PPCChat | Demonstrating Your Worth in PPC | 23rd July 2024

Clients and stakeholders sometimes use change history as a primary metric to gauge the efforts of PPC professionals. In her discussion on “Demonstrating Your Worth in PPC,” host Julie F Bacchini explored how experts can showcase their value to clients, identified major points of frustration, and highlighted strategies to help clients recognize the value and worth of quality PPC professionals.

Q1: How do you show your value to your clients or stakeholders?

I know this is a very wide open question, so take it in whatever direction you want! @NeptuneMoon

Reports are the starting point – strategy calls and being a sanity sounding board is why people enjoy working with me. Especially because they know I’m honest and will tell them tough truths. @navahf

I think two of the biggest ways I show my value to clients are: @NeptuneMoon

1. taking the time to understand as much as I can about the client’s business, including their entire marketing strategy and past PPC efforts
2. keeping them informed of the ever-changing PPC landscape and how (or if) it impacts what we are doing together

Whatever the pain points that got you hired (lack of platform knowledge, poor results, not enough time, wasted money, etc.) you need to demonstrate how you’re relieving that pain frequently and consistently. @robert_brady

Trends Over Time –  Usually 15/16 months for YoY comparison in addition to MoM.  Helps us show growth from our work. Insights – Provide insights into each monthly report on what, why and how key data points are what they are.  Provide these in a short written summary so stake holders don’t have to try and interpret all the data themselves. @Realicity

When I speak to my clients I spend very little time discussing PPC. Most of it’s about their business and how we can help them turn more of their leads (from any source) into sales. This seems to have worked. @Pete_Bowen

Reporting for sure, and regular check ins. There’s nothing like a hockey game or nail appointment to make room for conversations about the business itself, what’s coming next, and get outside of this campaign or that. Conscious that that’s probably the most holdco thing I’ve said in this community. @JuliaVyse

Great point about including easy-to-understand narratives in reporting @Realicity – it is so easy to get all “inside baseball” in our PPC stuff that we sometimes need to be reminded that mere mortals need to understand our reporting! @NeptuneMoon

This one is hard to articulate. I think a lot of it is intangible so difficult to clearly show beyond numbers & results. Honesty, Ability to look at multiple systems/big picture. Not operate in a silo. @alimehdimukadam

I like what @Pete_Bowen said. You need to connect what you’re doing on the PPC side with the greater business goals. @robert_brady

On the insights piece: write them as if your contact is presenting this report to a whole other team without you. Because often they are. Make it easy for them. @JuliaVyse

 @NeptuneMoon also, and selfishly because time is a limited resource, these little bits of Insight help answer unasked questions and reduce time spent in meetings that should have been an email. @Realicity

Ideally, I could run a cost-benefit analysis and prove my value with a number. But that only works sometimes, depending on type of ads/industry. So similar to others, I’d say 1) running a solid paid media program for them (best practices, consistent tests & communication), 2) being a sounding board when they need to work through business/marketing problems, 3) related to 2, knowing their brand and sometimes even helping new internal staff get up to speed. In some situations, we have more longevity than the CMOs & digital teams and some brands. @timmhalloran

I’ve said this before in other chats, but it’s worth sharing here again, I think…I always ask clients what are the top questions THEY need to feel comfortable answering about the PPC and make sure I provide that in easy to understand format in my reporting.I want my clients to feel confident in talking about what we are doing. @NeptuneMoon

This may be an upcoming question, but be ready for change. Clients will pivot as they grow from ‘what does this mean for us’ to ‘Why didn’t this work/how do we do better’ that’s a good thing. it means they’re evolving and trusting you to join them. @JuliaVyse

Good point @timmhalloran, the data only works sometimes.  Certain clients want the Data and others want something else.  Getting to understand the client better is key. @Realicity

Let’s also not forget that many clients come to us fresh off of a less than great experience with their former PPC provider. Sometimes the most important work is showing up and being there in the way a professional should be. @NeptuneMoon

Backing up a bit, we can’t show our value without a full tracking analysis, which is usually lacking, and that usually results in some work in whatever platform we’re advertising in, GA4, and GTM. @DavidVeldt

Great point @DavidVeldt – establishing a baseline is an important step so you can show “how it started and how it’s going” @NeptuneMoon

Seems like since the switch to GA4, we’re spending a lot more time dealing with lost tracking, bridging reporting gaps, etc. @DavidVeldt

Many ways – but one that immediately comes to mind – be on top of communicating about issues (that you/Google have created) and have solutions ready. We are in an industry where there are too many + sometimes conflicting “best practices”. Help to manage the confusion. @TheMarketingAnu

Depends on how the client defines value. A couple options:  @duanebrown

1. Reporting to show how ad spend it leading to revenue, conversions…ect.
2. One Off Doc: Maybe client’s value audits, so you do one on their business

Q2: What do you think are the most valuable things you do in your PPC management?

