How to Get PPC Clients (Pros & Cons of Starting a PPC Agency)

March 22, 2024

How to get PPC clients in 2022 and sell your PPC advertising service effectively:

  • Develop your brand
  • Get certifications
  • Target companies with ads In place
  • Create a convincing sales pitch
  • Learn how to respond to objections
  • Cultivate honesty and transparency

PPC is a profitable online business that has gained traction in recent years due to the rise of internet and digital advertising. Consumers are now more inclined to search for a product online than in real life, making PPC a profitable venture.

Landing lots of PPC clients can be very rewarding, but it doesn’t give you as much freedom and authority over your business because you heavily depend on your customers and clients to keep your company afloat. 

Local lead generation might be a more viable option for you if you’re looking for an online business that provides more control and flexibility. 

You also don’t have to maintain a local lead generation business as much as a PPC agency. You simply rank your website on Google using SEO, allow local companies to use your website to generate leads, and make money for each sale.

6 Ways To Successfully Get PPC Clients

1. Develop Your Brand

Before getting any clients, it is crucial to focus on developing your brand before anything else. 

PPC campaigns fail because agencies tend to present themselves to companies and businesses without proper brand development.

This almost always leads to overselling and under-delivering.

Here are a few ways you can grow your agency and develop a strong brand presence.

Pick a niche you want to focus on

Diving into a single niche allows you to classify yourself as a leading agency in that specific industry.

Offering multiple niches spreads out your agency in different directions, which can cause problems and conflicting ideas in the long run. 

It is essential to prioritize quality over quantity, especially in the digital marketing industry.

Create a website that includes your basic info, what you offer, and why your clients should hire you

You need a website for PPC since that is what companies typically look for whenever they search for a PPC agency.

Be sure to create a website that is aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing because it will serve as a reflection of your company. 

Keep your LinkedIn profile updated

Having a LinkedIn profile gives your company a professional look, which is what most companies and businesses look for in PPC marketing agency.

Build case studies and testimonials from previous clients.

One of the most effective ways to successfully promote your agency is by showing potential clients the success you’ve had with previous clients. 

Use actual figures, statistics, and data points to further support your case. Here is an example of a client case study you can follow:

2. Get Certifications

Having certifications is beneficial in almost any industry. A certification is given by a governing body or company that affirms your knowledge or expertise in a particular field. 

In this case, getting certifications from Google AdWords, Bing Ads, Facebook Advertising, Microsoft advertising, or becoming a Google Partner is one way to boost your company’s reputation and credibility.

Getting all of them isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but be sure to get certifications which are in line with your company’s plans and strategies to avoid wasting any precious time and energy.

3. Target a PPC Client With Ads in Place

It is much easier to sell a product to an existing customer than to a new one.

A PPC company that’s just starting out is usually focused on getting as many clients as it can. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it might overwhelm them and lead to issues such as client mishandling, poor output quality, and many more.  

Targeting companies with paid advertising in place only requires you to improve the company’s existing ad or PPC campaign. These often include:

  • Optimizing ads to drive more traffic towards their website.
  • Configuring ads to lead directly to landing or sales page.
  • Making sure their ad copy uses the right keywords and other relevant information.
  • Enforcing proper and efficient use of their ad spend.

It not only allows you to showcase your PPC management or search engine marketing skills to your client, it also gives you the opportunity to forge working relationships with like-minded companies that use PPC, which further expands your network.

You can also look into companies running an SEO campaign and use the idea of PPC and SEO working well together as leverage when presenting your sales pitch.

4. Create a Convincing Sales Pitch

This is one of the most overlooked aspects of developing a PPC management service. Having a persuasive sales pitch is crucial because it is a potential client’s first interaction with your agency. As the saying goes, first impressions last.

The pitch, however, is often neglected. Companies are losing potential clients just because they ignore it. 

A good pitch caters to the needs of a potential PPC client. A great pitch goes above and beyond to provide more than what the client needs. 

Crafting the perfect pitch requires a deep understanding of the company you’re pitching to. 

Some things you’ll have to consider are:

  • Determining the pain points they’re going through.
  • Designing a PPC strategy suited to the company’s needs.
  • Devising an optimization plan based on the client’s current ad campaign.
  • Coming up with a pricing plan that is both reasonable and effective.

