Am I the only one who dreads getting my oil changed? In fact, I dread it so much I wait WAY passed the date I am supposed to and then wait WAY passed that date and then go. That led me to think a lot people must feel that way about paid advertising, too. Working on paid advertising accounts every day, I know exactly what I need to do in each account in order to optimize it to its full potential. I, however, was not as versed in oil changing. So I decided to do a little research and began to see some similarities that could relate to PPC management. Let me compare the red flags of poor oil changes and equally as poor PPC agency management, but first take a look at my new corvette:

(Just kidding, I don’t actually have a corvette…one day! Now let’s get back to it.)

Red Flag #1:

The Oil Switcheroo and Constant Switching of Account Managers

When you are getting an oil change it is important to actually see them putting in the new, correct oil. Different cars take different oil and it is imperative that the correct oil be put in. If you aren’t seeing them pour in the correct oil, how do you know they are actually doing it? Don’t be lazy, get out of your car and watch them.

When you are talking about your PPC agency you will most likely have more than one person working on your account at a time. If you notice these people changing a lot this can be an indicator that the company is experiencing high turnover, which is never a good thing.

Red Flag #2:

No Communication/Lack of Communication 

Let’s be real. When you are getting an oil change, you are probably not going to have a relationship with the person who is providing the service. That is, if you don’t know them already. Even if you have never met them before they should absolutely communicate to you exactly what they did to the car and have a documented itemized report to be able to show you for payment purposes. Communication/Customer service is the foundation of every business and yet a lot of businesses fail at it.

Lack of communication with your PPC agency? Drop them. Again, communication with your PPC agency is crucial. How do you know what is going on with your account if you have a hard time getting in contact with the person who is in charge of it? Also, your POC should have some idea of what has been done to your account. PPC accounts require constant optimization and your agency, if they are good, will have that documented for you to see.

Red Flag #3:

Upselling without a Good Reason:

The last time I went in to get an oil change I drove my little maroon Honda into what felt like a tornado. All at once I had three men asking me to pop my hood, press the brake and asked me if my cabin filter needed changing. Wait, my what? They reached into my front passenger glove box and pulled out a really dirty filter that I didn’t even know was there. Needless to say, I expected to spend $70.00 and came out spending $200. In this case I was fine with it because I asked them to slow their role and explain to me why I needed all of these things, they did and I believed them. Don’t worry, I later consulted google and asked my dad if I needed all of these things and it appeared I did. Always ask questions. If they are upselling you cause you need it or could benefit from it, go with it. 

If your PPC agency is trying to upsell you, just be cautious about it. Chances are they do see an opportunity to make the campaigns more successful which will in turn make your business more successful, but if they don’t have a reason, that is a red flag. Questions I would ask include: What kind of success are you hoping to see with the added budget? Do you have any projections on what you think we will get in terms of traffic/ROI? These are tough questions in general, but if your agency is able to answer these and come up with a ballpark of projections, you are in good hands. Remember, no one can guarantee you anything.

Moral of the story? Ask questions and educate yourself. In honor of International Women’s Day (yay feminism) here is a woman who is shaking things up within the auto industry and offering educational classes for women through Girls Auto Clinic.

If you would like a free paid advertising audit, have questions about a current campaign you are running with an agency or just want to challenge me on something, drop me a line at candace.kamensky@maxtechagency.com or leave me a message below! Also, check out a case study from one of our paid advertising accounts we manage.