Pay-per-click (PPC) is an important form of marketing that many businesses across the world have utilised to grow their sales and profit. But if you are completely new to this potentially lucrative marketing channel it is unwise to dive in at the deep end. While PPC can be very beneficial to a business it also has the potential to waste a lot of money if it deployed ineffectively.
In many cases, small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) can benefit from outsourcing their PPC management to a company with specialist knowledge and experience in the field. Here we take a look at when that could work for a business.
Why Should SMEs Choose PPC Management?
High quality PPC can get expensive quickly. If you want to rank on the most competitive terms (which also tend to be the ones that get you business) it can cost quite a lot of money. However, the expenditure is worth it if the business that an SME gets from the PPC marketing generates more income.
SMEs can actually get a huge amount of value from outsourcing the management of their PPC as, in the majority of cases, smaller businesses typically will not have the level of expertise or the in-house experience to manage these accounts themselves. Running any kind of PPC campaign effectively requires a great deal of careful thought and management from knowledgeable professionals – Google might make it seem like this is something that anyone can do, but from a business perspective you need to have individuals with expertise running it for you.
Can You Use Tools?
Businesses may have heard that they can outsource their PPC management – but rather than entrusting a business, they select software. There are a number of tools such as Marin and Kenshoo which are designed to make it easier for less experienced users to manage their PPC accounts. There is no doubt that these tools can be very powerful, however if they are being used you should understand their weaknesses.
Ultimately, they are only software and therefore do not the experience or creativity of a marketing professional. If an organisation is simply dipping a toe in the water to explore the channel, these types of software could be of interest, but it is unwise as a long-term strategy.
Why Experienced Marketers Are Important
It is important to remember that PPC is nuanced and different industries and terms can be highly unpredictable or in a state of constant flux. It is always recommended that if organisations are moving beyond the experimental phase of PPC into using it as a marketing channel, that is important for them to work with marketers who understand their industry, and can track terms over time.
Remember that in PPC it is all about achieving value for money. PPC management businesses rely upon their ability to provide clients with a return on their investment – with other options such as software or an inexperienced in-house team member, their focus is often on
Could You Employ an Individual?
Another option, of course, is to hire a member of staff to manage PPC for you. For larger businesses this can be an option that makes a lot of sense. After all, if you can have a highly skilled member of the team who can work alongside the other marketing professionals and deliver a tailor-made service, this can work out to be extremely profitable.
However, this is not necessarily a good idea for an SME. The cost of employing an experience PPC specialist full-time can work out as much too expensive for a smaller business. This is why it can be smart to outsource to a team of experts who can deliver the kind of returns that you are looking for, and will work out as far cheaper than employing a member of staff.
What Is Right for My Business?
Ultimately, this comes down to you and your needs. If you are on the larger-side of a medium-size business and you are looking to grow, it could make sense to opt for an in-house team, who can naturally provide you with a more personalised service. Controlling your PPC data could make it easier for you in the long term – and it can even be used to help other areas of your marketing, such as SEO.
Smaller companies can benefit enormously from outsourced PPC management, however, so you should not discount this possibility. It is worth talking it through with a full-service digital marketing firm who can potentially provide you with a broader perspective and help you choose an option that makes sense for you financially in both the short and long term.
