When it comes to running your Adwords and Bing pay per click (PPC) ads, there are plenty of services to choose from. But there are plenty of reasons why I might be the help you're looking for!
1-Man Agency
In some cases, the breadth of experience and perspectives of a large agency can help you. But when it comes to Adwords and Bing PPC management, there are only two things to know very well:
I've personally run nearly $400,000 in annual ad spend, and I have repeatedly improved on results coming from large agencies. I can assure you that I understand the nuances of the ad platforms, and I continue learning as these platforms make changes.
But the big advantage of working with me is that you'll always have the same person working on your account: me. Sometimes an employee will stick with an agency for a while, but often there is something of a revolving door in large agencies, which means you're frequently getting someone new to run your account. That means more time spent learning your business and your account.
I don't have employees and will not farm out any of the work. I will get to know your account AND your business very well, which helps me maximize results for you.
- How to write and run the ads with extreme precision, using all the methods for reporting and refining results.
- The client's business and ad account.
I've personally run nearly $400,000 in annual ad spend, and I have repeatedly improved on results coming from large agencies. I can assure you that I understand the nuances of the ad platforms, and I continue learning as these platforms make changes.
But the big advantage of working with me is that you'll always have the same person working on your account: me. Sometimes an employee will stick with an agency for a while, but often there is something of a revolving door in large agencies, which means you're frequently getting someone new to run your account. That means more time spent learning your business and your account.
I don't have employees and will not farm out any of the work. I will get to know your account AND your business very well, which helps me maximize results for you.
An Active Partnership
I'm not just focused on managing your ads. I'm focused on your success. This is different from what I've generally seen with agencies. If I see that something's converting poorly, I may do a quick price check against your competitors and let you know if you're way overpriced. Or I may suggest a change to your web page. Or I'll let you know that there are a lot of searches for it but that I'm being forced to pull back on bids because of low conversions.
I may even be able to direct some of your SEO content if you have someone writing a blog or other site content, because I'll see what many people are searching for and whether those searches tend to convert into sales! (I also recommend you use Keyword Hero to do this with your organic traffic.)
In short, by running your ads, I have a unique perspective where I can see threats and opportunities for you to react to in order to improve your business.
I may even be able to direct some of your SEO content if you have someone writing a blog or other site content, because I'll see what many people are searching for and whether those searches tend to convert into sales! (I also recommend you use Keyword Hero to do this with your organic traffic.)
In short, by running your ads, I have a unique perspective where I can see threats and opportunities for you to react to in order to improve your business.
I Don't Use Automation
Automation is key to doing things quickly, right? To maximizing one's use of time.
But guess what: automation doesn't maximize the results you'll get from running ads. And since it's my time on the line (I don't charge by the hour), it's better for you that I don't use automation. I do everything by hand because I have consistently beat "automation agencies" this way.
I saw another agency talking about this as well. They do things by hand, and it's how they were helping clients to overcome Amazon's substantial competition in Google Adwords when Amazon was killing it there. It's how I help my clients as well.
Incidentally, I have used automation before, by one of the largest PPC management companies out there. But over time I slowly shut off the automation for one campaign after another because I kept finding the software wasn't making decisions that I would make. So one by one, I improved all the campaigns in that account by shutting off the software. And now I don't even bother with that kind of software.
But guess what: automation doesn't maximize the results you'll get from running ads. And since it's my time on the line (I don't charge by the hour), it's better for you that I don't use automation. I do everything by hand because I have consistently beat "automation agencies" this way.
I saw another agency talking about this as well. They do things by hand, and it's how they were helping clients to overcome Amazon's substantial competition in Google Adwords when Amazon was killing it there. It's how I help my clients as well.
Incidentally, I have used automation before, by one of the largest PPC management companies out there. But over time I slowly shut off the automation for one campaign after another because I kept finding the software wasn't making decisions that I would make. So one by one, I improved all the campaigns in that account by shutting off the software. And now I don't even bother with that kind of software.
Writing and Copyediting Background
I learned copyediting when I was still in college. (This is when you correct punctuation and grammar errors made by a writer.) Later I became a writer myself. So I bring both creativity and precision to copywriting -- that is, writing your ads.
I even care about the layout of the ad. It really matters to me that it looks right. That it would attract people's eyes to click. (Of course for any ads with enough traffic, I also test ads against each other.)
