For the most part, being an Account Manager in the PPC industry is seen as a solo venture. The idea of brainstorming and implementation of strategy being driven by one individual has been generally accepted as an industry standard. While PPC ad copy doesn’t allow for a ton of creativity, and data analysis doesn’t scream collaboration, there is a huge missed opportunity if you’re managing your accounts in a silo.

PPC is an extremely congested space, the ingenuity and thoughtfulness of a single mind is simply not going to cut it. Advertisers and agencies alike have to go the extra mile in order to make themselves stand out in the sea of ads now being presented to the searcher. This outside of the box thinking is exactly what Metric Theory has adopted as an agency standard.

At Metric Theory we don’t just view our fellow Account Managers as enjoyable happy-hour comrades, but also as invaluable assets on our own accounts. To further this point, let us consider the 20+ accounts transferred within the agency in the past year. Nearly every transfer account saw noticeable increases in their KPI’s post transfer. Considering the fact that all of the Account Managers were equally qualified, these performance increases can be credited to the value of a fresh set of eyes. With this in mind, Metric Theory harnesses a few tactics to bolster creativity when it comes to account strategy.

 

1. Round Robin Account Audits

Gaining an outsider’s perspective on an existing account is extremely valuable for the same reason that transfer accounts traditionally see an increase in performance post transfer. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through round robin account audits. We will each pick an older account and then pass it on to the left. Each Account Manager on the team is looking at a new account with a new set of eyes.  This not only establishes quality assurance, but also has the potential to expose new opportunities.

2. Ad Copy Extravaganza

What, might you ask, is an Ad Copy Extravaganza? It is a spectacular meeting of the minds that occurs once a month. Employees come together to ignite their creative juices by brainstorming new ad copy for a few fortunate clients.  Couple this meeting with Friday afternoon beers and friendly competition and you have yourself an extravaganza.  It’s hard to do this MT tradition justice, but I will set the stage for you.

Picture, if you will, 15+ PPC experts sitting around a conference room. All of these experts are looking at the same shared Google Doc, their fingers at the ready to spout out a multitude of ad copy ideas. After a brief description of the client and swift analysis of the client’s website, the experts are off to the races. As line after line is created, the room is filled with exclamations of applause at 35 character gems, a heightened level of collaboration that creates ad copy magic and, of course, the occasional crack of a beer.

3. Shared Learnings

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes with finding a new report or getting positive results from a new AdWords beta, especially as a PPC Account Manager. Usually this sense of satisfaction comes with a fist pump and a glance around the office for someone to share a celebratory high-five with. With a feat so great, why not share the wealth?

At Metric Theory we have developed a monthly meeting called Shared Learnings and unlike Ad Copy Extravaganza, it is exactly as the name states. This meeting is an opportunity to share the highlights of new PPC knowledge that you have gleaned throughout the month. In this industry, all Account Managers are effectively battling the same pain points, so why not fight together? Our agency has discussed anything from organizational tactics to life-changing (seriously) reports. This monthly sharing not only encourages Account Managers to think differently, but raises the bar for finding the next great item to impress your colleagues.

 

It is extremely rare that an advertiser will have multiple account managers in a room brainstorming ad copy and USP’s solely to further its business efforts. Leveraging collaboration provides an invaluable new perspective and ingenious insights. This outside of the box thinking is what ultimately will set apart a successful paid search account from an exceptional one and a good PPC agency from a revolutionary one. What that said, I challenge all PPC Account Managers to transform their perception of paid search from that of a solo venture to a team effort.

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