How does an AI paid ads manager compare to an agency?
A good agency charges $3-$8K/month plus ad spend management fees and typically assigns a junior to your account. What you get: weekly reports, some strategic guidance, and someone to complain to when things go wrong. An AI Paid Ads Manager costs a fraction of that, runs daily instead of weekly, and never forgets what you told it. What you lose: the political cover of saying 'the agency recommended it' and the rare senior strategist who has run your category for a decade. For most founders under $100K/mo ad spend, the math strongly favors the AI. Above that, a hybrid — AI for execution, senior consultant for strategy — usually wins.