Frequently Asked Questions
These are the real questions financial advisors asked us on 228 sales calls over the last year, ranked by how often they came up.
Pricing and cost
How much does Blackbox cost?
Blackbox services currently start at $17,500 a month all in. That one number includes our monthly fee and your Facebook and Instagram ad spend. Your exact quote depends on your growth goals, your market and how fast you want to scale. Firms that want more appointments, more advisors on camera or more markets invest more.
You pay Meta directly from your own ad account with your own card. The ad money never passes through us, and you see every dollar spent.
Our pricing is set by how many firms our team can serve well at one time. As demand grows, our prices go up, so the number on your strategy call is the current one. We share a full written quote on that call, after we understand your firm.
What is included in the Blackbox monthly fee?
The fee pays for a full client acquisition team that builds and runs your appointment system. You do not hire or manage any of these people yourself.
You get a direct response copywriter who writes your ad and video scripts word for word. You get a remote videographer who directs your filming session. A video editor turns that footage into ads and a 10 to 15 minute video. A paid media strategist launches, tests and manages your Facebook and Instagram ads. A tech specialist builds your landing pages, booking calendar, reminders and tracking. A project manager keeps it all on schedule.
You also get a tracking sheet updated every day and strategy calls twice a month. Higher tiers refresh your videos more often and add more calls with your strategist.
How does Blackbox pricing change as our ad spend grows?
Our fee scales with your ad spend. When you put more money into ads, more work goes into testing, new videos and media buying, so the fee rises with it. As a share of spend, the fee gets smaller as your budget gets bigger.
Many firms think a bigger budget just means pressing a button. It does not. More spend wears ads out faster, reaches new audiences and needs new angles to keep cost per appointment down. Without that work, a bigger budget often buys worse results.
The right way to see it: you are paying for the strategy and creative that keep your cost per appointment steady as you scale. We walk through how your fee changes at each budget level on the strategy call.
Is there a setup fee with Blackbox?
Yes. There is a one time setup fee, paid before any ads run. It covers the first month of work: strategy, scripting, filming direction, editing, landing pages, booking setup and tracking.
Some firms see a setup fee as extra profit for the agency. In our case it pays for real production. Before a single ad goes live, our team writes your scripts, directs your filming, edits your videos and builds your full funnel. That is about four weeks of work by six people.
The right way to see it: the setup fee buys the assets your campaign runs on. We share the exact amount on the strategy call, along with how it changes by contract option.
Why does Blackbox cost more than a lead vendor?
A lead vendor sells you names and phone numbers. Those leads are often sold to several advisors at once. The person filled out a form for a free guide or a quote, and they have never heard of you. Blackbox builds a system in your name that books prospects onto your calendar after they watch you on video.
Most advisors compare the two by price per lead. That is the wrong number. A cheap lead who does not know you, does not answer the phone and was sold to three other firms costs you hours of chasing. Most never turn into a meeting, let alone a client.
The right way to see it: compare cost per new client and what you own at the end. Our prospects watched a 10 to 15 minute video of you, answered questions about their assets and chose your calendar. They show up already trusting you. You also keep the ad account, the data and, after your first term, the videos.
Does Blackbox offer smaller packages for a lower budget?
Not at this time. Our programs start at $17,500 a month all in. That is the lowest level where a campaign books enough appointments to learn what works and keep improving.
Many firms think starting small is the safe choice. With paid ads it is often the risky one. A budget that is too small books too few calls to judge anything. After three months you still do not know if the channel works, and you have spent money anyway.
The right way to see it: put in enough to get a clear answer fast, or wait until you can. If your budget is below our minimum today, we will tell you on the first call and point you to a better fit. Local campaigns and nationwide campaigns have different budget needs, and we explain both.
How do I justify the cost of Blackbox to my partners?
Start with the value of one new client. If a typical client brings $1 million in assets at a 1% fee, that is $10,000 a year. Many clients stay 10 years or more, so one household can be worth $100,000 or more over time.
