Meta Ads
Facebook and Instagram campaigns across feeds, Stories and Reels, aimed at local customers, lookalike audiences and people who have already visited your site.
Social Media Advertising
Social Media Advertising
That Earns Its Keep.
Social media advertising means paying Meta (Facebook and Instagram), LinkedIn or TikTok to show your ads to people chosen by location, interests, job or past visits to your website. Northern plans the campaigns, makes the ad creative in-house, sets up tracking and reports on the cost of each lead or sale. Your ad accounts stay in your name.
Management: £300–£600/month + ad spend
★★★★★
5.0 Google Reviews
·
60+ North East brands
·
13+ years
Social Media Advertising
No fluff. No jargon. Just proper work that moves your business forward.
LinkedIn Ads
For B2B services: reach decision makers by job title, seniority, industry and company size, with lead forms, conversation ads and video.
TikTok Ads
Short vertical video ads for consumer brands and younger audiences, made to look like they belong in the feed.
Tracking & Reporting
Meta Pixel, Conversions API, LinkedIn Insight Tag and TikTok Pixel, set up with Consent Mode, plus a plain-English monthly report on cost per lead or sale.
Why Social Ads Matter
Why Social Ads Work
for Your Business.
Google Ads reach people who are already searching. Social ads reach the people who would buy from you but are not searching yet, and bring back people who visited your site and left. Targeting by place, job or interest means a business in Sunderland or Newcastle can put a small budget in front of exactly the right people.
- ✓ Reach customers before they start comparing quotes on Google
- ✓ Target B2B buyers by job title and company size on LinkedIn
- ✓ Bring back website visitors who did not enquire the first time
- ✓ Measure the cost of each lead or sale, not just likes and reach
Social Media Advertising Agency
How Our Social Media
Advertising Works.
Northern is a design and marketing agency at the Business & Innovation Centre in Sunderland. We are a Meta Partner and a Google Partner. We run paid social campaigns for businesses in the North East and across the UK, and we make the ad creative ourselves. We make the content and run the ads; we do not manage your social media accounts, and you keep control of them.
Which platforms do you advertise on?
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram): the widest reach for local and consumer businesses, with feed, Stories and Reels placements
- LinkedIn: the best fit for B2B, targeted by job title, seniority, industry and company size
- TikTok: short video ads for consumer brands and younger audiences
- Google Ads alongside: if search is part of the plan, our PPC management runs it in the same report
What does social ads management include?
- Strategy: who to reach, what to offer them and which platform suits your budget
- Ad creative made in-house: copy, images, carousels and video in every size, from our own social media content team
- Targeting: location, interests, job titles, customer lists, lookalikes and retargeting of website visitors
- Tracking: Meta Pixel and Conversions API, LinkedIn Insight Tag and TikTok Pixel, set up to respect cookie consent
- Testing: several messages and formats at once, with budget moved to whatever brings leads or sales
- Reporting: a plain-English monthly report showing spend, leads or sales and the cost of each
How do you track results from social ads?
We install the Meta Pixel and the Conversions API so Meta receives conversions from your website server as well as the browser, which keeps reporting more complete when cookies are blocked. We add the LinkedIn Insight Tag and TikTok Pixel where needed, and link everything to GA4 with tagged URLs so you can see which ads lead to enquiries.
Tracking has to respect consent. For Euro Pizza Ovens, the Meta pixel was firing before visitors accepted cookies. We set up the cookie banner with Google Consent Mode v2 and held the Meta pixel back until consent, then wired up GA4 ecommerce tracking with real order values.
What social ad work have we done?
- Next Level Selling: a Meta ad set for a one-day B2B sales workshop in Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland, with three messages, feed and Reels versions, a lead-magnet ad and a matching ticket page
- Safecall: LinkedIn ads alongside Google and Microsoft Ads, reported every two weeks; the LinkedIn conversation ads reached a 56.73% open rate
- Black Tip Social: social ad creative and campaign graphics designed white-label for a social media agency’s clients
- Euro Pizza Ovens: consent-safe Meta pixel set-up, GA4 ecommerce tracking and a UTM plan so TikTok and email show up as sources
How much does social media advertising cost?
Our management fee is usually £300 to £600 a month, plus your ad spend, the same as our PPC management. It is a fixed fee, not a percentage of what you spend, so we gain nothing by telling you to spend more.
