When developing a PPC strategy, it can be all too easy to become so focused on ads and keywords that you lose sight of the human element. Successful PPC managers use both sides of their brains, marrying the analytic and the creative into a single discipline. PPC managers have to be imaginative, good with numbers, and have a solid grasp of marketing fundamentals. However, as John Lee points out in his article on Search Engine Watch, a PPC manager must also have an aptitude for client communication.
“If client communication isn’t included in your arsenal of ‘PPC strategies,’” Lee writes, “all of the other tactics you employ are for naught. Communication allows you to build stronger client relationships and keep those clients for the long haul.”
It’s important to have a communication plan in place for every client. Transparency is important with regards to schedules, but it’s vital that PPC managers stick to those schedules! Missing a phone call or neglecting to send a report could very well cost you a client.
As far as developing the communication plan, Lee offers a number of suggestions.
Regularly Scheduled Phone Calls
There’s nothing like an actual human voice to build rapport and trust, or to encourage the trading of ideas. Lee recommends scheduling phone calls either bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the client’s wishes and comfort level. And for those technically-savvy clients, he suggests using video chat to reap the benefits of face-to-face communication.
Regularly Scheduled Reports
Your clients are always hungry for news about how their PPC accounts are performing. By making this information easily available in a regularly scheduled report, you’re reassuring them that everything is transparent and above board. Lee suggests creating a weekly report of basic, high-level data, along with a detailed monthly report. “But not all reports should be delivered to your client as-is,” he advises. “A monthly report is a great time to include a written summary to give the data context.”
Respond to Emails and Calls
As Lee points out, this should be a no-brainer. However, it can be all too easy to put off addressing your clients’ concerns or questions until you have some actual news. It’s important to resist these urges and respond to your clients in a timely manner, even if you have nothing new to report. “Any time your client feels neglected or ignored,” Lee writes, “only bad things will happen!”
Be Proactive
It never hurts to go off the schedule and communicate spontaneously with your client. If something has gone amiss with one of their accounts, get in front of the news and deliver it to them yourself, rather than letting them find out about it through other means. If something has gone right, then do your best to let the client know without sounding like you’re bragging. Lee writes, “These little pieces of proactive communication will remind your client why they hired you in the first place!”