Too often, I've come into accounts where ads just looked sloppy. Or, even in their limited space, they were redundant. Why not work with someone with a detailed writer's eye?
I even care about the layout of the ad. It really matters to me that it looks right. That it would attract people's eyes to click. (Of course for any ads with enough traffic, I also test ads against each other.)
Too often, I've come into accounts where ads just looked sloppy. Or, even in their limited space, they were redundant. Why not work with someone with a detailed writer's eye?
Exceptional Organization
With my writing background, I've also taken countless computer files and stacks of notes from clients to turn them into books. I also used to teach essay writing with an emphasis on logic and structure. In short, organization is really important to me. (It's how I can run huge ad accounts without software.)
I've come into a retailer account where only select brands were being advertised, even though others had been managing the account for years and had plenty of time to get all the brands in place. I've come into another account with over 1000 campaigns that should have been well under 100. These types of mistakes mean lost opportunities or exceptional problems in managing ads (and not bidding against yourself!)
You want a well-organized account because it is YOUR account, and you want it to make sense if you ever decide to bring it in-house or move it to another provider. This is something I can offer.
I've come into a retailer account where only select brands were being advertised, even though others had been managing the account for years and had plenty of time to get all the brands in place. I've come into another account with over 1000 campaigns that should have been well under 100. These types of mistakes mean lost opportunities or exceptional problems in managing ads (and not bidding against yourself!)
You want a well-organized account because it is YOUR account, and you want it to make sense if you ever decide to bring it in-house or move it to another provider. This is something I can offer.
Your Accounts
Let me emphasize that last point. Most agencies will run your ads in YOUR accounts. They will just manage the accounts. This is the correct way to do it. In rare cases (I believe it used to happen more often), a company would run your ads in their accounts, which would effectively hold you hostage to them. If you ever wanted a new provider, you'd have to start from scratch.
I run all your ads in YOUR accounts. If you ever see someone who doesn't offer this, please run!
I run all your ads in YOUR accounts. If you ever see someone who doesn't offer this, please run!
Detailed Refinements for Greater ROI
One reason I've been able to improve ROI (aka ROAS, or Return on Ad Spend) so much in the accounts I've taken over is that I make use of all the refinements I can.
This is a sample of what I do (and why it's so hard to run these ads yourself if you don't have an expert on staff!) Unfortunately, I've seen other agencies either miss some of these or simply implement them incorrectly. Or set them up once and then ignore them while they managed bids. I continually review these to make sure I'm pushing as much volume as I can without sacrificing your ROI.
- I may adjust ad bids by the hour of the day, day of the week, geographic location, or device a person is using.
- I will push by more volume by letting ads show up on Google's ad partners ... unless I see those are converting poorly, in which case I'll shut those off.
- As long as a keyword is converting at or above your ROI goal, I will keep increasing bids to maximize ad impressions and position to get more volume. But once it has basically reached 100% of ad impressions and is in a top position for those searches, I will stop increasing bids.
- I may use various "retargeting" groups to drive bids more aggressively to the best possible audience.
- I make sure ads and keywords are pointed to the best possible landing page (or will test between two landing pages).
- I add negative keywords to make sure you're not showing up for irrelevant terms that may be similar to the keywords you're after.
- I actively shut off keywords that simply don't perform (and/or discuss new approaches to them).
This is a sample of what I do (and why it's so hard to run these ads yourself if you don't have an expert on staff!) Unfortunately, I've seen other agencies either miss some of these or simply implement them incorrectly. Or set them up once and then ignore them while they managed bids. I continually review these to make sure I'm pushing as much volume as I can without sacrificing your ROI.
I Will Spend Less and Earn Less
When agencies are paid on a percentage basis (as I mostly am), there's the risk that they will push for volume in order to get paid more, even while hitting your minimum ROI goals (or other KPIs - Key Performance Indicators).
I take pride in spending as LITTLE as possible while maximizing volume and ROI. You and I both want to spend as much as possible in terms of making sales, but I am aggressive in refining and cutting out poorly performing keywords so that you don't have waste hidden among the results you're after. I want you to get the best results possible, even if it means I'm paid less.