You pay ad spend to Meta, LinkedIn or TikTok directly, in an ad account in your name. The right budget depends on your audience and what a customer is worth to you; we recommend a test budget first and scale up only once it is working. Management rolls monthly with 30 days’ notice.
How quickly do social ads work?
Campaigns can go live within a week of agreeing the plan and creative. Each platform needs a learning period, so expect the first two to four weeks to be about finding which audiences and messages work. Results usually improve over the first two to three months as we cut what does not work and refresh the creative.
Will you post on our page or reply to comments?
No. We run the paid campaigns only. We do not post organic content, schedule posts, run community management or reply to comments. Comments on ads appear on your page and you reply to them; we will flag anything that affects the campaign. You keep full control of your pages and accounts.
How to choose a social media advertising agency
- Make sure the ad accounts, pixels and audiences are in your name
- Ask whether the fee is fixed or a percentage of your ad spend
- Check they make the creative, or budget for someone who does
- Ask how they track leads and sales, including the Conversions API and consent
- Look for reports on cost per lead or sale, not just reach and likes
- Avoid 12-month contracts; a short notice period is fairer
Why Northern
Why Choose Northern
for Social Ads.
Most ad agencies buy the media and leave the creative to you. We do both: our own team makes the video, photos and graphics, and the same people run the campaigns and report on what they bring in.
Creative Made In-House
Video, photos and graphics from our own team, in every size each platform needs.
Meta Partner
And a Google Partner, so social and search can run from one plan.
Your Accounts
Ad accounts, pixels and audiences stay in your name. If you leave, you keep them.
Ads, Not Management
We run the paid campaigns. You keep control of your pages and posts.
North East Social Ads
Social Ads for Businesses in
Newcastle, Sunderland & Durham.
Location targeting lets a local business advertise only to people within reach of its shop, office or service area. We run social ads for businesses across the North East and, from Sunderland, for clients across the UK.
£300–£600
Monthly Management + Ad Spend
56.73%
LinkedIn Conversation Ad Open Rate (Safecall)
3
Platforms: Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok
30 Days
Notice. No Long Contracts
Social Media Advertising Projects
Our Work in
Social Media Advertising.
How We Deliver
How We Deliver Social Media Advertising across the North East.
A four-step process refined over 13+ years and 60+ brands. No fluff — just the work that actually moves the needle across the North East.
01
Audit & Discover
We start with a free no-obligation audit. We’ll dig into your current social media advertising performance, your competitors across the North East, and what’s actually possible inside your budget — before anyone signs anything.
02
Plan & Agree
We put together a clear plan with realistic targets, costs and timeframes. You see exactly what you’re getting, what we’re measuring, and how we’ll report. No surprises, no upsells you didn’t ask for.
03
Build & Deliver
We get on with the work. Direct access to Dave and the team — no account managers, no gatekeepers, no subcontracted offshore studio. Weekly check-ins, monthly reports, and a Slack/WhatsApp channel for quick questions.
04
Measure & Iterate
The work doesn’t stop at launch. We track what’s working, drop what isn’t, and keep iterating — whether that’s rankings, ad spend, conversion rate, or all three. You get a clear report every month showing what changed and why.
Why It Matters Now
Social Media Advertising in 2026.
AI Has Changed The Game
Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Bing Copilot are now answering questions that used to send users to your website. Good social media advertising in 2026 means optimising for AI citation, not just blue links — structured data, semantic clarity, and content that an LLM can lift verbatim.
Local Competition Has Caught Up
Five years ago, half the businesses across the North East didn’t take social media advertising seriously. That’s no longer true. Your competitors are spending, learning, and getting better month on month. The cost of doing nothing is now higher than the cost of doing it well.
Buyers Research Differently
Modern B2B and B2C buyers don’t just “Google” you any more. They check LinkedIn, Reddit, YouTube, Companies House, your reviews, your last three blog posts, and what AI tools say about you — before they ever fill in a contact form. Social Media Advertising in 2026 has to cover all those surfaces, not just rankings.
Avoid These Traps
Social Media Advertising Mistakes We See A Lot.
Before you spend a penny — whether with us or anyone else — check whether you’re about to fall into one of these.
1. Chasing The Wrong Metric
Rankings, impressions, followers, traffic — none of these pay the bills. We measure enquiries, qualified leads, revenue. If your agency reports anything else as the headline, ask why.
