When to Hire an In-house PPC Specialist vs. PPC Firm

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes, from small mom-and-pop shops to large corporations. In fact, studies show that effective paid advertising campaigns generate 200% ROI. With the right strategy in place, businesses can achieve huge returns on their investment through well-managed PPC campaigns.

However, managing PPC campaigns can be complex and time-consuming, so many businesses turn to PPC service providers to manage their campaigns.

What can outsourcing PPC management do for your business?

• Design and implementation of PPC campaigns
• Keyword research and selection
• Ad copy creation and testing
• Landing page optimization
• Monitoring PPC performance metrics like clickthrough rate (CTR), cost per conversion (CPA), etc.
• Leveraging tools such as Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, etc., for campaign management and analysis
• Ongoing campaign optimization and management

By outsourcing their PPC management to a trusted provider, businesses can free up their internal resources to focus on other critical areas of their operations while still achieving the desired results from their PPC campaigns.

The question then becomes: should you hire an in-house PPC specialist or outsource your campaigns to a firm? Both have advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed carefully before deciding.

In-House PPC Specialist

What is an In-House PPC Specialist?

An in-house PPC specialist is essentially a full-time business employee responsible for managing the company's PPC advertising campaigns.

They work directly for the business and are typically focused solely on optimizing PPC campaigns for that company. While they may work independently, they’ll be key collaborators with others on internal marketing teams and will grow to know the company intimately.

5 Benefits of Hiring a PPC Specialist as an In-House Employee

1. More control and flexibility
2. Better knowledge of your business
3. Seamless integration with other marketing efforts
4. Consistent management 
5. Industry-specific expertise 

More Control and Flexibility

When working with an external agency, you may have limited control over their strategies and tactics for your PPC campaigns.

By contrast, an in-house PPC specialist will work directly with your team to create and execute a customized strategy that aligns with your business goals. This approach also allows for greater flexibility, as you can adjust your ad campaigns in real-time based on the data and insights provided by your in-house specialist.

Business owners expecting to pay extra close attention to their ad spend, bidding strategies, conversion rate and more may fare better with an in-house teammate.

Better Knowledge of Your Business

An in-house PPC specialist will better understand your company's products, services, and target audience than an external agency. This knowledge can be invaluable when creating ad copy, targeting specific keywords, and optimizing your campaigns for maximum ROI.

Additionally, your in-house specialist can provide valuable insights and feedback to other departments, such as sales and product development, based on the data and trends they observe in your PPC campaigns. This takes even more off of your late.

Seamless Integration with Other Marketing Efforts

PPC advertising is just one piece of the larger marketing puzzle, and integrating your PPC campaigns with other marketing efforts is key to maximizing their effectiveness.

Hiring an in-house PPC specialist ensures that your campaigns are seamlessly integrated with your other marketing efforts, such as social media advertising, content marketing, and email campaigns.

This integration can lead to a more holistic approach to marketing and greater overall success for your business. Rather than thinking only of online advertising, internal teammates can consider broader marketing strategy.

Consistent Management

Outsourcing to digital marketing agencies can sometimes lead to inconsistent management of campaigns because different people are responsible for tasks at different times.

With an in-house specialist, however, you can ensure that the same person is managing and optimizing your campaigns consistently over time. This will provide better insight into what works and what doesn’t so that you can achieve the best possible return on investment (ROI).

Without account managers, project leads, and other agency team members passing your project back and forth, you can go to one source of truth for reliable campaign information.

Industry-Specific Expertise & Experience

Hiring a dedicated individual provides access to valuable expertise that is otherwise unavailable should you choose to outsource your campaigns instead. Hiring an in-house candidate is an investment, but it pays to hire someone who really understands your larger industry.

For example, e-commerce companies may want only to create PPC ads with someone deeply familiar with e-comm. In this case, you can make your marketing budget go a lot further by hiring an individual with a matching skill set.

Additionally, having one consistent individual also creates more room for career growth within the company and exposure to new technologies that could help improve campaign effectiveness over time.

5 Reasons to Reconsider Hiring In-House PPC Management Roles

1. Higher hiring and training costs
2. Reduced scalability 
3. Limited resources
4. Potential for biases
5. Limited scope of digital marketing expertise 

Higher Hiring and Training Costs

Hiring and training an in-house PPC specialist can be a significant investment, particularly if you're starting from scratch.

Not only will you need to budget for the specialist's salary and benefits, but you'll also need to invest time and resources in training and professional development to keep them up-to-date on the latest PPC trends and advertising platforms.

Without prior planning for a new hire, an in-house PPC marketing teammate may not be your most cost-effective option.

Build a budget for your PPC project with our custom template.

Reduced Scalability 

If your business experiences sudden growth or changes in priorities, it may be challenging to scale your in-house PPC team quickly. This could lead to delays in campaign execution and a loss of momentum.

Additionally, an in-house team may be less flexible regarding working hours and availability, particularly if you're working with a small team.

Limited Resources

An in-house PPC specialist will not have access to everything that a PPC agency will.

Important resources like advanced analytics tools, industry research, and proprietary software are things that you must provide in-house teammates with. And adding new tools and platforms into the mix will cost you.

Assuming you don’t have to budget to completely revamp your marketing tools for the sake of PPC, this will affect the quality of insights you receive from your PPC campaigns. In turn, this could also limit ROI.

