Should marketing agencies advertise on LinkedIn or Facebook?

For agencies targeting enterprise clients (50+ person companies, $10k+/month retainers), LinkedIn is worth the higher CPMs ($60-150) because the targeting precision — job title, company size, seniority — finds the exact decision-makers. For agencies targeting small and medium businesses ($2k-8k/month retainers), Facebook delivers better CPL ($40-120) because small business owners are more active on Facebook than LinkedIn. Many agencies run both: LinkedIn for enterprise pipeline, Facebook for SMB volume.

What results should agencies promise in video ads?

Avoid guarantees or implied promises of specific results — these create legal risk and attract clients who will hold you to unrealistic benchmarks. Instead, use past performance framed as case studies ('we've helped brands in [niche] achieve X') with appropriate context ('results vary based on budget, market, and starting point'). The most credible agencies present specific case studies rather than guarantees — it demonstrates actual track record rather than empty promises.

How long should agency proposal/discovery calls be targeted at?

Free audit offers (30-minute account review, no pitch, genuine value) convert better than 'sales call' or 'discovery call' language. The framing signals that you lead with value rather than sales — which both attracts higher quality leads and sets a better tone for the client relationship. Structure the ad CTA as 'free [X]-minute audit' and ensure the call genuinely delivers an insight or recommendation, even for prospects who don't proceed.

Guide

marketing agenciesagency growthb2b marketinglead generation

Video Ads for Marketing Agencies: Winning New Clients Without Cold Outreach

Marketing agencies face a peculiar credibility problem: every prospect is silently thinking 'if you're so good at marketing, why do you need to advertise?' The agencies winning the best retainer clients from paid social aren't running generic service ads — they're demonstrating marketing competence in the ad itself. Your video ad is your portfolio. If it's unremarkable, what does that say about what you'll create for clients?

Last updated: March 17, 2026

Why agency video ads must demonstrate, not claim

Anyone can claim '10x ROI' or 'award-winning campaigns.' Every agency's website says some version of the same thing. The prospects evaluating agencies have seen this language so many times it's become invisible.

The agencies cutting through run ads that demonstrate marketing intelligence in real time.

A video that shows a genuine insight ('The reason most e-commerce Facebook ads fail isn't the creative — it's the audience structure'), or reveals a counterintuitive finding from client data, or walks through a specific case study with real numbers — this is an ad that proves the capability it's claiming.

Practical implication: your agency's video ads should be interesting to marketers even if they never become clients.

If your ad wouldn't be worth watching for someone who isn't going to hire you, it's not demonstrating enough actual value.

The content that earns organic shares from marketing professionals is the same content that generates quality agency enquiries.

Positioning strategy: the biggest mistake agencies make in ads

Most agencies advertise as generalists ('full-service digital marketing for growing businesses') competing with every other agency for the same vague middle market. The agencies consistently filling their pipelines from video ads are narrow specialists with a clear point of view.

'We exclusively manage Google Ads for e-commerce brands doing $500k-$5M in revenue' is more compelling to the right prospect than 'full-service digital marketing.' The narrower the positioning, the more precisely you can speak to the exact problems, anxieties, and goals of your ideal client — and the more credible the claim to expertise.

For video ads specifically, niche positioning allows hyper-specific hooks: 'If you're an e-commerce brand spending $5k+/month on Google Ads and your ROAS is under 3x, this is what's happening.' That line is invisible to everyone except the exact prospect you want — who reads it and immediately thinks you know their situation.

Video formats that attract quality agency retainer clients

Case study with real numbers

— 'We took a [niche] e-commerce brand from $180k to $740k in monthly revenue in 11 months. Here's what we changed.' Specific numbers, named niche, specific timeline, specific outcome. The most credible format for demonstrating results.

Insight/teaching video

— Share a genuine finding from client work that would be useful to your target prospect even without hiring you. 'The one audience structure change that cut our clients' CPLs by 40%.' This demonstrates expertise while creating goodwill — prospects who learn something from your ad are pre-sold on your intelligence.

Positioning statement ad

— 'We only work with [specific niche]. Here's why that makes us better for you than a generalist agency.' Ideal for agencies with a genuine specialisation. Makes you the obvious choice for prospects in that niche.

'Are you wasting your ad budget?' ad

— Identifies the specific symptoms of a poorly-run account (high CPLs, low ROAS, wrong audience targeting, bad creative testing methodology). If a prospect recognises their situation in your diagnosis, they've already decided they have a problem — and you've positioned yourself as the person who understands and can fix it.

FluxNote prompts for agency video ads

Case study

'Create a 45-second video ad for a marketing agency targeting e-commerce brand owners. Hook: "We took a skincare brand from $12k to $68k monthly revenue in 6 months — here's exactly what we changed." Walk through 3 specific changes: audience restructure, creative testing cadence, landing page offer. End: "If your store is doing over $20k/month and you think your ads could be working harder — book a free audit call." Tone: confident, data-driven, specific.'

Insight ad

'Short 25-second video ad for a Facebook/Instagram ad agency. Hook: "Most e-commerce brands are losing 30-40% of their ad spend to one targeting mistake." Briefly explain the mistake (broad audience with no exclusions). End: "Want us to audit your account? Free 30-minute call — link below." Tone: expert, helpful, non-salesy. Platform: Facebook and Instagram, target business owners.'

Positioning/niche

'Video ad for an agency specialising in ads for local service businesses. Hook: "We only work with local service businesses — and there's a reason for that." Explain why specialists outperform generalists for local ads (local market knowledge, industry-specific creative, repeat testing across similar clients). CTA: "If you're a local service business tired of wasting money on ads that don't work — book a call."'

Pro Tips

Your agency's video ads are your most visible portfolio piece — if they're average, sophisticated prospects will assume your client work is average
Lead with a specific niche or client type in your ads: agencies who niche their advertising outperform generalist messaging by 3-5x in enquiry quality
Share real client results with permission — 'our clients grew revenue by X' is weak; '[specific brand type] we manage grew from $Xk to $Xk in Y months' is compelling
Run ads to founder/CMO audiences on LinkedIn for enterprise retainers; run ads to business owner audiences on Facebook/Instagram for SMB retainers

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