Obviously, we all know how to manage accounts reasonably effectively. I’d say one of the most valuable things I do is keep an eye on the competitive landscape for accounts I work on. Things can change FAST and I want to always have a sense of what else potential customers are seeing and being offered so I can keep my clients in the consideration mix. @NeptuneMoon

1) Manage them as if they were our own and our own Ad Spend. Make the process as easy and effortless on the client as possible.  2) Either through being proactive, providing solid recommendations so it makes it easy for them to make decisions, and so on. 3) Being responsible for the results.  Not all campaigns are wins, but being honest, transparent and willing to make things right are keys. @Realicity

Communication and being calm in the face of “fire fighting”. There’s much more needing to show that you are the expert. So doing it well will cover a multitude of faults. @TheMarketingAnu

Different per client, but overall: 1. we are accountable for a huge budget. We invest these dollars with care in an attempt to push the business forward and get the most out of our partnerships. That’s pretty meaningful. 2. We help them have direct conversations with their customers. That is a deeply important activity in terms of listening, answering, and managing the conversation. @JuliaVyse

Most valuable – give real business insights from data.Ability to help them scale, breakout from a ceiling. Give them real honest opinion. @alimehdimukadam

I feel like the most valuable stuff I do isn’t actually the PPC management. It’s  asking hard questions like “Why did it take 48 hours to respond to that lead?” “Why didn’t anyone try and contact the lead more than once” These are more sales management functions but I find they get lost somewhere in the gap between marketing and sales. @Pete_Bowen

I’ll echo the being honest thought too. It is not our job to simply be yes people to our clients. We are there to provide our expert analysis and opinions, even when they are not what the client wants to hear.@NeptuneMoon

Staying on top of everything and knowing what will actually matter by client. @navahf

@Pete_Bowen I ask so many questions about their whole process it is probably borderline annoying. @NeptuneMoon

Everything else is sales. @navahf

Good point @Pete_Bowen, sometimes PPC “management” requires non-ppc activities to be managed to be successful. @Realicity

I learn their business/industry/goals as best I can. I work hard to understand how the ad platforms work. Then I use my knowledge of the platforms to build, run & optimize campaigns that help the business reach their goals. @robert_brady

Doing the basics right consistently, all the time, puts you in the top 10%. @robert_brady

Getting client’s on the same page with us, so they don’t misunderstand or use bad information they found online to make our jobs harder.  @duanebrown

For my clients i’m always honest and ensure we’re always working towards the same goal. For my accounts, not being scared to test and then test again and ….. and always keep learning as things are always changing! @Meriem

Q3: What do clients or stakeholders seem to focus on when it comes to perceiving value in your work?

Omnichannel speaking – my clients are used to tv and print buys, so they look at cpms, reach, and people seeing the ads. We get a lot of questions about engagement drops when sales are super high, and conversion comparisons YoY. Think long-term communication goals, and of course, business results. @JuliaVyse

Well we all know sometimes they can focus on dumb stuff…But I think part of our job is to help them to focus on the right stuff. Like actual performance versus how many changes are in the change history. @NeptuneMoon

They care that I am confident in our path and that I have an answer as to why a thing is happening. Everything else is default reporting. @navahf

I work best with clients that focus on the results and let me handle the sausage-making in the platforms. @robert_brady

Most focus on revenue or net profit as they want to break even or be profitable on the first purchase. @duanebrown

@duanebrown spoken like a roas king! @JuliaVyse

General focus is on speed – of execution & more importantly of results. That is not always the case. Focused on generating instant results & thinking of PPC as a magic wand. The value then comes when I make them realize how different systems are interconnected and for the magic to really work, they also need to take care of other systems. With time, value moves towards new ideas, experiments, testing, etc. @alimehdimukadam

Q4: What are your biggest frustrations surrounding clients or stakeholders understanding and appreciating your worth in PPC?

Guru content derailing their trust in successful campaigns. @navahf

It’s usually results. You can be nice, know that they have a very efficient structure and keeping them up to date with changes – but if you’re missing targets and the CPC goes up by 1p – you’re in trouble! Well, that was what it was like when I was in the thick of account management. Has it changed??? Please tell me it has changed!! @TheMarketingAnu

M\agical thinking around ppc. That engagement is the right place to focus. Surprise at low results when spend is lower (power of optimization). And just between us: overconfidence in the quality of their ads, site, and offers. @JuliaVyse

I think the prevailing myth of the internet where growth is unlimited in its potential scope really gets in the way of profitable, sustainable campaign management. @NeptuneMoon

I think it is more where the economy is right now. Just makes everything harder with more competition and fewer people to buy a lot of stuff online. Just thankful we have a good mix of DTC, ecom and retail clients as I know DTC focused agencies are getting hit hard right now. @duanebrown