Many partners look at the monthly bill by itself. That makes any marketing look expensive. The real question is how many new clients it takes to pay for a year, and how long those clients stay.
The right way to see it: a few new households can cover a full year of marketing. Everything after that is growth. Blackbox shows spend, appointments and cost per appointment every day, so your partners see the numbers each week instead of guessing.
Contract and ownership
What is the minimum contract length with Blackbox?
Our standard term is 12 months. We explain every contract option on the strategy call.
Some firms want to test paid ads for 30 or 60 days and decide. That is a short window for this kind of work. The first month is spent writing scripts, filming and building your funnel. Ads then need weeks to learn who responds. Retirees often take weeks or months to decide on an advisor, so new clients keep closing well after the first meeting.
The right way to see it: judge the system across two or three of your sales cycles, not one month. A 12 month term gives the ads time to improve and your team time to learn how to close this kind of prospect.
Does Blackbox offer a trial or month to month option?
No. We do not offer month to month plans or 30 day tests.
A trial sounds safe, but it gives a false answer. The first month is spent building your ads, videos and funnel before anything runs. A short trial would end before your first appointments have even had time to meet with you. Many firms that try a quick test walk away thinking paid ads failed, when the campaign never had a chance to work.
The right way to see it: you want enough time to get a real answer. On the strategy call we walk through the contract options we have open for your firm.
Who owns the ad account, leads and videos?
You own your Meta ad account, your pixel, your Facebook page and every lead and appointment. Ads run from your own account, so you see everything in real time and nothing is locked away from you.
During our work together you can use your videos on your website and social media. After your first term is complete, the videos and creative assets are yours to keep.
This matters because many agencies run ads from their own accounts. When you leave, the data and history leave with them, and you start from zero. With Blackbox, the audience data your ads build stays with your firm.
Does Blackbox guarantee results or a number of appointments?
No. We do not guarantee a number of appointments or clients.
A guarantee sounds like less risk. In practice it is often more. An agency paid on a fixed count is pushed to book anyone with a pulse, so you get the number but not the clients. Your calendar fills with people who do not have the assets you need.
The right way to see it: look for proof and transparency, not promises. Blackbox screens every prospect for assets before they can book. We share real case studies with spend and cost per appointment, and you see your numbers every day. Be careful with any agency that promises a fixed result.
How it works
What does Blackbox do?
Blackbox, also known as Clients Blackbox, is a client acquisition agency that only works with financial advisory firms. We help RIAs, financial planning firms and independent advisors get booked appointments with retirees and pre retirees through Facebook and Instagram video ads.
Prospects see a short video ad. Then they watch a 10 to 15 minute video of you explaining a topic they care about, like taxes in retirement. They answer screening questions about their assets and book a meeting on your calendar.
We write the scripts, direct the filming, edit the videos, build the funnel and run the ads. Your team takes the calls. Founder Alex Khassa started the company in 2021, and we work with firms across the United States.
How does the Blackbox video funnel work from click to booked call?
It has five steps.
First, a short video ad on Facebook or Instagram catches attention with a topic retirees care about. Second, the prospect clicks to a 10 to 15 minute video of you that teaches and builds trust. Third, they answer screening questions about their investable assets, age and goals. Fourth, qualified prospects book a meeting on your calendar. Fifth, a confirmation page and email and text reminders make sure they show up, and anyone who misses the call gets follow up to rebook.
Most advisor marketing skips the middle step and asks strangers to book a call. The long video is what makes our model work. By the time someone books, they have spent real time with you.
How long does Blackbox onboarding take before ads go live?
About four weeks. Week one is strategy and scripts. Week two is filming. Week three is editing. Week four is landing pages, booking and tracking, and then ads launch.
Compliance review is the most common reason a launch takes longer. Every script goes to your compliance team before anything is filmed or runs. Broker dealer firms often need more review time than independent RIAs.
