Pay-per-click advertising is a common strategy that people can use to pay for advertisements to attract people to their websites.
When used correctly, it can be highly effective, but that’s the problem. If done incorrectly, it can just be a waste of funds.
That’s why PPC agencies exist – to help you formulate a good strategy. Before you rush out and find the best one, let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an agency, so you know exactly what they are about and whether hiring one is the best choice for you.
Con – High Costs
Let’s start with the elephant in the room – agency fees.
You will always pay more with an agency than you would if you did it independently.
Some companies operate with flat fees, some may demand a percentage, and some do a combination of both. There are many different pricing models that these agencies use, but either way, it comes at a cost to your business one way or another.
This can be most off putting for smaller businesses that are unsure of the return of interest (ROI). A cost like this can be the difference between breaking even or operating at a loss.
Pro – Time
You need to remember that these costs are going towards something that significantly saves you time and effort.
You are paying for a company’s expertise (we’ll get to that later) and time, which are both valuable assets when running a business.
There is the obvious time investment of researching and implementing the advertising, but good PPC is an ongoing campaign which means it should also be constantly monitored, maintained, and modified so that it stays effective and doesn’t become a financial burden.
Not to mention, the time that you would spend learning the process if you were to implement it yourself. All of this is time you can spend investing in other parts of your business to take it to the next level.
This shows how outsourcing could actually be better for the overall health of your company despite the initial sunk costs. Any good entrepreneur will tell you that any money spent to save time is a worthy investment.
Some people just don’t have the finances for this, so this is a cost vs. benefit that you need to personally evaluate.
Con – Lack of Total Control
As the owner of a brand or just one of its key employees, it is understandable that you may want complete control at all levels.
No one understands your goals and methods as well as you do, and while you could try and tell them, there is no guarantee they will get it.
You have invested more than everyone else, especially a group of PPC experts who are probably juggling multiple clients, so being possessive is completely normal.
However, outsourcing any part of your company means you are relinquishing at least some level of control.
You will still have the final say on any significant changes. On top of this, any PPC agency worth their salt will keep you updated so there is still an element of control.
Pros – Expertise
When you take into account the experience that an agency has, this relinquishing of control can be seen as a necessary sacrifice.
Unless you choose a newer company, you won’t be any agency’s first client.
This means they have a massive advantage since they will undoubtedly have ways of doing things that can only be obtained from being in the industry.
They probably even have programs and tools specifically designed to optimize their PPC campaigns.
Experience is the best teacher. No doubt, they have made many mistakes in their past, but this is all so you don’t.
When it comes to any marketing campaign, wrong choices will lead to money lost, so the money you spend on an agency can be seen as a trade-in for certainty and results.
Like everything else listed, this is another personal evaluation you need to make and determine whether or not the trade-off is worth it.
Pain: You are running a small business that sells products online, but you don’t have the budget to pay for expensive advertising.
Agitate: You need to find a way to get more sales for your business, but you don’t have the money for Google Adwords or Facebook Ads.
Solution: Seedup can help you to run Pay-Per-Click Marketing campaigns that get you more sales at a fraction of the price!
Alternatives
It may seem like your only options are to hire a PPC agency or handle it yourself, but these aren’t the only options.
Small In-House Team
You could hire a small in-house team to work directly for your company. Assuming they are decently skilled, they will have the industry knowledge and save you time personally.
They will also give you total control since they are your employees, so you can contact them freely and influence how they do things.
This team though will most likely not have the same amount of experience or expertise as an established PPC agency that has been operating for years so the level of quality may not be the same, but it should be cheaper so take that into consideration.
Freelancers
Another option is to hire a freelancer, which still constitutes outsourcing but with significantly less bureaucracy and formalities.
- You still won’t have complete control but you should have significantly more influence and will most likely be done in a much shorter time frame.
- The price is once also lower and you still have the time to work on other aspects of the business.
- The biggest asterisk with hiring a freelancer is that they are harder to find and confirm their quality. It is easier to work with a ‘PPC expert’ who is actually inept and could be costing your company.
This risk is enough to scare off some people from this option, but the best advice I can give is that you get what you pay for. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is, so be wary.
Overall
In conclusion, these are the different pros and cons of hiring a PPC agency. Weigh your options and see what you value most. Do you value expertise and professionalism? Or do you value a cheap bargain? There is no objectively best route, your choice will depend on many factors including your personal preference, but hopefully, this should give you an idea on how to choose.
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