You’ve heard enough about the benefits of running a PPC campaign, that you have decided it is something you wish to have a Pay-Per-Click marketing agency execute for your business. That is a wise decision as many business owners do not have the time or expertise to juggle the responsibilities of business operations with digital marketing. In this article, we will review the key factors worth considering when you are in the market for a PPC agency.
Factor #1 – They Have Partnerships With The Ad Platforms You Wish To Access
Paid media is a general term that describes any form of digital advertising or promotion that appears online. This includes Google Ads, social media marketing that appears on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., and any other place someone goes online and ads appear. In-game ads and search result ads are also considered forms of paid media. A good Pay-Per-Click marketing agency will have developed partnerships with the top online platforms which should include the following three major streams: Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.
Factor #2 – They Reach, and Often Exceed Your Marketing Goals
According to this article from the Wall Street Journal, every Pay-Per-Click marketing agency is built upon the concept of reaching a specific goal. It could be to increase the number of subscribers to your newsletter. It could be to funnel new traffic to a specific section of your website. It could be to just spread the word about a new product. Regardless of the goal, a good PPC campaign has to have one. A good Pay-Per-Click marketing agency will need to know what your goal is before they start to design the campaign for you. Once a clear goal is defined, the PPC agency can build the strategy required to hit that target.
Factor #3 – They Are Fanatical About Data
When you consider there are so many different advertising and promotional tactics in the average digital marketing toolbox, it doesn’t take long to realize that each tool costs money to put into action. A good Pay-Per-Click marketing agency will have the extensive data they can access and use to determine which of the marketing tools – or combination of marketing tools – will be the most cost-effective way to reach your goal. The data will come from such things as your keywords, the industry you service, your existing campaigns, and future campaign ideas.
Factor #4 – They Have Knowledge About Your Industry
Paid media is a form of digital marketing that requires industry experience. For example, a PPC agency that knows your industry brings a lot of added benefits to the table. They include such things as knowing how to talk to your audience about your product, and they will have data to support specific marketing tactics that are successful for your industry. Plus, a good PPC agency will have industry-specific data that will assist in determining the success of a new PPC campaign. All of this speeds up the process of marketing your business online.
Factor #5 – They Look At Things Through A Big Picture
While paid media is a big part of an entire digital marketing plan, it is not the only tool available. A good PPC agency will know this and will find ways to incorporate paid media with other marketing tactics to reach your goals. This may include an extreme makeover of your business website. A PPC agency can help you determine which pages need revisions and will use these new landing pages as targets in many of your upcoming PPC campaigns. A good website forms the foundation of all of your digital marketing programs.
Factor #6 – They Are Transparent About Costs
Firm numbers are not always easy to attach to some of the costs associated with running a business. However, when it comes to paid media, a good PPC agency can supply you with a detailed breakdown of all expenses related to any marketing program. Things to ask about include the cost of the actual ads that are running as part of a campaign, the costs associated with ad campaign development and management, and finally, what onboarding and campaign audit costs will be. These will give you a good understanding of what you are getting.
Factor #7 – They Will Provide Transparent Reporting
When you keep in mind that a Pay-Per-Click marketing agency will be in charge of your paid media campaign, it only makes sense that they should be able to provide you with clear and concise reports on all aspects of the digital marketing they executed on your behalf. A good PPC agency will provide you with full access to all the data you need to see to verify what you hired them to do was completed. Even if parts of the campaign failed, these reports should be part of the package showing what was spent and how it was spent.
How To Determine The Transparency of A PPC Agency
As you work your way through the screening process of choosing a PPC agency to take on the digital marketing of your business, there are a few questions you can ask according to the experts at Digital Authority. The answers you receive will help you identify the level of transparency to expect.
Question #1
How are campaign results shared with me/my company/my marketing department?
Question #2
Will I have access to the reports for the campaigns I am financing?
Question #3
What plans are in place if the ads don’t deliver or the business takes a dip?
Question #4
How frequently will I be brought up to date on the campaign progress and results?
A good PPC agency will have all the data required to show you how your campaign is doing and where changes could improve it. The data will not only assist with accessing the current campaign but will help in the development of future marketing programs for your business.
Final Thoughts
The internet has changed how we do a lot of things in our lives. From communicating and conducting research to shopping, new technology has enhanced our lives. However, for business owners struggling online, they must employ specific marketing tactics. These are best left for the professionals at a Pay-Per-Click marketing agency to implement. But how do you find the right PPC agency? The simple guidelines are listed above to assist you with this task.
