When considering PPC services for your business, one decision you will have to make on the way is choosing between a PPC agency and consultant (in fact, you most likely clicked on this article to help with that exact decision!).
While both agencies and consultants aim to drive profitable leads and revenue through paid advertising, their approach, structure, and relationship with clients differ significantly.
- PPC agencies typically consist of multiple people skilled in PPC, account managers, developers, admin staff and directors.
- PPC consultants on the other hand are just the person skilled in PPC, covering admin duties themselves.
To help you decide between the two, I’ll compare both against seven key factors that are important to businesses deciding between choosing an agency or a consultant:
- Variety of Skills
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Resources
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Personalised Service
- Quality of Work
1. Variety of Skills
Winner: Agency
PPC agencies, by nature, typically have a broad team of experts including PPC specialists, developers, account strategists, copywriters and more.
This diversity allows agencies to handle projects requiring multiple skill sets across teams.
For businesses needing a wide range of services, an agency can provide a one-stop solution.
However, this breadth of skills may not always be necessary for projects requiring only 1-2 skill sets (e.g. PPC/SEO).
2. Cost-Effectiveness
Winner: Consultant
Although agencies can offer competitive pricing, but that usually includes the burden of office rent, team managers, and administrative support.
Consultants work differently. There’s no organisational padding – just direct access to their professional insight.
Consultants are often the wiser financial choice in PPC.
3. Resources
Winner: Agency
Owing to their access to a larger pool of professionals, agencies are often the go-to for sizeable PPC campaigns.
They can delegate responsibilities across their team, tackling several aspects at once.
If your business is after that kind of scale, an agency might suit your needs better.
4. Adaptability
Winner: Consultant
Agencies often operate using standardised processes, simply because they manage multiple teams and clients.
While the individuals working on your account may be adaptable, making wider changes can take time due to the setup and number of people involved.
Consultants, however, can tailor their approach from the start and adjust quickly if your business shifts direction.
This kind of agility is especially valuable in today’s fast-paced digital world.
Say you need to alter your PPC strategy mid-way through a project – a consultant can typically action that quickly, whereas agencies may need more time due to internal approvals and coordination.
5. Communication
Winner: Consultant
One of the most valued aspects of working with a consultant is the consistency they provide through a single point of contact.
It avoids the all-too-common agency scenario of switching account managers or navigating high staff turnover.
With a consultant, you’re in direct contact with the person who knows your project inside out.
This clear line of communication builds efficiency, trust, and a stronger long-term partnership.
6. Personal Service
Winner: Consultant
Consultants are often more personally invested in your success, simply because their livelihood depends on it.
They’re not answering to a board or working across dozens of accounts – their attention is fully on your needs.
This often leads to a more attentive and dedicated service.
Where agencies may juggle dozens of clients, a consultant treats your success as their own win.
7. Quality of Work
Winner: Equal
You can get excellent PPC support from both agencies and independent consultants.
Agencies often involve a range of specialists, but that sometimes means the work is distributed to junior staff for training.
Consultants tend to manage every detail themselves, resulting in a more consistent and focused execution.
Final Score
- Agency: 3
- Consultant: 5
Conclusion
Both Magento PPC agencies and consultants have their strengths.
While agencies bring extensive resources and a variety of skills, consultants may offer a more cost-effective, adaptable, and personalised approach.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of working with a Magento PPC consultant…read more