We unpack one of most common questions we get asked – “Why can’t I just do PPC Ads myself?”. Well you can – but it’s not without its risks.

The first thing we find helps to explain a few things:

Facebook (and Google) have geared their business model to agencies. It won’t ever change. You can hold us to that.

Facebook’s business model matters, because it helps to explain a lot to an ‘outsider’ about why the benefits in the agency Vs DIY approach are not entirely clear.

Why bother dealing with millions of customers, when you can deal with millions via a few thousand (or so) largely niche agencies?

Unless you’re a giant business – you just won’t ever fit the way they shaped their whole proposition – do as little work for the highest output – and no-one would knock them for that.

But Facebook’s & Big G’s value to you, is frankly exceptional, so who cares how much help they are willing to help you and support you.

You DON’T need an agency to run your Facebook advertising:

  • If your actions are already making money and you do not need any more ideas on how to make more money.
  • If your investment in a salary to manage it within your business is providing positive ROI – time Vs return, not top level business sales.
  • If you’re really savvy at determining salary bands: i.e. qualified marketing expertise = expected high returns, supporting an individual to learn the relevant qualifications while doing the job = low salary, wasted resource time during development, low output, but long-term rewards and potential stability.
  • You somehow already know how to make money from Facebook doing very little.

Learn more about agency Vs in house here.

You DO need an agency to run your Facebook advertising:

  • If you are struggling to define your true conversion path from your Facebook (or Google) investment – and convince key stakeholders of it’s impact.
  • If you feel like you ‘don’t quite get it’.
  • If you want to take the ’emotion’ out of Facebook, from you, your staff or your key stakeholders and make a clear line to showcase that the channel is about ROI plain and simple – not ‘thoughts and feelings’.
  • If you are worried that the lines are blurred about what success looks like.
  • If you aren’t clearly making money – because other companies just like yours are*.

*sorry for the honesty (*not sorry), and “It’s just not suitable for us” isn’t a thing.

Are PPC agencies worth the money?

Yes, if they can define clearly how they are returning your investment. You need to see and believe that the investment is making a positive return.

No, if they struggle with that question or offer smoke and mirrors – or fail to convince you or explain things too technically.

You might also like Google’s take on Do I need an SEO? (Video). It’s a similar subject with some transferable points for this subject.

Thanks for reading – did we miss something? Can you help us to improve this article – let us know!