Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing has many moving parts. The process can be overwhelming, from creating ads to managing campaigns, especially if you’re running a small business.
That’s why many businesses choose to outsource their PPC efforts. How do you get smart about it? This post shares five tips for building better PPC campaigns with outsourcing.
5 PPC Campaign Tips to Remember When Outsourcing the Work
According to Digital Authority Partners (DAP), many digital marketing companies now offer PPC services, but not all are worth the time and money. How do you find the A-team?
Consider the tips below when choosing a PPC marketing firm.
1. Be Clear with Your Objectives
Saying that you want to optimize PPC marketing campaigns doesn’t cut it. Your provider won’t know the exact metrics and even strategies to implement.
Be more specific with your objectives with these tips:
- Quantify them. Instead of stating, “I want to increase my click-through rate [CTR],” you can tell your provider to “increase my CTR by 5% in two to three months.”
- Look into your competitors’ performance. When doing online marketing, your job is not only to attract leads but to beat the competition. The only way to do that is to know how they’re doing. Fortunately, the best providers have the best tools to spy on your competitors.
- Revisit historical data. Checking past PPC marketing performances helps forecast, understand market changes, and determine strategies that might (or might not) work today.
2. Outline Your Requirements
When you’ve set your sights on a particular PPC marketing firm, take the time to study its processes. From there, you can start outlining your requirements. Here are some examples:
- Does it have experience in managing PPC campaigns in your industry? If you’re in a highly regulated field such as healthcare or finance, you need someone who knows the ropes. Factors such as laws, compliance, and restrictions can impact the marketing plan.
- How often will you receive reports? You should know the frequency of updates to gauge the firm’s performance. Monthly or bi-weekly should be the minimum requirement.
- Can it provide support outside business hours? Find out if the provider offers 24/7 coverage in case something goes wrong with your campaign, and you need urgent assistance.
- Does it have a team of Google Ads-certified professionals? Google is always changing its algorithms, and the only way to keep up is to have someone who’s updated with the latest trends.
- Can it design a detailed action plan? The whole point of outsourcing is to have someone else do the work for you. If it can’t even provide a clear plan, how can you trust them with your campaigns?
- Is the plan compatible with other strategies? PPC is just one aspect of your digital marketing initiatives. It should work hand-in-hand with other strategies, such as SEO and email marketing.
- How much control do you like? When it comes to PPC marketing, you can either be hands-on or take a more passive role. If you want to be in the driver’s seat, make sure that your provider is okay with that.
3. Get a Trial Period
The best way to test a provider’s mettle is to ask for a trial period. It’s an opportunity to see how they operate and deliver on their promises.
Here are some things to remember when availing of a trial:
- Get a detailed report of the current status of your PPC marketing campaign. This document should include an analysis of your objectives, target market, budget, and goals.
- Evaluate the results. After the trial period, compare the data from your report to see how much progress you’ve made.
- Make sure that you’re satisfied with the work before signing a contract. Once you’re happy with the results, you can start negotiating agreement terms. Some factors to consider are the length of the contract, price, and deliverables.
4. Set Your Budget
Your budget is one of the most important things to consider when outsourcing PPC marketing. How much are you willing to spend?
Use the following to give estimates:
- Industry standards. Some industries can spend more on PPC than others. For example, the legal industry has a higher PPC cost per lead than the education sector since they have more competitive keywords.
- Target market. If you’re targeting a small niche market, you might need to spend more to reach them. You can lower the cost by using long-tailed keywords more likely to have low competition.
- Historical data. If you’re spending a lot on PPC and not getting results, perhaps your budget before wasn’t enough.
- PPC services. The best PPC provider usually charges a percentage of your total ad spend. For example, if you’re spending $1,000 on ads and the agency charges 10%, you would need to pay them $100.
- Work. The rate can also be based on the scope of work. If the firm is only responsible for managing your campaign, they might charge a lower fee than if they were also responsible for creating ads and doing keyword research.
5. Run PPC Campaigns with a Communicative Provider
There’s no better time to hire a communicative PPC campaign team than when optimizing projects. You are more likely to spend more resources and expect more returns. If something isn’t working as planned, you’ll want to hear about it firsthand from the team.
A PPC provider with good communication skills is:
- Proactive in giving updates and offering suggestions. It can answer your questions without getting defensive.
- Available when you need them. A good PPC marketing team responds to your messages and calls in a timely manner.
- Honest about their capabilities. It is transparent about what it can and cannot do.
- Upfront about your expectations. The agency tells you immediately if your business goals are unattainable or the marketing strategies need tweaking.
Bonus tip: If you’re worried about language barriers, ask the team if they have someone who can speak your language since it makes communication much easier.
Summing Up
Outsourcing PPC marketing can save you a lot of time and money. But before you hand over the reins to a third party, do your research and ask around for recommendations.
Once you’ve found the right provider, set a budget, and give them clear expectations. Finally, stay in close communication with them throughout your project.
By following these tips, you can be sure you’re getting the most out of your PPC outsourcing experience.
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