The fastest way to launch is to get your compliance team ready early. Block your filming time in week two, and have someone ready to take calls from day one.
How soon will we get booked appointments?
Most firms see their first booked calls within the first week or two after ads go live.
Many firms expect month one to show the final result. It will not. The first month after launch is for testing. Ads learn who responds, and we cut what does not work and push what does. By month two the numbers usually settle and become more predictable.
The right way to see it: appointments come fast, but clients take longer. Retirees often take weeks or months to decide on an advisor. Track booked calls and show rate early, and judge new clients over a full sales cycle.
Who qualifies the leads and books the meetings?
Screening happens before anyone reaches your calendar. Your video states your minimums, and the booking form asks about investable assets and goals. Prospects who do not meet your bar are filtered out.
We suggest a short 15 minute intro call with someone on your team to confirm fit. Qualified prospects then book a full meeting with an advisor. This keeps your senior advisors focused on the best prospects.
Blackbox never talks to your leads. Every conversation is between your firm and the prospect, which keeps the relationship and compliance with you.
Does Blackbox work alongside seminars, referrals or another agency?
Yes. Most Blackbox clients keep their seminars, radio, referrals and events running.
Some firms think a new channel will compete with what already works. It usually does the opposite. Referrals and seminars are hard to scale on demand, and they depend on timing and luck.
The right way to see it: Blackbox adds a steady flow of prospects who already watched you on video. Local campaigns can even help fill seminars, because people nearby have seen your face before they arrive. If you work with another agency, we can focus on Facebook and Instagram while they keep their channel.
Results and benchmarks
What is the average cost per appointment with Blackbox?
Most nationwide campaigns aim for about $250 per booked appointment. Local campaigns cost more, around $400, because the audience near your office is smaller.
Many firms judge a campaign by the lowest cost per appointment. That can mislead. A local appointment costs more but closes much better, because the prospect can meet you in person. A cheap appointment with someone below your asset minimum is worth nothing.
The right way to see it: judge each campaign type against its own target, and track cost per new client over time. Results vary by market, offer and budget. Your daily tracking sheet shows your real cost per appointment, so you never have to guess.
How many appointments can we expect each month?
It depends on your ad spend, your market and whether you run local or nationwide. As a rough guide, divide your monthly ad spend by your cost per appointment.
For example, $20,000 of monthly ad spend on a nationwide campaign at about $250 per appointment is near 80 booked calls. A local campaign on the same budget books fewer calls, but more of them come into your office and close.
Volume is only half the picture. A good month is one where the right people book, show up and become clients. We build your plan around the number of new clients you want, then work back to the appointments and budget it takes.
What show rate should we expect from Facebook appointments?
About half to two thirds of booked intro calls show up, so 50% to 65% is a healthy range.
Every booking gets automatic email and text reminders two days, one day and one hour before the call. A confirmation page with a short video tells prospects what to expect. A quick personal call from your team after booking pushes the rate higher.
Some broker dealers do not allow text message reminders, which lowers show rate. In that case we lean harder on email and the personal call. Your tracking sheet shows your show rate, so you can see the effect of each change.
What close rate do advisors get from Facebook leads?
It depends on how you meet. Local prospects who come into your office often close near 30% to 35%. Virtual nationwide meetings close lower, around 10%, which is still a strong result at scale.
Many advisors expect Facebook prospects to close like referrals. They are different. A referral arrives with trust borrowed from a friend. A Facebook prospect builds trust by watching your video, then needs a clear process to decide.
The right way to see it: close rate is shared work. Firms with a clear sales process, fast follow up and a strong first meeting close the most. We share what works across our clients on your strategy calls.
Does Blackbox have case studies?
Yes. Our case studies page shows real campaigns with ad spend, appointments booked and cost per appointment.
