Ah, the age-old question: “Should I hire an agency or go in-house?” There’s a lot on the line when it comes to choosing between PPC and in-house. It’s a service, which means there are tons of different factors you need to consider before making that decision.
However, it’s also a business decision – so of course you want to know what works best for your company and its goals. With that in mind, below We’ve created a guide with some helpful insights into choosing a good PPC agency (so you can get the most out of your campaigns).
What is a PPC agency?
The term “PPC” stands for “pay-per-click,” which refers to the practice of charging advertisers only when their ads are clicked on by users. It’s a common advertising method that drives more traffic to your website, while also helping you make money from clicks. A PPC agency is a company that helps brands create and manage these types of ad campaigns. They can help with things like keyword research, landing page optimization, bidding strategies, and more – all for a price.
Generally, when you hire PPC experts, they’ll:
- Research your competitors, industry, audience, and keywords
- Develop and launch campaign strategies based on their research
- Design visual elements for your ads
- Write ad copy
- Manage your bids
- Track and report PPC performance
Where to find a list of PPC agencies
If you have no idea which agencies to contact for work experience, begin by searching the web for lists of reputable marketing or public relations firms. You still need to do your own research on these companies before approaching them—and be aware that they receive tons of applications each year from students like yourself!
When you search for PPC agencies near me or the best PPC agency, you’ll find plenty of results to sift through. Some lists may even pop up as a result of your query.
A more reliable way of finding a good company is by searching on review sites like Clutch, UpCity, and G2. By filtering your results by location, rating cost services, etc depending on the site you use. And you can read reviews from actual clients to get a better feel for the way an agency treats its clients.
One of the most effective ways to learn about good PPC agencies is by asking people in your network. If you know anyone who has hired a PPC agency, ask them which one they used and what their experience was like.
How to choose a PPC agency: 6 factors to consider
To help you make a more informed choice in your search for an agency, I’ve compiled six key questions to ask and factors that should be a factor in any decision-making process.
You may be able to find some of this information on the agency’s website, but some can only be obtained by speaking with a representative from the agency directly.
In addition, before reaching out to a PPC agency, you should nail down two things: budget and goals. These elements will help your research stay on track so that you can cross people off your list as they don’t meet the requirements
1. Services
When deciding on which agency to hire, check the services they offer. If a company is unable or unwilling to provide support in all areas of PPC marketing, consider hiring another firm that can handle your needs.
If the agency that you are considering only manages Google AdWords or Facebook ads and does not have experience running paid search campaigns on Bing, then it may not be a good fit for you.
If you’re pleased with the agency’s work in terms of PPC ads, can you expand your partnership to include SEO or other forms of digital marketing? Saving time researching agencies now will pay off in the future, if you decide to outsource more of your marketing.
2. Location
Do you want to work with a local PPC agency, or does geographic location not matter to you?
Hiring PPC experts locally is great if in-person meetings are important for your business—but it shouldn’t hold back from working with agencies that don’t have offices near you.
Email, video conferencing, telephone calls—and other forms of transparent digital communication (which I’ll get to next) can make you feel just as connected to an agency that is far away from you in distance as one near at hand. The power of technology!
3. Transparency
Regardless of where your agency is located, or the types of services it provides, you should be aware of how they operate. You deserve to know exactly what results you’re getting for your money.
To see if their prices are transparent, check out a PPC agency’s website to see if they break down how much you’ll spend on your ads and what goes into that cost. Always get a clear answer from the agencies you interview. You don’t want any surprises when your bill comes around!
Be sure to request regular reports on the status of your campaign, so you are always informed about how it’s going. They may even have their own systems for reporting and communicating—so, investigate or ask about this directly.
4. Industry expertise
Expertise goes beyond mastering the intricacies of ad platforms. Hiring PPC experts who have worked in your industry before will let them pick up on nuances that set you apart from competitors—little things like keyword use and landing page design.
Consultants who know where your company excels and which aspects of your business to target can improve the quality of your marketing strategy.
5. Pricing
While advertising online might be a good way to make up the money you spent on your ads, this isn’t guaranteed. And it certainly won’t help if you have no idea what kind of ROI (return on investment) is possible or realistic in your niche.
Don’t simply choose the cheapest option; it may not always be the best one. You get what you pay for, so think carefully about your options before making a decision.
Advertising agency costs can be categorized in two different ways—by the flat fee or by a percentage of advertising spending. Oh, and one other thing: don’t forget to factor your ad budget into calculating how much money you have available for an ad agency’s services. That might not already be included in its prices.
6. Reviews/case studies
As I mentioned earlier, spend some time reading reviews. An agency won’t tell you they’re bad—go to the third-party sites I mentioned above like Clutch, G2 and UpCity for more objective information on how well various agencies are performing in general. You can also read customer feedback on Google , Facebook or other review sites .
Combine the agency’s case studies and testimonials with third-party data, and you have everything you need to make an informed decision about partnering with that company.
Choosing one of these agencies to work with should be a relatively simple process as long as you do your homework in advance, and consider important factors such as reputation, specialization, experience, and price. Let’s face it, no one wants to get ripped off or have their campaigns pulled down because the agency wasn’t an expert in that niche or didn’t have the resources to properly handle the workload.