You need help with Facebook ads, but do you hire an facebook ads agency or a consultant?
Hire the wrong one, and you’ll burn thousands. Hire too early, and you’ll get locked into retainers before you’re ready. Wait too long, and your campaigns stall.
Even founders, growth leads, and even CMOs wrestle with this. So if you’re:
- Sitting on ad budget but unsure where to spend
- Tired of throwing money at Facebook with no returns
- Overwhelmed by agencies, consultants, and conflicting advice
This guide’s for you.
How do they differ?
Facebook ad agencies are your doers. They handle creative, media buying, copy, and reporting. Ideal if you’ve validated your offer and want to scale.
Marketing consultants are your fixers. They audit what’s not working—targeting, funnel, tracking, creative—and give you a plan. Perfect if you’re seeing poor ROAS and don’t know why.
Let’s take a moment to consider this: You run a skincare brand. Influencer sales are growing, but your Facebook ROAS is tanking.
If your funnel’s working and you’re ready to scale, call an ecommerce facebook ad agency. If you’re stuck figuring out why your ads don’t convert, start with a consultant.
When to Hire an Agency?
Here’s a question: Do you already have a working funnel?
You’re ready for an agency if:
- You’ve validated your product and funnel
- You’re spending $5K+/month on ads
- You need fresh creatives fast
- You don’t have time to manage campaigns
“Too many brands commit to 6-month retainers with agencies they barely know. Run a 90-day sprint and decide from results.” — David Herrmann, Founder, Herrmann Digital
Ask your Facebook ad management agency how they handle failed tests. You’ll know if they care about performance or just clocking hours.
When to Hire a Consultant?
Not sure what’s broken? Or where to start? Bring in a consultant.
You’ll benefit most if:
- You’re not getting results from current ads
- You’re planning a product launch
- You want to train your in-house team
- You’re not ready to increase spend yet
Plenty of brands waste months with agencies when all they needed was to fix broken tracking or simplify the offer. A consultant gets you there faster.
Cost Breakdown
Let’s look at what you’ll pay:
| Parameters | Facebook Ad Agency | Marketing Consultant |
| Monthly Cost | $2,000–$10,000+ | $1,500–$5,000 |
| Pricing Model | Retainer + % of ad spend | Hourly or project-based |
| Team Structure | 3–8+ people | 1–2 experts |
| Speed to Execute | Fast | Slower but deeper |
“The real cost isn’t the fee. It’s the budget you waste running the wrong ads.” — Savannah Sanchez, Creative Strategist
If you’re comparing Facebook ad agency pricing, always check what’s included. Some charge extra for creatives, landing pages, or testing.
What If You Need Both?
Plenty of growing brands use both, just not at the same time.
Best move? Start with a consultant. Let them clean up your offer, tracking, and funnel. Then, hire a best facebook ad agency to scale it.
Already working with an agency but not seeing returns? Bring in a consultant for a 2-week audit. Fresh eyes catch what others miss.
Ask These Before You Hire (with practical advice)
If You’re Hiring an Agency:
1. Have you worked in my niche before?
Ad success often hinges on understanding buyer behavior. If they’ve never worked in your space (like SaaS, DTC, or B2B), they may waste budget learning at your expense.
What to listen for: Specifics. Not just “Yes,” but “We ran ads for X, saw Y problem, and solved it with Z.”
2. Do you make original creatives or use templates?
Facebook rewards creativity. If they recycle templates, you’ll likely get ad fatigue and poor CTRs.
What to ask: “Can we see a few creative examples made for different clients?”
3. What’s your testing process?
Good agencies test hooks, angles, CTAs, and visuals fast. If they don’t have a testing process, your budget will bleed.
What to ask: “How many tests do you run in a month? What happens if they fail?”
4. How do you report performance?
Many agencies hide behind impressions and CTR. You want insights tied to revenue.
What to expect: A clear, custom dashboard or weekly summary focused on ROAS, CAC, and creative insights.
If You’re Hiring a Consultant:
1. Will you audit the full funnel?
Ads might look weak because your site sucks, tracking’s broken, or your offer is unclear. A good consultant sees beyond just the ad account.
Ask: “Can you review our product pages, checkout flow, and tracking setup as part of the audit?”
2. Do you train internal teams?
Why it matters: Consultants should enable, not replace, your team. Training = long-term ROI.
Ask: “How do you share learnings with our team? Do we get SOPs, recordings, playbooks?”
3. Can you help us scale later?
Some consultants only do audits. Others help with cleanup to scaling. Choose based on where you’re headed.
Ask: “Have you helped brands grow after the audit phase? Can you give an example?”
Can you recommend agencies if we need one?
The best consultants are connectors. They’ve seen good and bad agencies and will guide you.
Ask: “Who would you recommend if we need execution support in 2–3 months?”
“Ask every agency: What’s one campaign you failed at—and what did you learn?” — Nick Shackelford, Co-founder, Structured
Red Flags to Watch For
1. Percentage of spend pricing with no performance tie-in
The more you spend, the more they make—even if results suck.
Better: Ask for performance bonuses or a flat fee + ROI incentives.
2. Locking you into long-term retainers on day one
You’re stuck if the work is bad.
Safer: Start with a 30–90 day pilot or a month-to-month model.
3. Consultants who ignore tracking or CRO
Problem: You’ll get great advice that never converts.
Watch for: Consultants who don’t ask about attribution tools, page load time, or conversion leaks.
4. No case studies or success proof
They can’t show results because there aren’t any.
What to do: Ask for 1–2 client examples. If they say “NDA,” that’s fine—ask for anonymized data instead.
Final Word
Imagine this: you’re sitting on a good offer, decent budget—and you stall because you picked the wrong partner.
If you want fast execution and have money to spend, hire an agency. Just don’t rush into it.
If you want strategy, clarity, and clean systems, start with a consultant.
Pick right. Move fast. Grow smarter.
By
By