2. Buying Templates, Not Strategy
Cheap packaged social media advertising bundles look like a bargain until you realise every client gets the same playbook. Your business isn’t generic — your strategy shouldn’t be either.
3. 12-Month Lock-Ins
Any agency that needs a year’s commitment to do good work doesn’t trust their own work. Our clients stay because the results are there — not because they’re contractually stuck with us.
4. Ignoring AI Search
Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity are already eating organic traffic. Most agencies haven’t adapted. We optimise for AI citation alongside traditional ranking — one is the future, both matter today.
5. Reporting In Vanity
100-page reports with no story aren’t reporting — they’re cover. Ours fit on one page: what we did, what changed, what’s next. If you want the underlying data, it’s yours to dig into — but the headline tells the story.
6. Outsourcing The Bits That Matter
Bigger agencies subcontract design to one country, dev to another, content to a third. We don’t. The same team that pitched you does the work — so the strategy you bought is the strategy you get.
Investment & Timelines
What Social Media Advertising Costs across the North East.
Honest answer: it depends. But here’s how we structure things so you know what to expect before the first call.
One-Off Project
From £1,500
A fixed-scope piece of work with a defined deliverable — a website rebuild, an SEO audit-and-fix, a brand refresh. Quoted up front, paid 50/50 (deposit + completion). Typical delivery: 2–6 weeks depending on scope.
Monthly Retainer
From £500/mo
Ongoing social media advertising, optimisation, reporting and support. Rolling monthly — cancel any time with 30 days’ notice. No 12-month lock-in. You get a real human, a real report, and real changes every month.
Strategic Partner
Bespoke
For businesses where digital is the front line. Multi-channel programme — social media advertising alongside everything else we do (web, brand, automation, content). Quarterly strategy, monthly delivery, dedicated team. Scoped to your business.
Not sure where you fit? Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll talk through your situation, give you an honest steer on what makes sense for the size of business you are, and you’ll leave with a clear next step — whether that’s working with us, working with someone else, or doing it yourself.
Testimonials
What Our Clients Say
Real recommendations from real people.
“I’ve been incredibly impressed with David’s quality of work since I started working with him back in 2014. He still amazes me with his creativity, the speed of delivery plus he always keeps his word when he sets a time frame. You couldn’t work with anyone else who could be as collaborative, as creative, as David.”
“Dave’s creativity was important to the creation of Gentoo’s outstanding new website. His designs are not only visually engaging but also meet accessible standards and user needs. He goes above and beyond to meet deadlines, displaying dedication and perseverance to ensure designs meet user needs.”
“Dave has an unmatched level of creativity and energy — when you place these two together you get a creative genius who does not stop until he takes the project from good to great. His commitment to the brand standards is contagious. I am confident Dave will be a true asset in any team.”
Social Media Advertising FAQ
Common Questions
Everything you need to know about our Social Media Advertising service.
It is paying platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok to show your ads to a chosen audience, by location, interests, job or past visits to your website. You pay for the reach or clicks, and the aim is leads or sales.
Our management fee is usually £300 to £600 a month, plus ad spend paid directly to the platform. It is a fixed fee, not a percentage of your spend, and rolls monthly with 30 days’ notice.
For local and consumer businesses, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) usually gives the most reach for the money. For B2B services, LinkedIn costs more per click but lets you target by job title, industry and company size.
Yes. Our own team writes the copy and makes the images, carousels and video in every size each platform needs, so you do not need a separate designer or videographer.
No. We make the content and run the paid campaigns. We do not post, schedule, run community management or reply to comments. You keep control of your accounts.
We set up the Meta Pixel and Conversions API, the LinkedIn Insight Tag and the TikTok Pixel, with cookie consent handled through Consent Mode, and link it all to GA4 so each lead or sale can be traced to an ad.
You do. Ad accounts, pixels and audiences are set up in your name and you pay the platform directly. If you leave, you keep everything, including the campaign history.
Google Reviews
What clients say
Real reviews from businesses like yours.
Had a website made from scratch was done within 4 days and turn around was great.
Great service overall. It's been a real pleasure working with Dave and his team. They've helped strengthen our business presence and brand identity through our website and are always on hand to offer support and go the extra mile. We're looking forward to continuing to work with Dave and the Northern Digital team on future projects as our business grows.
Very good experience, very knowledgable and trustworthy. Highly recommend.
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