Facebook and Instagram ads for small businesses in the Netherlands
I set up campaigns to bring in enquiries from new customers: calls, messages, forms. Every week I keep an eye on the budget, and every month you get a clear report.
Money goes out, no enquiries come in. Usually for one of three reasons.
The wrong campaign goal
Someone picks “Reach” or clicks “Boost post”. Meta dutifully shows the ad to thousands of people, but it optimises for views, not customers.
The Pixel doesn't track enquiries
The campaign runs, but Meta doesn't know what success looks like. It can't see calls or forms, so it has nothing to learn from.
The ad leads nowhere
People click and leave because the page takes 6 seconds to load or doesn't say what to do next. The problem isn't the ad.
A campaign that's set up, looked after and reported on
You approve the plan and reply to customers. I take care of the rest.
- Ad account and Pixel setup, so Meta can see your enquiries
- A plan: who we target, in which area and with what budget
- Ad copy and creatives, ideally with video filmed at your business
- Weekly optimisation: I switch off weak ads and push the ones that bring in enquiries
- A monthly report: how many enquiries, what each one cost, what we change next
- Contact on WhatsApp, no waiting a week for a reply
Meta can't target people by nationality, so the video has to do it
Meta doesn't know where someone comes from. You can choose the language someone uses Facebook in, but plenty of people in the Netherlands use it in English or Dutch whatever their mother tongue is. Targeting by language alone leaves big gaps.
That's why the video does a lot of the work. When people hear their own language in the first few seconds and see a business from their area, Meta quickly learns who to show it to. For different groups, we run different versions.
On top of that there's retargeting of people who visited your website or profile, and lookalike audiences based on your current customers, if you have their data.
How much do you need to spend on ads?
I recommend starting with an ad budget of at least €300 a month. You pay it directly to Meta.
With less, a campaign collects data very slowly, and after a month it's still hard to say which ad works. In the starting strategy I estimate what one enquiry might cost in your industry and whether that pays off at your prices.
- First data after about 48 hours
- A clearer picture after about 2 weeks
- Decisions on scaling after the first full month
Ad account audit
Spending money on ads but getting few enquiries? You give me access to the account and I find what's holding the results back: campaign goal, Pixel, audiences, creatives and landing page. You get a list of changes and an hour-long call where we go through it together.
€150 excl. BTW. If you then choose a package, I deduct it from the setup fee.
How much does ad management cost?
Meta Ads are included in every package. The smallest, Good Start, costs €350 a month excl. BTW. At the start there's a one-off €270 for the strategy and setting up the ad account and Pixel.
Questions about Meta ads
How is a campaign different from the “Boost post” button?
“Boost post” is built for reach: Meta shows the post to as many people as possible. A campaign in Ads Manager starts with a goal, such as messages or a form, and Meta looks for the people most likely to take that action. The difference in results can be huge.
I already run ads but they don't work. Can you help?
Yes. I start with an account audit: campaign goal, Pixel, audiences, creatives and the page people land on. The most common problems are the wrong campaign goal and a Pixel that doesn't track enquiries. You get the findings in writing and we go through them together.
Can the ads reach both Dutch and international customers?
Yes. We can run separate campaigns for different language groups or one broad campaign in your area. These days the video itself, and the language spoken in it, does a lot of the work in deciding who actually sees the ad.
Who pays for the ads, and can I see the spend?
You pay the ad budget directly to Meta, from the card linked to your ad account. The account belongs to you and I get access to it. You see every euro spent.
Can you guarantee a number of customers?
No, and be careful with anyone who does. Results depend on your industry, budget, area and offer. What I guarantee is that someone watches your campaign every week and you get an honest report every month.
Let's get to know each other
Book a 20-minute call. You tell me about your business and your customers, I tell you how I work. If we both think it makes sense, you'll get a proposal within 3 working days.