When to Hire an Agency vs. Run Your Own Ads
Time, ticket size, complexity and risk: an honest guide to deciding whether to manage campaigns in-house or with a partner.
In this article
Running your own Ads saves on fees… until the time and mistakes cost more than an agency would. Here's the framework we use with business owners.
Do it yourself if…
- You have a small test budget (<$500/month) and want to learn.
- You have 5+ hours a week to optimize.
- Your product is simple and your funnel is short.
- You already track well and just need to scale what works.
Decide with 5 questions
Answer honestly.
- 01
1. What's your hour worth?
If you bill $150/hour and Ads eat up 10 hours, you've already "paid" $1,500.
- 02
2. Do you have tracking?
Without conversions, neither you nor an agency can optimize.
- 03
3. How many campaigns at once?
Search + Meta + LSA = complexity.
- 04
4. Who answers the leads?
The agency brings them in; you close. If nobody calls back, it doesn't matter who manages the ads.
- 05
5. Do you want reporting and accountability?
A good partner documents cost per lead and every change.
Mistakes
- Hiring the cheapest option with no access to your account.
- Endless DIY without ever checking search terms.
- An agency that won't give you admin access to Ads.
“The account owner = you. Always.”
Key takeaways
- Compare the cost of your time vs. the fee.
- Insist on admin access.
- Measure cost per lead and lead quality.
We'll tell you straight whether DIY or managed ads makes sense.
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