The document discusses reasons why pay-per-click (PPC) marketing may fail, which are referred to as "non-marketing doom". It identifies two main categories of failure: failures in process, and failures in understanding. For failures in process, it provides examples like stock issues, pricing issues, and poor customer service. For failures in understanding, it discusses clients not understanding concepts like attribution and lifetime customer value. It emphasizes that marketers should communicate clearly with clients, educate them, and know when an issue falls outside of the marketer's scope of responsibilities.

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WHEN GOOD
PPC GOES BAD
Based on a true story.

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Storytime…

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Imagine if…

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CTA 1 (Micro) CTA 2 (Macro)
Online Free Course Online Paid Class

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Success, right?

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Live footage of
monthly calls

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…and another.

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Also known as…

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Client is
Unhappy
Agency Fixes or
Tries
"Something"
That
"Something"
Doesn’t Work

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You can’t fix the
marketing,
when the marketing
isn’t broken.

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Identify & Communicate These 2 Areas of
Non-Marketing Doom
Failure in Process
Failure in Understanding

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CAVEAT 1
Know your Scope, within your service offering
and respect the dance.
Sometimes the best
and most honest
answer is:
“It’s not my job.”

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caveat 2:
CLIENT = BOSS
(in this
presentation)

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Non-Marketing Doom Category #1
Failure in Process

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Stock issues
Process
Failure

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 Regularly watch for key
product changes using
Google Reports.
 Remove “OoS” products
from GMC
 Ask client to set up
interstitials pushing visitors
to in-stock products
ACTION
REQUIRED:

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Pricing
Process
Failure

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 Regularly watch for key
product changes using
Google Ads Reports.
 ALERT: no major
imp/click/bid/SIS… but
significantly reduced
revenue/CVR
 CLIENT: regular competitor
SERP analysis
ACTION
REQUIRED:

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Bad CSRs
Process
Failure

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 Get access to recordings
 Lean into and report
leads sent, until sales
rep issues resolved
 STAND YOUR GROUND
(politely)
ACTION
REQUIRED:

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1. Stock Issues
2. Pricing
3. Poor Offer
4. Slow Site
5. Checkout Process
6. No Follow-up
7. Bad CSRs
Key
Process
Failures

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Non-Marketing Doom Category #2
Failure in Understanding

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Inexperience with how
attribution works
(channel silo-ing)
Understanding
Failure

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Visit
Sale
Assumption

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Visit
Sale
Reality
Visit
Visit
ebook
webinar
Video impression
Banner adRetargeting
impressions
Big Visit
Quick visit
Competitor
Research

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Doesn’t know actual
Lifetime Value (LTV)
Understanding
Failure

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Lifetime Value (LTV) =
Total Customer Revenue – Total Customer Costs

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No clear goals so
your campaigns
are “never good
enough”
Understanding
Failure

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You can’t hit what
you’re not aiming at.

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Doesn’t
Understand
Marketing
Understanding
Failure

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Controversial Statement Alert:
Technical Marketers don’t send conversions.
We don’t cause conversions.
We don’t create conversions.
We send targeted users to a website.
We are glorified traffic senders.

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“It sounds like
you’re saying it’s
all the client’s
fault.”
“BUT WAIT,
KIRK,
you blubber-headed,
mongoose-nosed,
odious,
ninny muggins…”

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“It sounds like
you’re saying it’s
all the client’s
fault.”
“BUT WAIT,
KIRK,
you blubber-headed,
mongoose-nosed,
odious,
ninny muggins…”
UNTRUE

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Remember Caveat 1:
Know your Scope, within your service offering
and respect the dance.
Sometimes the best
and most honest
answer is:
“It’s not my job.”

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What actions can simple
PPCers take to battle
understanding failures?

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Specifically grow in
identifying signs of
client-side issues

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communicate,
educate,
communicate,
illustrate,
communicate…

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Define together (or in policy):
what is the client’s responsibility,
what’s my responsibility?

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You avoid
Not My Job
mode,
…but…
help them
avoid NMJ
mode.

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Learn to Identify & Pre-
Filter Bad Clients

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maybe, just…
let them go.

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Just… avoid this:
Client is
Unhappy
Agency Fixes
or Tries
"Something"
"Something"
Doesn’t Work

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Thank you!