When did you join the Webgains team?
It’s been exactly a year since I joined Webgains! It’s gone really quick.
What drew you to work in the performance marketing industry?
I finished university a year ago, where I studied journalism with public relations, which included marketing modules – the modules were so interesting and I really wanted to pursue something in this industry because it is still so young. There is still a lot to learn, so much to explore and a lot of room for creative thinking in terms of optimisations, which is very interesting.
Describe your typical day-to-day in the office?
It is always busy! I work in the client support team and we have around 400 self-managed clients across all territories, so you can imagine there’s never a quiet day! I help my clients with the technical queries they have, which is mainly to do with tracking as well as support with performance. Some of them need some help in terms of what they can develop and who they can work with.
We have self-managed clients from various categories so it is very important that I order my day correctly so I am giving suggestions that are bespoke for that particular client.
You’re part of the client services team – what do you enjoy most about your job?
I like the fact that our clients are so varied and come from all business sectors, from fashion and gardening to niche sectors such as insurance. If you have an open mind, you can learn so much about different businesses and how they work.
What’s been your career highlight to date?
I have recently been given my own portfolio of supported clients – they expect performance advice from me and it’s my responsibility to find the right partners to improve their performance and help them grow their affiliate channels. I am really proud of it as it shows that hard work pays off – I am at the beginning of my career and I am still learning a lot but it gives me more responsibility.
What do you think are some of the key trends happening in the performance marketing industry?
Everybody seems to be talking about Google Shopping Services offered by price comparison websites. Being able to have Google ads on a cost per action (CPA) basis will certainly be a game changer for some smaller brands that can’t afford to pay fixed prices on cost per click (CPC), which is such a good opportunity. The price comparison site will do the work for you. It is a lot to learn and understand but everyone is talking about it.
The influencer industry is also a talking point – big brands can afford to pay top influencers but we are thinking how we can incorporate that with smaller clients who may not necessarily have the budget.
And some of the key challenges?
In the industry as a whole – one of the biggest talking points is the challenge of knowing how you use different metrics for different partners because some of them need to be rewarded on a CPA basis and some of them are just emerging in the market. For example, blogger activity needs to be rewarded for upper funnel activity whereas most of the other affiliates can work on CPA. Basically, it needs to be a fixed tenancy for what they could provide in terms of traffic and brand awareness but for some of the smaller brands I work with, a fixed tenancy may seem like too much of a risk.
In my role specifically – I need to manage my time very well because I have so many clients and receive lots of queries; it is a case of knowing when my support has been enough.
Outside of your job, what do you enjoy?
I’m an avid reader – I find it hard to put a book down! I like to travel a lot and always have a holiday planned. I am going to Rome at the end of September!
Three words that best describe you?
Determined, ambitious and curious – I always have questions to ask.
What would be your top tip for newcomers entering the industry?
This is such a young industry, so you need to be open-minded and inquisitive as there is so much opportunity to learn.