All of us require motivation to complete a given task, finish the work week or make a career out of a job. Motivation is what drives us not just to completion, but to meet or exceed goals and fulfill personal or professional ambitions. However, occasionally we may lose motivation or at the very least lose sight of what that motivation is driving us towards. When that happens, taking a moment to look inward is required to find center and pick back up where you left off.
So, this morning I find myself looking inward and asking myself… Why do I PPC? Yes, I’m using PPC as a verb. Live with it!
Why Do I PPC?
I got into the digital advertising industry in a rather sideways manner. Right place, right time, right people (thanks Joe and Pat!). PPC was not a skill I had, but what was lacking in knowledge and direct skills I made up for in determination and a desire to learn. The intersection of technology, marketing and people was already a fascinating topic to me – so why not jump right in the middle of it and start swimming? The motivators then were so simple, but so powerful – always be learning, strive to be the best and don’t let the clients or my teammates down.
Over time the motivators have changed, but not entirely…
The Clients
Being agency side, clients are a big motivator. The motivation that clients provide can come in a number of flavors. Sometimes it is simply “the fire” of knowing your actions directly affect the client’s business. It can even be that the client pays the bills – but that reduces clients to mere paycheck… and frankly, that’s NOT why I PPC.
For me, the relationship with clients is an endless spring of motivation. The act of building and securing trust leads to a bond where motivation is to KEEP that trust. I know this to be true because I’ve made mistakes along the way and failed in that regard… trust is everything. Perhaps what drives me most is when goals are met/exceeded and campaign performance goes well. You know WITHOUT A DOUBT that the client’s business is all the better for it. Their success is my success and vice versa.
The People
The digital advertising industry, and specifically the PPC contingent, is full of amazing people. Talented. Intelligent. Kind (mostly). Sharing. I feel a swell of pride when I think of all the great people I’ve met through blogging, Twitter and conferences. And what’s even cooler is that now some of those people are my friends and in a few special cases a part of my team!
The Pace
Our industry moves at a lightning pace. What I knew in January is NOTHING compared to what I know now. Google, Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, and all the rest of the advertising channels are constantly changing. And as I begin my 10th year in this industry, it is nothing short of amazing to consider how far technology has shifted and how digital advertising has progressed in parallel. All along the way I’ve been more than eager and willing to keep learning.
Beyond the change in the advertising platforms themselves, there are other layers of change. In the agency world, clients come and they go. New goals, initiatives, holidays, seasonal trends and more keep the work in a constant state of motion. This both suits my personality type and serves as a consistent motivator. If it doesn’t motivate you – you very well may want to look for another job!
The Challenge
Most days, this work is hard and demanding. It is easy to get burnt
out between the demands of account management, client management and squeezing all of the minutia into a quasi-normal work week. But those of us who recognize the burn out and can adjust or push past it have made a home in the PPC world. Call us crazy or hard-headed or whatever… I’d just call us motivated.
The Excitement
Bottom line – search, display and social advertising still excites me. Do I jump out of bed raving about the chance to change bids or write ad copy? No. Am I 100% enthusiastic about what I do each and every day? No – I am human after all. But when I’m in the thick of things analyzing a campaign or pitching a new client or building a new campaign or delivering amazing results to a client… I still get excited. That excitement motivates me as if it were a drug that I just can’t get enough of.
That’s why I PPC. What about you?
