Andrea Cruz was nominated by Konda Reddy Gowreddy in June of 2021.
How long have you been working in PPC?
I started working in PPC during 2015!
How did you get started in PPC?
By accident, like a lot of people. I had a fabulous internship at KoMarketing and they were seeking a PPC strategist. I applied, learned a lot and was given the opportunity to take the job.
If you went to college, what did you study? If not college, do you have any other degrees or certifications?
I have a Bachelor’s in Business Administration that I got in my home country, Venezuela. I also have a Master’s in International Business from Hult International Business School.
What was your first job that involved PPC?
KoMarketing has been the first and only job where I have been responsible for PPC. That being said, back in 2013 or so, I worked on organization and methods and had to develop procedures for their marketing team. I fell in love with the marketing tasks at that time, even though I was not responsible for them.
What is your current position and how long have you been in it?
I am a Senior Digital Marketing Manager and I got promoted to the position in January of 2021.
What kinds of things do you currently handle or manage in PPC?
A lot of things! I implement and audit paid search and paid social campaigns. I also handle the relationship, strategies and goals with my clients. Additionally, I coordinate with my colleagues, delegate responsibilities for the team, assist in their training, and support their completion of future tasks.
Last but not least, I do coordinate SEO efforts when they are involved in the account as well.
Has your career path had any hiccups or nontraditional aspects that you’d like to share?
Something nontraditional about my career is that all my jobs prior to KoMarketing had nothing to do with marketing or advertising. That being said, they all made me a better marketer today.
My first job was in internal audits where I became an excel master. My second job was in sales, so being organized and feeling confident in meetings came as a result of it.
My third job was related to creating procedures and processes, which is critical when working on digital marketing, and the list goes on.
What are you most proud of in your PPC career?
I am very proud of my ability to learn new platforms and solve challenging problems by being creative and resourceful. There are so many unanswered questions you can come up in your PPC career but curiosity can take you very far.
If you could give advice to someone either considering or just starting out in PPC, what would that be?
Never stop learning. Something changes every single day. If you love what you do, engaging in #ppcchat on Twitter or listening to podcasts such as Marketing O’clock, would be a time to learn from the best in the industry while having a good time.
Are you interested in speaking opportunities? If so, what topics are your jam?
I am always interested in speaking opportunities. My jams are anything related to B2B advertising – like Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and basically anything that ends on Ads.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you to all the people in the PPC industry who are constantly sharing their problems, solutions, creative thinking, and even jokes. You make our industry better.
Where can people find you to connect (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)?
Hit me up on Twitter at @andreacruz92
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/acruzlopez/