7 Essential Skills Marketers Need to Become PPC Specialists

Pay-per-click (PPC) specialists are in higher demand than ever. As internet advertising revenue develops and more marketing dollars are put into the mix, the need for more hands-on deck grows. In short, organizations require PPC specialists who can successfully develop and manage online ad campaigns in order to boost sales and profits.  

If you haven't yet tried your hand at PPC, you'll want to know what to expect. And, if you're willing to put in the effort, these are the talents you'll need to be a successful PPC specialist. But first, let's go through the basics of PPC and why it's become such a popular marketing channel.

What is PPC?

PPC is an online advertising model that helps drive traffic to your website. Each time a user clicks on your ad, you are charged a fee by the platform or website serving your ads. Hence the name, ‘pay-per-click’.

Because PPC allows you to buy visits to your website, it generally works faster than earning those visits organically. Paid advertising is a quick way to build brand awareness, generate leads and increase conversions, making it an all-around attractive option for businesses. For example, if you pay $2 when someone clicks on your ad, and that click turns into a $200 purchase, you’ve got a generous return. You can see why businesses are eager to work with PPC specialists!

PPC Specialists Need These 7 Skills:

1. Working Knowledge of Statistics – If you’re going to work in paid advertising, you need to be able to interpret the data that goes along with it. Every ad you run will have its own set of impressions, clicks, click-through rates (CTRs), conversions, and so on. As a marketer specializing in PPC, you need to be able to efficiently analyze these numbers and use the data to make decisions regarding your ads.

For example, if one of your ads has a higher click-through rate than another ad, you might be tempted to change the ad with a lower CTR. But if that low-CTR ad has a higher conversion rate, then you have to be able to apply that knowledge to decide what is and what isn’t working.

2. Ad Copywriting Finesse – If you want to be successful in PPC, then you need to get people to click on your ads. This means you need to be comfortable writing calls-to-action and you need to be willing to tweak them if they don’t work. Developing skills in ad copywriting means knowing how to work with keywords, connecting with your audience, and ensuring your ad aligns with the landing page (more on that later).

3. Familiarity with AdWords – There’s no doubt Google AdWords is the most popular paid advertising platform in the world. If you want to become a PPC specialist, then you need to know how to work in AdWords.

To become proficient with this platform, you’ll want to know how to choose the best keywords, how Google determines when to show your ad, how to place bids, and how to set up and manage campaigns and ad groups.

4. Mastery of Landing Pages – Where the visitor “lands” once they click on your ad is just as important as the ad itself. Simply put, your landing page content needs to be a natural extension of your ad copy. It’s not only important for the sake of your own marketing goals, but it can also influence how often your ads are shown.

5. Design Ability – No matter which PPC advertising platform you use (AdWords, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), your ads are going to require visual assets. That’s why it’s so important for you to understand the design requirements for each platform and which tools can help you create the best graphics. After all, you may not always have a graphic designer on hand, so you’ll want to be able to rely on your own skills!

6. E-commerce Know-How – Online advertising and e-commerce are practically made for each other, so it’s critical you understand how to optimize your PPC efforts for retail. Knowing which platforms are best fits (for example, Google Merchant Center vs. Amazon Advertising) and how to apply tracking to your ads are just a couple of areas where you should focus your time.

7. Knowledge of Customer Journey – If you don’t understand the behaviors of your customers, then you won’t be able to create ads that get them to click. Consider whether your ads are being used to build brand awareness, generate leads or increase conversions, and organize your content around those goals.

Paid advertising is a fast-paced environment where changes require you to be nimble and effective. Marketers who want to become PPC specialists should focus on developing these skills as the foundation to successful careers in online advertising.

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