What are the benefits of choosing a dedicated PPC resource over a campaign retainer model at Mavlers?

So, you have done quite a bit of mystery shopping for the right fit partner agency to outsource your agency/brand’s PPC requirements and have shortlisted Mavlers as one of the prospective partners. 

As you go through the different engagement models at Mavlers, you find yourself in a dilemma over choosing between investing in a dedicated resource or going with the campaign retainer/recurrent model. 

We at Mavlers have 12+ years of experience catering to the digital marketing and PPC needs of many agencies and brands like yours. Over the years, we have learned the ropes of the trade and gained insight into the concerns and doubts of brands/agencies looking to outsource.

There are marked reasons why we suggest going for a long-term association rather than project-based PPC ventures. You can read all about it in our blog, “What do I need to know about long-term PPC management?”

In today’s blog, we will make an honest and transparent comparison between the campaign retainer model and hiring a dedicated PPC resource model based on the following pointers.

• Understanding the differences 
• Flexibility and adaptability 
• In-depth knowledge and expertise 
• Transparency and communication
• Cost-efficiency

As you go through the blog, you will be better positioned to make the right decisions for your unique PPC outsourcing needs and choose the best-fit engagement model. 

Understanding the differences between the campaign retainer model & hiring a dedicated PPC resource

In this section, we will explore an overview of the engagement models and their benefits and drawbacks. 

1. Campaign retainer model

Overview 

The campaign retainer model can extend from 3 to 36 months, depending on your paid advertising requirements. We suggest going for at least a minimum of 6 months of association to gain better insights and fine-tuned/optimized campaigns.

Over the initial 1.5 months, we will create a campaign strategy after communicating with you, set up new ad accounts (if not already created), get the PPC campaigns up and running, and audit the existing ones. 

In this model, we appoint a Subject Matter Expert (SME) who will communicate with you majorly along with an execution team consisting of up to 3 members depending on factors like the project complexity, campaign size, number of channels, etc. 

Advantages

1. You have a whole team at your disposal, replete with the Account Manager (AM), Subject Matter Expert (SME), and a bunch of execution members. They will address any queries, concerns, or possible points of difference as and when they arise. Also, if a team member is on leave and you have an urgent requirement that must be addressed, the other team members can pitch in and save the day!

Source

2. It can be a relatively inexpensive model for small or medium-level businesses. In the latter part of the blog, we will explore the pricing comparison. 

3. If you are a new business owner just starting with paid advertising, we can help you build a PPC strategy from scratch and get your campaigns up and running while you sit back and enjoy the influx of leads or conversions. 

Disadvantages

The team allocated to the campaign retainer model works according to their geographical location’s time zone (IST). This means that you might experience a slight delay in responses due to time zone differences, especially if you are based in Scandinavian countries. However, this might not be a big issue if you are based in the UK or the Gulf region.

2. Hiring a dedicated PPC resource

Overview

If you seek to hire a niche-based dedicated PPC resource, this model might fit you like a glove. Here, we allocate a dedicated PPC executive (the one who does the campaign execution work. Their experience level varies depending on the price range you choose) along with an SME (Subject Matter Expert, to overview the executive’s work) who has a good amount of experience in your industry’s niche so that they can address any challenge that may arise and overlook the work of the allocated dedicated resource.

While the team structure in the dedicated model is the same as in the campaign retainer model, the team member appointment varies depending on the campaign requirements and the level of expertise required. 

As enlisted above, the SME overlooks the work and functioning of the allocated dedicated resource, which is focused on delivering the results for your campaigns. 

You will connect with the dedicated resource more frequently during the week, along with the SME overseeing the progress. 

Advantages

1. Offers a more focused approach to your PPC campaigns with the allocated resource working dedicatedly on your requirements. 
2. This can be speedier because the dedicated resource works in your time zone, so there is little to no delay in responses, quicker resolutions, and faster execution.
3. It can prove to be a very cost-effective solution for agencies looking to outsource the PPC requirements of multiple clients. This is also cost-effective for enterprise-level clients and those whose monthly media spend budget is more than USD 10K.
4. Greater control over the process, progress, and outcome with more frequent feedback (daily or weekly, depending on the frequency highlighted in the Scope of Work).
5. If you have an in-house strategist and just need help executing the PPC strategy, hiring a dedicated PPC resource might be a good idea. 

Disadvantages

This model can prove to be an expensive option for small or medium-level brands or businesses. 

Flexibility and adaptability

While our team members are open to adapting to your processes and project management software in both models, the dedicated resource model offers greater flexibility. Let’s see how.

Firstly, you (the client) are in direct contact with the resource who gets the work done in the dedicated resource model, while the SME will still be on the calls to ensure synchronicity and quick deliveries. Meanwhile, in the campaign retainer model, the SME will relay the feedback and the requirement to the execution team, so there will be much more to and fro. 

Secondly, the dedicated resource works in your time zone, and you have the flexibility to introduce feedback or relevant campaign tweaks as and when the need arises. This can also be done in the campaign retainer model, but the response and execution will take longer.

In-depth knowledge and expertise

If you have set expectations regarding the PPC expert’s industry niche experience (number of years), communication skill levels, works in your time zone, and have a clear understanding of the tasks you would like them to execute for you, we suggest that you go for the dedicated PPC resource model.

However, if you are not very particular about the above parameters and would like us to make a choice for you, we can always get on a call, understand your unique requirements, and then suggest the right fit model for you. 

Transparency and communication

At Mavlers, we believe in the power of honest, clear, and crisp communication to ensure the success of your outsourcing venture. 

While we always maintain transparency in client communications in every model, if you seek quick responses and greater transparency in the hours invested by the resource working on your campaign, going for the dedicated model might be a better fit. 

Since the resource allocated to you works in your time zone for a fixed number of hours, you can expect quick and transparent updates on the project progress with them. 

Cost-efficiency

If you are wondering which model will be the most cost-effective for you, we would begin by saying it depends!

To make that decision, let’s look at the pricing for both.
The monthly fees for the campaign retainer model will depend on the media spend, as follows:

We also charge a one-time account set up fee, which varies depending on your media spend budget.

For instance, if you want us to set up an account for you and run PPC campaigns on one channel and your media spend budget is USD $3000, you will need to pay $1000 ($600 + $400) in the first month and then $400 monthly for the rest of the association. 

In the dedicated PPC resource model, the pricing will depend on the experience of the resource you seek to hire. 

Junior Level (3 years of experience) ~ $1750 – $2500 monthly

Mid Level (3-5years) ~ $2500-  $3500  monthly

Senior Level (5+ years) ~ $3500 – $4500 monthly

So, the dedicated resource model works out to be quite cost-effective for agencies with multiple clients of their own. However, the campaign retainer model might be better for you if you are an agency with only up to two clients. 

To qualify for hiring a dedicated resource, you must have at least 6-7 channels for the resource to work upon (for a part-time dedicated resource) and 13-14 channels for hiring a full-time dedicated PPC resource. 

However, suppose you are a new or small to medium business looking for end-to-end PPC campaign management. In that case, the campaign retainer model might be a more cost-effective option. 

So, what’s next?!

At Mavlers, we are committed to offering the truest, transparent, and latest information on digital marketing outsourcing trends and developments. 

Now that you are familiar with both PPC engagement models’ benefits and drawbacks, you might want to explore the pricing of PPC projects at Mavlers further.