With consumers turning more and more to buying online, the digital marketing industry is booming and agencies are everywhere. But are all agencies created equal? And how do you know which PPC agency is best for your business?
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most flexible ways to meet your business objectives. The beauty of paid marketing is that you can turn it on and off instantly with fast results, unlike other marketing options like SEO and organic growth which take longer to see their ROI. Not only do PPC ads give you flexibility for when to use them, they can also achieve a variety of objectives. Whether you’re focusing on building brand awareness, selling a specific product or service, generating leads or bringing traffic to your website, PPC ads can do it all.
So how DO you choose a PPC agency to help grow your business? Here are five simple steps to finding the agency that’s right for you!
- Know your goals
Narrowing down the best agency is a lot easier when you know your business objectives. What are you focusing on right now? Are you looking to build brand awareness? Have you hit a plateau with your current audience and are looking to break into a new niche? Do you need more traffic to your site to help build your domain authority?
Whatever your business goals, your PPC ads should be optimized to hit those targets, even if you haven’t set them yet. Your agency can help with that, too! While lots of agencies offer PPC marketing services, many specialize in a set of objectives and do it well.
You can also consider how involved you want to be in the process. Do you want to set the objectives and leave all the work to the agency? Do you want more say in how your ads are run? Some agencies are extremely collaborative, and others have built their own processes that they strictly follow. There’s no right or wrong answer here, but it’s good to know what you want before you get too deep into your search!
- Understand your data and analytics
Knowing your customer is key to effective PPC marketing, and most of that information is found through your data and analytics. A good agency will leverage any existing data from all relevant platforms (think website demographics found in Google Analytics or Facebook Insights) to help determine which visitors convert to customers.
Some agencies also have first-party data – data they’ve collected about customer behaviour in the same or similar industries that can help your ads perform better faster. If you can’t find information about industry experience or first-party data on the agency’s website, don’t forget to ask during your consultation call!
You’ll also want to be sure that your agency will allow you to own your own data. Whether you work with the same agency for years or you go through a few along the way, your customer data should work for your business, not someone else’s. The best agencies will use an existing account, or set one up for you to, make sure that you can access your data at any time, and that your customer data stays with you forever.
Lastly, you’ll want to know if you’ll get regular reports on how your ads are performing. Some agencies include this in their services, and it’s worth finding out before you sign on the dotted line.
- Platform knowledge, experience and partnerships
Industry experience is an asset, but equally as important is experience with your desired platforms. If you aren’t sure which platforms to use, many agencies will help you figure that out based on your goals. But if you’re already set on Facebook ads, working with a Google Ad expert isn’t going to be much help!
On top of platform experience, agencies have the option to partner with various platforms. That partnership often offers early access to new features and ensures they’re up-to-date with any platform changes that could impact your ad effectiveness. Be sure to find out which platforms the agency is most experienced in and what kind of partnerships they’ve built!
- Mobile and local optimized
79% of customers order products using a mobile device, and 80% of customers who search online for a product at local stores will visit the very same day. The way customers shop is evolving and it’s essential that your PPC ads are optimized to get in front of your customer when it matters most!
Make sure you ask about the agency’s approach to mobile-friendly marketing. Do they write unique copy and create specialized ads to target mobile customers? How do they evaluate keywords to engage local audiences and align with your business goals? You can even ask the agency for performance data from a business in a similar industry!
- Your goals front and center
As is true with any business, some agencies run like a machine which can mean that they fit you into a formula and get some pretty standard results. That can be great, especially if you’re looking for overall growth. But since we’ve already identified your business goals, you’ll have even better results working with an agency that builds a personalized strategy with your objectives in mind.
The best agencies will start with a strategy call to understand your business goals, build a plan that’s unique to your brand, industry and goals, and continually adapt your PPC strategy as your business grows.
Find a PPC agency that puts your business first!
Choosing a PPC agency may not be as simple as a quick Google search, but with these five steps you’ll be sure to find a partnership that brings your business to the next level.
Starting with your goals, be clear about what your business needs right now. Ask questions to understand their strategy, review any performance data the agency is willing to share, and go with your gut!
Still have questions about your PPC? Book a consulting call with our paid marketing team today!
