Social media ads. Pick the network before the budget.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn reach different buyers, set different minimums and report results in their own way. We help you choose one or two networks that suit what you sell, give each a budget large enough to learn, and count enquiries the same way everywhere.
- Meta's suggested start
- At least $5
- TikTok campaign minimum
- Over $50 a day
- LinkedIn daily minimum
- $10
- Facts checked
- 7 Nov 2026
What you get
What you get, before and after the first ad.
Each network bills your company directly, on an account in your company's name. We charge for management, never a share of spend, so we gain nothing when your spend goes up.
Choosing the network
We do not pick a network because its audience is the biggest. We pick it by who buys from you and how your offer is best shown, and most businesses need one or two to start.
- Who buys, and who signs off the purchase
- Your average order or contract value
- Whether the offer sells best as a photo, a video or in words
- Where your customers already follow and message you
- A first network to test, and a second for later
Budget and testing
A small budget spread over four networks teaches none of them anything. We test one network at a time, with enough money for its algorithm to see a useful number of enquiries.
- Each network's minimum, checked on launch day
- A budget worked out from your target cost per enquiry
- One variable per test: audience, creative or offer
- A decision date agreed before launch
- Money moved to whichever network brings enquiries
One tracking setup
Every network credits itself with as many results as it can. So we set up tracking that counts each enquiry once, whichever network the buyer came through.
- Meta Pixel and Conversions API
- TikTok Pixel and Events API
- LinkedIn Insight Tag and Conversions API
- UTM tags in one naming pattern on every link
- GA4 and your CRM as the shared check
Monthly report
All networks in one table, with cost per enquiry and cost per customer. If a network is not bringing enquiries at a cost that works for you, the report says so on page one.
- Spend and enquiries per network, side by side
- Cost per enquiry and per customer
- Where a network's numbers and GA4 disagree
- What we changed and how it went
- Next month: more, less or stop
Comparison
Four networks in one table.
Reach figures are from DataReportal's Digital 2027 reports for the US and the UK, published in November 2026 and taken from each network's own ad tools. They measure ad reach, not people: one person can hold several accounts, and LinkedIn counts every registered member. Facebook and Instagram share one account and one set of campaigns in Meta Ads Manager.
| What we compare | TikTok | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US ad reach | 198 million | 180 million | 150 million adults | 300 million members |
| UK ad reach | 38.1 million | 33.7 million | 27.8 million adults | 53.0 million members |
| Minimum budget | Varies by currency and goal, Meta suggests at least $5 to start | Same account and rules as Facebook | Over $50 a day per campaign, over $20 per ad group | $10 a day, $100 lifetime for a new campaign |
| Targeting | With Advantage+ audience, location, minimum age and language are fixed, the rest is a suggestion | Same as Facebook | In Smart+ campaigns automatic, with location, minimum age and language as the base | Company, industry, job title and seniority |
| Site tracking | Meta Pixel and Conversions API | The same Pixel and Conversions API | TikTok Pixel and Events API | Insight Tag and Conversions API |
| What we use it for | Local services and lead forms | Products and services that photograph well | Products people need to see in use | Selling to other businesses |
Swipe to see every network →
How it runs
One network, then the next.
-
Step 1
Choice
On the call we go through your offer, your buyers and your budget. We suggest a network to start with and tell you what a fair test there will cost.
-
Step 2
Tracking
Before the first ad goes live we install the pixel, server-side events and UTM tags. Then we send a test enquiry and check it shows up in the network and in GA4.
-
Step 3
Test
Four to six weeks on one network, with two or three versions of the ad. We change one thing at a time, so you know what made the difference.
-
Step 4
Expand or stop
If the network brings enquiries at a cost that works for you, we add budget or the next network. If it does not, we switch it off and explain why.
Who this is for
Who it works for, and who it does not.
It makes sense if:
- You sell something people buy even when they are not searching for it
- You have photos or video, or someone who can film the product
- You can fund a test for at least six weeks
- Someone on your team answers messages and calls the same day
It does not make sense if:
- Buyers only look for you in an emergency, like a burst pipe, where search ads should come first
- The budget is small and you want to be on every network at once
- Nobody can answer the messages and comments the ads bring in
To be straight with you: most businesses do not need all four networks. One network run properly beats four run on the side. The figures and rules on this page were checked on 7 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about social media advertising.
Which network should we start with?
The one where your buyers are and where your offer shows well. For a local service or an online shop that is usually Meta, because one campaign covers Facebook and Instagram. For selling to other businesses we look at LinkedIn first, and for a product that needs to be seen in use, TikTok.
How much do we need for a fair test?
Enough for the network to see the result you care about often enough to learn. Meta expects an ad set to leave the learning phase after about 50 optimisation events in seven days. TikTok's own formula puts an ad group's daily budget at ten times the target cost per conversion. If enquiries are rare and expensive, the campaign first learns on a more frequent event, such as a visit to the pricing page.
Isn't it safer to spread the budget across every network?
Not at the start. Split $1,500 a month four ways and each network gets too little to learn, so after a month you know nothing about any of them. We start with one network and add the second once the first has a steady cost per enquiry.
Why do the networks report more leads than we actually got?
Each network counts a conversion as its own if the person saw or clicked one of its ads beforehand. If the same person saw your ad on Instagram and on LinkedIn, both will report the lead. So we count enquiries in GA4 and your CRM, and use each network's report to compare ads within that network.
Do the pixels need cookie consent?
In the UK and the EU, yes. In the UK, PECR covers tracking pixels as well as cookies, and the ICO's final guidance of April 2026 still requires consent for advertising and profiling. In the EU, the ePrivacy Directive allows storing or reading data on a visitor's device only with consent, unless it is strictly necessary. We set the pixels to fire only after a visitor agrees, and server-side events follow the same consent, so they are not a way round it.
Can we still advertise on TikTok in the US?
Yes. In January 2026 ByteDance finalised the deal that created TikTok USDS Joint Venture, the US company set up to avoid a ban. It looks after US user data and the algorithm, and Reuters reported that advertising stays with a separate business owned by ByteDance. Ads are still bought in TikTok Ads Manager, where a campaign budget must be over $50 a day and an ad group budget over $20.
When does LinkedIn make sense?
When you sell to businesses and know exactly who you need: by industry, company size or job title. Its numbers look large, 300 million members in the US and 53 million in the UK, but those are registered members, not active users. An ad set needs an audience of at least 300 members, and the daily budget starts at $10.
Who owns the accounts if we stop working together?
You do. The ad accounts are in your company's name and billed to your card, and the pixels, audiences and campaign history stay with you. Monthly work ends with 30 days' written notice, and you remove our access yourself.