Facebook advertising has become an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook provides access to a massive audience. However, creating and optimizing successful Facebook ad campaigns requires skills and experience. This is where working with a Facebook ads management service can be beneficial.
What is Facebook ads management?
Facebook ads management refers to services that help businesses set up, run, optimize, and track Facebook advertising campaigns. Rather than handling Facebook ads in-house, you can outsource the work to an agency or freelancer with expertise in Facebook marketing.
Typical services provided by Facebook ads managers include:
- Audience research and targeting
- Ad creative design
- Campaign setup and launching
- Bid management
- Ad testing and optimization
- Performance reporting and analysis
The level of services can range from comprehensive campaign management to more limited support with specific aspects of your Facebook ads. Some providers even offer automated Facebook ads creation and management through AI and machine learning.
Benefits of Facebook ads management services
There are several reasons businesses choose to use a Facebook ads management service:
- Expertise. Facebook advertising can be complex, with many options for targeting, placements, bidding, creatives, and more. Working with experts who stay on top of the latest updates and best practices for Facebook ads ensures your campaigns follow optimal strategies.
- Time savings. Properly managing Facebook ads takes considerable time for researching, testing, monitoring, optimizing, and reporting. Outsourcing the work reduces the time burden on your internal marketing team.
- Performance results. Experienced Facebook ads managers have the skills and knowledge to create higher performing campaigns that generate more of your desired conversions and ROI compared to DIY campaigns.
- Expense reduction. The expertise of Facebook ads management services allows them to optimize campaigns to lower your cost per result and get better returns on your ad spending.
- Broader capabilities. A Facebook marketing firm can provide broader services beyond just Facebook advertising, like website optimization, landing page design, lead nurturing, and more.
What does a Facebook ads manager do?
Here is an overview of the typical duties and responsibilities of a Facebook ads manager:
- Sets up Facebook ad accounts, pixels, API access, and other technical components.
- Researches audience interests and behaviors to identify high-value targeting options.
- Creates detailed audience personas and segments for tailored ad targeting.
- Develops compelling ad creative including images, video, and copy.
- Establishes campaign structures based on marketing objectives and funnels.
- Implements conversion tracking to optimize towards key metrics.
- Sets up A/B testing for ad variations to improve performance.
- Launches and manages ad bids, budgets, placements and scheduling.
- Closely monitors campaign analytics and optimizes based on results.
- Provides detailed reporting on KPIs and ROI.
- Gives strategic recommendations for improved campaign efficiencies.
- Stays updated on new Facebook advertising features and best practices.
- Tests new Facebook ad formats and placements as they emerge.
What skills does a Facebook ads manager need?
To be successful managing Facebook advertising, these are some of the most important skills needed:
- Facebook ads platform expertise – Thorough understanding of Facebook’s advertising interface, options, and capabilities.
- Analytical skills – Ability to interpret data and optimize campaigns based on performance insights.
- Ad creative skills – Design and copywriting expertise to develop effective visuals,messaging and formats.
- Communication abilities – Clearly convey campaign results, recommendations, and optimizations to clients.
- Advertising knowledge – Broader knowledge of digital advertising, media buying, and campaign management.
- Digital marketing acumen– Familiarity with online marketing concepts, metrics, analytics, and tools.
- Interpersonal skills – Foster positive relationships and manage expectations with clients and team members.
- Time management – Manage many concurrent ad campaigns and optimization tasks efficiently.
- Problem-solving – Troubleshoot issues and continuously refine campaign elements to improve results.
How much do Facebook ads management services cost?
The cost of Facebook ads management depends on several factors:
Agency vs Freelancer
Hiring a marketing agency for Facebook ads typically costs more than hiring an independent freelance ads manager:
- Agency fees often start from $3,000-$5,000 per month based on a minimum contract commitment.
- Freelancer rates range widely but often from $50-$150 per hour, billed for actual hours worked.
However, agencies provide more comprehensive services and team support than individual freelancers.
Level of Management
Facebook ads managers offer varying service packages based on the level of management you need:
| Level | Services | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Full Management | Complete setup, optimization, and reporting. Ongoing campaign strategy. |
$3,000+ per month (agencies) $2,000-$4,000+ per month (freelancers) |
| Partial Management | Specific campaign support such as ad creative, bid management, or performance evaluation. | $1,000-$2,000 per month (agencies) $500-$1,500 per month (freelancers) |
| Ad Hoc Services | One-off small tasks and fixes as needed. | $100-$250 per hour |
Full management retains an agency or freelancer to handle the entire workflow. Partial management may utilize them for specific expertise or labor capacity for portions of your campaigns. Ad hoc services engage them for one-time, as-needed support.
Location
Fees also differ based on geographic location and cost of labor:
- United States: $60-$250 per hour for freelancers; agencies from $3,000 per month.
- Western Europe: $40-$150 per hour for freelancers; agencies from $2,000 per month.
