When Your Meta Ads Agency Gets It Wrong: Red Flags You Need to Know
It frustrates me when I see marketing agencies delivering Meta ads services giving poor advice or downright incorrect information to their clients.
As someone who specialises in paid advertising and works with Meta campaigns daily, I see this far too often sadly. Business owners trust their agency to deliver results, invest their hard-earned budget, and get told things that are simply wrong.
Recently, a friend in business asked me to review their ad account and provide recommendations on what their agency was delivering. I went through the account and made several suggestions for improvement.
She forwarded these to her agency via email, and their replies genuinely shocked me.
I'd queried why they weren't testing Facebook against Instagram in separate ad sets, and refining placements on each platform to focus on what's actually performing. For this particular business, there was no point in them advertising on marketplace, notifications, or the right-hand column. These placements were eating budget without delivering results.
The agency's response?
"We can't control this."
I'm sorry, what??? 🤔
Completely wrong. You absolutely CAN control placements - it's one of the most basic optimisation tactics available in Meta Ads Manager. This isn't advanced strategy, it’s Ads 101.
There were 7 other points I'd suggested where they came back with responses that were either:
Factually incorrect
Vague fluff that sounded professional but said nothing
Just... unhelpful
None of it benefited the client's campaigns or their results. None of it justified the monthly retainer they were charging.
Why This Matters
If you're paying someone to manage your ads, you deserve three things:
Honesty - If they don't know something, they should say so and find out
Expertise - They should understand the platform they're managing
Results - Your campaigns should be optimised for performance, not convenience
What you don't deserve are excuses that sound professional but are completely wrong.
Red Flags to Watch For
If your agency tells you any of these, it's time to ask questions:
"We can't control that"
About basic Meta Ads features like placements, audiences, or ad formats? They absolutely can. This either shows lack of knowledge, experience or effort.
Vague answers about performance
"The algorithm is learning" or "These things take time" can be legitimate... but they can also be excuses for poor campaign setup or management. Ask for specifics.
Responses that don't actually answer your questions
If you ask "Why are we advertising on marketplace when it's not converting?" and get back "We use Meta's recommended settings for optimal performance" - that's not an answer. That's deflection. Or “have we tried to use retargeted audiences” and hear “we tried that already”, it’s not specific or using the data available to provide reaosning.
Resistance to optimisation suggestions
A good agency should welcome your input and explain their strategy. If they're dismissive or defensive about basic questions, that's a problem. There are times I’ve asked to try ideas from both my side and theirs to discover what works. Sometimes the client has had a brilliant suggestion because they understand their industry better than I ever will.
"Trust the process"
Without explaining what the process actually is? Red flag. You're the client. You deserve to understand what's happening with your money and why.
What Good Meta Ads Management Looks Like
In contrast, a good Meta ads specialist or agency will:
Regularly review and refine placements based on performance data
Test different platforms (Facebook vs Instagram vs Threads) to see what works for YOUR business
Be transparent about what's working and what isn't
Make data-driven decisions, not just stick with default settings
Explain their strategy in plain English
Welcome questions and provide clear, honest answers
Continuously optimise based on results
The Bottom Line
You're investing your budget into advertising. You deserve someone who knows what they're doing.
If your agency tells you "we can't control that" about basic Meta Ads features, or gives you answers that don't actually explain what's happening with your campaigns - it might be time for a second opinion.
Don't settle for agencies that hide behind jargon or give you excuses instead of results. Your business deserves better.
Need a second opinion on your Meta ads? I offer ad account audits and consultations for businesses who want to know if their campaigns are being managed properly. Get in touch to discuss how I can help.
