The questions people actually ask, before they get in touch.
Why do you cost more than other options around here?
You're not paying for a local marketer who's never worked on anything big. You're paying for someone who has worked across almost every industry in the biggest, most competitive ad market in the world, ten-plus years of it, taught myself because I was genuinely interested, not because I was told to. Charging fewer clients more means I can focus on the people I work with, instead of splitting my time thin across a big client list just to get by.
How do I know I'm not just going to be promised the world again?
Because I don't make promises. The most common thing I hear from people who've worked with an agency before is "I was promised the world and got nothing." I'd rather look at the actual numbers and tell you what they say, including when that means telling you something you don't want to hear. If there's something I can't help with, I'll say so, and I probably know someone who can.
Do you use AI as part of how you work?
Yes, and I'll show you exactly how. I've been using AI tools since 2022, back when GPT-3.5 first came out, well before it was the done thing. I use tools like Claude to work faster and stay organised: taking notes so nothing gets missed, building out client benchmarks, keeping reporting sharp. It doesn't do the thinking for me. The strategy, the decisions, the actual judgement calls on your account, that's all me. I'd rather show you what's happening behind the scenes than have you wonder what you're paying for.
Why trust one person instead of an agency with a whole team?
Because you're working directly with the person you're talking to. There's not some junior working on your account once you've signed up. I take notes properly so nothing gets lost between conversations, and I'm the one accountable for the result, not a rotating account manager.
Am I locked into a contract?
No. It's a month's notice if you want to leave, that's it. I want people paying me because they see the value, not because they're stuck. Contracts get in the way of that kind of honest relationship. Most people stick around anyway, the average is about 3 years, and that's without anything tying them to me.
I already have an agency running my campaigns. Can you just take over?
Yes. I audit what's already running first. If it's working, we keep it and build on it. If it's fundamentally wrong, we rebuild and monitor it closely, I set up proper tracking so I can see whether your budget's being spent at the right rate and working, not just guessing.
Do you build websites too?
Not myself, no. It's the one thing I don't do in-house, so I work with a couple of people I trust to build sites properly and I'll make the introduction if you need one. What I will do is make sure whatever gets built works for Google Ads and SEO, since that's the bit a lot of website builds miss.
How involved do I need to be?
Not very. I check in weekly or fortnightly depending on what suits your schedule. You don't need to learn the ins and outs, that's the point of hiring someone who already knows them, but I'll always explain what I'm doing and why if you want to understand it.
How long before I see results?
Depends what we're doing. Google Ads, usually 4 to 6 weeks. SEO, closer to 3 months, it's a slower game and anyone promising otherwise isn't being straight with you. Marketing Partner is a mix of all of it.
Why not just use one of the big national agencies?
Because a lot of them aren't actually here. Plenty of the results you'll find searching for a Hartlepool marketing agency are a national operation running the same page for every town in the country, with a call centre or account team behind it rather than one person who knows your business. I'm not that. I'm in Hartlepool, you can meet me in person, and the person you talk to is the person doing the work. See the full breakdown of how I work if you want the detail.
Who do you actually work with?
My ideal client is doing somewhere around £100k a year or more, with real departments but nobody dedicated to marketing. That's not a cut-off though, it's just where I see the best fit most often. What matters to me is attitude, not turnover. I want to work with people who see the value in doing things properly, not just the bare minimum, and I won't keep working with someone who treats people badly. If that sounds like you, whatever size you are, get in touch and we'll figure out if it's a fit.
Do you only work with local businesses?
I'm based in Hartlepool and most of my current clients are local, but the accounts I've managed span the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Belgium and Mexico, see the Results page for the numbers. Being local isn't a limit on what I can take on, it's just where you'll find me if you want to sit down face to face.
What happens on the first call?
It's an hour, booked straight into my calendar, no obligation. Bring whatever's bothering you: results that have dropped off, a strategy you're not sure about, or an ads account you think is wasting money. I'll ask a few questions about your business and tell you straight whether I can help and roughly what it would involve. If I can't, I'll say so.
Do you run Facebook and Instagram ads?
Not as a standalone service. I run Meta Ads for a few clients where it's part of a bigger plan, usually alongside Google Ads and SEO under Marketing Partner, because that's where it earns its place. If all you're after is someone to run your Facebook ads on their own, I'm probably not the right fit, and I'll tell you that on the call rather than take the work.