For many businesses, there comes a juncture in their growth where handling everything in-house becomes a challenging feat. However, it's not easy to delegate aspects of your cherished company to unfamiliar faces, especially after a long, demanding day's work.

Numerous questions may be racing through your mind, but the paramount one is: Who should you trust with this significant responsibility? We often encounter this question and share your apprehensions. That's why we're here to assist: based on our experience, PPC campaign management tends to be one of the first areas that company managers consider outsourcing. So, we've undertaken an analysis to determine the better option: partnering with a PPC agency or hiring a freelancer?

When should you outsource PPC?

Of course, in the early stages, when you've got time on your hands, it's perfect to have everything under your own control, especially if you know all the ins and outs of marketing. Even if you have patches in your knowledge, you don't have to delegate it to someone straight away. In the early stages, it's usually perfectly fine to ask a knowledgeable friend to set up your campaigns as a favour. But if your goal is rapid growth, let's face it: you don't have time or money to waste. In this case, it's better to leave it to a professional! There are two questions you should think about before you start: 

• Do you feel that your current campaigns are not effective enough and that you are only converting a tiny slice of your target audience into customers? 
• Could you sell your marketing time for a higher fee than a PPC agency or freelancer?

#m1-y#If the answer to any of the above questions is YES, it's definitely worth outsourcing the management of your marketing campaigns!##

Let's start with the basics: what is the difference between a PPC agency and a freelancer?

It may be perfectly clear to you what a PPC agency and a freelancer do, but many people don't even have the slightest idea of what these terms mean - and there's nothing wrong with that. We wrote this article to help you get started!

To begin with, let's clarify the concept of PPC. PPC is short for pay-per-click, which essentially means that you pay for each click your advertisement receives. In the realm of online marketing, numerous advertising platforms employ this strategy, such as Google Ads, ensuring that you are only charged when your ads are interacted with.

However, it's worth noting that PPC has evolved to encompass a broader definition, now extending to online performance marketing. This includes any platform where detailed digital metrics can be leveraged to monitor the outcomes of a campaign. Interestingly, this holds true even in cases like Facebook Ads, which charges based on impressions rather than clicks.

Now let's move on to the main characters in this article. A PPC agency, like any other agency, is an organisation (business) made up of several professionals. So we are talking about a group of marketers with a very specific skillset who work towards one goal: to provide the highest possible quality of PPC campaign management for the clients who contract with the agency.

By contrast, a freelancer is just one person working in a particular field who undertakes to subcontract the needs of companies in that field.

PPC agency vs. freelancer - pros and cons

Of course, the article does not end with one being better than the other, because it is not that simple. There are many companies, many needs and the best choice for each organisation may differ.

#m1-y#So here's a summary of the key considerations to help you make the perfect choice for your business:##

Experience and expertise

Many freelancers typically embark on their solo ventures after accumulating years of experience as employees. This prior experience often proves advantageous, particularly when it aligns with your business's needs. However, it can also limit their versatility, making it challenging to find someone well-versed in multiple domains. Nevertheless, freelancing does offer the advantage of enabling you to handpick the right person for your specific job.

On the contrary, PPC agencies may not always allow you to select the exact individuals you'll work with – but that isn't necessarily a drawback. These agencies are composed of numerous specialists, ensuring that your campaigns are managed by professionals with relevant expertise. Should your business venture into new territories in the future, fret not, for a PPC agency will have the right specialist for the job!

Communication

Freelancers work alone, which means you'll always consult with the same person by email, phone and video call. That's great, right? Yes! But what if the person goes on holiday or gets sick? Unfortunately, you can't do anything but wait, so communication with freelancers can be tricky. 

Of course, with a PPC agency, you don't have to call a customer service number, which is always answered by a different person. When working with a team, there will also be a "team leader" called an account manager. Their job is to talk to you about what's going on with your company and then delegate this to the right person, so you can always have the same person working on your campaigns while you have more people working on them.  Even if they take a vacation or fall ill, seamless continuity is assured, as another team member can seamlessly step in, given their ongoing familiarity with your business's updates.

Range of services

Freelancers usually only work in one specific area. For example, a marketer is unlikely to also do market research, design your business card or, say, develop your website. They excel in their chosen area of expertise, ensuring high-quality results for your PPC campaign. However, their ability to provide recommendations for other aspects of your business may be limited to their network.

On the other hand, agencies offer a broader spectrum of services. While some PPC agencies solely focus on ad management, most diversify into various areas. You can even find full-service marketing agencies capable of overseeing your entire digital presence. This presents significant advantages, as your advertisements benefit from the skills of professional graphic designers, and the implementation of tracking codes is handled by proficient developers when needed. Furthermore, if you ever decide to rebrand or revamp your website in the future, you can seamlessly return to the same team, ensuring continuity and consistency in your digital strategy.

Speed and capacity

A freelancer typically can only accommodate a limited number of clients, as their day is constrained to the same 24 hours as everyone else. This ensures that you receive personalized attention. However, this limitation can pose a risk; you may find yourself sharing their attention with other clients, and if one client requires more time, it might come at the expense of others. As a result, the freelancer's commitment to your company may be inconsistent, and they may be unable to take on urgent, substantial projects due to their limited capacity.

Conversely, in a PPC agency, the dynamic is different. Team members are readily available to take on new tasks, and if your needs demand additional capacity, resources can be efficiently reallocated and scaled up. At any time, the agency can readily bring in new specialists to work on your company's projects, establishing the agency as a reliable partner even for large-scale projects with tight deadlines.

Price

Freelancers operate solo, without any employee-related expenses. This allows for flexible work arrangements, often from the comfort of their own homes. They might not require costly campaign optimization tools, project management software, CRM, or ERP systems, opting for simpler task tracking methods like notebooks. Additionally, they may enjoy more favorable tax structures, allowing them to retain a larger portion of their earnings. Consequently, freelancers typically offer cost-effective rates, substantially more affordable than hiring an employee or engaging an agency. It's not uncommon for a freelancer to handle your campaign management for as little as 80-100 EUR per month.

On the other hand, PPC agencies maintain a dedicated team and provide you with an account manager or contact person responsible for coordinating all aspects of your business, especially if it extends beyond PPC. They often employ sophisticated and costly systems, may have office rent overheads, and invest in ongoing training and education to ensure your needs are met at the highest standards throughout the year. Of course, these advantages come with a price tag. Typically, you can expect to pay an agency fee of at least 200-250 EUR per platform for ad management, which may be subject to additional commissions based on spending levels.

Conclusion - working with a PPC agency or a freelancer

As previously mentioned, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, as each company's needs vary. Nevertheless, some key distinctions hold true:

A freelancer excels in specific areas, offering limited services with constrained capacity. While their familiarity with your business can be an advantage, communication may occasionally pose challenges. In exchange for these trade-offs, freelancers often provide cost-effective solutions.

On the other hand, a PPC agency boasts a dedicated team focused on your campaigns. If you require support in related fields, they're well-equipped to assist. Communication is swift and precise, resources are flexibly tailored to meet all your digital presence needs. However, this convenience comes at a higher price, often accompanied by more complex fees.

Regardless of your choice, remember that while PPC is vital, success in online marketing hinges on the professionalism of all your online elements (e.g., website, social media, branding, SEO, etc.). A coordinated approach is the most effective path to your business's success. It's evident that a freelancer, however skilled in a particular area, may not possess expertise across all domains, whereas a PPC agency can assemble a team of experts with a diverse skill set.

#m1-y#To help you make your decision, we've put together a summary table comparing PPC agencies and freelancers:##

#promobox#You have already made the decision to collaborate with a PPC agency?##