A Strategic Guide for eCommerce Business Owners
Before You Trust Your Ad Rep
Ad platform representatives (from Google, Meta, TikTok, and others) offer “free” advice that often sounds helpful—but can quietly erode your profitability. Their job is to grow the platform’s revenue, not yours.
This guide reveals what reps don’t tell you, the most common red flags in their advice, and how to stay in control of your strategy.
Top 5 Red Flags from Ad Platform Reps
- “You should increase your budget.”More spend isn’t better spend. Always ask if it will improve ROI—not just platform metrics.
- “Try this new beta feature—it’s what top advertisers are using.”New doesn’t mean better. Many features are rolled out before they’re ready.
- “Let’s apply all these recommendations now.”Auto-apply is convenient for the rep—not for your business. Unreviewed changes can damage performance.
- “Switch to broad match or full automation—it’s the future.”You lose control and precision. Automation without oversight often leads to poor-quality traffic.
- Conflicting advice from multiple reps or aggressive outreach.Inconsistency is a sign of internal sales quotas—not strategic alignment with your business.
Why Their Incentives Aren’t Yours
- Reps are evaluated on your spend, feature adoption, and engagement.
- Your goals? Customer acquisition, profitability, and sustainable growth.
- This misalignment means reps may push what helps the platform—not what’s best for your business.
Decision Filters to Use Before You Say Yes
Ask these before implementing any rep suggestion:
- Will this improve CAC, LTV, or margin?
- Does this reduce control or reporting clarity?
- Can we test this in a low-risk environment first?
- Would we accept this advice from a neutral consultant?
Bonus: The “Trust but Verify” Checklist
Use this quick audit before applying platform recommendations:
- The change aligns with our business goals.
- We’ve evaluated risk vs. potential upside.
- We’re testing it in a controlled campaign or subset.
- We’re measuring incremental results—not just clicks or impressions.
- A trusted partner or team member has reviewed the change.
Need a Second Opinion?
We help eCommerce brands protect their budgets, verify campaign recommendations, and stay in control of their ad strategy.
Let’s do a free 15-minute strategy check-in.
