Finding The Best PPC Agency
PPC is an essential element of any digital marketing campaign and finding the best PPC agency can be overwhelming. With the ability to target segmented user groups, minimize your costs and deliver measurable results, PPC marketing can drive your business forward.
However, managing effective PPC campaigns is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, the level of detail required to implement successful PPC advertising requires experience and expertise. That’s why outsourcing your needs to an expert PPC agency can be advantageous.
When you find the best PPC agency for your brand, you can access the specialist knowledge and skills you require. In addition to this, working with an independent PPC company enables you to reduce the number of in-house resources you’re devoting to digital marketing. In short, a PPC marketing firm can cut your expenditures, improve your results and free up your time.
So, how do you find the right PPC management company? Any professional partnership needs to be carefully considered, so don’t be tempted to engage the first PPC firm you find online. Instead, take a strategic approach to selecting a PPC agency and find a long-term partner who can enhance your company’s performance.
If you want to reap the benefits of successful PPC advertising, take a look at these top tips for choosing the best PPC agency for your brand…
Identify Your Objectives
Before you begin the process of identifying a PPC company to work with, it’s important to determine what you actually want to achieve. Although PPC advertising has the potential to grow your business, you’ll want to identify specific goals and aims.
Are you launching a new product or service? Will you be expanding into a new market? Do you want to reach a new demographic? Perhaps you simply want to generate more traffic, increase conversions or build brand awareness? No matter what your aims are – identify them clearly.
From there, you can drill down and turn your overall goals into measurable objectives. If you want to double your annual turnover, what percentage of this increase will come from PPC activity? What does doubling your annual turnover means in terms of monthly and weekly figures? Are you prepared to double your budget, or do you want to maintain your current ad spend?
Having a clear idea of what you want your campaigns to deliver will help you to find the best PPC agency for your needs. Any PPC company can make vague promises but the best PPC agencies will double-down on your data to determine what you can achieve.
Be Prepared to Learn
One of the advantages of working with a PPC agency is securing access to specialist personnel. From campaign managers and keyword researchers to copywriters and designers; the best PPC management company will have a range of experts on board. When you have this expertise at your fingertips, be sure to make the most of them.
Identifying your objectives gives you a great place to start when you’re networking with potential PPC partners but listen out for feedback. A company that agrees to meet your goals but an agency that tells you how to exceed them is even better. Of course, this applies in reverse too. Beware of companies who promise the earth without backing up their claims. Honesty and transparency are vital in any partnership and the best PPC agency might just be the one that tells you what they can’t do.
If you’ve been managing your PPC activity in-house thus far, you probably have a good understanding of the basics. However, don’t let this detract you from the knowledge and skills on offer. It’s not unusual for business owners to underestimate their ad spend and overestimate their PPC-generated revenue, for example. The best PPC agency will take the time to assess your data and convert it into workable formulas. This enables you to understand exactly how your PPC campaigns are performing and how they can be enhanced.
Perhaps you want your PPC management company to take ownership of your campaigns and run with them. If so, let them know! By collaborating with potential partners, however, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from industry experts and gain an insight into which firm is the best PPC company for your brand.
Consider The Cost
Marketing agencies implement different pricing structures, so this might have an impact on which firm you choose to work with. Most business owners assume that performance-based fees are the most cost-effective option, but this isn’t always the case. Although you’ll only pay for results, there’s no guarantee that these results will be top quality.
If you’re more concerned with quality than quantity, you may prefer a fee that’s based on a percentage of your ad spend. Of course, the downside to this is that agencies have an in-house incentive to increase your monthly expenditure.
Alternatively, a flat-rate monthly fee may seem like the easiest way to access the services you need. However, this means paying the same rate regardless of results, so beware of long-term contracts or costly opt-out clauses.
As you can see, there are numerous pricing structures available and each has its pros and cons. Many companies find that the best PPC management company is one that operates on a hybrid pricing structure. While this may seem more complicated at the outset, a hybrid approach enables you to reap the benefits of each pricing option while offsetting the negatives.
First and foremost, however, look for a firm that’s transparent and upfront about their fees. Reputable PPC companies will always be willing to discuss their pricing structures and options with you, so make sure this information is readily available.
Create a Criteria Checklist
Now you’ve started to think about the possibilities that are available, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you want to gain from a PPC partnership. This is a good time to create a checklist of key attributes the best PPC management company will have. If you want to work with an agency with a particular industry specialism or you favor a particular pricing structure, for example, jot it down.
If you’re looking for a Google Partner, add it to your criteria checklist. If your idea of the best PPC agency is one that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, put it on the list!
When you’re networking with potential partners, it’s easy to get swayed by sales pitches and new information. With a criteria checklist, you can continually update your requirements and maintain a clear picture of what attributes your ideal PPC partner possesses.
Assess Working Styles
No two companies operate in exactly the same way, but it can be beneficial to choose a PPC agency whose working style complements your own. Before selecting the best PPC company, make sure you’re on the same page in terms of client contact and reporting.
Will you have a dedicated account manager? If so, how will you get in touch with them? Does the agency offer routine updates and consultations or take a more ad-hoc approach? What formats are results reports and analytics delivered in? How often are they provided?
Will the agency respond to requests to change content or ad styles? How long will it take for someone to get back to you? Is the company based in a different time zone? If so, how is contact managed and how are urgent queries dealt with?
All of these things may seem like relatively minor issues at the outset, but they’re key to developing a good working relationship. Being unable to contact campaign staff or waiting days for a response can be frustrating and concerning, particularly if you’re expecting a more hands-on approach.
By discussing working styles and methodologies at the start, you can determine whether you can work well with a potential PPC partner. If the best PPC management company for you is one that provides regular face-to-face feedback, you will be dissatisfied with an agency that only provides quarterly reports. Conversely, if you prefer to operate remotely, you’ll be frustrated with an agency that insists on on-site meetings to deliver updates.
A company’s working style is as important as its ethos and capabilities. When you’re selecting the best PPC agency to work with, be sure to choose a company that melds well with your own preferred working style and one that can integrate into your operation seamlessly.
Selecting The Best PPC Agency For Your Brand
If you’re keen to boost your sales figures, build brand awareness and increase your conversion rates, you’re probably eager to get your PPC campaigns underway as quickly as possible. However, it’s worth taking the time to find the right agency as your PPC partner.
Although pay-per-click advertising can certainly transform your business performance, the success of your PPC activity is dependent on the company or agency you choose to work with. By taking a strategic approach to selecting a PPC partner, you can choose a firm that will deliver maximum results and help you to grow your business.