One retirement planning firm booked 2,798 appointments at $222 each in eight months. Other case studies cover firms of different sizes, markets and service models.
On the strategy call we walk through the examples closest to your firm's size, location and ideal client. You see what results looked like for firms like yours.
Targeting and lead quality
Should our firm target local or nationwide prospects?
Most firms do best starting local. Local ads run around your office. They cost more per appointment, but they close much better because people can meet you in person.
Nationwide campaigns book more calls for less money, but meetings are virtual and close lower. They work well for firms set up to serve clients remotely, with a strong virtual sales process.
Many Blackbox clients start local, learn what their prospects respond to, and add nationwide later. We recommend the right starting point on the strategy call based on your team, licensing and how you like to meet clients.
How does Blackbox target retirees if Meta blocks age targeting?
Since January 2025, Meta places financial services ads in a Special Ad Category. It blocks targeting by age, gender and ZIP code, and local ads need at least a 15 mile radius.
Many advisors think this makes Facebook useless for reaching retirees. It does not. It changes how the targeting works.
The right way to see it: the message does the targeting now. Our videos speak to topics only retirees and pre retirees care about, like required minimum distributions, Social Security timing and taxes in retirement. Younger people scroll past. Booking questions then screen for age and assets before anyone reaches your calendar.
What asset level are Blackbox prospects?
You set the minimum. Most Blackbox clients use $500,000 in investable assets, and some set $1 million or more.
The minimum is stated in your video and checked again on the booking form. Prospects who do not meet it are screened out before they reach your calendar.
The topics in your ads also shape who responds. Content about tax planning, estate issues and income in retirement attracts people with real assets to protect. This is why our clients see better quality than generic lead lists.
Are Blackbox leads shared with other advisors?
No. Every lead and appointment comes from ads in your name, run from your own ad account. It belongs to your firm alone.
Blackbox never sells or shares leads between advisors. A prospect who books with you watched your video, heard your voice and chose your calendar.
That is very different from lead lists sold to several firms at once. There, the first advisor to call often wins, and the prospect gets five calls in one afternoon.
Does Blackbox offer territory exclusivity?
We do not sell territories, because we do not sell leads. Your ads, scripts and videos are custom to your firm, your story and your face. No other firm can run your campaign.
Some advisors worry that working with the same agency as a nearby firm splits the market. In practice prospects choose the advisor they connect with on video, not the agency behind the ads. Few firms in any one area meet our fit bar, so overlap is rare.
Ask us about your market on the strategy call and we will tell you plainly where we already work.
Video and filming
Who writes the Blackbox video scripts?
We do. Our direct response copywriter writes every script word for word. Each script is built from your firm's story, your talking points and the angles that are working right now across our financial advisor campaigns.
Each batch includes a set of short ad scripts and several 10 to 15 minute video scripts. You review them before they go to compliance.
You do not need to be a natural on camera or a writer. You read from a teleprompter, and the scripts are written to sound like you talking to one person.
How does filming work and what equipment do we need?
You film from your own office in a 2 to 3 hour session over Zoom with our remote videographer, who directs every take.
You need a phone on a tripod, a teleprompter app, a small microphone and two lights. The full kit costs about $300 to $400, and we send you the list. No film crew comes to your office.
After filming, our editors turn the footage into your ads and long videos. Most advisors are surprised how easy the session is.
How much of our time does Blackbox take?
About 2 to 3 hours of filming every few months, plus a short strategy call twice a month.
Blackbox writes, edits, launches and manages the ads. Your team's main job is taking the calls and following up fast.
Someone other than the lead advisor can run the short intro calls, so senior advisors spend their time on qualified meetings. Most firms say this is far less time than any other marketing they have tried.
Who should be on camera in our ads?
The advisor prospects will meet, usually the founder or a lead advisor. People want to see who they will trust with their life savings.
Some firms want to use actors, stock video or a spokesperson to avoid filming. That removes the reason the model works. A prospect who has watched you for 10 minutes feels like they already know you before the meeting.
