I ask every prospective client for a written brief before we get on a call. Not because I'm precious about process — because the quality of that first document usually predicts how the whole engagement goes. Here's what I see go wrong most, and what actually helps instead. The pattern in briefs that don't work It's rarely just one mistake — it's usually a mix. "Just get us more leads" with nothing more specific underneath it. A long list of tactical requests ("we want Advanta

I tell every new client the same thing before we start: the first 30 days is a slow, data-gathering start, not a fast-results sprint. I'd rather set that expectation honestly upfront than let someone assume week one will look like week twelve. Here's what actually happens, in order. Week 1: audit, kickoff, access The first steps happen in sequence, not all at once. First, a full audit of the account and the business — what's been tried, what the data (if any) already shows, w

Most Meta Ads consultants and agencies charge a percentage of what you spend — typically 10-20%. I don't. I charge a fixed monthly fee, regardless of whether your account spends €3,000 or €10,000 that month. Here's the actual reasoning, not just the policy. The problem with getting paid more when you spend more A percentage fee sounds fair on the surface — bigger accounts take more work, so a bigger fee makes sense. But it quietly creates an incentive that has nothing to do w

Here's a slightly unusual place to start: you don't need a Meta Ads consultant before you have real product-market fit. At that stage, what actually helps is more customer conversations, not more ad spend behind a message that isn't landing yet. If that's where your business is right now, the honest advice is to keep talking to customers first — a consultant can't fix an offer that hasn't found its audience yet. Once that's in place, here's what actually signals readiness You

Most people evaluating a Meta Ads consultant end up comparing price and gut feeling from a call. That's understandable — but a handful of specific, slightly uncomfortable questions tell you far more than any pitch deck will. Here's what's actually worth asking. 1. Who owns the ad account and the pixel? This should be you, not the person you're hiring. A consultant or agency should work through granted access to an account you own — never the other way around. If they insist o

If you're weighing up hiring help for your Meta ads, the pricing question usually comes before every other question — and honestly, it should. Here's what the market actually looks like right now, and how I think about pricing my own work, so you have a real reference point either way. What the market actually charges Prices vary more than most guides admit. UK freelance specialists run anywhere from around £75 an hour up to £3,000+ a month for a full agency retainer. Boutiqu

Every business eventually asks the same question before spending real money on marketing help: agency, freelance consultant, or hire someone in-house? The honest answer depends less on preference and more on a few concrete facts about the business asking it. The pattern behind why businesses switch A significant share of businesses working with fractional or freelance marketing experts today tried an agency first — in one dataset, 46% of them. The most common reason for switc