or high-ticket service providers – and have gotten them tangible results. And by results, I mean leads and sales, not likes and follows. For instance, we've worked on campaigns for course creators that generated $115k in revenue in just over a month, and another that hit a 447% return on ad spend in a week. While that's for courses, it shows an understanding of how to sell knowledge and transformation, which is very similar to coaching. They should be able to walk you through the problem, the strategy they implemented, and the result. If they're cagey about this or their case studies are all for £5 t-shirt shops, they're not the right fit for you. Experience in a related niche is absolutly critical.

Next, get them on a call. This is your chance to interview them, and you should treat it as such. Don't just let them pitch you. Ask them questions. What would be their initial approach for your business? Who do they think your target audience is? What sort of messaging would they test first? A real pro will have intelligent, thoughtful answers. They might even challenge your assumptions. They'll be more interested in your Average Revenue Per Client and your closing rate than you are. They'll talk about building a sustainable system, not just a quick hit. We offer a free initial consultation where we actually review a potential client's strategy and ad account with them. It gives them a massive amount of value upfront and a real taste of the expertise they’d be getting. Look for that generosity with knowledge; it's a sign of confidence.

And a final point on this, which might sound a bit contrarian. Be wary of asking for references to speak to their current clients. It sounds like sensible due diligence, but think about it from the specialist's perspective. They've shown you detailed case studies with real numbers, they've given you a free strategy session packed with value. If, after all that, you still need to bother one of their paying clients to check up on them, it signals a deep lack of trust from the very begining. Tbh, for us, it's an instant red flag that the relationship probably won't work. If the proof in their case studies isn't enough, it's not a good fit. Trust has to be there from the start.

Before you spend a single pound on ads, have you fixed your offer?

This is probably the most important part of this entire article. You can hire the best ads manager in the world, someone who's a technical wizard with the Facebook algorithm, but if your offer is weak, vague, or not tailored to a specific audience, you will fail. Ads don't create demand; they amplify existing demand. A great ad campaign for a bad offer will just make you lose money faster.

You need to stop thinking in broad demographics. "My client is a woman aged 30-50 in London" is completely useless. That describes millions of people with wildly different lives. You need to get specific. You need to define your customer not by who they are, but by the nightmare they are living. What is the urgent, expensive, career-threatening problem that keeps them awake at 3 AM? Your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) isn't a person; it's a problem state.

For example, instead of a "life coach," maybe you're a coach who helps Senior Managers in London's tech scene navigate their first leadership role without burning out. The nightmare isn't 'needing a coach'. The nightmare is the terror of failing in a new high-stakes role, the impostor syndrome, the fear of their team not respecting them, and the prospect of having to go back to being an individual contributor. That is specific. That is emotional. That is a problem they will pay to solve.

Once you have that nightmare defined, your entire message changes. You're no longer selling a vague service; you're selling the solution to a painful, specific problem. This is where you use a framework like Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS).

• Problem: "Just been promoted to Head of Department? Congratulations. But now the real work starts, and the pressure is immense."
• Agitate: "Are you secretly terrified your team thinks you're a fraud? Are you working 14-hour days just to keep your head above water, sacrificing your health and relationships, only to feel like you're still failing?"
• Solve: "I help new leaders in London's tech sector build confident, high-performing teams in 90 days, without the burnout. Let me show you the framework to not just survive, but thrive in your new role."

See the difference? That speaks directly to one person and their specific pain. It's not for everyone, and that's the point. When you try to speak to everyone, you speak to no one. You need to have this level of clarity before you even think about targeting or ad creative. Your offer and your messaging are the fuel for the fire. Without them, you've just got a pile of wood.

What should my client-getting funnel actually look like?

People love to overcomplicate funnels. They draw diagrams with a dozen boxes, upsells, downsells, and complex email sequences. For a high-ticket coach, it's much, much simpler. You don't need all that. Your goal is to get a qualified person on a sales call. That's it. Every step in the funnel should be optimised for that single outcome.

Here’s the simple, brutally effective funnel:

Facebook/Instagram Ad -> Landing Page -> Application/Booking Form -> Thank You Page -> Sales Call

Let's break down the key parts.

The Landing Page: This is where your ad sends traffic. Its only job is to expand on the promise made in the ad and persuade the visitor to take the next step. It is not your main website homepage with 20 different links. A good landing page has one message and one button. No navigation menu, no links to your blog, no social media icons. You want to remove all distractions. The copy on this page should be a masterclass in persuasion, diving deeper into the client's pain points and painting a vivid picture of the transformation you provide. It should be packed with social proof like client testimonials (video is best). The design should be clean, professional, and build trust.

The Call to Action (CTA) and Offer: This is a critical failure point for many. "Book a Free Consultation" is weak. It's generic, low-value, and positions you as just another coach. You need to reframe it. I often advise clients, especially those in high-value service businesses, to rethink the traditional "Request a Demo" approach, common in the software world, which applies just as strongly to coaching. Your offer needs to provide undeniable value upfront.

Instead of a "Free Call," what if you offered a "Free Career Trajectory Audit" or a "Complimentary Leadership Bottleneck Analysis"? This positions the call as a valuable diagnostic session, not a sales pitch. It makes the prospect feel like they are getting something tangible. You can also use an application form instead of a direct booking link. This does two things: it increases the perceived value and exclusivity, and it acts as a filter to pre-qualify leads. You ask them a few questions about their role, their biggest challenges, and their income. This way, you only spend your valuable time talking to people who are a genuinely good fit. People who wont waste your time.

