Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on whether you should hire an ads consultant or just run ads yourself. It's a question a lot of business owners ask themselves, and the answer really depends on your situation, your skills, and what you're hoping to achieve.
We'll need to look at your current understanding of paid advertising...
Lots of people seem to think that running ads is as simple as boosting a post and watching the sales roll in. It's really not that straightforward. There's a huge amount of work that goes into managing ad campaigns properly, and it requires quite a bit of time and effort to keep on top of it all. It's not just about setting up the ads; it's about constant tweaking, testing different creatives, really understanding the data, and being able to react quickly to changes.
One thing I've seen a lot is people wasting money on poorly targeted campaigns. They might be targeting too broad an audience, or they might be using the wrong keywords, or they might not be using proper conversion tracking. All this leads to wasted ad spend and poor results. Its all about understanding the platforms. The algorithms can be quite complex nowadays and you'd need to understand how they work to get the best performance.
I remember working with a software client who had been trying to get B2B decision makers. We used LinkedIn ads and achieved a cost per lead of $22. It's that sort of focused experience you're paying for, and in my experience, that always pays for itself. Its knowing which levers to pull to get the performance right, and its about testing all those levers.
It's a bit like trying to cut your own hair and hoping for a good outcome - it can work, but you're usually better off going to a professional. Or a surgeon operating on himself. Its probably not gonna end well!
I'd say you need a clear strategy and the right tools...
Another thing to consider is whether you have the right tools and tracking in place. If you're not tracking your conversions properly, you're basically flying blind. You need to know which campaigns are working, which keywords are driving sales, and which ads are resonating with your audience. Without this data, you're just guessing, and you're probably wasting a lot of money. You need Google Analytics, tracking pixels, e-commerce tracking, and all sorts. Then you gotta spend a few hours learning how it all works and how to read the reports.
I remember one client who'd been running ads for ages, but wasn't tracking conversions properly. They had no idea which campaigns were actually making money. We set up proper tracking, and quickly realised that half of their budget was being wasted on campaigns that weren't converting. By reallocating that budget, they saw a massive increase in sales. It's knowing where those blind spots are that's the real value, as well as having experience setting up those tracking configurations, because believe me, its not easy.
I've worked with enough small businesses now to know that lots of them don't have the time or expertise to do all of this themselves. They're too busy running their business to spend hours tweaking ad campaigns and analysing data. And that's perfectly fine, that's what consultants are for. Its about understanding your opportunity cost and deciding whether you could better spend your time elsewhere.
You probably should also consider the learning curve...
There's a steep learning curve when it comes to paid advertising. The platforms are constantly changing, new features are being added all the time, and what worked last week might not work this week. You need to be constantly learning and adapting to stay ahead of the game. You need to know how to use the different targeting options, how to write compelling ad copy, how to design effective creatives, and how to optimise your campaigns for conversions. And that is just the begining!
If you're not willing to invest the time and effort to learn all of this, you're probably better off hiring a consultant. They already have the knowledge and experience, and they can hit the ground running. Plus, they're probably already up-to-date with the latest trends and best practises. I'm spending a few hours per week just trying to stay on top of everything that is changing in the advertising industry. Its absolutely bonkers! This is a full-time job in itself, and something you really have to have some level of passion to keep on top of. If you don't then you probably won't.
I remember one software client who had been trying to get users for their software. We used Google ads and were able to acquire 3,543 users at a cost of £0.96 per user.
You'll need to determine whether it is worth the cost...
Of course, hiring a consultant costs money, and you need to weigh up the cost versus the potential benefits. You need to ask yourself whether you can afford to pay someone to manage your ads, and whether you're likely to see a return on your investment. But if you're wasting money on poorly performing campaigns, then hiring a consultant might actually save you money in the long run. I find it can be more of an investment than an expense, if you look at it from the right point of view.
Also, I would have a frank conversation with your prospective consultant and see what they have to say. Like we do, we offer a free initial consultation where we review their strategy and account together. This is usually super helpful and gives potential clients a taste of the expertise they'll see going into their project if they decide to work with us. You'll want to look for expertise here, like they know what they are doing and aren't just promising you results. Tbh in paid advertising, you can't really promise anything as it's impossible to predict how exactly the ads will perform. You should only trust someone who understands this and explains that to you. Otherwise they are lying.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Recommendation | Details |
|---|---|
| Assess Your Current Understanding | Be honest about your skills and knowledge of paid advertising. Do you have the time and expertise to manage campaigns effectively? |
| Evaluate Your Tracking Setup | Ensure you have proper conversion tracking in place to measure the success of your campaigns. Without data, you're flying blind. |
| Consider the Learning Curve | Paid advertising is constantly evolving. Are you willing to invest the time and effort to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practises? |
| Weigh the Cost vs. Benefits | Calculate the potential return on investment of hiring a consultant. Can they save you money in the long run by improving your campaign performance? |
| Get an Opinion from a consultant | Speak to an advertising consultant and get their opinion about your situation. This will give you a good insight into whether it is worthwhile or not. |
Overall, you might want to consider expert help if you are completely new to paid advertising and don't know where to start. Running bad ads can be an expensive business, so its probably best to leave it to the experts. After all, you probably have some expertise as well in your business - its best to leave it to the people in the know. If you decide to give us a shout, we're happy to book in a free consultation to give you a taste of our expertise.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
