What Paid Ads Agencies Really Do (and the Seasonal Peak Myth)

Ever notice how your sales naturally spike during certain times of the year—holidays, back-to-school, or summer sales? Some paid ads agencies love to take credit for those seasonal boosts. But in many cases, the spike would’ve happened anyway. Let’s break down what agencies typically do and why you should be cautious about their claims.

What Paid Ads Agencies Actually Do

1. Manage Campaigns
   They set up, run, and optimize your ads on platforms like Facebook, Google, or TikTok. This includes choosing audiences, ad creatives, and budgeting.
2. Track Performance Metrics
   A decent agency monitors stats like MER, Blended CPA (cost per acquisition), or CTR (click-through rate), using those numbers to fine-tune campaigns.
3. Report & Advise
   They’ll usually send you monthly or weekly performance reports, suggesting tweaks or new experiments based on the data.

The Seasonal Peak Myth

• Natural Demand: If you sell winter coats, you’ll see a jump in colder months. That doesn’t necessarily mean your agency’s targeting was revolutionary—it might just be the season.
• Causation vs. Correlation: Agencies sometimes take credit for results that happen due to market trends or holidays. Look at how performance changes outside of peak seasons to get a clearer picture of their true impact.

How to See Through the Hype

• Ask Questions: If your agency boasts a 200% sales jump, is it tied to a seasonal event or promotion?
• Compare Year-Over-Year: Don’t just look at last week versus this week; check how this year’s busy season stacks up to last year’s.
• Keep Realistic Expectations: Even the best agencies can only enhance the natural demand curve, not completely reinvent it.

Conclusion
Understanding what a paid ads agency actually provides helps you avoid being swayed by seasonal spikes. In the next post, we’ll dive into why pairing marketing with real financial tracking is crucial to ensure every ad dollar is spent wisely.