Or at least make you more productive…
Inheriting new accounts or on-boarding new clients is always a great time to reassess your PPC management strategies and organization. It’s always a different plan for each client and business size. However, putting that plan together also looks the same for every client, no matter their size. I have some suggestions for successfully building a PPC strategy and plan that will fit every business and client.
Mapping Out The Plan
There are a couple of ways to map out your strategies so you can stay organized and on top of every last detail.
- Old Pen & Paper – Sometimes the act of writing things out on paper with a real pen can work wonders. Before dropping things into my computer, I often like to map it out on paper first. It’s old school, but it helps me visualize my plans better. When you hit a snag on how to set up your calendar or spreadsheet, don’t be afraid to go old school.
- A Production Calendar – I prefer this method and I set mine up in Google Calendars. I like using Google because I can sync it with my personal calendars, as well as color code each account. I also like that there’s a Google Calendar app for my iPhone so that I can see things on the go and get alerts.
- A Production Spreadsheet – I’m terrible at this method, but it could be great for some folks. This is a great way to manage larger clients that have numerous accounts, as you can make a tab for each account. The aimClear blog has a great video on mapping out a beautiful production spreadsheet that you should definitely check out if that’s how you like to set up your account management.
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Determining Task Frequency
- Account Size – The number of campaigns, ad groups, ads, keywords, extensions, etc that need to be managed on an ongoing basis will play a role in how frequently you do things. You can either knock out all similar tasks for the whole account at once, or break them up by network, product type, etc.
- Traffic Levels – Depending on what you’re looking to optimize, it’s imperative enough traffic has gone through to warrant optimization. Low volume accounts typically need less tweaking than high volume accounts.
- Goals – Since e-commerce and lead gen require different tasks, this could play a large role in what your strategy plans are at a weekly, monthly, and yearly level.
Timing Tasks for Maximum Impact
Depending on the client, the frequency and breakdown of your account management can vary. These guidelines are what I like to aim for and then I adjust depending on what’s happening in the account.
If you are looking for more on account management, check out these posts:
- Task & time management strategies – Some guides on maximizing your most productive time of the day, setting limits on your tasks and more.
- Automating your accounts correctly – Automation is great invention, but make sure you’re automating correctly.
- Resurrecting Your Account’s Glory Days – If your account isn’t new and you need some tips on getting back to the “glory days” in 2016, check out this post.
I hope this helps you improve your account management planning as we enter 2016.
