Biddable Therapy Sessions: Confessions of a PPC Professional
Even the most seasoned professionals can slip up, leading to costly mistakes. Here’s a collection of some memorable and cringe-worthy experiences shared by our lovely LinkedIn community who also just so happen to be paid media experts! Let’s delve into these horror stories and uncover the valuable lessons they hold!
Budget Blunders!
One of the most common mistakes involves budget mismanagement. An early career mishap saw an extra zero added to a daily budget, resulting in sky-high monthly costs for the client. The agency had to absorb this expense, and the lesson was clear: triple-check every budget change. Such errors underline the importance of meticulousness in budget settings, as one extra zero can lead to massive financial repercussions.
Next time you make a budget change remember: “More Zeros, More Problems”
Freaky Friday
Making significant bid changes before the weekend can spell disaster. One unfortunate incident involved a keyword bid spike costing over £20K after a Friday adjustment. The takeaway? Avoid major changes on Fridays, or at least make them early to allow for monitoring!
The Accidental Globetrotter
Another classic error involves the incorrect setting of location targets. Forgetting to switch from "presence or interest in" to "presence in specific location" led to a UK-focused campaign garnering traffic from India. This mishap emphasises the need to double-check location settings to ensure ads reach the intended audience.
Keyword Chaos
Keywords can sometimes yield unexpected search terms… Low cost funerals = how to dissolve a dead body, need I say more? Such incidents highlight the necessity of regularly reviewing search term reports to exclude irrelevant or inappropriate terms.
Match Type Mishaps
Uploading keywords with the wrong match type, such as broad instead of exact, can derail a campaign.The evolution of keyword strategies serves as a reminder to carefully review match types during uploads… #BroadMatchBlues
Copy & Paste Conundrum
A simple copy and paste error in the ad editor led to $4K worth of traffic going to 404 pages. This mistake drives home the importance of verifying final URLs to ensure they direct users to the correct landing pages.
Competitor Sabotage
Competitors can be ruthless. One campaign saw its budget depleted by competitors aggressively bidding on their terms during a critical weekend. The lesson here is to closely monitor competitor activity and adjust bids and budgets accordingly during peak times.
The Keyword Cull
A filter mishap led to the deletion of crucial keywords instead of irrelevant ones, shortly after starting a new job. This serves as a cautionary tale to handle keyword lists with care and to double-check filters before applying drastic changes.
Key Takeaways
Triple-check Budgets and Location Settings: Verify budget amounts and geographic targeting to prevent costly mistakes.
Review and Adjust Search Terms Regularly: Monitor search term reports to exclude irrelevant or inappropriate terms.
Avoid Major Changes on Fridays: Make significant adjustments early in the week to allow for adequate monitoring.
Ensure Accurate Keyword Match Types and URLs: Carefully set keyword match types and validate final URLs to direct traffic correctly.
Monitor Competitor Activities and Post-Import Settings: Keep an eye on competitor actions and thoroughly check settings after importing campaigns to new platforms.
Which one was your favourite? Think you can top it? Comment your horror stories on our LinkedIn Post here and you might be featured in next month's round up!