Potential for Bias

Because they’re working internally, in-house PPC specialists may be subject to company-specific biases and politics that could impact their decision-making and campaign execution.

External agencies, on the other hand, are able to consistently provide a fresh perspective that isn’t clouded by internal activity. Without this, teams fall into groupthink or overlook potential issues that could impact the success of your campaigns.

Limited Scope of Digital Marketing Expertise

No matter how many years of experience they have, it will be difficult for an individual to compete with the collective knowledge of an established agency.

An in-house teammate can develop a deep understanding of your business and industry, but they may lack the broad experience that comes working with a diverse range of clients over time.

PPC Agency

What is a PPC Firm?

A PPC firm (or agency) is an external company that specializes in managing PPC advertising campaigns for multiple clients. They work on a contractual basis (by project and/or on retainer) and may offer their clients help with campaign strategy, implementation, and ongoing optimization.

The main distinguishing factor between a firm and in-house PPC specialist is that an in-house teammate is a dedicated employee of a single company. PPC agencies work with multiple clients at once, which dictates may of a firm’s pros and cons.

5 Advantages of Hiring a PPC Firm

1. Diverse experience and expertise
2. Access to advanced resources and tools
3. Ability to scale
4. Reduced onboarding costs
5. Better systems of accountability

More Diverse Experience and Expertise

One of the main advantages you get when working with a PPC agency is their deep knowledge and experience working in PPC for a multitude of different clients (some could even be competitors).

PPC agency experience across industries and customers gives them a broad perspective on PPC advertising strategies and tactics. This can translate into more effective campaigns and better results for your business.

Outside of PPC tasks alone, firms may also be able to help with the following:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Email marketing
• Social media know-how (Facebook Ads, Linkedin advertising, etc.)

Access to Advanced Resources and Tools

PPC agencies often have access to advanced analytics tools, industry research, and proprietary software that may be out of reach for an in-house PPC specialist.

This can help you to gain more detailed insights into your campaigns, optimize for maximum ROI, and stay ahead of the competition.

Scalability and Flexibility

If your business experiences sudden growth or changes in priorities, an external PPC agency can often scale its services quickly to meet your needs.

They can also offer greater flexibility regarding working hours and availability — this is especially true of larger agencies with global teams.

Reduced Hiring and Training Costs

Hiring an in-house PPC specialist can significantly invest time and resources — it costs companies a lot just to get new teammates in the door.

By contrast, working with an external PPC agency can help you to reduce hiring and training costs, as you'll be able to leverage the expertise of their existing team without the need for additional recruitment and training.

This isn’t to say that PPC agency pricing is always the cost-effective solution. Be sure to learn about associated management fees and other expenses before assuming agencies will be the cheaper option.

Learn how much different PPC agencies charge for their services.

Greater Accountability and Results-Oriented Approach

Chances are an external PPC agency can provide greater accountability and a more results-oriented approach than in-house individuals.

Agencies pride themselves on their tried-and-true approaches, well-structured processes, and project management resources to ensure they’re accountable for their performance. Their reputation depends on their performance with clients, so they have a vested interest in seeing success for those they work with. This can lead to a greater focus and commitment to achieving your goals.

5 Drawbacks of PPC Agencies

1. Lack of familiarity with your business
2. Potential for communication issues
3. Higher costs for established agencies
4. Limited control of campaign execution
5. Potential lack of transparency

Lack of Familiarity with Your Business

While a PPC agency may have a better handle on Google Adwords than anyone else, that doesn’t mean they understand your needs.

Their level of familiarity with your business and industry will take longer to develop than it would for an in-house specialist. This can make it more difficult for them to understand your unique needs and develop campaigns that are tailored to mission-critical objectives.

Potential Communication Issues

Working with a PPC agency can sometimes lead to communication issues, particularly if you're working with a large agency with multiple teams.

It can be difficult to maintain a consistent level of communication and ensure that everyone is on the same page, which can impact the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Higher Costs for Large-Scale Agencies

Working with a PPC agency can sometimes be more expensive than hiring an in-house specialist, particularly if you're working with a large agency with multiple teams.

You'll need to budget for their management fees and may be subject to additional costs for tools, software, and resources.

Limited Control Over Campaign Execution

When working with a PPC agency, you may have limited control over the day-to-day execution of your campaigns. Instead of you directly making the decisions, a PPC team lead will govern many aspects of strategy and meet with you less frequently than an in-house teammate could.

This can be frustrating for businesses that want to maintain high involvement and control over their marketing efforts.

Potential Lack of Transparency

Working with a PPC agency can sometimes lead to a lack of transparency, particularly if you're working with an agency that doesn’t go out of its way to provide stellar reporting.

Regular insights into your campaigns will be crucial to your understanding of performance when working with an outside company. Without them, it’s going to be much more difficult to assess the effectiveness of campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

Interested in hiring a freelancer? Compare 'When to Hire PPC freelancers vs. PPC Agencies.' 

Solid PPC Campaigns Come From PPC Experts

Businesses have two primary options for taking PPC management off their hands: hiring an in-house PPC specialist or working with a PPC agency.

No matter your outlook, developing an experienced team with an understanding of your business needs is what will move the needle. Consider the benefits and disadvantages of each type of provider to determine which will work best for you.

About the Author

Sydney Wess SEO Manager at Clutch

Sydney Wess is a SEO manager who focuses on strengthening organic performance and building topical authority for Clutch.

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