A Day In The Life of PPC Ian

I’m the greatest proponent of the corporate online marketing career path around. That’s why I created this blog, after all. In today’s post, I wanted to photo document my exciting day today, a day in the life of PPC Ian. This post will really highlight some of the advantages of working in this amazing industry, from a corporate perspective. In short, the benefits are unparalleled. While not all of my days are this fun, I do consider this to be a typical day when I attend online marketing conferences.

I Went To ad:tech San Francisco 2011

PPC Ian and Adknowledge at ad:tech

After getting into the office this morning and powering through some important projects, I headed over to ad:tech San Francisco. Since I work in San Francisco (the online marketing capital of the world), it was super easy to grab a five minute taxi ride and head over to Moscone Center West, the location of ad:tech. ad:tech is a really great conference. While I didn’t have a full pass this time to attend all the sessions (like I did at SMX West last month), I certainly had an amazing time catching up with both old and new friends. I spent a few hours going through the exhibit hall and meeting some seriously interesting companies and individuals.

PPC Ian and Marin Software at ad:tech

Above, you can see an image of yours truly with my friends from Adknowledge, an amazing advertising network that has driven stellar results for me over the years across multiple verticals. My campaign secret for the day: Give Adknowledge a try if you haven’t so far. Their unique system delivers results, period. How? They have gone on an acquisition rampage and have consolidated many of the second tier search engines (including Miva), becoming the fourth largest advertising marketplace on the Internet. Even better: They have strong roots in email marketing and offer the ability to advertise (on a PPC basis) to their email lists. AdKnowledge’s email lists truly convert, they offer some of the most premium traffic I have experienced over the years (often available at bargain basement prices).

After catching up with AdKnowledge, I headed over to the amazing Marin Software booth. I’m a huge fan of Marin Software and even interviewed one of their executives, Matt Lawson, here on PPC Ian. As you can see in the picture on the right, Marin has an incredibly impressive booth. They leveraged the same booth that debuted at SMX West last month. In my opinion, it’s one of the best looking booths around and it was no surprise that it drew some serious attention.

PPC Ian and Acquisio at ad:tech

After hanging out with my friends from Marin Software, I headed over to Acquisio. As you might remember from my post about SMX West, I met up my friend Marc Poirier, CMO and co-founder of Acquisio at that conference. This time around, I did not run into Marc but thoroughly enjoyed making some new friends. I couldn’t be more impressed with the Acquisio team and software. I particularly enjoyed getting a demo of the newest Acquisio functionality.

After Acquisio, I continued to walk around the expo hall for a while and was really impressed overall. Our industry is incredibly strong, the conference was absolutely packed, and the boots were cooler and more extravagant than ever. Want to see a really neat booth? Check out the LinkedIn one at the bottom of this post. (Side note: I highly recommend checking out my LinkedIn Tips, they will supercharge your online marketing career.)

Lunch At Straits Cafe

Lunch at Straits Cafe SF

After a while, I started losing my energy and was ready for a nice lunch. Thankfully, I ran into some of my friends from Stanford who also happen to be in the online marketing industry. I’d show a picture, but these guys just started a business that’s in super stealth mode and said not to post any pictures or links. I hope in the future that I’ll be able to review their exciting business.

Anyways, we headed over to Straits Cafe and the food was simply delicious. I had been to the Straits restaurants in Palo Alto and Santana Row before, but never SF. I was very happy with the selection and really enjoyed networking with some old friends. In this industry, your personal relationships and your network is your single largest asset in my opinion.

Giants vs. Dodgers Game From Marin Software’s Luxury Suite

Marin Software Giants Luxury Suite

After lunch, I was ready to head back to work. I got back to the office and powered through several hours of concentrated work. Thankfully, I was in the zone so I got a lot done fast. Then, it was time for fun again. As mentioned above, I’m a big fan of Marin Software. Right now, I’m a bigger fan than ever because they invited me to watch the Giants game from their luxury suite.

Have you ever flown first class before? It’s kind of like that. The first time I flew first class, I was floored. The difference between first class and coach is parabolic. It’s not the step up you would think, it’s a different world. It’s a world that makes me want to earn lots of money! That’s how I like to look at the Giants experience from a luxury suite. It’s not just a step up, it’s a whole other world, and I sincerely thank my friends at Marin for allowing me to enjoy the good life.

Me and Marin Friends at Giants Game

I had such an amazing time at the game. I enjoyed a limitless buffet of food, several Giants staff members catering to our every wish, amazing drinks, popcorn, an indoor lounge area, an outdoor seating area (right behind home plate), and of course great conversation with new and old friends. In short, this is the way baseball was meant to be enjoyed! It’s experiences like this that really get me excited about our great industry. After the Giants game, I headed home, chilled out with my amazing wife, and then wrote this blog post.

Oracle Luxury Suite Level

Now, it’s time to get some sleep and then do it all over again. While tomorrow’s going to be a bit more standard than today, one thing is for sure: This industry rocks! There is always something exciting around the corner and that’s why corporate online marketing is the ideal career path! Any of you guys visit ad:tech San Francisco this year? I’d be super curious to hear about your personal experience!

Some More Pictures From ad:tech San Francisco 2011

ad:tech San Francisco 2011 Digital Marketing Conference

The Impressive LinkedIn Booth at ad:tech San Francisco 2011