A PPC management agency can save you time and money by creating, managing and optimising your paid accounts so you don’t have to. But how do you choose the best agency to manage your paid advertising? Here are some questions to ask when researching potential management companies.

Do they work across all channels?

Paid advertising is no longer restricted to search engines like Google and Bing. Advertising on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn lets you target a specific demographic of highly-engaged social media users. In turn, this can drive brand awareness and grow your customer base. A good PPC agency can manage both your Pay Per Click campaigns with the major search engines, and your social ads.

Are they paid advertising experts?

When researching management agencies, consider their expertise and how they work. The best agencies will take a targeted approach to each campaign.

This means selecting keywords that will increase exposure and sales. Targeting the right channels for your business. Conducting thorough competitor analysis to see what works and what doesn’t in your industry. These are all good indicators that they have the expertise to successfully manage your paid advertising.

Another thing to look out for is partnerships. Are they a Google partner? Do they have a partnership with Bing, or Facebook? Partner status shows that a PPC management company is keeping up to date with the latest developments in paid advertising.

How does their PPC management pricing work?

In addition to the budget for your ads, you will pay a management fee to your agency. Some PPC management companies split costs into a separate ad spend and management fee, whilst some offer fixed price plans which cover both. The most important thing is to find what’s cost-effective for your business, and what works for your budget.

Good PPC management agencies understand that return on investment (or ROI) is one of the things that matters most to your business. They approach each campaign strategically to make every penny of your budget count. Again, this is an indicator of their expertise. The better their paid advertising knowledge, the better value for money they can deliver.

Can they manage existing accounts?

A PPC company can help with more than just setting up new accounts. Maybe you have been managing your paid ads yourself, or have used another agency and been disappointed with the results. The best agencies can seamlessly take over the running of your accounts and campaigns, optimising your ad copy and existing landing pages to improve performance.

If you do have existing accounts, look for an agency who can offer a free account audit before you sign a contract. They can offer recommendations for improving conversions and cost-effectiveness,, and you can get an insight into their skills. This is a good way to understand how a PPC management agency could benefit your specific business.

How does reporting work?

Timely and straightforward reporting can help you see the value in the work your agency is doing. Ask potential paid advertising agencies how they report results, and how often.

This might be through a monthly scheduled phone call or email update. Some agencies have systems in place which allow you to monitor your monthly performance yourself, for example through an online client dashboard. With transparency from your agency, and access to campaign data in an easy-to-understand format, you can feel confident you’re investing in something that works.

Unity Online is a PPC management agency that offers all of this and more. To discover how we could help your business grow through paid advertising, get in touch with our PPC experts.