Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is an excellent way to gain new customers. When used alongside effective lead conversion strategies such as benefit-focused call-to-action (CTA) buttons, PPC could bring your business massive ROIs.
However, since advertising is a significant investment, you may wonder if this is the right strategy for you. Or perhaps you have already decided but want to know how to approach PPC. Outsourcing is the smartest option, but who do you hire for the job?
This article covers the differences between a freelancer and a PPC consultant. It also touches on the pros and cons of hiring either.
There is a lot to discuss, so get ready to take notes. Here we go!
What Does A Freelancer Do?
A marketing freelancer is someone who works as a generalist. The type of work you can outsource to one depends on what services you need and what they provide. A freelancer is skilled in various marketing and advertising techniques, including PPC.
Their basic services include:
- Researching and refining ad keywords
- Making and placing the advertisements
- Managing and tracking the campaign
Aside from the above, freelancers may offer additional services. Before outsourcing work to one, take the time to understand the PPC process, what services you want for your campaign, and how well the freelancer fits your marketing needs.
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Pros And Cons Of Hiring A Freelancer
A freelancer is a good bet if you want to avoid hiring an entire PPC marketing team because they have a wide range of skills that enable them to do many jobs.
Here are three advantages they provide:
- Freelancers provide all the essential services necessary to do PPC.
- A freelancer functions as a one-person team, which helps save on costs.
- You only pay for what you need to be done, such as campaign management.
On the other hand, here are three disadvantages:
- Freelancers do not work exclusively for your business or your campaign.
- Experiences and abilities vary among individuals and across strategies.
- Pricing depends on the individual, the PPC strategy, and other factors.
You benefit a lot from the mix of marketing, and advertising skill sets that freelancers have. However, as a drawback, their knowledge and expertise might be basic or surface-level. It might make it difficult to compete with businesses that have better PPC.
When To Hire A Freelancer
According to Digital Authority Partners, hiring a freelancer is helpful when you want to outsource PPC without spending too much. This is especially true if you are more concerned about reducing costs than hiring a specialist.
Freelancers have various marketing skills that help them get the job done. Their talents go beyond PPC strategies. They have working knowledge of different types of marketing, but lack the expertise. If you are interested in mixed approaches to marketing, getting a freelancer is the way to go.
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What Does A PPC Consultant Do?
Like a freelancer, a PPC consultant is someone you hire to create and manage your company’s campaign. However, unlike a freelancer, a PPC consultant is an expert in this form of advertising. Their responsibilities are more advanced, reliable, and beneficial to your business.
Since they function as specialists, they can better understand your company’s needs and give sound advice on PPC concerns.
On top of what freelancers offer, PPC consultants can also:
- Assess your company’s needs and key concerns
- Provide plans and suggestions to address problems
- Optimize PPC by creating effective landing pages
Each step in PPC takes a significant amount of time. A well-equipped PPC consultant can speed up the process with automation tools and paid software. Basically, their role is to create and optimize your advertising strategy.
Internal vs. External Consultant
A consultant can be internal or external. Here are some key differences that set the two apart:
- Internal consultants are individuals hired to work within a company to provide PPC services, such as campaign optimization. As such, they benefit from greater insight into the company’s wants and management’s communication style.
- External consultants come from an advertising or marketing firm that provides various services for clients. Unlike internal consultants, they only receive payment for services rendered, which makes them less expensive in the long run.
Overall, their job responsibilities are the same, except that internal consultants remain employed regardless of whether you call them to do work.
Pros And Cons Of Hiring A PPC Consultant
Working with a PPC consultant is straightforward. They are there to provide your company with their skills and expertise in advertising. This means making, running, and optimizing your campaigns to improve ROI.
Here are three advantages they provide:
- A PPC consultant offers services beyond making and running an ad campaign.
- They provide detailed action plans that ensure a successful PPC campaign.
- Google offers certification courses for consultants that help verify their eligibility.
On the other hand, here are three disadvantages:
- A PPC consultant charges based on their expertise which adds to their cost.
- Their list of services is limited to what the client is able and willing to pay for.
- Certification is open even to individuals who do not have much practical experience.
Practical experience or not, PPC has a high learning curve that takes dedication to master. That alone makes a certified consultant more eligible than a freelancer. You can be confident that the suggestions and recommendations you receive are rooted in up-to-date best PPC practices.
When To Hire A PPC Consultant
A PPC consultant offers specialized services that help them deliver results that clients want to see. For example, conversion rate optimization (CRO) strategies such as designing an effective landing page. They are the better choice if your company is concerned with quality over cost.
Due to their knowledge and experience, their most important contribution is laser-focusing your PPC campaign for the best ROI possible.
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Deciding Between A Freelancer And PPC Consultant
Hiring a freelancer is a viable route to successful PPC for anyone, especially small businesses and startups that want to get started as cheaply as possible.
On the other hand, companies that can allocate larger budgets for marketing and advertising can benefit better from hiring a PPC consultant. After all, the difference in skill results in a sizeable gap in service quality that can impact overall success.
Your business’s size and budget directly affect which choice is more realistic. However, the person’s abilities and expertise influence how smoothly your campaign runs. Use these qualifiers when determining which one is right for you.
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Summing Up
Major business decisions are never easy, especially when they involve a significant financial investment. However, as mentioned here, integrating ads into your digital marketing strategy is a sure win. Follow the steps here and start building your business’s future with PPC.