- Eastern Europe: $20-$100 per hour for freelancers; agencies from $1,000 per month.
- Asia: $15-$60 per hour for freelancers; agencies from $500 per month.
When outsourcing overseas, potential cost savings need to be balanced with language barriers and time zone logistics.
Experience Level
More experienced Facebook ads managers have higher rates but tend to get better results. Expect to pay more for specialists with a proven track record vs. junior level providers.
Additional costs beyond base fees
In addition to base management fees, also expect to pay for:
- Ad Spend – The actual cost of running Facebook and Instagram ads. Managers typically charge an additional 10-20% markup on ad spend.
- Production – If new creative assets like videos are produced, additional fees apply.
- Consulting – Strategic consulting for campaign planning may have separate hourly charges.
- One-time setup – Additional fees may apply for extensive initial campaign configuration and setup.
Be sure to clarify exactly what is included in the base management fee versus what will be billed separately. Getting fee structures formalized in a detailed contract is recommended.
Do Facebook ads managers require a minimum budget?
Many Facebook ads managers require a minimum monthly ad budget to take on a new client:
- Agencies often require anywhere from $5,000 – $15,000+ per month minimum.
- Freelancers may have lower minimums in the range of $1,000 – $3,000 per month.
Minimums ensure the ad spend provides sufficient compensation for their efforts managing and optimizing campaigns.
Smaller brands can look for freelancers willing to work with lower minimums in the hundreds per month. But very low budgets will limit the campaign scale and sophistication they can implement.
How do Facebook ads management fees compare to other platforms?
Facebook and Instagram tend to have the lowest costs for ad management and media buying compared to other paid platforms:
| Platform | Typical Campaign Management Fees |
|---|---|
| Facebook / Instagram | 15-25% of ad spend |
| Google Ads (SEM) | 20-35% of ad spend |
| Amazon | 25-35% of ad spend |
| Snapchat | 25-35% of ad spend |
| 25-35% of ad spend | |
| TikTok | 25-35% of ad spend |
| 25-35% of ad spend | |
| Quora | 25-35% of ad spend |
| 25-35% of ad spend | |
| 25-35% of ad spend | |
| Programmatic | 20-35% of ad spend |
Facebook and Instagram tend to have the most accessible ad interfaces for self-service management. Therefore base fees for human management don’t need to be as high compared to more complex platforms.
How can I reduce my Facebook ads management costs?
Here are some tips to control and reduce your Facebook advertising management expenses:
- Start with a freelancer vs agency to lower minimums and fees.
- Work with overseas providers for lower labor costs.
- Learn to manage simpler campaign elements yourself rather than outsourcing everything.
- Review reports and provide ongoing input so managers optimize effectively per your goals.
- Don’t overpay for top providers until you have sufficient scale. Build up slowly.
- Negotiate packages like including creative services at no extra cost.
- Make contractual agreements for any desired cost or performance guarantees.
- Build internal Facebook Ads skills so you rely less on outsourcing management.
Balancing cost savings with results is key. The most expert Facebook marketers can optimize your ad spend and performance in ways that more than justify their fees. But the right provider choice and management approach is critical.
Should I hire an in-house Facebook ads expert vs. an agency?
Here is a comparison of managing Facebook ads with an in-house hire vs. an agency:
| In-House Expert | Agency |
|---|---|
|
|
For smaller brands, outsourcing to an agency provides more flexible access to qualified Facebook ads experts. Larger brands bringing Facebook advertising in-house devote the role solely to their needs.
Potential downsides to agencies include communication gaps from working remotely and divided attention across clients. But the breadth of expertise and resource scale agencies offer make them ideal Facebook ads partners for most businesses.
How can I evaluate potential Facebook ads management partners?
Tips for selecting the right Facebook ads manager or agency:
- Review examples of their campaign results and optimization capabilities.
- Assess their communication style and reporting processes.
- Look for experience relevant to your specific industry and goals.
- Contact references to learn about their working relationships.
- Start with a small pilot campaign to test capabilities.
- Evaluate technical expertise across Facebook’s many marketing options.
- Assess passion for Facebook advertising and commitment to ongoing learning.
chemistry and strategic alignment also matters just as much as technical Facebook ads skills. Finding the right partner relationship leads to the most successful long-term advertising results.
Conclusion
Facebook and Instagram advertising delivers highly targeted reach to relevant audiences at a relatively low cost. Professional management maximizes your return on ad spend and frees up internal marketing resources.
Typical fees for Facebook ads management range from $1,000 to $5,000+ per month for freelancers and agencies respectively. Full service management inclusive of ad spend and campaign creation is ideal for most brands. But even more limited or ad hoc services can provide cost-effective expertise and capacity.
The Facebook ads partner you choose and how you scope their services influences cost. But the performance results and strategic insights a qualified ads manager delivers usually outweighs their fees. Facebook advertising well executed pays for itself many times over.