Should I Hire a PPC Agency

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is an effective way to drive traffic for all sizes of businesses. However, business owners often struggle to manage PPC campaigns, as it requires time, expertise, and resources that may not be always available. In that situation, the decision to hire a PPC agency can make a significant difference. 

40% of brands and agencies report that their PPC spending is less than desired, this data shows that there is a need for skilled management and strategic planning of PPC campaigns. So when you know how to hire a PPC agency, it can help you achieve your objectives better and faster. This is exactly what we will be discussing in this article. 

We will explore the reasons why hire a PPC agency, in which scenarios it may be the best option and how to handle the hiring process itself.  

Why Hire a PPC Agency?

There may be a misconception that managing PPC campaigns is only about setting up ads, but it’s a complex strategic process, that requires constant optimization and data analysis. So if you are wondering why hire a PPC agency, the answer is those unique advantages they bring to the table:

1. Expertise and Experience: PPC agencies have teams of professional digital advertisers, they know all the nuances of platforms and how to craft targeted strategies aligned with your objectives. They make sure your ads will reach the right audience, at the right moment.
2. Access to Advanced Tools: PPC campaign management is not an intuitive process, it needs planning and using proper tools for keyword research, bid management and then performance tracking, usually, PPC agencies are equipped with those advanced tools. 
3. Time Savings: If you hire PPC management experts, they’ll handle PPC campaigns and you will save valuable time, during which you can focus on other aspects of your business. 
4. Improved ROI: A professional PPC agency will optimize ad spend, reduce the wasted budget that is usually spent on underperforming keywords, and focus on high-conversion rate opportunities, which will eventually lead to a higher return on investment. 
5. Scalability: When your business grows and you already see how effective PPC campaigns are, you may think of scaling up, and PPC agencies have the capacity to easily scale your campaigns. 

When to Consider Hiring a PPC Agency 

There are scenarios when you can hire PPC management experts when outsourcing to professionals makes more sense. There are three common situations when businesses consider it:

1. Lack of In-House Resource: The first sign that you should hire a PPC expert is when your business lacks internal resources to manage campaigns. It can be the absence of expertise or time to manage PPC campaigns. 
2. Managing Multiple Campaigns: Another scenario, is when you are juggling multiple campaigns and find it hard to keep up, a PPC agency can easily streamline your efforts. 
3. Struggling with Poor Performance: One of the most common times businesses hire PPC experts, is when their current campaigns are not delivering the results they want. Agencies can diagnose the issues and improve ROI with their expertise and access to advanced tools.

If any of these scenarios resonate with your current situation, the decision to hire a PPC marketing services agency might be the right one. 

How to Hire a PPC Agency

Selecting the right partner needs careful planning and evaluation. Here is a step-by-step guide on ‘how to hire a PPC agency’ and what are the considerations along the way:

Steps to Finding the Right Agency 

• Define Your Goals and Budget: Know beforehand what you want to achieve with PPC campaigns, it can be lead generation, website traffic increase, or maybe boosting your sales. Just clearly define it together with your budget and the scale of the PPC campaign. 
• Research Potential Agencies: First of all, search agencies that have a track record in your or similar industry. Thoroughly check their website for testimonials, reviews, and case studies, to understand their capability. Ask for references from their client base. 
• Check Services: Not all PPC marketing agencies offer the same service, so search for the one that specializes in the platforms you want to place your advertisement on. Also, see what they offer, it can be any of these four strategy development, bid management, ad creation and performance analysis, or all together. 
• Request Proposals: Once you have your filtered list of PPC agencies, request proposals from them to compare strategies and pricing and choose the one that aligns with your goals in the best way. 
• Begin with a Short-Term: Before signing a long-term contract, start with a trial period to assess their overall fit with your business without a major commitment. 

Questions to Ask Before Hiring

When you are already ready to hire a PPC marketing services agency, ask these 10 questions to make sure you are making the right decision: 

1. What experience do they have in your industry?
2. How do they perform keyword research and PPC campaign optimization?
3. If they can give you examples of past campaigns and performance metrics?
4. What metrics do they use to measure success?
5. How often will you receive campaign performance reports?
6. How do they handle changes in campaign strategy? Budget adjustments?
7. How much input do they expect from you?
8. In what ways will they keep you updated about progress?
9. What is the pricing model? Is it a flat fee? Percentage? Or performance-based?
10. Are there any additional costs?

The Cost of Hiring a PPC Agency 

Prices to hire dedicated PPC experts can vary, here is a quick guide:

• Basic PPC Services: They typically cost around $300 to $500 per month and offer entry-level PPC management, for smaller campaigns with limited scope.
• Comprehensive PPC Services: Starts from $1,000 and can exceed several thousand dollars per month. They are suitable for more complex campaigns and for competitive industries. These advanced services usually include better strategies and on multiple platforms, with extensive targeting.
• Additional Costs: There are agencies that are charging clients for setup or extra services like A/B testing or remarketing. 

Still, the main advantage of PPC campaigns is that they are flexible and do not require large upfront commitments. You can always start them with a small budget, check the performance, and then decide whether to scale up or not. 

Alternatives to Hiring a PPC Agency

There are other options too for managing pay-per-click campaigns, depending on your needs and budget. Here are alternatives:

1. In-House PPC Management: If you have resources and expertise in-house, then there is no need to hire a PPC agency. However, keep in mind that in-house management needs significant investment in terms of advanced tools and time, some team members may also require training. 
2. Freelance PPC Experts: Hiring a freelance PPC expert can also be a cost-effective alternative to an agency. Usually, freelancers work on a project basis and can be a good fit for short-term campaigns, however, they may lack the broader resources that PPC agencies can provide. 
3. Automated PPC Tools: Google Ads’ Smart Campaigns or other third-party solutions can help you in campaign management too. They can save time but usually lack the strategic oversight and nuanced adjustments that a human expert can have. 

In summary, all alternatives to PPC marketing agencies have their pros and cons, it is up to your business needs and budget which one to choose. 

Conclusion

Your digital marketing success can be greatly impacted by the decision to hire a PPC agency. We have explored numerous benefits of it and demonstrated when it makes sense to hire PPC management experts. 

The most important thing is that the right PPC strategy can drive your business growth, whether you will do this by yourself or through outsourcing. 

However, if you choose to partner with a PPC agency, know that Purplegator’s expert PPC team has proven results of successful campaigns. We will drive targeted traffic and maximize your ROI. Whether you want to launch your first campaign or need some improvement for an existing one, we’ve got every resource and expertise to make your ad spend work smarter. 

Get started today and schedule your free consultation!