When Choosing a Facebook Advertising Agency There Is More Than Meets the Eye
Choosing the right agency is easy, but choosing the wrong one is even easier unfortunately. Every agency or expert that you come across is going to want to sell themselves — it’s up to you to evaluate your options and pick the right one.
In this evaluation process, you should ask some important questions to discover what makes this prospective agency tick. Some questions may be obvious, and others may lie just below the surface. We have created this list of seven questions to help you choose between a stellar Facebook PPC Agency and one that you want to avoid. The difference is bound to represent a major disparity in the results of your Facebook advertising campaigns.
So without further adieu, let’s dig into what makes a Facebook PPC Agency great.
1: Does Your Facebook Advertising Agency Keep Up With the Latest Facebook Ads Software/Techniques?
When it comes to Facebook algorithms, tools, and targeting, the game changes quite regularly. Facebook will often add a new tool, remove a targeting capability, or beta test a new feature overnight (See What’s New with Ads Manager). These releases cannot be predicted — they can only be adapted to. When choosing a Facebook PPC Agency you want to work with someone who works with the tool every single day.
It’s a good idea to ask the agency if they set aside a dedicated amount of time every week (say 1-2 hours per week) strictly for industry research (Here are some of our favourite sites: Wordstream, Neil Patel, AdEspresso, Social Media Examiner). Setting aside a dedicated time shows maturity in the agency, as they are committed to researching the latest tips and techniques to complement their service. The best PPC managers all do this.
2: Would You Tell Us if We Didn’t Really Need Facebook Ads?
Without a proper understanding of a business’s goals and needs, Facebook ads are useless. The result will be wasted spend and irrelevant conversions if a company’s business goals are not aligned with a larger digital strategy.
It’s a top-down approach that requires a cohesive snapshot of the business goals as a whole. A smart and experienced Facebook PPC Agency will make sure the digital strategy even calls for Facebook Ads!
There are many other platforms and PPC options to explore when in this strategy phase. Maybe the campaign is really better suited for Google Adwords! (See when to use which platform). Facebook ads work well for some industries and for some campaigns, not for all. Anyone that tells you otherwise is just trying to sell you on their services.
3: Do You Specialise in Specific Target Markets?
4: Do You Value Vanity Metrics?
Vanity metrics are often defined as impressions, likes, page views, video watches, engagement, and even clicks. These are feel-good metrics that some agencies try to pawn off as important. They are not, and they do not help the bottom line of a company.
Find an agency that optimises based on conversions. It is important to first define your key conversion metrics and then optimise towards those markers. There are free tools you can use that will grade your FB ads performance.
Optimising based on what is being clicked can get you into many issues down the road. Don’t trust agencies that pad their stats with feel-good metrics, and don’t spend your money on campaigns that aren’t bringing dollars in the door for your company. Always ask where the ROI is.
5: Is Your Agency Experienced in Multiple Marketing Disciplines?
Being successful using Facebook Ads requires more than just knowledge in the realm of PPC. If an agency has multiple specialised business units, it allows them to synergistically come up with solutions to client’s problems.
For example:
- An understanding of SEO helps in determining key language and phrases to use in your ad campaigns
- An understanding of copywriting makes your ads more compelling and clickable
- A skilled designer can make a huge difference in terms of designing striking imagery
- A skilled videographer can make captivating videos that have the potential to go viral and be shared by thousands of people thereby giving you free exposure
The point is, a well-rounded agency can benefit your Facebook Ads campaigns in more ways than one. Look for an agency that is proficient in multiple verticals as it can further your success.
6: Do You Follow a Hands-On Approach?
Facebook ads require continuous management and fine-tuning. Careful monitoring and analysis of the analytics can really make the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful campaign. It’s important that your Facebook PPC Agency is hands-on in their approach, and optimises your ads on a very regular basis. Optimisation daily would be best! Consider using tools like AdEspresso, SuperMetrics, and Cyfe.
It is also good if your PPC manager is proactive, and wants to test new features and campaigns. Having a Facebook PPC Agency that takes your success into their own hands is what you ultimately want. There are many nuances in running Facebook ads campaigns so having a depth of experience and a dedicated account manager is crucial for driving results.
7: Is Your Agency Open and Transparent?
One factor that is often overlooked when employing an agency is open communication and a strong sense of accountability. Your company should enjoy working with the agency and be on the same team when it comes to pushing the ball forward. Get alignment but allow your agency to bring its expertise to the game. Allow your agency to test new techniques and new campaigns to push the results further.
As a client, don’t be quick to judge, but rather trust the process of continuous improvement which can spell unsuccessful campaigns at times. This open, clear and trusting style of work is both the responsibility of the agency and the client. Are you doing your part to make your relationship with the agency successful?
8: Is Your Agency a Facebook Marketing Partner?
When you’re on the lookout for an agency that specialises in Facebook marketing, you want to choose one that has been awarded the Facebook Marketing Partner status. This would mean that the agency in question has been vetted by Facebook as a result of their remarkable performance and results.
These are the agencies that are always one step ahead of the curve as they have the most amount of experience when it comes to running Facebook campaigns. You can rest assured that the people working on your campaigns are always up to speed with the latest trends in the industry and always follow best practices.
Be sure to ask for a portfolio — it should give you some insight into how the agency operates, what kind of work they do, and whether they’re the right fit for your industry or not.
Hiring a Facebook Marketing Expert — Red Flags To Look Out For
Digging deep into the processes of an agency that you haven’t yet worked with can be challenging. While we can’t realistically list every question that you should ask your agency, there are some concerns that you should clear out with them before signing up.
How you go about retrieving this information is something you’ll have to figure out. Use your best judgement and try to understand if:
The Agency Chooses to Use Their Own Facebook Ads Account
The problem with having no control over the Facebook Ads account in use is that if you decide to part ways with the agency at some point in time, all of the data and insights will be lost. The fact that ownership of Facebook accounts cannot be transferred adds fuel to the fire.
They Want to Use Their Own Facebook Pixel on Your Ad Account
Ideally, you should always own your own Facebook Pixel and share it with your agency when needed — not the other way around. Some agencies claim that using their own Pixel makes it easier for them to optimise your account’s performance, however, that shouldn’t be the case.
Even Facebook recommends that you should make sure your agency run ads through your accounts. You should always be in ownership of your own tools and data. The best practice is to first create a Business Manager, then grant your partner agency access to your Ad Account and other assets such as Pixel.
They Ask You to Pay the Ad Spend Directly to Them in Advance
This is a clear sign that the agency is likely going to outsource your work to another company or contractor. You should ideally attach your credit card directly to the platform. Worst case scenario in this situation is if you and the agency part ways, it’s going to be difficult to retrieve your unused ad spend.
Final Words
In closing, choose an agency that is going to set you up for success. Do your due diligence when choosing a Facebook PPC Agency, as there are hidden factors that when considered, could, in fact, translate into impressive results. As an agency that has run hundreds of campaigns for clients, we have seen the good, bad and the odd (ask us about some of the designs that we’ve tested and surprised to see results with!) first hand.
Choose a Facebook PPC Agency that is experienced, hands-on, multi-talented, accountable and great to work with! Best of luck in your search and if you want to consider us, please feel free to reach out to us for more information on our Facebook PPC services.