If you manage any type of paid media account, you likely deal with many requests and questions from clients, bosses, and other stakeholders.
Common requests might include launching a new campaign, creating a report, or your insight on a recent platform change or emerging trend.
Depending on your seniority, you may also be asked to contribute internally to the growth of your organization or department (such as helping with a proposal).
Successful project management means dealing with all of these requests, and more, in a timely and professional manner.
Below are some of the most useful tactics for handling PPC requests that I’ve learned after more than five years of working at a digital agency.
1. Understand and set expectations
The most important part of a new request is to make sure you are aligned with the other person’s overall goal and expectations.
Once you understand what they’re trying to accomplish, you can better determine next steps, set more realistic deadlines, and discuss nuances or caveats to the task.
If a request affects another initiative you’re working on for the client/stakeholder, let them know the opportunity cost of their request, especially if you operate on an hourly-based retainer.
This gives you a better understanding of the importance of the request and allows everyone to prioritize accordingly.
It’s also helpful to position any new initiative (such as a campaign or platform expansion) as a test. This makes it easier to set expectations because it gives you more flexibility.
Example:
A B2B software client gets in touch with a new LinkedIn campaign they want to run to generate more leads. Assuming their question is within the scope of the project, let them know you’re happy to try it, but make it clear how long it will take to create (including audience research and ad copy), how much notice you need before the release date, what resources you need from them (such as creative resources), etc. Alternatively, you can back off slightly and recommend that they try campaigns on a different platform (such as Google Ads). Three months later, the new campaign is underway, but performance has been disappointing. Since you’ve framed it as a test, you can end this initiative with the explanation, “The test wasn’t as successful as we wanted, but it was important to learn and here’s how we can approach it differently next time.” This is a very different conversation than if you had promised certain results and had to report that “We were unable to generate any more leads.” It’s just a small change in language, but it can make a big difference in how everyone feels about the state of the project.
Also, try to approach customer/stakeholder requests with an open mind. You both want to achieve the same thing at the end of the day: better results and higher performance.
A successful partnership means you can meet the other party’s needs while still delivering your best quality work.
2. Check the general objectives
Project goals should be defined at initial meetings and used as a guide for all work that follows.
If someone talks about a new task or initiative, ask yourself, “How does this contribute to our goal of X and the overall project?”
In your response, you can refer to specific metrics, KPIs, documentation, etc., that have been previously established (if you feel it is necessary/appropriate). Show that you are thinking strategically about the impact of their request.
Data also has an impact if you reject someone’s idea or request. It helps to offer a workaround and be transparent with your reasoning. Even if they reject your alternative, at least you have it documented.
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3. Do everything in writing
Keep a paper record of the requests you receive. This holds everyone accountable, prevents misunderstandings, and helps clearly define next actions or steps.
example: Email a summary to all relevant parties after any call you have with a customer or stakeholder.
Written documentation also ensures you have receipts in case something goes wrong. Unfortunately, some people may try to blame others if performance drops or a goal isn’t met (especially if you work for an agency or as a freelancer).
Not all requests lead to success, so being able to link back to a specific conversation helps avoid any finger pointing if that’s the case.
example: A client requests to pause some of their top performing keywords. He responds by saying that we don’t recommend it because we’ll likely see a drop in conversions and an increase in CPA (your two main goals). They say do it anyway. Three weeks later, they send you a heated message about underperformance, to which you can quickly respond with a link to your last message.
4. Respond quickly
In the absence of information, people tend to fill in the blanks themselves. Don’t leave your customers or stakeholders hanging, so try to get back to them as soon as possible.
Even if the question takes longer, requires a detailed answer, or arrives at 5pm on a Friday (we’ve all been there), you can acknowledge receipt of their message and say you’ll follow up later. This gives you time to do the work you need to do while making sure they feel heard.
That said, if something rubs you the wrong way (like a request or a rude criticism), don’t respond right away. Better to breathe and wait.
Go back to the message an hour later and make sure you didn’t misinterpret anything. Ask a coworker or manager to quickly review their message and your response. It’s important not to get caught up in the heat of the moment and screw up a relationship.
5. Anticipate common requests
PPC is a nuanced and ever-changing industry, which generates a number of questions and requests from people who don’t fully understand the channel. However, many people are stuck with the same problems.
To combat this, try to automate, template and get in front of what you can. The initial work will save you time in the long run and help you handle certain questions, requests, etc. more quickly
This includes anticipating frequently asked questions so that customer/stakeholder requests don’t derail your day.
example: A common question from clients is how their ad spend is pacing for the month (ie, “what do we expect to spend?”). Take this question one step further by creating a spreadsheet, custom column, or report that forecasts monthly ad spend at the start of the project.
Creating a reporting dashboard (like in Looker Studio) that the client or stakeholder can access will also help you stay ahead of any metrics or spend related requests.
At the start of the project, ask what KPIs are most important to them and their bosses. This helps limit throughput and ensures you’re reporting what really matters.
Project plans are another great tool for setting expectations around deliverables and deadlines.
Also, set up recurring status calls with the client so you can consistently describe what you’re working on in the short, medium, and long term.
These types of records and plans allow you to better control the project, avoid surprises, address requests and ensure strategy alignment.
Management of requests from clients and interest groups
When a customer or stakeholder makes a request, the goal is to be accommodating but reasonable.
Handle them gracefully, but stay in control of your day by setting realistic expectations, aligning strategy with overall project goals, and anticipating requests based on other projects you’ve worked on.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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