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Google Ads helps over 7 million businesses generate more leads, sales, and customer every year.
But it’s not an easy platform to master.
In the beginning, you may have managed campaigns yourself.
Tinkered with ads.
Dabbled in different campaigns.
Not seeing the results you were hoping for.
And before long, there’s a huge sense of overwhelm because it feels like you’re juggling too many balls at once.
You start to lose traffic, customers, and sales and come to the realisation that you need someone to take over the account.
More specifically, why you should hire a Google Ads specialist vs an agency.
So in this article, I’ll explain why it’s perhaps a good idea to hire a Google Ads specialist to reclaim your time and freedom to focus on your business.
First of all, there are different types of Google Ads Specialists
Option 1: Freelancers
These are hired guns that presumedly have deep knowledge and understanding of how Google Ads works.
When you hire a freelancer, it’s crucial that you review their case studies or portfolio.
Because there are many charlatans out there that claim to be “experts” and have never run a successful campaign before.
Option 2: Agencies
Instead of opting for one person’s expertise, you can hire a Google Ads agency that’ll get you a team of 2-3 people managing your account.
This team is usually made up of a:
- Account manager (sales-oriented project manager)
- PPC strategist (they decide how to structure your account)
- PPC specialists (they follow orders from the PPC strategist)
That said, agencies are heavily driven by profitability. So it’s usually the case that they’ll set and forget your campaigns… usually by an inexperienced junior.
Although vetting an agency can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for, here are a few questions I’d ask them:
- How many hours do you usually spend in accounts?
- Do you outsource your work?
- Will I get someone experienced managing my account?
- What results have you achieved in the past for my industry?
Option 3: In-house ad managers
Depending on the size of your business, it might make sense to hire an in-house ad manager.
They’ll be able to understand your brand and product better than anyone else since they’re so closely involved with it.
That said, this will require a larger upfront investment because you’ll have to pay their salary, holiday pay and sick leave.
So a majority of businesses that are in the 6-7 figure range will likely choose option 1 and option 2 due to budget constraints.
Now that I’ve laid out your options let’s get into the reasons why Option 1 is best for most businesses.
Reason 1: they’re T-Shaped marketers
Sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo.
Let me explain.
A T-Shaped Marketer is someone with broad knowledge in many areas, but they mainly specialise in one area the most.
For example, a Google Ads specialist may have some basic knowledge about SEO and content marketing, but their expertise lies in running Google Ads campaigns.
The reason why this is so important is that they can offer holistic advice that takes other areas into account.
Typically speaking, people that only specialise in one thing are limited by their perception of reality.
So T-Shaped Marketers who are Google Ads specialists can advocate what’s best for your business and not limit you to Google Ads suggestions just to line their pockets with your cash.
Reason 2: because their reputation is on the line
Unlike in-house employees, Google Ads specialists have a lot on the line.
Like you, they’re running a business. And that means that reputation means everything.
If they do terrible work, not only would you not hire them again, but it’s likely you’d leave them a bad review because they over-promised and underdelivered.
So because of this, Google Ads specialists usually put in 110% effort to make sure that you get the results you need, going beyond the scope of work in some cases.
Reason 3: they’re more affordable than other options
Let’s face it, agencies have a lot of overhead costs.
And in-house employees come with a slew of financial burdens (tax reporting, payslips, holiday leave, sick pay, you get the idea).
Google Ads specialists are the middle-ground between cost and expertise.
They’ll usually charge a flat rate per hour or project that works out to be more affordable than agency retainers and employee wages.
Reason 4: there’s no middleman
A lot of the time, when you work with agencies, they’re just middlemen.
They don’t actually do the work, they outsource it to someone else.
And in those cases, you’ll never know who’s doing your work and what experience they have.
What’s more annoying, the agencies are just account managers or sales reps that are relaying your grievances in a game of passing the parcel, often losing its meaning.
Solo ads specialists are usually freelancers, so there’s no middleman — you’re communicating directly with them every step of the way.
Reason 5: they’re always upskilling
Google Ads is constantly changing, requiring marketers to keep up with the latest trends.
The common issue I see with ads teams (employees) is that once they’ve learned something, they think they know everything.
It’s just human conditioning. Ego at play.
And there are very few people out there that are humble enough to admit that they don’t know everything.
So that brings me to upskilling.
Google Ads specialists are constantly learning, taking courses, reading industry news, and expanding their knowledge.
This is so important because it helps ensure that your campaigns are constantly running at an optimal level, something you won’t get with a static in-house ads team.
Reason 6: You get a fresh set of eyes
There’s a reason why think tanks exist. To give you fresh perspectives to solve issues.
Sometimes when you look at something long enough, you start to get tunnel vision.
That’s why hiring an ads expert to come in and audit your ads is a good idea.
They’ll be able to quickly identify what’s working and what’s not — something that you may have overlooked.
Now, this isn’t always the case. You may find that ads specialists can overlook things too.
And that’s why it’s important to vet them first by understanding their thought process.
Ask them to explain the campaign strategy, how they plan on optimising it, and what metrics they’ll be tracking.
This will help you determine if they’re a good fit for your business and that they have the right intentions in mind.
Reason 7: You don’t have to worry about training them
Trying to find the right in-house ads team can be a long and arduous process.
You need to hire, train (with standard operating procedures), manage, and ultimately fire them if it doesn’t work out.
With ad specialists, you don’t have to concern yourself with any of that.
They come in with their own toolkit and experience, so all you have to do is let them do their job.
Because let’s face it, many business owners get in their own way, micromanaging every detail.
They had trusted others in the past to do something, and the agencies or employees either:
- Failed to deliver results
- Failed to uphold standards
- Missed important details
- Forgot specific instructions
- Failed to report on results
- And failed to put the effort in
That’s why it’s different with marketing mercenaries. As per Reason 2, their reputation is on the line.
Reason 8: they learn lessons from other clients
Ads specialists bring a ton of experience to the table.
More importantly, the mistakes and learnings from other client projects.
If they’ve seen something that worked well with another client, it may work for you too.
And in many cases, ads specialists can help you avoid making costly mistakes because they know what to watch out for.
It’s like having an experienced coach for your advertising — one who knows the ropes and can help you navigate the often-confusing world of Google Ads.
So, where do I hire a Google Ads specialist?
If you want to hire someone to help with marketing for your business, a Google Ads freelancer is a good way to go.
I recommend using these platforms to find one:
- OnlineJobs.ph — extremely affordable offshore option
- Upwork — higher quality than the above, more expensive
- Local agencies — type “Google Ads agency near me” into Google
- JRR Marketing — visit my Google Ads page here
Before you go into a recruiting frenzy, look carefully at the people who apply and ensure they have done similar work before.
When you find the right person, you’ll be able to free up time, save money, and get more value from your ads budget quickly.
