(Hint: it’s about owning your account assets)
We’ve spoken with leads and audited accounts where we’ve seen shady activity. We’re not talking about copy or creative that violates advertising policies, but rather, account setups where a client does not own their data.
Online advertising will increase your reach, your engagement and ultimately, your sales, but the gold nugget at the end of the rainbow is actually the insights you gather from your advertising data.
When you outsource your Facebook™ and Instagram advertising, you select an agency who is reputable and appears to be the best fit for your business.
At Ceaser & Bast, we believe that your data is just as important as your sales. And this data is part of your investment in scaling your business.
Here are 3 warning signs that you may not have control of your advertising data:
1) You Have No Pixel Installed On Your Website
To run Facebook™ ads, you need a pixel installed on your website. It’s possible to run ads without a pixel, but you’re just wasting money if you aren’t using one. Without a pixel, you can’t track website visitors for retargeting, determine how many conversions your ads have resulted in, or the return on your advertising spend (ROAS).
We’ve audited accounts where no pixel was installed on the client’s website. This is a sure sign that your Facebook™ agency is not doing their job, and does not have your best interests in mind.
2) You Have No Access to Your Ad Account
Have you never seen the inside of your ad account? It’s fair if you’ve never looked at your ad account by choice. Analyzing data isn’t for everyone. But if you don’t have any access to your ad account, you will lose all of the data you’ve acquired if you choose to leave your current Facebook™ ads agency.
This means you won’t have any data on which creative, offers, audiences, platforms, placements have worked best for your business.
If you don’t have access to your ad account, your agency isn’t being transparent. We like to believe in the good in people, but let’s face it: have you checked your page to see if you actually have ads running?
A Facebook™ ads agency should have nothing to hide, and they should be willing to let you see what your campaigns look like.
3) You Have No Access to Your Pixel
If your agency set up a brand new ad account when you started working with them and linked it to an existing Facebook™ pixel, you may be able to still access data without having access to the ad account. Fortunately, the Facebook pixel tracks up to 180 days of website data and up to 365 days of social platform data. You won’t have specific data on campaign, creative and platform performance, but you can retrieve audience data from your pixel.
If you have access to neither your ad account or pixel, there is no hope. If you cut ties with your current advertising agency, you will be starting from scratch.
Often we hear people say that they selected their agency because they charged a minimal monthly retainer or didn’t charge a setup fee, but ultimately, you get what you pay for. Be a smart investor. Do your research and ensure your contract states that you own your Facebook™ advertising assets.
If you are starting from scratch and your agency is setting it all up for you, ensure you and another team member have access to your Business Manager, Facebook Page, Ad Account, and Pixel.
If you’re ready to go pro, hire an agency that is transparent and results driven.
Book a consult to see if Ceaser & Bast is a fit.
