I'm a freelancer, so I'm not neutral. I'll be fair anyway, including about when an agency is the better choice.

Start with what you need

Before comparing anyone, be clear about the job. Most owner-led businesses want the same thing: a steady flow of good enquiries, without having to think about the ads every week.

Then answer a few questions:

  • Which channels do you need? Google Search alone, or Meta, LinkedIn or Microsoft Ads as well?
  • Do you need creative produced, like video and design, or mainly strategy and management?
  • How involved do you want to be, and how often do you want to hear from someone?
  • If it went wrong last time, what went wrong?

The answers usually point one way or the other.

What an agency does well

An agency brings a team. That matters when you need several skills at once: a designer, a video editor, a copywriter, a developer and a PPC specialist, under one roof and on one invoice.

It also brings capacity. If you run large budgets across many channels, or need lots done at short notice, a well-run agency can carry that load. And if one person is off, someone else picks it up.

An agency is often the better choice if:

  • you need a lot of creative production as well as media buying
  • you spend heavily across several channels at once
  • you want one supplier for your marketing, website and design

Where agencies can fall down

The most common complaint is that the person who wins your business isn't the person who runs it. You meet someone senior at the pitch. Then your account goes to someone more junior, who looks after many others.

That isn't true of every agency. But budget agencies have been described as running 50 or more accounts per manager, with templated setups, according to PPC Chief. Reviews of failed agency relationships describe account managers who didn't respond, and ads showing for the wrong searches.

When clients leave an agency, price usually isn't the main reason. It ranks sixth, behind a lack of proactive strategic guidance and poor communication and transparency, according to an analysis by Swydo. I've written separately about what your PPC agency should be telling you every month.

What a freelancer does well

With a freelance PPC specialist, the person you speak to is the person doing the work. There's no account manager relaying messages, and no handover once the contract is signed.

That usually means:

  • expert attention on your account, without paying for layers of management
  • faster answers, from someone who knows your account in detail
  • more flexible terms, often monthly rolling
  • a fee that pays for expertise rather than offices and a sales team

On cost, compare like with like. Ask what's included, how the fee is worked out and whether it rises with your ad spend. A percentage-of-spend fee grows as your budget does, whether or not the work does.

Where freelancers can fall down

The risks are real, and worth asking about directly.

  • Continuity. What happens if they're ill or on holiday? A good freelancer will have a clear answer: time off planned well in advance, campaigns set up to run safely without daily changes, and everything documented in your accounts.
  • Range. One person can't be expert in everything. Check they cover the channels you need, and ask who produces the creative if you need it.
  • Capacity. A freelancer with too many clients has the same problem as an overstretched agency. Ask how many accounts they look after.
  • Experience. "Freelancer" covers everyone from a specialist with years of agency experience to someone who took a course last year. Ask what they've done and how they'd approach your account.

What about hiring in-house?

For most owner-led businesses it's hard to justify. A senior in-house PPC specialist in the UK costs £50,000 to £75,000 in base salary, according to Visionary Marketing. A junior hire costs less, but needs someone senior to guide them, which puts you back where you started.

The Bristol angle

Bristol isn't short of options. Bristol and Bath have one of the densest creative sectors in the UK, with over 6,000 creative businesses, according to Invest Bristol and Bath. That's good news, but it makes choosing harder. A few things are worth knowing locally.

  • You can meet in person. For many owners that matters, and it's a fair test. Anyone who says they're local should be happy to meet for a coffee.
  • Local knowledge helps. A trades business covering Bath doesn't want to pay for clicks from Swindon. Someone who knows the area will draw your targeting around where your customers are.
  • Ask your network. Other owners, your accountant and your web designer are often the best source of a recommendation. Business West and FSB West of England are good places to ask.
  • Check who does the work. Read reviews, and ask who will run your account, not just who runs the business.

Questions to ask either option

Whoever you speak to, these questions will tell you a lot:

  1. Who will run my account day to day, and how experienced are they?
  2. How many other accounts do they manage?
  3. How do you charge? Is it a flat fee or a percentage of spend?
  4. How long is the contract, and is there a set-up fee?
  5. Will I own my ad accounts and data?
  6. What will I get each month? Can I see an example report?
  7. What happens when the person running my account is away?
  8. What would you look at first in my account?

The last one is the most revealing. A good specialist will ask about your business and your customers before they talk tactics.

How to decide

Choose an agency if you need a team: lots of creative production, many channels at high spend, or one supplier for everything.

Choose a freelancer if you want senior expertise and direct access to the person doing the work. Your fee goes on the work, not the layers around it.

Either way, insist on the basics. You own your accounts, you understand the fee and you get a plain-English update every month.

Where I fit

I'm a freelance PPC specialist in Bristol with eight years' agency experience. I run Google Ads and Meta ads for owner-led businesses. Flat monthly fee, monthly rolling, and your accounts stay in your name. I work with businesses across the South West, from Bath to Gloucester to Exeter.

If you'd like to talk it through, send me a message below. No obligation. And if I think an agency would suit you better, I'll tell you.