You don’t need an agency. Platforms like Meta and Google have made it easier than ever to get your first ad live. You can boost a post, launch a campaign, and spend $20 before lunch. So why do I run a company that helps people do something they technically can do on their own?
Because here’s the part nobody tells you: running ads is easy. Running ads that work? That’s a whole different game.
1. Platforms Want You to Think It’s Easy
Meta and Google have zero interest in making advertising harder than it needs to be. Their business model relies on people spending—a lot and often. So their platforms are designed to feel intuitive, almost gamified. Push a few buttons, upload an image, pick a target, and boom: your ad is live.
But the simplicity is a feature, not a promise. Underneath that surface are layers of complexity: targeting nuances, creative fatigue, bidding strategy, attribution issues, funnel gaps. The ad platform wants you to run ads. It doesn’t care if they convert.
2. DIY Ads Are Cheap—Until They’re Not
I’ve seen it countless times. A founder thinks, “Why hire someone when I can just figure it out myself?” And they do—sort of. They throw together a few campaigns, get some clicks, maybe even a sale or two.
But what they don’t see is the money leaking out the sides: targeting the wrong audience, underbidding on high-intent segments, poor creative that doesn’t convert, weak CTAs, and misaligned offers.
The cost of inexperience is invisible until it isn’t. And worse? You waste not only money, but time. Every hour spent inside Ads Manager is an hour not spent on sales, building products, or leading your team. If you want a deeper dive into smart budgeting and platform choices, check out our Ultimate Guide to Digital Advertising.
3. What Agencies Actually Do (When They’re Good)
A good agency doesn’t just “run your ads.”
It thinks through your offer. Your funnel. Your landing page. Your audience. It tests creative, restructures campaigns, studies performance data, and scales what works.
A good agency acts like a growth partner, not a task rabbit. It tells you when your offer is weak. When your creative is stale. When your budget is mismatched to your ambition. And it helps you fix it.
The problem isn’t that businesses don’t need help. It’s that too many agencies operate like glorified button-pushers.
4. How to Know If You’re Ready to Outsource
If your ad account looks like a graveyard of boosted posts and half-baked campaigns, it might be time. But that’s not the only signal.
You’re ready when:
• You’ve plateaued and can’t figure out why.
• Your CAC is climbing. (Don't know what CAC is? Then that's another signal)
• You’re wearing too many hats and ads keep falling to the bottom of your to-do list.
• You want to grow, but don’t want to waste months guessing.
You don’t need an agency. You need results. An agency is just one way to get there faster—if you choose the right one.
Final Thoughts
I tell clients this all the time: you can totally do this yourself. And if you have the time, the tools, and the mindset to go all in—do it. Test. Learn. Tinker.
But if you’re serious about growth, you already know the best founders delegate. They double down on what moves the needle and let go of what doesn’t.
So no, you don’t need an agency. But hiring the right one? That might be the smartest growth decision you make.
Don’t spend. Invest.
Need Help With Ads?
If you're ready to scale your results or get expert support, BONAPARTE offers performance-first digital advertising services.
📩 Book a FREE Strategy Session ($149 value) to get personalized guidance on your next move, or download our FREE Ads Checklist to get started.
