Let’s clear something up before we dive in: I love Facebook and Instagram ads (technically called Meta Ads). I believe in their power to grow small businesses. I’ve seen what they can do when the right pieces are in place. I teach people every day how to make them work… and I don’t take that lightly.
But here’s the thing:
I’m not your Ads Manager.
At least… not yet. And maybe not ever.
That might sound harsh, but it comes from a place of deep respect for your business, your money, and your time. You see, ads are not the first step on your business journey… they are the accelerator. And if your car isn’t built yet, slamming your foot on the gas won’t get you anywhere but frustrated.
So let’s talk about it.
Are You Ready to Advertise?
I break businesses into three categories, and I want you to easily see where you fit with the intention of saving you money, time, and frustration. This is about finding the right fit at the right time.
STAGE 1: Not Ready to Advertise Yet
You’re in this category if:
The analogy:
Running ads at this stage is like paying to throw a dinner party before you’ve finished cooking the meal. The guests show up… but there’s nothing ready to serve. It’s awkward for them, and stressful (and expensive) for you.
Real-world examples:
Service Provider – National Audience:
You’re a life coach launching a group program for the first time. You have a beautiful website and some great testimonials from friends, but no actual sales yet. You’re hoping Meta Ads will help you “build interest” and validate the offer. The truth? Ads aren’t the tool to test your idea. That comes from conversations, organic reach, and refining your messaging.
Local Physical Business – Community-Based:
You’ve just opened a new boutique fitness studio in your town. The walls are painted, the gear is shiny, and you’re excited… but you haven’t signed any members yet. You think ads will fill the space fast. But if your pricing, brand awareness, or trial offers haven’t been tested yet, you risk spending money without understanding what really gets people in the door.
Why Stage 2 or 3 Won’t Serve You Yet:
Hiring someone to run ads at this stage will burn through your budget fast… and leave you with little to show for it. You’re not ready for a full-scale ad campaign or outsourcing. Instead, focus on figuring out what works first. Otherwise, you’ll be paying to promote a funnel that doesn’t convert or a product that isn’t making sales.
Your next best step:
Focus on organic visibility—go to local events, collaborate, run beta rounds, or offer sneak previews. Build your first few success stories manually. Then, when it’s working without ads, it’s time to amplify.
STAGE 2: Some Sales Coming In, But Budget Is Tight
You’re in this category if:
The analogy:
This is like owning a food truck that’s finally getting traction. You’re making sales, you know people love the tacos, but you’re still prepping, cooking, serving, and running the register yourself. You’re not ready to hire a full-time staff… but you are ready to upgrade your tools and systems to make things smoother.
Real-world examples:
Service Provider – National Audience:
You’re a course creator who’s launched your program a few times. You have a small but mighty email list, and people are buying—just not at a volume that allows you to outsource. You’re doing your own Canva graphics, your own emails, your own everything. Now’s the time to learn how to run simple Meta Ads that retarget your warm audience or promote lead magnets without burning through your entire budget.
Local Physical Business – Community-Based:
You own a popular local coffee shop that’s gaining traction. You’ve hosted a few well-attended events and customers are starting to come in regularly. You want to promote your weekend brunch specials and start reaching people who haven’t found you yet. This is a great time to start learning how to run location-based awareness or engagement ads, something you can do yourself before handing over the reins.
Why Stage 1 or Stage 3 Don’t Fit:
If you’re thinking about skipping ahead to outsourcing… hold up. You’re not there yet. You don’t want to spend $1,500+/mo on ads + management when you’re still piecing your offer, funnel, or sales process together. But you’re also past the “just test it organically” phase. This is the sweet spot for DIY Meta Ads so you can learn the system and stretch your dollars without pressure.
Your next best step:
Learn how to run simple, targeted Meta Ads yourself. No complex funnels. No pressure. Just amplifying what’s already working. That’s where my Swift Kick In The Ads training comes in, giving you the confidence and structure to grow without overextending your resources.
STAGE 3: Scaling Mode - You’re Ready to Hire
You’re in this category if:
The analogy:
Your business is a car in motion, and you’re finally cruising on the highway. Ads are the GPS and cruise control. You still need to steer (approve creative, define goals, oversee performance)… but you can let someone else handle the controls and keep things running smoothly.
Real-world examples:
Service Provider – National Audience:
You’re a business consultant with a signature program that brings in $20k+ months consistently. You’ve nailed your onboarding, your funnel works, and your testimonials are gold. You’ve even dabbled in running your own ads, and it worked. But now you’re too busy doing CEO things to keep up with campaign tweaks, audience testing, and creative refreshes. It’s time to bring in an ads pro to help you scale.
Local Physical Business – Community-Based:
You run a busy dental clinic with a strong local reputation. You’re booked out for basic cleanings, but want to grow your cosmetic dentistry services. You have a solid website, a reliable admin team, and processes that work. You just need the right leads walking through the door. This is when it makes sense to outsource to someone who can set up targeted campaigns and optimize them over time without pulling you away from running your business.
Why Stage 1 and 2 Strategies No Longer Serve You:
You’re past the point of playing small. DIY ads worked, until they didn’t. Now, spending your time building ad creatives or digging through Meta reporting is costing your business more than hiring help. You’re ready for someone who can partner with you strategically, not just “run some ads.”
Your next best step:
Hire a strategist or ads manager (someone like me… but more particularly someone who knows your industry 😉) to run your campaigns. Just make sure you’re also ready to support your ad investment with systems, content, and customer experience to match.
