Got my first Adwords client, now what? How to handle the workflow?

What possessed you to take on a client that you have absolutely no idea how to service?

You're bound to lose money on this deal, but I guess if you 'rinse and repeat' you can make it up on volume.

Cheers. - Frank

My first reaction was to feel sorry for the client, especially if he was naive enough to pay up front. Then I reminded myself that the only way some people learn to duck is to get punched in the face.

Perhaps you might want to consider learning how to manage an Adwords account (yours) before trying to sell the service.

This reminds me of the "Offline Gold" hysteria that went through here a few years ago. Every day there were new posts by desperate people whose mouths wrote checks their skills couldn't cash.

I'd say you should return the money and learn your business.

[I wonder what the over/under is on # of posts before someone suggests Fiverr?]

Of course u should built a list, try fiverr and just take MASSIVE action then u will be huge success.

great post

Hi Silver20,

AdWords is the most competitive marketplace for advertisers on the planet. You need a bit of experience before you can competently manage campaigns for clients. My advice to you is to hire an experienced AdWords account manager, or sub it out to an agency. That way you can maintain your own reputation, service the client properly, all while you watch over the shoulder of a professional to learn the craft. Otherwise, you are setting yourself and your new client up for a fail.

Having said that, you can never learn anything until you actually start doing it. So if you and your client are willing to invest money in your education then please follow this advice:

Start with a goal that is based on your client's primary business objective. I can't tell you how many times people have come to this forum asking whether their campaign stats were good, or bad. Typically they have never even bothered to set a goal, and when asked, it is something vague like "make as many conversions as possible". If you have no specific goal then you can never reach it.

Let me make an analogy:

Think of your marketing campaigns as a sailing vessel and yourself as the captain of that vessel. If you set sail with no particular port in mind then how will you know if you are on course, or whether you are making progress toward any worthwhile goal?

If you ask the captain of a passing ship if you are on course for your objective, how will he answer you if you haven't even picked a waypoint?

Launching an AdWords campaign without a clear objective, and no specific goals, will leave just as lost as a poor sailor who sets out without a specific port in mind, nor charts to guide his journey. If you have a clear objective, and a specific, measurable, and time-bound goal for your campaigns then at least you will know if you are making progress, or just lost in an ocean of competition where you will eventually sink, taking your client's business with you to the bottom of the sea.

Don't be that idiot that goes out and sinks his boat, taking his paying passengers down with him, just because he didn't want to hire a competent captain to man the helm.

Holy crap, dude! How many adwords campaigns have you managed? Are you at least Adwords certified by Google?

Honestly, the questions you're asking show that you have absolutely no idea what you're doing. Even worse, you want clients to pay you for not knowing what you're doing.

Fire your first client. Tell them politely that you won't be able to complete their project. Trust me, a paying client does not want to hold an Adwords manager's hand while you learn the ropes. They want results and a good ROI.

Trust me, it's better to cut things off now than have a pissed off client demanding a refund. That's not the way to start your business.

Gain experience!!! Manage your own Adwords campaigns first. If you become successful at that, then move to doing some pro bono work for a non profit or something. It'll teach you how to deal with clients without having to worry about money. They can also be great references for when you start finding paying cients. I did this when I began as a freelance writer and the experience was invaluable!

In short, learn this stuff BEFORE you start taking on cliemts. No one here will hold your hand.

I do writing and editing and have been for over 6 years. I still knock back work if it's not something within my skill set as "writing" encompasses such a huge area.
I certainly would never try to do work for any client, regardless of the money involved, if I didn't know what I was doing.

OP. My advice to you is partly what has already been mentioned. If the client has paid you, refund their money and explain that you're so new to it all that you have zero experience.
Then do your research. Run your own campaigns and learn so you can do work for other people. Clients don't want to pay somebody who can't do what they want done. That's the bottom line.

Thank you for feedback everyone. I have managed my own campaigns with success, but I guess I should have phrased my question way differently.

What are the best practices when taking on a client? This is the first time I have to report to someone else.

Obviously u ought to constructed a rundown, attempt fiverr and simply make MASSIVE move then u will be gigantic achievement.

I Agree => you might want to consider learning how to manage an Adwords account (yours) before trying to sell the service

Wow!

This is an all-star thread. You gotta love this place.

Steve

well if you don't know how to manage his account why are you attempting to? easiest thing is to let them go, and maybe learn a bit more before acting. good luck man.

It is dependent on what your contract states.


Normally, if you are hire, you will identify the keywords and present it to them why choose it. Most of the clients asks freelancers to send reports per month about their campaign and sales. If you want to suggest somethng to your client, you can contact them via email or IM (skype, Google hangout, or whatever IM software they are using).

The client will pay their campaign. They can attach to your adwords account and set a prepaid payment for their campaign. But you're the one to set the budget on each campaign you will make.

Hi Silver20,

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you take most of the advice you are getting in this thread with a grain of salt. Some of the things be posted are so ridiculous it had me rolling on the floor laughing.

The old WF isn't what it used to be, it isn't even a shadow of it's old self.