How to choose the right partner for your ads

Amsterdam has hundreds of agencies focused on digital advertising, ranging from small independent shops to international networks. For businesses that want to advertise, that’s both a blessing and a challenge: how do you choose between so many options? This guide gives you a practical framework, based on what really makes the difference between an average and a good digital agency in Amsterdam.

We cover the types of advertising services out there, what to look for when choosing an agency, and show how we, Omelette du Fromage, go about creating and maintaining ads ourselves, for clients in and outside Amsterdam.

Types of digital advertising services
A good digital agency in Amsterdam usually offers a combination of the following services. The mix you need depends on your audience, product and stage of growth.

SEA (Search Engine Advertising)
SEA, or advertising on Google, is the most direct form of advertising: you show up at the moment someone is actively searching for your product or service. Key KPIs are CPC (cost per click), CPA (cost per acquisition) and ROAS (return on ad spend). SEA works well for businesses with clear search intent, like e-commerce, local services or B2B with a concrete need.

Social Media Ads
Social ads are about reach, recognition and activating audiences who aren’t actively searching, but are receptive to the right message at the right moment. Every platform plays a different role:

• Meta (Facebook & Instagram): broad reach, strong for both branding and conversion
• TikTok: creativity and speed, strong for younger audiences and viral potential
• LinkedIn: the place to be for B2B lead generation and account-based marketing
• Pinterest: driven by inspiration and discovery, strong for lifestyle and interior brands
• Snapchat & Reddit: niche channels that work well for a specific, sharply defined audience

Display & Programmatic
Display ads are mainly about brand awareness and retargeting: reaching people who already visited your website again with relevant content. Less directly converting than SEA, but valuable for keeping a brand top of mind.

Performance Max & Google Shopping
For e-commerce specifically, Performance Max (PMAX) has become an important part of the Google Ads mix. PMAX automatically combines several Google channels (Search, Display, YouTube, Shopping) into one campaign, optimised with machine learning. We use PMAX for clients as an addition to regular Search and Shopping campaigns, not as a standalone product: it needs a different way of steering than traditional Search campaigns, with less manual targeting and more focus on strong product feeds and creative assets.

Key considerations when choosing an agency
Not every agency fits every business. These six criteria help you make the right choice:

1. Industry experience: Does the agency have proven results in your industry, or do you have to supply the basic knowledge yourself?

2. Transparent reporting: Do you get access to raw data and dashboards, or just a monthly summary?

3. Full-funnel vs. single-channel: Can the agency combine strategy and execution across multiple channels, or do you work with separate specialists per platform?

4. Contract type & flexibility: What are the minimum terms and notice periods? Can you scale up or down without hassle?

5. Team & availability: Do you work with a fixed point of contact, or does your account manager keep changing?

6. Pricing model: A fixed fee, a percentage of your media budget, or a hybrid? Every model has its own pros and cons when it comes to scalability and incentives.

    

The expertise of Omelette du Fromage
As an Amsterdam digital agency, we focus specifically on the combination of creative content and data-driven advertising. Our approach rests on three pillars:

• Platform specialists. Instead of one generalist who handles all channels “on the side”, we work with specialists per platform (Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest) who understand what makes each channel unique.

• Creative speed. We develop content in-house, so we can respond quickly to trends, seasons and results from running campaigns.

• Measurable results. Every campaign is optimised continuously based on hard data, not gut feeling.
  
  

Abrazi (lifestyle e-commerce, jewellery). For this brand we manage campaigns on both Meta and Google Ads, across the Dutch, German and Belgian markets. Think Performance Max, Search and Shopping campaigns, topped up with seasonal social content around moments like Valentine’s Day. Across the various Meta and Google campaigns we typically achieve a ROAS between 2 and 6, with peaks above that in specific market segments.

Mokumboot (boat and sloop rental, Amsterdam). For this local Amsterdam business we run a broad package of Google and Meta campaigns, in Dutch, English and German. On the non-branded Search and Performance Max campaigns we consistently achieve a ROAS of around 15, with the strongest results on targeted, non-branded keywords. It shows that with the right campaign structure, even a local service provider with a relatively modest budget can achieve excellent returns.

Both examples underline what we think makes the difference: not perfecting one channel, but finding the right mix of platforms, audiences and creative execution, and constantly adjusting that mix based on data.

Curious what we can do for your business? Check out our approach to paid campaigns →