In firms with several advisors, each advisor can film their own set of videos, so prospects book with the person they connected with.
How often do Blackbox videos get refreshed?
It depends on your tier and ad spend. Our entry tier refreshes your videos every six months, the middle tier every four months and the top tier every two months.
Ads wear out as the same people see them again. Bigger budgets reach your audience faster, so they need new videos more often to keep cost per appointment down.
We watch performance every day and flag when ads start to tire, so a refresh happens before results slip.
Can we use AI avatars instead of filming?
We do not recommend it.
AI avatars look like a shortcut, but they cut against why video works for advisors. Prospects are choosing someone to manage their retirement. They want to see the real person they will meet. In our testing, AI ads also wear out faster, and many compliance teams push back on them.
The right way to see it: your face and voice are the asset. A short filming session every few months buys months of ads that build trust before the first call.
Compliance
How does compliance approval work with Blackbox?
Every script goes to your compliance team before anything is filmed or runs. Nothing goes live without their sign off.
We write with what compliance teams usually approve in mind, so reviews tend to move faster. When your team asks for changes or disclosures, we make them and send the scripts back.
Broker dealer firms usually need more review time than independent RIAs. Getting your compliance contact involved in week one is the best way to keep your launch on schedule.
Does Blackbox work with broker dealer firms like LPL?
Yes. Blackbox works with advisors at broker dealers as well as independent RIAs, and their scripts have gone through those compliance teams.
Some broker dealers do not allow text message reminders, so we adjust the reminder plan to email and phone. Some have extra rules on topics or disclosures, which we write into the scripts.
Plan for an extra week or so of review time if you are with a broker dealer.
Are Facebook ads allowed under the SEC Marketing Rule?
Yes. Registered investment advisers can advertise on Facebook and Instagram.
The SEC Marketing Rule, Rule 206(4)-1, also allows testimonials and endorsements if you disclose whether the person is a client and whether they were paid. Ads must not be misleading and must be fair and balanced.
Your compliance team decides what your firm allows. Blackbox writes to their rules and makes any changes they request before anything runs. The rule also lets firms share client reviews in ads, as long as the right disclosures are included.
Tech, booking and reporting
What CRM and calendar tools does Blackbox work with?
We work with the tools you already use. Booking usually runs on Calendly or OnceHub. Leads can sync to CRMs like Redtail, Wealthbox, HubSpot or Salesforce.
If you have no system yet, we can set one up for you. Every booking lands on your calendar with the prospect's screening answers attached, so your team knows who they are talking to before the call.
How does Blackbox reduce no shows?
Every booking gets automatic email and text reminders two days, one day and one hour before the call.
A confirmation page with a short video tells prospects what to expect and why the meeting matters. A quick personal call or text from your team after booking adds even more.
Prospects who miss a call get follow up to rebook. Your tracking sheet shows show rate, so you can see what is working and where to tighten.
What reporting does Blackbox provide?
You get a tracking sheet updated every day with ad spend, appointments booked and cost per appointment, plus weekly and monthly totals.
Your paid media strategist reviews it with you twice a month. Those calls cover lead status, what is working, what we are testing next and any changes to your videos or offer.
Because ads run from your own account, you can also see every number in Meta at any time.
Fit and team
Who is Blackbox a good fit for?
Blackbox is built for financial advisory and planning firms with $100 million or more in assets under management or $1 million or more in revenue. Most have three or more advisors.
Your ideal clients are near or in retirement. You have someone who can take calls quickly, and you can invest at least $17,500 a month all in for 12 months.
We work with RIAs, hybrid firms and broker dealer advisors across the United States. If you are not sure you fit, apply and we will tell you honestly on the first call.
Does Blackbox work with solo advisors?
Usually not. Our minimum budget and the volume of calls it creates are hard for a solo advisor to carry.
