Thursday, September 1, 2016

6 Perfect Playlists For PPC Account Management

Music makes millennials more productive. Fact, not opinion. Our hips wouldn’t even dream of lying.

spotify playlists for ppc management

WordStream, like any business brimming with twentysomethings, is a workplace where music matters.

Now, I can’t speak for our sensational engineers or unrivaled sales team (we’re hiring!), but on the fifteenth floor, the home of our customer success and managed services teams, if people aren’t on the phone or chatting in a communal area, they’re wearing headphones.

Personally, without auditory stimulation my productivity slows to a crawl. The snippets of friendly banter and one-sided client conversations of co-workers cannot be drowned out by willpower and keystrokes alone.

To my fellow account managers’ chagrin, I’m the person who draws sideways glances and weekly “hey, could ya turn that down a little” from two rows of cubes away (yes, while wearing headphones. I have a problem, let’s move on). Sometimes it’s a twangy banjo inciting their wrath. Others, a bit of boom-bap.

ppc playlists

That being said, not all tunes are created equal.

For tasks that require the utmost attention, lyrics can pose a problem. Conversely, when I’m doing something, shall we say, uninspiring – scaffolding an account from scratch or adding negatives – without words I’d go insane.

This post, for example, is brought to you by the best plunderphonics album on the planet.

To help my fellow PPC account managers stay focused during the workday, I’ve made hour(ish) long playlists for each of the following sets of tasks:

  1. Tracking & Reporting
  2. Qualitative Account Optimization
  3. Quantitative Account Optimization
  4. Data Entry & Rote Tasks
  5. Pre-Client Call

But before I get to the goods (all of which include Spotify links!), a philosophical debate...

To Podcast or Not To Podcast: That Is The Question.

Big ol’ stack of repetitive tasks to complete? Staring down a day of data-entry doldrums? Tuning in to the dulcet tones of Terry Gross could be your life raft.

But for anything that requires more than a modicum of thought? No way.

I used to finish between three and five audiobooks at work every week. When I blew through the BPL’s online collection, I switched to podcasts. Then I got my first client.

As I began taking on more and more accounts, learning about 17th century peacock recipes or the rise and fall of Steve-O at work became impossible.

I switched to music and haven’t looked back.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the music...

Daily Tracking & Reporting

Genre

Hip-Hop Meets Goldilocks

Why it does the job

The all-too-familiar Monday morning routine. You roll into the office, fetch coffee, dawdle back to the ol’ cube and begin the ritual of account temperature-taking: checking key KPIs, ensuring metrics for the weekend weren’t out of whack.

If everything looks kosher, it’s time to start slaving over client reports (or your own figures). Now, this isn’t a mindless task. You need to have your wits about you: music (and a few cups of dark roast) can make that happen.

Not something TOO mellow. Not TOO hype. It’s gotta be just right.

The tracks I’ve cobbled together are the greatest hits greatest hits. They represent a trimmed down version of my favorite playlist on the planet (used by more WordStream account managers than you can count on one hand).

It’s got your classics (Regulate, It Was A Good Day, Halftime). It’s got deep cuts (Daytona 500, Madd Skillz).

Regardless of how the numbers look, this is the perfect way to kick off your workweek.

Listen and subscribe here!

Qualitative Account Optimization

Genre

Creative Writing Workshop In A Speakeasy

Why it does the job

First thing’s first: what on Earth does “qualitative account optimization” mean?

Short answer: anything involving words.

When it comes to writing copy for paid search ads, lyrics can be a major distraction. You aren’t looking to start a one-person club at your desk, either (fret not: we’ve got plenty of that coming up). This leaves your aural options somewhat limited.

I can’t do classical. It puts me right to sleep. Sometimes, hip-hop instrumentals do the trick, but then I just want rhymes, too.

Jazz, on the other hand, is the perfect writing music.

With something as brief and potentially uninspiring as a PPC ad, it’s easy to stagnate and crank out the same dull copy as your competitors. The rapid changes in tempo and volume present in this playlist offer the perfect jolt of creativity.

Listen and subscribe here!

Quantitative Optimization

Genre

The coolest music you’ve never heard (of)

Why it does the job

When it comes to budgets, bids, and scripts, I’ve got a bit of cognitive dissonance.

Numbers aren’t my thing. When I got to WordStream I barely knew how to use Excel. And while my spreadsheeting skills have certainly improved, my disdain for digits hasn’t wavered.

Luckily, this playlist is excellent for two things: a sleepy morning commute, and any task involving numbers.

As an added bonus, in many cases the lyrics are indiscernible: you won’t find yourself singing along when you should be maximizing ROI. Watch out for head bobbing and foot tapping, though.

Listen and subscribe here!

Data Entry & Rote Tasks (Choose Your Own Adventure)

We’re going to switch it up a bit with this one. This category represents the least exciting facets of PPC account work. I’m talkin’ feed building, account imports, UTM parameters, adding negatives, labeling: anything that makes you wish your office had a nap room.

To keep from falling asleep after lunch and during monotonous tasks, you need a wall of high-BPM, weapons-grade sound. We’ve got you covered.

Because fracas comes in many flavors, here are two options. Choose wisely (or try both!)

Genre

Pitchfork-Conscious Frat House

Why it does the job

It would be physically impossible to fall asleep listening to any of these songs. Turn your headphones up and try to be anything but too productive. I dare you.

Listen and subscribe here!

Genre

METAL

Why it does the job

A word of warning: apologize to everyone around you before and after you listen to this playlist. Sorry, Mark, but sometimes the only thing that can get me through building a 40,000 product shopping campaign is METAL. And who listens to Slayer at a respective decibel?

The only thing faster than these songs will be your fingertips while listening to them.

Listen and subscribe here!

Pre Client Call

Genre

Fence paintin’

Why it does the job

Something about toiling outside in the muggy New England summertime, painting fences and lopping down trees, with nothing but a crackling radio for entertainment, puts me at ease.

As a kid, I used to do yard work with my dad every weekend. It was rarely fun, but at the end of every day, there was tangible evidence that you accomplished something. This is how I approach conversations with clients.

About thirty minutes before a weekly client meeting, I throw on some classic rock and survey the work done and account performance since we last spoke.

Listen and subscribe here!

***

Is your favorite song missing? Did we skip over a genre that incites your productivity like no other? Let us know what you like to listen to when you’re working!



from Wordstream Blog Feed http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/09/01/ppc-management-playlists
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