And Let’s Clear Up One More Thing…
Social media management is not the same thing as Meta Advertising.
Posting regularly on Instagram? That’s marketing.
Running Meta ads that convert? That’s advertising.
One builds a brand. The other builds a pipeline.
They can work together, but they’re not interchangeable… and you shouldn’t hire someone expecting them to do both for the same price.
So What Should You Do Now?
If you’re still reading this, chances are you’re one of these:
You’re in the right place.
Here's how I can help:
No pressure. No judgment. Just honest guidance to help you use Meta Ads at the right time… when your business is ready.
Thoughts
When I say “No, I will not be your Ads Manager,” it’s not a rejection.
It’s a sign of respect. For your money, your vision, and your future success.
Example: I would love to hire a house cleaner and a landscaper, but I do have the time to vacuum and mow the lawn myself. These are chores I don’t necessarily love. I could easily spend the money, hire people, and get these tasks off of my plate. But financially it is not the smartest decision or best use of my money right now. Instead, I manage those tasks in addition to my work. Hiring someone to do ads for you is similar. YES it would offload something you’re not fond of doing, but you need to ask yourself if financially it makes the most sense for where you’re currently at in your business.
Let’s get you on the path that’s right for you.
Whether that’s DIY, hold off, or full-blown scale mode… I’ve got the flashlight to help you see the path clearly.
BONUS
You’re probably wondering how much you need to spend on ads to make it work for you. Instead, let’s work it backwards based on how much money you are comfortable with spending on your ads, then cross reference what that is best used for.
Monthly Ad Budget:
$150/month
What You Can Realistically Do:
One basic awareness or engagement campaign
Boosting posts to a local or warm audience
Minimal testing (1 audience, 1 ad creative)
Local event promotion
Stay visible with existing followers
Test early interest in an offer
Best Use Cases:
Local event promotion
Stay visible with existing followers
Test early interest in an offer
Monthly Ad Budget:
$300/month
What You Can Realistically Do:
Small lead generation or traffic campaign
Start retargeting warm website visitors or IG/FB engagers
A/B test 1–2 variations
Build an email list
Promote a workshop or limited-time offer
Re-engage site visitors
Best Use Cases:
Build an email list
Promote a workshop or limited-time offer
Re-engage site visitors
Monthly Ad Budget:
$500/month
What You Can Realistically Do:
Full simple campaign: 1 objective, 2 audiences, 2–3 ad creatives
Retargeting included
Warm + cold audience split
Launch a product or service
Drive sign-ups or sales
Get data for what’s working
Best Use Cases:
Launch a product or service
Drive sign-ups or sales
Get data for what’s working
Monthly Ad Budget:
$1000/month
What You Can Realistically Do:
Multi-ad campaign (cold traffic + retargeting)
Test multiple creatives, copy, placements
Optimized for conversions
Funnel-building (freebie to low-ticket)
Grow list + increase sales
Re-engage past leads with custom messages
Best Use Cases:
Funnel-building (freebie to low-ticket)
Grow list + increase sales
Re-engage past leads with custom messages
Monthly Ad Budget:
$2000/month
What You Can Realistically Do:
Advanced campaign structure
Split-test audiences, messaging, and creative types
Mix of awareness, traffic, and conversion objectives
Evergreen sales funnels
Regular promotion of new products
Build cold to warm journey intentionally
Best Use Cases:
Evergreen sales funnels
Regular promotion of new products
Build cold to warm journey intentionally
Monthly Ad Budget:
$5000/month
What You Can Realistically Do:
Full-funnel campaigns
Detailed audience segmentation:
Custom landing pages + multi-step retargeting
Budget for scaling winning ads
Aggressive scaling
Recurring revenue programs
E-commerce with consistent sales goals
Best Use Cases:
Aggressive scaling
Recurring revenue programs
E-commerce with consistent sales goals
Glossary
Terms and what they mean:
Objective: The goal of your campaign (e.g., traffic, leads, sales). Meta shows your ads to people most likely to take that action.
Traffic: Sends people to your website or landing page. Good for link clicks or page views.
Conversions: Optimized to get people to take a specific action on your site (e.g., purchase, sign-up). Requires a Meta Pixel.
Awareness: Focuses on reaching the most people. Good for brand visibility or promoting locally.
Engagement: Aims to get likes, comments, shares, or video views on your posts.
Lead Generation: Collects contact info using a form directly on Facebook or Instagram—no website required.
Retargeting: Shows ads to people who have already interacted with your content, website, or page.
A/B Testing: Compares two or more versions of an ad (or audience) to see which performs better.
Cold Audience: People who have never heard of you or interacted with your business before.
Warm Audience: People who have visited your site, engaged with your content, or followed you.
Funnel: The full journey from awareness to conversion. Ads can support different steps in the process.
Still reading?
Reach out and let’s chat. Contact Me.
About Amanda Robinson - The Digital Gal
Amanda Robinson is the Founder & CEO of The Digital Gal Inc. She is a Certified Meta Lead Trainer and regularly presents on behalf of Meta at in person and virtual events. She is widely recognized in the digital marketing industry for her knowledge, training, skills and coaching as a Facebook Ads expert with her Swift Kick In the Ads Membership. She is an author, international speaker, consultant, and educator who has taught thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs the foundational skills of Facebook Ads. Amanda brings personality and passion to teaching others how to make Facebook ads work for them.