Are you curious about the career development path of an ads manager? Well, I bet you didn’t know there’s more to this than simply knowing how to use the Google or Meta ads manager! In this article, I’ll cover some of the key skills I’ve picked up in my PPC specialist career.
Platform expertise
If you’ve never opened up the Google Ads or Facebook ads interface, you’ll be in shock if you do. So no, I really don’t blame you if it seems overwhelming.
But for me, this was something I had to overcome once. It actually took me a month or so of on the job experience to get used to the Google Ads advanced interface. And as for Facebook ads, I was feeling my way gradually over time… But decided to fast-track this by taking a course with The Digital Picnic. (Their courses are worth every penny, I might add.)
Anyway, I hope this goes to show that not only are these interfaces not for the average Joe, that they actually take time to get your head around.
And once you know how everything works, it’s ANOTHER thing to know how to set up campaigns effectively…
Campaign optimisation
I like to say it’s one thing to know how to pluck a few strings on a guitar, it’s another to play music.
I don’t expect the untrained ads manager to know targeting from bid strategy.
But once you gain a bit of experience, you start to recognise what’s working and what isn’t. Which brings me to the next point…
Data analysis
Experienced PPC professionals REALLY need to understand what all the numbers mean.
We look at histories, and we look at trends to figure out where to move next.
And often, data can be very nuanced, depending on the unique business and its normal sales cycles. Those people who claim to be from Google Ads who want to help you… They won’t see your nuances.
Take Google’s “recommendations” with a grain of salt. Because to the trained ads specialist, we’ll know when applying a “recommended” setting will do more harm than good.
Ad copywriting
Knowing what to say in your ads is an art form. Often, you’re not just giving a literal overview of your product or service — You’re creating a compelling argument for the sale.
With good ad copywriting, you need to show your target audience that you get them, that you care, and you must include a call to action. And oftentimes, you’ll have to convey this in a limited amount of characters.
The better you understand ad copywriting, the more likely your ad will stop someone’s scroll and get a click!
The holistic marketing viewpoint
One aspect of ads creation and management that I have to stress the most is the holistic marketing viewpoint.
Many people who’ve approached me to manage their ads haven’t been ready for them. This is either because ads are sought for the wrong reason, or because not enough thought was put into where ads fit into your marketing goals.
To get around this, we need to get our heads around strategy in the following ways:
Have proof that you can get sales without ads
Paid ads should not be used as a desperate “Hail Mary” to save a failing business. (Unless you are prepared to lose money on trial and error.) If you’re not getting the amount of sales you want without ads, find out what isn’t working with your offers or website.
Online ads will amplify the organic results you’re getting. If your organic traffic is converting at a rate of 0.5%, then your ads aren’t likely to improve that. To get around this, test your messaging and strategy, and improve your website so you can gain a healthier conversion rate. (2-10%, depending on your type of business.)
Get congruent with your ad copy and web pages
The messages in your paid ads should be congruent with the web pages you send traffic to. This is especially important with Google Ads, where a user expects the page they land on to match the term they were looking for.
Failing to properly tailor your destination URL will drive up your CPC (cost-per-click), and potentially prohibit your ad from ranking. Congruency is also something that is overlooked in an early PPC specialist career.
Don’t make your customer think too hard
When someone clicks on an ad, you’ll have gotten their attention for a specific reason — Don’t make them go on a treasure hunt to find the thing they want right now! Most people don’t have time to wait for your email or play phone tag just to find out something that isn’t properly explained on your web page.
Decision fatigue and slow, unfriendly websites can cause an avoidable drain on your advertising budget.
Want to hear more about how ads fit into your marketing strategy? Tune in to ‘Unpacking Paid Advertising Readiness’ with Anthony and myself on the Digital podcast.
Really get to know your strategy
You need to be crystal clear on what the job of your ad is.
It’s rarely just, “get more traffic,” and “simply being on Google Ads” is not a strategy.
When we assign a specific goal to ads, such as joining a mailing list, or an eCommerce transaction, we can better measure your return on investment. Failure to properly measure goals is one of the main reasons why business owners get fed up with ads and/or digital agencies.
Where to get help with your Google or Meta ads:
Dear friends,
Several of you have wandered across my path, seeking help with your Google Ads, or Facebook/Meta ads management.
Presently, as of 2024, I offer this service under my employer, AttentionMedia. I’m based in Melbourne, and work with businesses all across Australia.
Please visit them to find out how I may be able to assist with PPC advertising.
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