The Thank You Page: Don't neglect this! After they apply or book, the thank you page is prime real estate. You can put a short video of yourself here, welcoming them and telling them what to expect next. This starts building the relationship immediately. You can also link to a key client case study or a piece of high-value content to further build your authority and keep them engaged while they wait for the call.

This simple structure works because it focuses on quality over quantity. It's designed to filter out the tyre-kickers and get you on the phone with people who have a real problem and see you as the expert solution.

Okay, I'm ready. How much should I expect to pay for a lead in the UK?

This is the million-dollar—or rather, million-pound—question. The answer is, "it depends". But I can give you some realistic ballparks for the UK market so you’re not flying blind. The cost per lead (CPL) is a function of many variables: the competitiveness of your audience, the quality of your ads, the conversion rate of your landing page, and even the time of year.

For a lead-based objective (like filling out an application form) in a developed country like the UK, you can expect the cost per click (CPC) to be somewhere in the £0.50 - £1.50 range. A good, persuasive landing page should convert visitors into leads at a rate of 10-30%. So, let's do the maths:

• Worst Case: £1.50 CPC / 10% Conversion Rate = £15 per lead.
• Best Case: £0.50 CPC / 30% Conversion Rate = £1.60 per lead.

Your actual CPL will likely fall somewhere in that range. For a high-ticket coaching service in London, which is a very competitive space, I'd probably budget for the higher end of that scale initially, maybe around £10-£20 per lead, and work on optimising it down. I remember running ads for a home cleaning company where we got the cost down to £5/lead, but coaching is a different beast entirely.

However, the cost per lead is only half of the equation. Obsessing over a low CPL is a rookie mistake. The real question isn't "how cheap can I get a lead?" but "how much can I afford to pay for a lead and still be wildly profitable?". To answer that, you need to know your numbers, specifically your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).

Let's run a hypothetical calculation for a coach.

How to Calculate What You Can Afford to Pay For a Client

This simple calculation changes everything. It moves you from a cost-mindset to an investment-mindset.

Suddenly, that £20 CPL doesn't look so bad, does it? It looks like an absolute bargain. With this math, you know you could afford to pay up to £300 for a single application and still break even on that client. This is the math that allows you to advertise with confidence. It frees you from the tyranny of cheap leads and lets you focus on acquiring high-quality clients, even if they cost a bit more. When a specialist asks for these numbers, it’s a sign they know what they’re doing.

What targeting actually works for coaches on Facebook?

Targeting is where many people get lost. Meta's interface offers a dizzying array of options, and it’s easy to pick broad, ineffective interests. The key is to be strategic and layer your approach based on the user's awareness of you and your solution. I prioritise audiences in a specific order.

META ADS AUDIENCE PRIORITISATION FOR COACHES

The further down the funnel an audience is, the better it will typically perform. You always want to start by targeting cold audiences to feed the funnel, then retarget them as they get warmer.

For a new ad account, you'll start at the top (ToFu) with detailed targeting. Don't just pick one or two broad interests. Get creative. Think about the specific things your ideal client interacts with. What books do they read? What podcasts do they listen to? What software do they use? What events do they attend? The more specific you can be, the better. Your aim is to find pockets of users where your ideal client is over-represented.

As soon as you have data flowing through your pixel—at least 100 applications, ideally more—you can start building your powerful Lookalike and Retargeting audiences. Your hottest audiences (BoFu) are the people who have already shown significant interest. They've visited your page, they've started the form. You should be running specific ads to these people, reminding them of the value you offer and encouraging them to complete that final step. This multi-layered approach ensures you're not just screaming into the void, but systematically moving people from being unaware of you to becoming a paying client.

Can I really do all this myself?

After reading all this, you might be feeling one of two things: empowered or completely overwhelmed. Both are normal reactions. So let's be brutally honest. Can you do this yourself? Yes, absolutely. All the tools and information are available. But the real question is, should you?

Running paid advertising effectively is not a part-time task you can squeeze in between coaching calls. It is a full-time discipline that requires constant learning, testing, and analysis. To do it well, you need to become an expert in copywriting, human psychology, data analysis, and the ever-changing technical landscape of the advertising platforms.

The path is there: you define your client's nightmare, you build an irrisistible offer to solve it, you create a simple and persuasive funnel, you understand your numbers so you can invest with confidence, you target intelligently, and you test your creative relentlessly. But each of those steps has a learning curve, and mistakes cost real money. The value of hiring a genuine expert isn't just that they can click the right buttons. It's that they have already made the expensive mistakes with other people's money. They have the data and experience from hundreds of campaigns across dozens of industries. They can see patterns you can't, and they can get you to profitability much faster than you could on your own.

Think of it as an investment, not a cost. You're buying speed, expertise, and a proven process. You're freeing up your own time to do what you do best: coaching your clients and growing your business. It allows you to focus on being the CEO, not the marketing intern.

If you've read this far and you're feeling that sense of overwhelm, that's okay. This is complex stuff. If you'd like an expert pair of eyes on your coaching business to map out what a successful client acquisition system could look like for you, we offer a free, no-obligation strategy session. We'll dive into your offer, your ideal client, and your goals to see if we might be a good fit to help you grow. Hope this helps!