Solved: Finding a Meta Ads Expert (Beyond Local Limits)

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out!

I understand you're looking for a Meta ads strategist in Philadelphia. It can be a real headache trying to find the right partner who actually gets what you're trying to do. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on my experience. The truth is, finding the right person often has less to do with their postcode and more to do with their expertise and track record.

We'll need to look at why 'Near Me' is the Wrong Search...

First off, let's tackle the Philadelphia part. I get the impulse to want someone local. It feels safer, more tangible. But in 2024, for a digital service like Meta advertising, it's probably the single biggest mistake you can make. It's an outdated idea that's severely limiting your options.

You're not looking for someone to pop round for a cuppa; you're looking for someone who can navigate the complexities of Meta's algorithm to grow your business. The best person for that job could be in London, Lisbon, or Los Angeles. Their physical location is completely irrelevant. What matters is their expertise, specifically their experience with businesses like yours. Have they scaled an eCommerce brand in your niche? Have they generated leads for a similar B2B service? Have they grown a SaaS company from scratch?

Think of it this way: if you needed complex heart surgery, would you pick the average surgeon at your local hospital, or would you find the best specialist in the country, even if you had to travel? Your business's financial health deserves the same level of care. By limiting your search to Philadelphia, you're competing for a very small pool of talent and likely overlooking world-class experts elsewhere.

Tbh, a lot of the best agencies and consultants work remotely with clients all over the world. We're based in the UK but the vast majority of our clients are in the US. Time zones are easy to manage. Communication is done over Slack and Zoom. The work happens inside the ad account, which is in the cloud. There is litterally no practical advantage to hiring someone down the road.

I'd say you need a better way to vet for real expertise...

So if location is out, what should you be looking for? It all comes down to proof. You need to become a detective and look for evidence that they know what they're doing. This is where you seperate the talkers from the doers.

Case Studies are Everything

This is your number one priority. Forget the fancy website and the slick sales pitch. Go straight to their case studies. And I don't mean a page with a bunch of logos. That tells you nothing. You're looking for detailed breakdowns that walk you through the problem, the strategy they implemented, and the results they acheived. I remember one campaign where we took a software client to over 5,000 trial signups at $7 per trial using Meta ads, or another where we generated £107k in revenue for a client at a 618% Return On Ad Spend (ROAS). These aren't just vanity metrics; they show a clear, commercial impact.

When you read a case study, ask yourself:

• -> Is this business similar to mine (niche, size, goal)?
• -> Do they explain the 'why' behind their strategy, not just the 'what'?
• -> Are the results specific and meaningful (e.g., 'increased ROAS by 350%' not 'improved results')?
• -> Does it sound like they genuinely solved a difficult problem?

If an agency doesn't have detailed case studies, or if they're all vague and full of marketing fluff, it's a huge red flag. It likely means they don't have the results to back up their claims.

Reviews and Reputation

Reviews are useful, but you have to read between the lines. Five-star ratings are nice, but what are people actually saying? Are the reviews detailed? Do they talk about the communication, the process, and the results? Look for patterns. If multiple clients mention that the agency is great at strategy but slow to respond, that tells you something. Tbh if someone asks us for references or to call one of our clients after they've already reviewed our case studies and gotten a free account review, it's an instant red flag for us. It signals a deep lack of trust that probably won't get resolved. The case studies and reviews should speak for themselves.

You probably should know how to handle the consultation call...

The initial call is not a sales pitch; it's a two-way interview. You are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. This is your chance to test their expertise in real-time. A good consultant will spend most of the call asking you questions about your business, your customers, your goals, and your numbers. They're trying to diagnose the situation before they even think about prescribing a solution.

A bad consultant will spend the whole time talking about themselves, their process, and how amazing they are. They'll make grand promises without knowing anything about your business.

Here’s a quick guide on what to watch out for:

For example, when we do a free initial consultation, we spend almost the entire time inside the client's ad account, looking at their data, and giving them concrete advice. They walk away with a list of things they can implement themselves, whether they hire us or not. That's the kind of value a real expert should provide upfront. It builds trust and demonstrates capability far better than any sales deck.

You'll need realistic expectations about cost & performance...

You mentioned wanting "significant growth," but what does that actually mean? And what should it cost? This is where many business owners get tripped up. They see a competitor's flashy ad and assume they can get the same results for a few hundred pounds. The reality is a lot more complex.

The cost to acquire a customer (or a lead, or a signup) depends hugely on your industry, your offer, your target audience, and the country you're in. There's no single magic number. However, we can work with some realistic ranges based on thousands of campaigns.

For example, if you're looking for simple email signups in developed countries (like the US), you can expect your cost per click (CPC) to be somewhere between £0.50 and £1.50. A decent landing page might convert 10-30% of that traffic. So, your Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) would be somewhere between £1.60 (£0.50 / 30%) and £15.00 (£1.50 / 10%). That's a massive range!

If you're selling a product (eCommerce), your conversion rates will be much lower, maybe 2-5%. So your cost per purchase could easily be between £10 and £75 in the same market. For B2B, where you're generating qualified leads for a high-ticket service, a CPA of £200-£500 isn't uncommon. We worked on a B2B campaign where a $22 CPL from LinkedIn Ads was considered a huge success because the lifetime value of the customer was enormous.

The goal isn't just to get the lowest CPA possible. It's to get a CPA that is profitable relative to your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). If a customer is worth £10,000 to you over their lifetime, paying £300 to acquire them is an incredible deal. That's the math that unlocks real growth.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

Finding the right partner is a strategic process, not a game of geographical chance. It requires diligence and a focus on what truly matters: proven expertise and a solid strategic fit. Below is a summary of the actionable steps I'd recommend you take based on everything we've discussed.

Ultimately, the right strategist will feel less like a vendor you've hired and more like a strategic partner invested in your growth. They'll be obsessed with your numbers, challenge your assumptions, and bring new ideas to the table. This kind of partnership is what drives significant, sustainable growth—and it's definately worth looking beyond your city limits to find it.

Hiring a professional might seem like an extra cost, but trying to do it all yourself, or hiring the wrong person, is almost always more expensive in the long run due to wasted ad spend and missed opportunities. An expert can help you avoid costly mistakes and accelerate your growth much faster.

If you'd like to have a chat about your specific situation, we offer a free, no-obligation strategy consultation where we can take a look at your current efforts and give you some actionable advice.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh