Hey Everyone,
Just a few days ago, I posted my first video entry: Who Is PPC Ian? I’m really thrilled that it took off and already received over 250 views on YouTube in just a few short days! As promised, today marks my second video and I expect to post quite a few more over the coming months! I’m excited today to discuss my deep experience with pay per click automation build versus buy decisions.
If you read my Pay Per Click Automation post or Interview With Matt Lawson from Marin Software, you know I’m a huge fan of PPC automation. As someone who’s been through the decision many times and who has a Stanford Computer Science degree, automation is consistently top of mind for me. In my opinion, PPC automation is an absolute no-brainer for horizontal organizations with keyword sets spanning many different verticals (such as product shopping, financial services, education, home services, real estate, and more). However, I’m also a fan of automation for vertical organizations (those that are the 800 pound gorilla in their field) as well, those that have deep expertise within a very focused vertical.
Over the past few months, I’ve been on the phone with many folks in the pay per click industry right in the middle of the build versus buy decision. I know it’s a top priority for many large PPC organizations right now as teams are looking for the next big growth (and efficiency) driver. I truly hope my video helps in your personal decision. I know more than anyone that there’s no perfect decision that fits all organizations – Every time I’ve made this decision the outcome been a little different. Today’s video presents three thought points that will help you and your team work through your personal decision. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions and feedback, it’s always a pleasure to hear from you guys.
Sincerely,
PPC Ian (Ian Lopuch)
P.S. Huge thank you to my beautiful wife Nicole for shooting, editing, and producing this video!
Video "Pay Per Click Automation Build vs. Buy" © PPCIan.com (An IJL Productions LLC Website)
Image of Automation Factory © iStockPhoto – belknap
Hey Ian — Great post…love the video format. The other thing to think about is if you can have an internal build co-exist with a 3rd party solution. Sometimes people want a tailored bid algorithm, but still need to outsource the reporting, data capture, and analytics. Keep up the great work!
Matt,
Thanks so much for the comment and the compliment! I’m very excited about video and looking forward to many more in the future. Your point is very insightful and I totally agree. Everyone: Matt is one of the premier professionals in the PPC automation industry and you’ll definitely want to consider his point as well during your build vs. buy analysis. Thanks so much for pointing that out and sharing.
All the best,
Ian
Excellent analysis. Your summary of past versus present over 5 years in pay per click is spot on. The SEM collective definitely appreciates your insight.
Robby,
Thanks so much for the comment and kind words. I very much appreciate it, especially coming from another SEM guru!
All the best,
Ian
Ian, I read a statistic somewhere about the cost of developing/developers. It was shocking at how much value they can provide if you have one that KNOWS what they are doing. Unfortunately, many businesses lead towards the cheaper one (quality and price) because of the cost, when in reality, a good developer is well worth their weight in gold.