Don’t just create a one-size-fits-all blanket pitch and use it on all your prospects. Using an interesting, personalized pitch is the first step to landing PPC clients. 

5. Respond To Objections

Just like any other business, there will always be objections and doubts from customers. 

What sets apart successful companies from mediocre ones is how they handle and respond to criticism.

Here are some common questions clients might ask you, along with answers you could use for each:

Isn’t SEO better than PPC since it’s free?

There can be two answers to this question. 

SEO and PPC are two different advertising strategies. SEO focuses on using tactics to drive traffic towards your website organically, while PPC uses paid ads to promote products and services.

However, SEO and PPC work very well together if done right.

Using them both at the same time helps a company dominate search results within a specific industry since SEO secures the top keywords in a specific niche, while a PPC ad campaign guarantees that the company’s ads will be pushed to the top. 

You can also go for another route - showing them that PPC needs only a couple of hours to rank, while SEO usually takes months to generate organic traffic.

PPC is expensive, right?

PPC can be very expensive if not used properly. However, managing your PPC Ads the right way can be very cost-effective.

There are lots of ways you can use your paid ads efficiently. Some of these include:

  • Allocating a daily PPC budget and cost-per-click.
  • Determining the right demographics for your ads.
  • Focusing on a geographic location that fits your ads well.

PPC isn’t expensive, as long as your ad campaigns and PPC account are managed correctly.

The digital marketing agency I previously worked with did more harm than good.

It’s easy to defend your PPC firm and throw words of reassurance in response to this question. While that might work, it’s not enough to leave a lasting impression on a client.

Instead, start asking questions about what went wrong with the previous company. Ask about their keyword research, daily budget for ads, conversion tracking, ad copy, and everything else that’s necessary. 

Not only will this help you identify weaknesses and provide solutions, it also shows a sense of proactivity, which is a green flag for any potential client.

6. Cultivate Honesty & Transparency

Honesty and transparency are two of the most important values every company must possess. 

Be open about every detail of your proposal and do not withhold any information. 

It is also essential to prioritize your client’s satisfaction by meeting their demands, but in a way that does not compromise your company’s goals.

Forging an honest relationship with your clients is one of the best ways you can keep them around for a longer period. A working relationship that benefits both parties is a surefire way to keep the connection intact.

Keeping your clients longer is better than taking advantage of them, making a few extra hundred dollars, and then losing them after three months. 

What is PPC?

PPC, also known as pay-per-click, is a form of paid search advertising that focuses on generating traffic towards websites by pushing paid ads to the top of a search result. Whenever a user clicks on a PPC ad, the company running the PPC campaign is charged. 

PPC campaigns are often handled by a PPC agency or a PPC manager.

A few examples of services that provide pay-per-click advertising are:

  • Google Ads PPC / Google AdWords: Google Ads PPC or Google AdWords is a PPC service provided by Google. This is often used along with Google Analytics and Google Data Studio. 
  • Microsoft Advertising: A PPC advertising service developed by Microsoft. Microsoft Ads includes like Bing Ads, Yahoo Ads, and AOL Ads.
  • Amazon PPC: Amazon uses PPC and offers A PPC service for sellers to use within the Amazon platform.
  • Facebook Ads: A social media advertising system launched by Facebook intended for sellers inside the platform. They also offer PPC advertising.

Google AdWords is the most used PPC platform. Almost every digital marketing or advertising company uses Google Ads one way or another, given that Google provides more traffic than any other search engine. One of the best PPC experts to learn from is Jason Hornung and his Academy of Advertising course. 

Pros & Cons of Starting a PPC Agency

Starting a PPC company, just like any other digital marketing agency, could lead to a lot of potential sales and revenue as long as you put in the work. 

Unfortunately, no matter how hard you work, you’re still at the mercy of your clients and customers. Not only is this unstable, it could also lead to serious financial losses.

Here are a few pros & cons to consider before launching a PPC agency.

Pros

Here are some advantages of PPC or starting a PPC agency.

1. Everything’s online

Launching your own PPC agency does not require you to set up any infrastructure or have a physical office. You can literally start one at the comfort of your own home.

A PPC agency also does not need to have a hundred employees to get started. You can literally start one by yourself and take it slow. 

If you decide to hire employees, you can work with them virtually since everything’s online, giving you more freedom to work anytime and anywhere. 

