TLDR;
- Finding a decent paid ads consultant in the UK is hard because the market is flooded with 'gurus' who promise the world. Your number one job is to look for hard proof, not slick promises.
- Forget generic case studies. You need to see evidence they've gotten results (in £) for businesses like yours. A SaaS company in London has different needs to an eCommerce store in Bristol.
- The initial consultation is a two-way interview. Use it to test their actual knowledge. If they can't give you specific, actionable advice on your business right there on the call, they're probably not the one.
- This guide includes a simple flowchart to help you vet consultants and a LTV:CAC calculator to figure out what you can actually afford to spend to get a new customer. Stop chasing cheap leads and start chasing profitable ones.
- The single biggest red flag is a guarantee. Nobody can guarantee results in paid advertising. Anyone who does is either lying or naive.
I get it. You're based in the UK, you're trying to grow your business, and you know paid advertising is probably the way to do it. But trying to find a consultant who can actually help you get a return on your money feels like a complete nightmare. The market is saturated with people who've taken a weekend course, call themselves an expert, and are more than happy to burn through your cash.
The truth is, most of them are rubbish. They talk a great game, throw around a lot of jargon, but when it comes down to it, they don't have the real, in-the-trenches experience to navigate the UK market, which is more competitive and expensive than many people think. What works for a massive US company with a bottomless budget won't work for a startup in Manchester trying to make every pound count. So, how do you sort the wheat from the chaff? You have to become a better buyer. You need a process for vetting them that cuts through the noise and focuses on the only thing that matters: can they demonstrably improve your return on investment?
So, what should I actually be looking for then?
Alright, let's get practical. It's not about finding the person with the flashiest website or the one who promises you a 10x ROAS overnight (that's a massive red flag, by the way). It's about finding someone with a track record of solving problems similar to yours. Here's what to focus on.
1. Case Studies Are Your Evidence
This is your number one priority. Don't just glance at the logos on their site. You need to read their case studies properly. Are they detailed? Do they talk about the actual problem, the strategy they implemented, and the specific results? And most importantly, are the results in a currency and context that makes sense for you?
I've seen agencies brag about getting a "$22 CPL for B2B decision makers". That's great, but was that in the hyper-competitive UK tech scene or somewhere else? We once reduced a client's CPA from £100 down to just £7 for a medical job matching SaaS, and that was operating in the UK market. That's a specific, verifiable result with context. You're looking for that level of detail. If their case studies are all for American eCommerce brands and you're a UK B2B service, their experience might not be as relevant as you think. The audience, the costs, the culture – it's all different over here.
2. The Free Consultation is an Audition
Most decent consultants or agencies will offer some sort of free initial chat or strategy session. Tbh, this is your golden opportunity. This isn't a sales call for them; it's an audition. You need to go in prepared to test their expertise. Don't let them just talk about themselves. Make them talk about you.
We offer a free initial consultation where we'll actually review a potential client's ad account and strategy with them on the call. It gives them a real taste of the expertise they'd be getting. You should expect something similar. Ask them direct questions: "Based on my website, who do you think my ICP is?", "What ad platform would you start with and why?", "What's a realistic cost per lead for my industry in the UK?".
If they give you vague, generic answers like "we'd do an omnichannel approach to leverage synergies", hang up. If they say, "Okay, you're a B2B SaaS, your offer needs a free trial not a 'book a demo' button, and we should start with LinkedIn Ads targeting these specific job titles and also test Google Search for these high-intent keywords," then you're talking to someone who actually knows their stuff. They should be able to provide immediate value and insight. If they can't, they're not the expert you're looking for.
Here's a simple process you can follow: