I've audited hundreds of Meta Ads accounts over the past twelve years.

And I can tell you this: 95% of businesses are working with the wrong Facebook marketing consultant.

Not because these consultants are incompetent. But because most business owners don't know what questions to ask before signing a contract.

Let me fix that for you today.

The Biggest Mistake You're Making Right Now

Here's what I see constantly:

Business owners hire a social media consultant based on flashy case studies or a slick sales pitch. Three months later, they're bleeding cash with nothing to show for it except "brand awareness" metrics that don't pay the bills.

The problem? They never validated whether the consultant actually understands the two fundamental requirements for ad success:

☑️ Product ↔️ Market Fit
☑️ Ad ↔️ Target Audience Fit

I don't care how good your Facebook ads consultant claims to be. If they can't identify when these fundamentals are missing, they'll waste your money trying to polish a turd.

What Separates Great Facebook Ads Consultants from Pretenders

1. They Talk About Testing, Not Tactics

When a consultant tells you "just go Advantage+ and let the algorithm figure it out," run.

Is the ad tech behind Advantage+ better than ever? Sure. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't test lookalike audiences. Or detailed targeting. Or different creative approaches.

I recently consulted two clients with identical ICPs and AOVs. One was crushing it with detailed targeting like it was 2015. The other needed Advantage+.

The point? Your consultant should be obsessed with testing what works for YOUR business, not regurgitating what worked for their last client.

2. They Understand Creative Is King (But Copy Closes)

This is critical: Does your Facebook marketing consultant actually understand ad creative?

I'm not talking about making pretty graphics. I'm talking about understanding that:

• The image is your hook. Your money-maker.

• The primary text seals the deal.

• The headline and CTA come last in the user's eye-tracking journey.

Meta's own studies prove this sequence. Yet I see consultants who treat copy as an afterthought.

When I worked on a campaign that hit $0.03 CPA for a major online image editor, it wasn't because we had unlimited budget. It was because we nailed the creative strategy, then made smart iterations.

3. They Know When to Kill Your Darlings

Here's an uncomfortable truth: Your favorite ad creative might be your worst performer.

A competent Facebook ads consultant will:

• Set clear KPI thresholds before launching tests

• Kill underperforming assets ruthlessly (usually anything 2X over median CPA)

• Maintain only 5-6 concurrent assets to avoid diluting algorithmic learning

• Never commit to arbitrary creative testing quotas

There's no "magic number" of tests per month. The goal is to find winners fast and let them run with minimal intervention.

4. They Don't Worship at the Altar of UGC

Stop relying on UGC videos if you want to crush it this quarter.

We've probably hit peak UGC video content. I'm seeing diminishing returns on almost all accounts I manage or audit (at least on B2C).

The problem? UGC videos rely too much on the creator's personality and execution to fit into a thorough A/B testing strategy. They add hundreds in additional costs to your CAC. And they take days to produce while opportunities pass you by.

80% of the assets I use in my campaigns are static images.

Why? They're cheap, fast to produce, and allow me to experiment and pivot on messaging when there's an opportunity for a quick win.

A consultant who insists on only one format doesn't understand the game.

The Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring

"How do you determine if my product-market fit is strong enough for paid ads?"

If they don't have a clear framework for this, keep looking.

Millions of dollars are wasted because people think "this new killer tactic" will turn things around. It usually doesn't. Businesses fail because they haven't learned this lesson.

"Show me an example of when you've scaled a campaign from learning phase to consistent performance."

Watch what they say about:

• Event thresholds (50 conversions in 7 days for TikTok, 50 in 30 days for Meta)

• Optimization goals (Do they understand the progression from CPI to KYC to first funding?)

• Creative iteration strategy

"What's your stance on long copy vs. short copy?"

Here's the truth: I'm tired of being told "short copy outperforms long copy."

This misconception has been wrong for over 100 years. Claude Hopkins debunked it in 1923. David Ogilvy confirmed it again in 1983.

Human beings purchase on emotion. On fantasy. On story.

Which delivers more emotion: A one-liner about transformation? Or a well-researched ad that tugs on heartstrings and reveals how your product helps them become their best self?

If your consultant has a dogmatic position on this, they don't understand human psychology.

"How do you handle platforms and placements?"

A sophisticated Facebook marketing consultant knows:

• Facebook Reels often outperforms Instagram Reels for certain demographics

• Stories require different creative than Feed

• Placement performance varies wildly by market and product

They should be analyzing placement data weekly and reallocating budget accordingly.

Red Flags That Scream "Run Away"

❌ They guarantee specific ROAS numbers
No one can guarantee results without understanding your product, market, and funnel.

❌ They don't ask about your conversion funnel
Confusion is the enemy of conversion. The entire funnel must be aligned to dispel doubts.

❌ They want to "test everything at once"
This is how you burn through budget without learning anything.

❌ They can't explain the difference between 1-day view and 1-day click conversions
If they don't understand how Meta vs. Google attributes conversions differently, they can't accurately assess performance.

❌ They're too busy to review your account personally
I don't care how big their agency is. Someone senior should be in your account weekly.

What Success Actually Looks Like

When you work with the right Facebook ads consultant, here's what changes:

You'll see systematic testing with clear hypotheses. You'll understand why certain creative performs better in certain markets. You'll have regular reviews that go beyond surface-level metrics.

Most importantly, you'll see a path to profitability that doesn't rely on "just spending more."

Remember: The creative is only half the battle. You need the right targeting. You need creative that feeds the algorithm the information it needs. You need to ensure your messaging magnetically attracts your ideal customer.

The Bottom Line

Choosing the right Facebook marketing consultant isn't about finding someone with the most impressive portfolio.

It's about finding someone who:

• Understands your business fundamentals

• Challenges assumptions with data

• Moves quickly but tests systematically

• Knows when to scale and when to pivot

The consultant who tells you exactly what you want to hear? That's probably the wrong one.

The consultant who asks tough questions about your product-market fit and conversion funnel before promising anything? That might be your winner.

Ready to see if your current Facebook ads strategy has what it takes?

I offer a free 30-minute audit where I'll walk through your account and show you exactly what's working, what's not, and what opportunities you're missing. No strings attached.

Because after twelve years in this game, I can usually spot the winners and losers in the first ten minutes.

The question is: Are you ready to hear the truth?