This document discusses when and how to pivot a PPC strategy. It recommends pivoting when the competitive landscape changes, targeting options change, a new product is launched, or the account stops performing. It suggests ways to pivot like adjusting audiences and creative when facing policy changes, identifying a new plan and testing timeline for new products, and reviving old successes or fixing issues when past risks failed. The key takeaways are that pivots are inevitable, to think creatively while considering known data, and to make decisions guided by the data rather than delaying.

1. When & How to Pivot Your
PPC Strategy
Carrie Albright | Hanapin Marketing Jacob Fairclough | Hanapin Marketing

2. WHEN TO PIVOT HOW TO PIVOT

3. WHEN TO PIVOT
Competitive Landscape Changes
● New Competitors
○ Completely new entrants in a crowded market
○ Quickly rising brands with aggressive budgets
○ Brands with high affinity
● Old Competitors are more aggressive
○ Competitor invests more heavily in advertising

4. WHEN TO PIVOT
Policy/Targeting option changes
● Lose Access to Audience
○ Demographic targeting unavailable
○ Search terms no longer show ads
● Messaging Limits
○ Can’t mention specific terms
○ Limits on calls to action

5. WHEN TO PIVOT
You are the one changing
● New Product or Service
○ May require change in tracking success
■ New KPI targets
■ New KPIs
● Drastically different service offering
■ New customer acquisition plan (new way to measure leads)
■ New conversion types

6. WHEN TO PIVOT
You took a risk and it didn’t work
● Overextended your reach
● Budgeted too aggressively
● Only found low value customers

7. WHEN TO PIVOT
Account has slowly stopped performing
● Volume decline
● Efficiency loss

8. WHEN TO PIVOT
HOW TO PIVOT

9. HOW TO PIVOT
Competitive Landscape Changes
● NEWBIES
○ Hold your ground (& existing performance)
○ Where can you shed some weight?
○ Creep on them for a change
● OLDIES
○ Double down on what works
○ Get rid of what doesn’t

10. HOW TO PIVOT
Policy/Targeting option changes
● Adjusting your audiences
○ Look for other networks and platforms.
○ Use similar audiences or lookalikes as proxies.
● Getting creative with creative
○ Identify top performing copy that does not include offending language
○ Look for additional messaging and differentiators.

11. HOW TO PIVOT
You are the one changing
● New Product or Service
○ Identify your new plan.
○ Create a testing timeline.
Creating a timeline and firm
can thwart early intervention
by stakeholders.
Early optimization can derail
your test and make it harder
to identify what worked.

12. HOW TO PIVOT
The account has just slowly stopped performing
● Be Better ● Don’t Be Bad ● Get Good
Again

13. HOW TO PIVOT
You took a risk and it didn’t work
● RUN!
● Revive old successes
● Fix your monster

14. TAKEAWAYS
Strategy pivots are inevitable Your response may vary, however.
● Keep an open mind. Think outside the box.
● Consider what you do know.
● Let the data guide you.
● Don’t be afraid to make a decision. Wavering tends to delay the inevitable.