Best Paid Social Media Experts

What a good paid social package includes

Paid social gigs cover ads on Facebook and Instagram, and often TikTok, Pinterest or LinkedIn. Most are sold as a campaign setup or as monthly management. The package should state:

• Platforms covered, and which one comes first.
• Campaign setup: number of campaigns and audiences, and the campaign goal (sales, leads, messages).
• Tracking: pixel or conversion setup, and how it will be tested.
• Creative: whether ad images, videos and text are included, or must come from you.
• Testing plan: how different ads and audiences will be compared.
• Reporting: what you will receive and how often.
• Access: work done inside your own business and ad accounts.

How to brief a paid social expert

1. The goal: online sales, leads, app installs, or messages to your business.
2. Who buys from you: age range, location, interests and the problem you solve for them.
3. Your offer: the product, price range and any current promotion.
4. Your budget for ads and the limit you do not want to pass.
5. Creative you already have: photos, videos, reviews and past ads, with notes on what worked.
6. Access to your business account, ad account and website for tracking.
7. Rules to follow: claims you cannot make, and anything your industry restricts.

Ads that look like a real customer talking often perform well on social platforms. Our UGC video guide explains how to order that kind of creative.

Give new campaigns time before judging them. Ad platforms need some results to learn who responds, and early numbers often swing a lot. Agree with the specialist on when you will review the first results together, and which number you will use to decide what happens next.

What drives the price

• one-time setup versus ongoing management
• number of platforms, campaigns and audiences
• whether ad creative is produced by the specialist
• tracking setup from scratch, including for online stores
• how much ad spend is managed
• depth and frequency of reporting and testing

Red flags

• Guaranteed sales, a fixed cost per result, or a promise of "going viral".
• Requests for your personal login instead of access through your business account.
• No plan for tracking, so results cannot be measured.
• Reports that focus on likes and reach while ignoring sales or leads.
• Ads that make claims your product cannot support. Ad platforms may reject them or restrict your account.

Paid ads and regular posting are different jobs. For organic posting and community work, see our social media marketing guide.

Quick pre-order checklist

• My business and ad accounts are in my name.
• I have one clear goal for the first campaign.
• I know whether the ad creative is included or must come from me.
• Tracking setup and testing are part of the job.
• I have set an ad budget limit, separate from the fee.