I take pride in spending as LITTLE as possible while maximizing volume and ROI. You and I both want to spend as much as possible in terms of making sales, but I am aggressive in refining and cutting out poorly performing keywords so that you don't have waste hidden among the results you're after. I want you to get the best results possible, even if it means I'm paid less.
Rates that Make Sense
There's not just one right way for a PPC service to charge, but I think you'll agree that my approach makes a lot of sense.
Most agencies base their fees in some way on monthly ad spend. Among these, many will charge a flat fee for a range of ad spend. So just as an example, one charges $500 for up to $3000 in ad spend. At $800 in ad spend, $500 is a lot to pay for managing your ads (but understandably, they need to make a minimum to make it worth checking on your ads); at $3000 in ad spend, that same $500 is only 16.7% of your spend, which is pretty good for a smaller account. (As you'll see in a second, I would charge $388 at $800 in ad spend but $630 for $3000.)
My issue with this approach is that if you spend $3001 on ads, the management fee from this other company jumps to $800. This creates a kind of disincentive to move into new ad spend brackets. At $3001 in ad spend, I would still be charging about $630, because my rates are designed to flow up in a straight line.
Many (most?) also charge a start-up fee and some also charge reporting fees. (One of my clients was paying $3000/month just for the reporting!) I don't charge either of these.
My approach is to charge a flat fee of $300 + 11% of ad spend until a company reaches $10,000 in monthly ad spend for the first year, at which point the effective % has dropped to 14%. From that point on, I charge a flat 14% without the initial $300. This way you start at $300/month and then flow up in a straight line as your ad spend increases.
Most agencies base their fees in some way on monthly ad spend. Among these, many will charge a flat fee for a range of ad spend. So just as an example, one charges $500 for up to $3000 in ad spend. At $800 in ad spend, $500 is a lot to pay for managing your ads (but understandably, they need to make a minimum to make it worth checking on your ads); at $3000 in ad spend, that same $500 is only 16.7% of your spend, which is pretty good for a smaller account. (As you'll see in a second, I would charge $388 at $800 in ad spend but $630 for $3000.)
My issue with this approach is that if you spend $3001 on ads, the management fee from this other company jumps to $800. This creates a kind of disincentive to move into new ad spend brackets. At $3001 in ad spend, I would still be charging about $630, because my rates are designed to flow up in a straight line.
Many (most?) also charge a start-up fee and some also charge reporting fees. (One of my clients was paying $3000/month just for the reporting!) I don't charge either of these.
My approach is to charge a flat fee of $300 + 11% of ad spend until a company reaches $10,000 in monthly ad spend for the first year, at which point the effective % has dropped to 14%. From that point on, I charge a flat 14% without the initial $300. This way you start at $300/month and then flow up in a straight line as your ad spend increases.
Rates May Fall Over Time!
I don't know anyone that explicitly offers this. I expect my first year to involve a lot of extra work either setting up or fixing your account, learning about your business, etc. I do NOT charge any setup fees for all this extra work -- I charge roughly what any other agency would charge while many others would charge setup and/or reporting fees as well.
At the end of our initial 12-month contract, I will give you month-to-month, 6-month, and 12-month options. If there is still a lot of expansion going on, the 12-month rate will remain as it was and the others will be a little higher but will offer you some flexibility.
However, if I feel that the account has become well structured and there isn't a lot of additional expansion to come, if I feel that I'm largely just managing bids, I may choose to LOWER the rate of my services.
I don't want you to choose my services based on this because falling rates depend on my assessment of the account at that time. But I want to always offer a ton of value, and will charge less if I feel that the workload has become less.
At the end of our initial 12-month contract, I will give you month-to-month, 6-month, and 12-month options. If there is still a lot of expansion going on, the 12-month rate will remain as it was and the others will be a little higher but will offer you some flexibility.
However, if I feel that the account has become well structured and there isn't a lot of additional expansion to come, if I feel that I'm largely just managing bids, I may choose to LOWER the rate of my services.
I don't want you to choose my services based on this because falling rates depend on my assessment of the account at that time. But I want to always offer a ton of value, and will charge less if I feel that the workload has become less.
Sound Like What You're Looking For?
If all of this sounds like a good fit for your business needs, I encourage you to contact me to discuss your business and advertising goals and we'll see how I can lend a hand!