Anu Adegbola was nominated by Greg Finn in September 2021.
How long have you been working in PPC?
I have been working in PPC since 2008.
How did you get started in PPC?
It was a happy coincidence. I had studied Computer Science and Business Management in university but knew I didn’t want to do programming. So for some reason (that I can’t remember) I leaned into applying for entry level marketing roles. I had an interview with my first Paid Search employers, and they asked me whether I liked Microsoft Excel. I truly remember my eyes lighting up and thinking – “yes, finally! – something I know I will be good at”. Since then I just kept finding more opportunities to do data analysis.
If you went to college, what did you study? If not college, do you have any other degrees or certifications?
When I first arrived at university I studied Computer Science. After realising it was a lot of programming, which was not my forte at all, I dropped half of the modules and completed second half with Business Management modules – coming out with a Computer Science and Business Management degree. After a few years of work experience post-uni, I then went back to study a Masters in Marketing.
What was your first job that involved PPC?
My first PPC focused job was in an agency called Vizeum, working on large client accounts of the like of Coca-Cola and broadband company AOL. I definitely appreciated the opportunity of learning from already big accounts and I genuinely loved being the person who needed to pull the reports do some analysis on what the data was showing.
What is your current position and how long have you been in it?
I am a freelancer – working with different agencies. Apart from the odd 6 – 8 month break, I have been doing that quite consistently since 2017.
What kinds of things do you currently handle or manage in PPC?
I work on B2B and B2C accounts on the traditional Google Ads/Microsoft Advertising campaigns. I also work quite a bit in SA360 to manage bid strategies.
Has your career path had any hiccups or nontraditional aspects that you’d like to share?
It has quite a lot. It would take a whole essay to cover all of them in any detail. Overall the list is:
- I’ve been let go from jobs
- I’ve worked with sub-par managers
- I’ve been undermined by people I was managing
- I’ve been the subject of microagression, sexism, and exclusion because I wasn’t in the in-crowd
- I’ve been the scapegoat of things going wrong in a department
- I’ve had health affecting stresses from work
That’s the stuff I remember.
What are you most proud of in your PPC career?
I am most proud of the things I do outside the office – the many conferences I have been brave enough to speak at, my podcast series (#PPCChat Roundup) that I am committed to, building my personal brand on LinkedIn and Twitter with what people have fed back to me as very useful content.
I am so proud that I have not used my career to just benefit myself.
What, if anything, do you wish you could “do over” in your PPC career?
Honestly – nothing.
I am not the kind of person that lives in regret. Every opportunity, challenge, bump in the road has made me the resolute person I am today, who knows her worth (or at least is determined to continue to discover it).
If you could give advice to someone either considering or just starting out in PPC, what would that be?
Ask a lot of questions. It is important you are confident that you have been given all the resources you need to do your job well. And people briefing you with work won’t always be meticulous enough to do that for you.
Are you interested in speaking opportunities? If so, what topics are your jam?
Definitely – I have already spoken at quite a few conferences – BrightonSEO, SMX, HeroConf and more.
I tend to speak on Data Privacy, Automation, making the most of Microsoft Excel, and just really the latest in the industry.
Where can people find you to connect (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)?
Twitter: @themarketinganu
LinkedIn: in/themarketinganu/
Instagram: @ppcchat_roundup