6 Questions To Ask Before Hiring a PPC Marketing Agency
November 21, 2024
If you're currently looking to expand your business with PPC ads, but are unsure how to choose the right agency – you're in the right place! In this blog post, our Business Development Manager Aidana will walk you through essential questions to ask your potential PPC marketing partner. Aidana’s strategic and experience-backed approach will save you time, budget, and many headaches down the road. Let’s dive in!
Okay, so here you are – you’ve decided to start scaling your business through PPC ads and take that next step. But what now? How do you find an agency that will understand what you want and deliver on it? Worry not, as this post will give you an idea of the right questions to ask potential candidates and what answers would work best for your case!
I’m Aidana, Business Development Manager at Aimers. We’re a digital marketing agency with over 10 years of experience specializing in performance marketing for B2B SaaS and tech companies. When hiring a PPC marketing agency, asking the right questions can save you time, money, and a lot of frustration. Drawing from my experience here at Aimers, I’d like to share the key questions to help you find a PPC partner that truly fits your goals and needs.
1. Has the Agency Worked With Products Like Yours Previously?
Start by learning if your potential PPC marketing agency has experience with your industry. If they’ve worked with similar products and can speak in detail about this experience, they’ll save you time and budget by understanding your market from day one. This background helps them make effective choices without the trial-and-error phase, giving you a head start.
If you are B2B SaaS and your agency’s profile mainly includes e-commerce companies, this may not be the best fit for you. PPC for SaaS is quite different from e-commerce, as you understand. The clients and target audience are different, the conversion rates are different, and so on. So if your agency has an in-depth understanding of your niche and PPC marketing for businesses like yours – this is a great advantage and simplifies your work down the road.
2. What’s Their Marketing Approach to PPC?
Each PPC marketing agency has its style. Some are highly data-driven, constantly A/B testing and refining their methods, while others lean toward a more conservative approach. Ensure their strategy aligns with your expectations. If you’re looking for bold experimentation, an agency focused on gradual growth may not be a good match. Having a shared approach from the beginning makes for a smooth partnership!
At Aimers, we prioritize balance, always using data as our guide. Data is king – it drives our decisions because even a tried-and-true method might not work for every client. Ignoring data and relying solely on intuition would only burn through your budget, which we hate. If you’ve run ads before, we’ll examine your historical data when drafting a strategy. If you’re starting fresh, we’ll run A/B tests and analyze results regularly to make the most of your investment.
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Get In Touch3. What’s the Agency’s Communication Process?
Communication is critical for long-term success. Ask how your PPC marketing agency handles updates and reporting. Will you receive regular reports, and can they work autonomously when you’re away? Setting these expectations upfront ensures everyone stays on the same page and that their communication style meets your needs.
For us here at Aimers, communication is key. We can leverage our expertise to the fullest, but it won’t matter if we’re not in sync with you. We work closely with clients, taking feedback and adapting as needed. We aim for a common goal: growing your business and increasing revenue, and open communication helps us work towards that goal together with full understanding of the process. This might be one of the reasons why many of our clients stay with us long-term.
4. Does the PPC Agency Offer Flexible Pricing Options?
Budget flexibility is essential. Some agencies have rigid packages, while others can adapt pricing based on your needs and goals. Ask about options for scaling your budget up or down, especially if you’re planning for growth. A flexible pricing model helps you make the most of your resources and avoid overspending.
To draw a concrete example from my work: Aimers offers month-to-month contracts to provide full flexibility, ensuring transparency with pricing. Knowing all costs upfront helps avoid surprises, especially if our client needs to get budget approval. Moreover, we discuss all prices before we start, so you know exactly how much you’ll be paying and for what.
5. How Does Your PPC Marketing Agency Plan for Scaling?
Your PPC strategy should grow as your business does. Ask if the agency provides a roadmap for scaling your campaigns and how they handle growth. A clear plan for scaling your efforts can help you maximize results, avoid plateaus, and keep your budget optimized.
When it comes to this, Aimers goes the extra mile. Our deep analysis of your product, market, and competitors allows us to offer data-driven advice on when and how to scale best and which platforms to prioritize for future growth.
6. Are They Transparent With Campaign Data?
Transparency is a must when running PPC campaigns. Will your marketing agency give you full visibility into campaign metrics, spending, and results? Agencies that are open about data and share detailed insights with clients tend to be more trustworthy, allowing you to stay informed and make educated decisions alongside them.
It’s frustrating to check on a campaign only to find the reality doesn’t match your expectations. Maybe a campaign isn’t delivering leads, or worse, no leads at all. An agency should inform you of both wins and failed experiments. Marketing is all about testing and adapting. However, if a campaign fails but keeps running without new strategies for optimization, it’s a red flag. Transparency keeps your budget from being wasted on ineffective strategies.
Takeaways
- Industry experience matters. Always ask if your PPC marketing agency has worked with products and in niche similar to yours. Experience in your specific industry can lead to more effective strategies, saving you time and money.
- Alignment on approach to marketing. Understand the potential agency’s strategy regarding PPC. Whether they favor data-driven methods or a conservative approach, ensure their strategy aligns with your expectations for a smooth partnership.
- Importance of communication. Inquire about their communication process. Regular updates and clear reporting are crucial for collaboration and ensuring alignment towards common goals.
- Flexible pricing options. Ask about the agency’s pricing structure. A flexible pricing model allows for adjustments based on your budget and needs, ensuring transparency and avoiding unexpected costs.
- Growth and scaling plans. Discuss how the PPC agency plans to scale your campaigns as your business grows. A proactive roadmap for scaling helps maximize results and maintain budget efficiency.
- Transparency in campaign data. Ensure your marketing agency is transparent about campaign metrics and results. Open communication about both successes and failures fosters trust and helps you make informed decisions about your PPC strategy – and ultimately, achieve better results.
Choosing the right agency requires a bit of research and asking a lot of questions. The six questions that I’ve shared can help you avoid common pitfalls and find a marketing partner aligned with your goals. If you’re still exploring your PPC agency options, don’t hesitate to reach out to me and my team – we’d be happy to chat and see if Aimers is the right fit for you.
Our process starts with an intro call, where we’ll learn about your current marketing efforts, your goals, and the SaaS KPIs you want to achieve. If you’re unsure about KPIs, we’ll help you calculate them. From there, we’ll guide you toward a strategy that makes the most sense for your business.
Book your call via this form – and we’ll get back to you promptly.
Aidana is a dynamic Business Development Manager at Aimers. Her proactive approach and exceptional networking skills play a pivotal role in driving business growth and expanding our client base. With a passion for fostering meaningful relationships and a keen understanding of market dynamics, Aidana is dedicated to uncovering new opportunities and helping our clients achieve their goals.