 @navahf not just gurus, it’s when they listen to Google’s reps. Fortunately, I’ve trained most of my clients to ignore them but occasionally someone will want to listen because “they work for Google so they must know what they’re talking about” @Pete_Bowen 

@Pete_Bowen  I am seriously considering a “Double Check Your Rep” consulting call package due to all the terrible advice being given right now…@NeptuneMoon

I once worked in an agency which the MD used to tell me I just click buttons… and I feel like some people really do think it’s that simple still. @Meriem

@Meriem I have actually said in pitch prep – we’re not button tappers. You can get a button tapper, we’re strategists. @JuliaVyse

Biggest frustration – trying to achieve the same & better results with same sets of tools, creatives, etc. relying on their past results at a certain time. @alimehdimukadam

@alimehdimukadam Hoo boy – yes! Clients thinking they can just run the same stuff forever and see the same results is just not realistic 98% of the time. @NeptuneMoon

I will also add not understanding that search ads capture demand, they do not generate it. So many unrealistic expectations can be traced back to this fundamental misunderstanding. @NeptuneMoon

@NeptuneMoon Yes, and they do not even account for inflation when it comes to the CPA targets while still relying on a single acquisition channel and no further retention/growth strategies coz Google gave us 100 sales at $100 in 2019. @alimehdimukadam

So please get us 120 sales at $90 in 2024 @alimehdimukadam

I had a client who last year did 20% off for the week of there birthday, this year did 15% for a weekend, and they just couldn’t understand why they were down YoY. @Meriem

(they blamed it on PPC which is why I highlighted it lol) @Meriem

Q5: What, if anything, can we do as an industry to help clients or stakeholders really understand the value and worth of quality PPCers?

Data and transparency. Also calling out bad practices (without name-shaming practitioners) is a great path forward. @navahf

Our biggest issue is competing on price and those who want a race to the bottom. Clients don’t value things they pay pennies for. @duanebrown

I think providing context for things we share as successes would go a long way in this regard. There is so much hype content out there with zero context. @NeptuneMoon

I think it’s trust. So much of our business is built on reputation and other client’s recommendations. In a small but mighty market like this one, slow and steady wins hearts and minds. @JuliaVyse

We need more people in the conversations too. So many people doing great work that get overshadowed by the loud “I’m absolutely killing it” dudes. @NeptuneMoon

and in an event setting, it’s so easy to build hype with a gotcha, instead of a robust conversation that might be nuanced. @JuliaVyse

I wrote about this on LI yesterday – retiring the notion that there is only one way to do something in PPC. There is not. So changing our language to “hey this worked great for us in these circumstances, maybe you want to test it too” would also help with the context issues.@NeptuneMoon

100000% @navahf transparency is so important!! Also overpromising with made-up targets where clients get burnt and I’m so tired of auditing stuff and spotting basic settings being missed.  @Meriem

I believe in the power of community and what we try to accomplish during ppc chat, if we amplify it, this should start resonating more with others to join and share. And it also probably starts with engaging more on LI…Or have a logo – ppcchat certified. @alimehdimukadam

Q6: Thoughts on Google reversing their end of cookies in Chrome?

Google Giveth and Google Taketh Away.  And Then Giveth. Circle of Digital Life I guess @Realicity

Seems mostly positive news for now…@duanebrown

It’s kind of funny. And also not super surprising? It was always hard to see how they could continue their current ecosystem without some kind of cookie data…@NeptuneMoon

We migrated to GA4!!! they deprecated UA because privacy or cookies or whatever!!!! I am SO MAD. it’s fine ultimately, but it also sucks. @JuliaVyse

@JuliaVyse I am still bitter about UA data going poof. @NeptuneMoon

I mostly feel like it’s been there legal team working on this ‘project’ and not anything to do with there tech team as they realised a long time ago that they can’t survive without Cookies. @Meriem

This is the type of 11th-hour stay-of-execution that I was hoping for GA4 and the new Google Ads UI …@brettwesterman

PPCChat Participants

• Julie F Bacchini @NeptuneMoon
• Navah Hopkins @navahf
• Robert Brady  @robert_brady
• James Svoboda @Realicity
• Peter Bowen @Pete_Bowen
• Julia Vyse @JuliaVyse
• Ali Mehdi Mukadam @alimehdimukadam
• Tim Halloran @timmhalloran
• David Veldt @DavidVeldt
• Anu Adegbola aka PPC Live founder  @TheMarketingAnu
• Duane Brown  @duanebrown
• Meriem @Meriem
• Brett Westerman @brettwesterman

Related Links

• Navigating the New Look: How to Use Google Ads Experiments in the Updated Interface
• Mastering Keyword Research and Selection in PPC: Your FAQ Handbook
• Is the Ad Auction Fair? Antitrust Concerns Over Google’s Pricing Practices