Interview with Poppy Court
We are delighted to introduce our next amazing Women in PPC expert, Poppy Court. Thanks Poppy for sharing your story with us!🌷
Share the story of how you first got into PPC?
I feel as though I almost stumbled into PPC!
I originally went to university with intentions of going into television production, but it became clear throughout the course that I wanted more security in my career. I had always been interested in marketing but never really knew what opportunities the industry had to offer, let alone how many marketing specialisms there were.
I walked straight out of university into a Marketing Executive role and automatically fell in love with all things marketing! I began by trialling everything, from SEO, email and social media but it was PPC where I started to find my passion. The ability to define your targeting and see instant results really excited me. I’m all about reviewing the data and finding opportunities to push campaign performance.
What was the proudest moment of your PPC career? Share your story!
My proudest moment has to be speaking at AdWorld Experience in Italy. I had a real pinch myself moment on the morning of my talk that my career had led to speaking at an international event. Who would have thought it?!
Also, getting my dad to actually understand what I do for a job. In his words “did you know you can pay to get to the top of Google?”. Yes, dad. What do you think I’ve been doing for a living?
Do you struggle with maintaining a healthy work-life balance? Share an anecdote!
Sometimes. My husband gets really irritated if he sees me checking in on a Google Ads account over the weekend but I can’t help myself! I either need to reassure myself that nothing has gone wrong or be up to date with performance growing in real time.
Have you ever experienced any problems or challenges as a PPC because you’re a woman? Share an anecdote.
Not necessarily because I’m a woman but I’m a massive introvert at heart. Even at school I was never one for speaking up and I’ve had instances in my career where I’ve held myself back from getting involved in conversations and meetings as I’m worried about what others will think.Â
I’ve got better over time but the fear can still creep in when I’m exposed to new situations or working with new clients.
Have you ever had any advantages or benefits as a PPC because you’re a woman? Share an anecdote.
The biggest advantage I’ve found is the ability to create connections with other women in the industry. This has been a real benefit to my career growth, especially within an industry that is typically dominated by men.
Are there any differences in how you’re treated as a female by clients? Share an anecdote.
In my previous role, I have had instances where clients have tended to speak directly to my male colleagues even though I may have raised the original point. I’ve never put this down to being a conscious decision by clients, but it does demonstrate that gender bias still exists.
Has a client ever underestimated you because you’re a woman? Share an anecdote!
Again, I don’t think I’ve ever thought it’s been down to being a woman but in the early part of my career, age played a big factor. Whilst I’ve been in the industry for 5+ years, I’m still only 27. There have been instances in meetings where clients haven’t necessarily responded well to my suggestions as they feel as though I don’t have enough experience.
 If you could wave a magic wand and change something in the PPC world, what would it be?
For paid media platforms to actually be developed by PPCers! I have so many bugbears with all of the paid platforms. It’s clear that some of the functionality has been decided by people that have never even managed a paid campaign. A platform that actually gave useful optimisation tools and insights would make my life so much easier!
What about being a PPC do you enjoy the most?
The ability to have real influence over the performance of a client’s business. My favourite accounts to work on are always the ones where you can see your hard work paying off. Whether it’s seeing revenue or company teams grow, it’s extremely rewarding to say I played a part in making that happen. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.
- Name: Interview with Poppy Court