2. There is a demand for PPC campaigns

Ever since the digital age began, traditional advertising has lost its place as the go-to marketing channel for products and services. 

PPC, on the other hand, is gaining traction. Today, one Google Ad could drive more leads than a commercial on TV.

A PPC campaign offers a variety of useful features that traditional advertising cannot.

PPC

  • Targeted ads
  • Ability to change ads even after being released
  • Flexibility and measurability

Traditional Advertising

  • Traditional marketing cannot be targeted since you’re releasing advertisements to the public at once and hoping your ad finds its way to the right customers.
  • With traditional marketing, an ad cannot be edited any longer once it has been released.
  • Unlike PPC, traditional marketing cannot be monitored or analyzed. You won’t be able to identify how many people you’ve reached, which demographic responded well to your ad, how much ad spend you can allocate per day, and other measurable metrics.

Companies are now beginning to take notice of paid advertising, specifically pay-per-click, especially since it wins over traditional advertising in almost every category.

3. It’s scalable

With the sheer amount of businesses and companies that use paid ads, starting a PPC firm opens up unlimited possibilities.

Because of the amount of opportunities out there, starting a PPC agency from scratch and turning it into a million-dollar company is very achievable.

As time goes on, more and more companies will need your services. 

More clients lead to more sales and revenue. More sales and revenue leads to more PPC budget, which then allows you to reinvest your earnings and grow your agency even more.

Cons

Here are some disadvantages of PPC or starting a PPC agency.

1. Landing your first client is difficult

One of the biggest roadblocks in running a PPC company is actually convincing a client to give you money to run paid ads. Landing your first client, especially with no prior experience, can be an extremely difficult task. 

No matter how prepared you think you are, reality sets in pretty quickly once you look for a customer.

Not only are you going up against other PPC agencies, you also have to set yourself apart from the rest of them.

Other clients are also skeptical about giving you money since there are other alternatives to PPC that are completely free, such as SEO.

Even if you land your first client, keeping them around is another obstacle you have to overcome. If you cannot turn leads into sales, the company might stick with you for a month or two.

2. You rely heavily on other clients and businesses

Just like any other digital marketing agency, running a PPC agency relies heavily on other clients and businesses to generate profit. 

What if they churn and cancel their subscription? What if they become impatient and stop availing of your service? What if they decide to go to another PPC agency?

These are real issues you must be prepared for if you want to keep your company afloat.

3. Scaling your business is possible, but not that simple

Turning your PPC agency to a million-dollar company is indeed possible, but it’s not that simple. In fact, even just breaking the six-figure mark won’t be as easy as you think.

Starting a PPC company requires you to keep producing results in a brutal and demanding industry. 

Not only do you have to consistently turn leads into sales, you also have to handle finances, set up the necessary systems and software, and ensure that quality of your services is consistent.

To add to that, you will also manage a lot of employees. However, you won’t be able to monitor every person within your firm, which compromises the quality of work your organization provides.

Simply put, scaling your business is achievable on paper. Actually scaling your business, however, is a completely different story. 

Conclusion: Is Running a PPC Agency Really Worth It?

Running a PPC agency can be tempting, especially given the success of PPC ads and paid advertising in recent years. 

There is a future in PPC, especially since you're targeting audiences on the internet. However, starting a PPC company might not be the best choice if you’re looking for an online business that will serve as passive income. 

A PPC agency requires a lot of maintenance. You will have to monitor your employees, finances, and services regularly.

You will also have to work extremely hard to keep your clients around. Without them, your company will inevitably suffer from serious financial losses, or worse, bankruptcy. 

Local lead generation, on the other hand, eliminates these issues and provides a more stable source of significant passive income.

Unlike running a PPC agency, local lead generation does not depend heavily on other clients to make money and survive. It also requires little to no maintenance.  

All you have to do is organically rank your website using SEO tactics, allow local businesses to generate leads through your website, and watch as the money comes in for each lead that turns into a sale.

If you’re searching for an online venture that can serve as a stable source of passive income, local lead generation might be the best online business for you.

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Ippei Kanehara
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$52K per month providing lead generation services to small businesses

Ippei.com is for digital hustlers, industry leaders and online business owners.

His #1 online business recommendation in 2024, is to build your own lead generation business.
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