Today I’m sharing an interview that explains how to earn extra income by running Facebook ads for local businesses.
I recently spoke with Bobby Hoyt, a former high school teacher who paid off $40,000 in student loans in 18 months. Bobby now runs the personal finance blog Millennial Money Man full-time and operates a digital marketing agency that focuses on local businesses. He launched the agency in 2015 and has built a reliable model for helping local companies find customers through Facebook and Instagram advertising.
Running Facebook ads for local businesses is a learnable skill, and it can be a profitable side hustle or full-time business. Last year, advertisers spent more than $358 million per day on Facebook ads, which shows the significant demand for experienced ad managers.
If you’re exploring new business ideas or side hustles to increase your income, offering Facebook ad management to local businesses is a strong option. Below, Bobby explains how he got started, why local businesses invest in Facebook ads, how to find your first client, expected earnings, and the steps to scale this into a full-time business.
In this interview you’ll learn:
- How Bobby began offering Facebook ad services;
- Why small businesses need Facebook ads and why they hire outside help;
- Practical ways to find your first Facebook ads client;
- How much you can charge and how many hours it takes;
- How to scale the side hustle into a full-time agency;
Bobby’s work and story have been featured by major outlets such as CNBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Reuters, and MarketWatch.
1. Can you share your story and explain how you started running Facebook ads for clients?
Bobby: A few years ago I was a high school band director feeling trapped by low pay and heavy hours. I had $40,000 in student loans and decided to live frugally to pay them off, even renting a small room and driving an inexpensive car. In 18 months I cleared the debt. While I succeeded financially, I still didn’t enjoy my job, so I started blogging and launched Millennial Money Man.
After quitting my teaching job, I grew anxious about income because the blog wasn’t yet profitable. I connected with a local jeweler who needed help with their website, content, and Facebook ads. That first client taught me how to run local campaigns. The work paid well relative to the time involved, and winning a few more clients allowed me to sustain myself while growing my online business.
2. Is “Facebook is dead” true?
No. Despite popular opinion, Facebook ads remain one of the most effective lead-generation channels for brick-and-mortar businesses. Facebook’s ownership of Instagram further strengthens local targeting opportunities, and both platforms continue to deliver strong results for local customer acquisition.
3. Do small businesses really want Facebook ads? Why would they pay for a service instead of doing it themselves?
Yes, small businesses want Facebook ads because they need more customers and prefer proven ways to attract them. Many business owners see competitors succeed with ads and want similar results, but they often struggle to use the platform effectively.
Business owners commonly make mistakes like “boosting posts,” which is rarely the right ad type for local customer acquisition. This leads to wasted ad spend and the false impression that Facebook ads don’t work. Alternatively, owners simply don’t have time to learn ad strategy and execution.
That’s where ad managers provide value: by running the correct campaign types, delivering measurable leads, and freeing owners to focus on operations. Because effective ads typically increase profits, business owners are willing to pay a premium for capable ad management.
4. Is this side hustle hard?
No, but it requires effort and learning. Bobby and his partner created a course that teaches everything from ad creation to client acquisition and billing. The training uses step-by-step, “over-the-shoulder” videos that show exact settings and workflows.
Once campaigns are properly set up, they often run with minimal maintenance—requiring only periodic adjustments. For many clients, managing a campaign takes a few hours per week. The course is designed for a side hustle that can generate $2,000+ per month, with many students scaling to $5k, $10k, or more per month.
5. How can someone find their first Facebook ads client?
Finding clients is a common fear, so Bobby’s course covers client acquisition extensively. The program teaches nine different methods to get clients without paying for ads, including outreach via Facebook groups, LinkedIn, email, YouTube, and freelance platforms like Upwork.
The recommendation is to pick one or two strategies and focus on them consistently. The course pairs strategy with support: members can get feedback in a private coaching group where they receive scripted responses, troubleshooting help, and tailored advice—making outreach more effective.
Bobby and his team guide students through initial outreach, follow-up, and conversion so they don’t have to go it alone. That ongoing support has helped thousands of students secure their first clients.
6. How much can you make doing this work, and how many hours per week does it require?
Typical pricing for Facebook ad management ranges from $1,000 to $1,500 per month per client. Though that may seem high, it’s a compelling return for business owners when ads deliver a steady stream of affordable leads and increased revenue. For many local businesses, $1,000 per month is reasonable compared to other operating costs.
From the manager’s perspective, a single client can often be maintained in a few hours a week once campaigns are established, making the revenue-to-time ratio attractive for side hustlers and full-time operators alike.
7. Can this side hustle grow into a full-time business?
Yes. Although the course was designed for side hustles, many students have turned it into full-time agencies. In the program’s community, members share success stories: some have earned five- and six-figure incomes, paid off debt, or replaced full-time salaries by scaling client rosters to multiple $1k+/month accounts.
Examples from the community include students earning consistent monthly revenue in the mid-to-high thousands, specialists serving niche industries like orthodontics, and individuals who quit their jobs to run agencies full-time.
8. What will you learn from the course?
The course teaches how to create profitable ads for local businesses and build an ad management service that can generate $2,000+ per month. Key topics include:
- How Facebook Ads work, so you can confidently explain strategies to prospective clients;
- Step-by-step video walkthroughs to create profitable campaigns with the correct settings;
- How to troubleshoot and improve ad performance when issues arise;
- Advanced targeting techniques to reach the right customers and increase client referrals;
- Three proven strategies to find your first clients quickly;
- Systems and templates for tracking results and demonstrating ROI to clients, which helps retain clients long-term;
- Operational guidance for running an ad management business efficiently while improving client outcomes.
Students receive lifetime access to the course and the option to join a paid coaching and support community. The support group helps with ad troubleshooting, client communications, and real-time feedback—new members typically receive an initial free month to get started. This combination of training and support is designed to get new ad managers up and running quickly.
What do you think of turning Facebook ad management into a side hustle or full-time business?