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I bet that when browsing the web, you have thought more than once: “That’s a clever ad”, or “This business sure has its digital marketing in check”. But it never comes to your mind just what goes behind it all.

A PPC strategist is the one responsible for managing and monitoring account performance for a variety of clients. I find it’s a very fulfilling field since I can get involved with a client’s industry, advice them on how to use PPC to make their business more successful and reap the results.

It is incredibly rewarding to be able to get to know a lot of different industries in and out. To get the chance to be creative through the creation of different ad formats, and to see the results of your work through the analysis of data.

Here is a gist of how my day goes as a PPC Strategist at a Google Premier Partner Agency.

8:00 am. – Commence the Day and Think of It as an Adventure

Getting that foot in the door early in the morning is not easy especially when you know you have the entire day ahead of you. So to get this mindset redirected, I start off with a quick overview of my priorities and tasks.

I like to go over everything that must be accomplished in order to achieve my daily standard goal: making sure that my day is successful by getting all my tasks done and tending to all my client’s needs. I imagine my day like playing video games, you can’t advance to the next level until you’ve completed the previous one with a high score.

8:30 am. – Achieving “No New Mail” in My Inbox

Among the top priorities on my list: addressing all email and voicemails and making sure my clients are happy. If they’re not, then addressing all their inquiries and concerns.

Besides the fact that having a full inbox is such a pet peeve of mine, there is nothing worse than waiting more than 24 hours to get a reply for something that could be as simple as “What is my CPC today”, or “Can you change the budget for Saturdays to $80.00.”

So giving a quick reply that takes 5-10 min to write goes a long way. Your client will be happier and at the same time you build on a good reputation for customer service and high-quality communication.

10:00 am. – That Anxious Curiosity for Account Status

Next on the priority list is account status. Call me Miss OCD, but it’s pretty hard finding peace of mind and continuing the rest of my day without doing a quick check up on all my accounts. Questions like: “What if my client’s ads aren’t running”, or “Did that last modification I performed make a difference” would not stop bothering me until I do.

So, yes I know it is yet another task that consumes time throughout the day, but one that can save you from ripple effects. Addressing issues at the moment is the best thing you can do, given you are dealing with managing PPC campaigns that generate a considerable amount of sales for many businesses on a daily basis.

11:00 am. – Just Calling to Say Hi

Next up, I get up to speed with checking in with my clients. Even if it’s just to say hi, sometimes a little “Psst psst, hey I am here, managing your account” can make a great impact on your relationship with the client.

At White Shark Media, we are divided up in teams, and each of them has a Client Success Manager. This person is there to make sure we keep the best line of communication with our customers. They are a big help relaying the client’s feelings to us and giving us some space to just focus on making their PPC efforts successful.

There was an instance where my CSM  and I called a client that never responded to emails or called. So we became concerned, and after several attempts to reach him, the client answered. To our surprise he thought we were another agency calling to offer him services.

He said, “Sorry but I already have an agency managing my online marketing. They send me constant emails updating me about my account and are doing a good job getting me business.”

With a big smirk on our faces, we responded “ Yes indeed we give our very best to your account and are glad you are satisfied with our services.” The client had a bout of laughter and apologized for his lack of communication, and reassured us that when he calls then we should start worrying.

I’m a firm believer that a strong communication between client and strategist makes the difference. To know that someone does not want to be frequently contacted, or to know that someone wants daily calls and reports shape the way our client feels about our work.

12:00 – Fuel for My Body

At noon, I’m happy to have lunch either downstairs at our dining hall or in a nearby cafe. I relax and enjoy my meal and top it off with a cup of coffee to help me get through the rest of my day.

1:00 pm. – Killing Two Birds With One Stone

While I am making a few phone calls here and there, it isn’t a bad idea to present some stats and campaign performance with the client. So instead of “working harder, I work smarter”. If I can either schedule both GoToMeeting and call together or offer to share my screen while I am on a call, so be it.

Nothing is more fulfilling than being able to finish a task with a double purpose, you establish a good communicative relationship and get to present great performance based on all your hard work.

2:00 pm. – The Fun in Optimizing

So next step task completion consisting mainly of optimizations. I have viewed my accounts so many times, that staring at my coffee cup pondering what to do next becomes a habit.

A great habit I have managed to achieve is to imagine myself in the client’s shoes, pretending it’s my business. The bottom line to all optimizations is achieving a Return on Ad Spend (ROAS); I want my business to be sustainable and to be able to pocket some money at the same time.

I make sure I apply best practices like continuous ad testing, updating negative keyword lists and keep accounts organized with Labels or Custom Columns.

4:00 pm – Letting Creativity Flow

Thinking out of the box becomes easier, this is where all that studying about industries I have no clue about pays off. After taking care of housekeeping for all my accounts, I begin looking for areas of improvement that go beyond regular optimizations.

Research on top competitors becomes an automatic mission and I also research and improve my game on the latest AdWords features and see which of my clients can benefit from any of them.

Making optimizing a walk in the park not only allows me more time throughout the day but also exercises my train of thought. Thinking out of the box as a habit challenges my brain to wake up and get on the go with innovative ideas that lead to awesome results in campaign performance.

Spare Time Never Goes Unfulfilled

If I have some time left I use it to research, write blogs, and check up on my social media. If I had to choose one characteristic of being in the digital marketing industry, it’s that it’s ever changing, therefore staying up to date is key.

I love writing blogs that can help other advertisers or serve as a guide for my clients to understand the work I’m doing for their campaigns. I also like to read up on fellow ppcers work. My favorite blogs to read up on are PPC Hero and The Search Engine Journal.

5:00 pm – And I’m Off… To The Gym

I know I mentioned what my daily goals consisted of, but I must have left this one out. It’s more of a personal goal but something I highly look forward to at the end of my day. Besides doing cardio and weight lifting routines, there’s nothing more exciting than to make it in time for pilates. So yeah, I better make sure I manage my time efficiently.

Wrapping Up How I Feel as a PPC  Manager

The PPC world is a rollercoaster ride, and you never know what to expect after every drop. I constantly feel challenged by situations that require me to think out of the box, to trial and error from new practices, and to pick up on new features in the PPC world.

A quote I cherish and defines how I feel working in PPC management, “Love what you do, and never work a day in your life”. Being a part of one of the fastest growing industries, and imagining what lies ahead and where I will be then, is just mind boggling.