We work best with firms of three or more advisors and support staff who can take intro calls fast. A solo advisor who is busy in meetings often cannot call new prospects back quickly, and speed matters.
If you are solo and growing fast, apply anyway. We will tell you plainly on the first call if it makes sense now or later.
Does Blackbox work with insurance agents, broker dealers or fund managers?
Our core clients are RIAs, hybrid firms and broker dealer advisors who serve retirees and pre retirees.
We also run campaigns for firms that offer insurance, annuities or tax planning alongside wealth management. Fund managers and other niches are reviewed case by case.
Tell us your business model on the first call, and we will tell you if our system fits your clients.
Who will we work with day to day at Blackbox?
You get a team of six. A senior paid media strategist is your main contact and meets with you twice a month.
The rest of the team is a direct response copywriter, a video editor, a remote videographer, a tech specialist and a project manager.
Founder Alex Khassa leads the strategy session before you sign, so the plan is set by someone who has seen hundreds of advisor campaigns.
What makes Blackbox different from other financial advisor marketing agencies?
Blackbox only works with financial firms, and we focus on one thing: Facebook and Instagram video funnels that book appointments with retirees.
Many agencies offer a little of everything, from websites to SEO to social posts. They spread thin across channels and often across industries.
The right way to see it: depth beats breadth. Your ads use your own face, voice and story, not actors or AI. Prospects watch a 10 to 15 minute video before they book. Leads are never shared, you own the ad account and you see your numbers every day.
Does Blackbox run Google ads, SEO or websites?
Facebook and Instagram are our focus, because that is where retirees spend time and where we see the lowest cost per appointment.
We do not do SEO or full website builds. We do build the landing pages and booking pages your funnel needs.
For larger firms, custom plans can include Google and YouTube ads alongside Facebook and Instagram.
We stay narrow on purpose. One channel done very well beats five channels done halfway, and it keeps your cost per appointment down.
How do I get started with Blackbox?
Apply through the form on our website. If your firm looks like a fit, you book a short intro call with our team.
Next comes a strategy session with founder Alex Khassa. On that call we walk through your market, targeting, timeline and pricing, and you get a clear plan for your firm.
If we are not the right fit, we will tell you on the first call. There is no cost to apply, and the strategy session is useful even if you decide not to move forward.
Facebook ads for financial advisors
Do Facebook ads work for financial advisors?
Yes, when the ads sell trust instead of products.
Many advisors tried Facebook once, got cheap leads who never picked up, and decided the platform does not work. Usually the ads were the problem, not the platform. A form that offers a free guide attracts people who want the guide, not an advisor.
The right way to see it: retirees are on Facebook every day. Pew Research found 74% of Americans aged 50 to 64 and 57% of those 65 and older use Facebook. Video ads that teach and show the advisor's face work best. Clear asset screening keeps the calendar full of real prospects.
Can Facebook ads find high net worth retirees?
Yes. Retirees with $500,000 or more in investable assets use Facebook and Instagram every day.
Many advisors believe wealthy people are not on social media. They are. They just do not respond to the same ads as everyone else.
The right way to see it: the message and the screening find them. Topics like taxes in retirement, required minimum distributions and Social Security timing pull in people with real assets. Booking questions then filter out anyone below your minimum before they reach your calendar.
Should a financial advisor run Facebook ads in house or hire an agency?
In house can work if you have the right team. That means a media buyer, a copywriter, a video editor and a tech person who all know financial ads and compliance.
Most firms do not have that team. They hand ads to one marketing person and expect results. The pieces all have to work at once: scripts, filming, compliance, testing, booking and tracking. When one is off, it looks like the channel failed.
The right way to see it: compare the full cost of hiring and managing that team with an agency that already has it. A specialist agency also brings what it learned across many advisor campaigns, which a new in house team has to learn by spending money.
Still have a question? See how our method works, read our case studies, or apply on our site to book a call.