Interview With Stéphanie (Head of PPC)

1) Where were you born and raised? Also tell us something unique about yourself.

I was born and raised in Hengelo, a small city in the east of the Netherlands. Rather than one unique trait, I believe it's the combination of experiences, perspectives, interests, mentality, and character that makes a person truly unique.

What makes me unique is how my brain links incoming information to my existing knowledge and experiences. I strive to create a complete picture, and until it's fully formed, I feel restless and continue to seek additional information and ask questions.

2) What got you interested in marketing and what was your journey?

In high school, I had no clear career direction, so I decided to pursue a shortened vocational diploma in Tourism. I figured that even if I didn't like it, it was only two years long; something I would be able to persevere to get a diploma. During this time, I developed an interest in marketing, which led me to study Marketing and Communications in Tourism at the university. There, I became fascinated by the online aspects of marketing.

After earning my bachelor’s degree, I began working in online marketing and joined my current agency about 11 years ago. Over the years, I’ve taken on nearly every role imaginable—from managing clients and specializing in Google Ads to mastering the implementation of Google AdSense in a website over a weekend.

I’ve adapted to the needs of our clients, gained extensive knowledge, and evolved into a T-shaped online marketer with a specialization in Google Ads.

3) What skills and industry do you specialize in?

I specialize in PPC, with the majority of my focus on Google Ads. My expertise also extends to SEO and data analytics. I enjoy supporting colleagues and clients by offering fresh perspectives, challenging their assumptions, discussing strategies, and delving into specific details.

4) What is your best soft skill?

My best soft skill is my curiosity and willingness to ask questions. I thrive in agency work due to the diversity of clients and the opportunity to learn about various industries. I'm not afraid to ask questions, believing that if I have a question, others probably do too. Even if a question seems ‘dumb’, then, in my view, that's the exact reason to ask it… you don’t wanna stay as dumb as you think the question is. Right?

5) What softwares and tools do you use regularly?

All tools in the paid media channels of course. Google Ads and Microsoft Ads editor, Tagmanager, GA4, search console, Producthero, datafeed management tools, SE Ranking, all the different kinds of content management systems. ChatGPT of course. And loads of other tools for smaller tasks like importing a xml file into Google sheets.

6) What are your goals for the next year and into the future?

I have a few focus points:

- Number one definitely is enjoying how my almost 2 year old is developing herself and supporting her in her journey. And learning more about child development.

- Having enough family time and spending time with my partner.

- Taking my time in slowly and steadily getting fit again.

- And keep on strengthening and training my knees since I badly injured my left knee during skiing this year.

- Workwise it is being a stable presence in our team.

- To further deepen my expertise in my field of specialization.

- Staying at the forefront of industry trends and advancements.

- Continuously enhancing my skills and knowledge.

7) What has been the hardest thing you dealt with in your career path?

Many of the challenges in my career stemmed from a lack of self-worth, something that I believe many people struggle with. It affects various aspects of life, often in ways that only become apparent over time. Letting myself make mistakes, deciding what to do in an account, dealing with clients…Working on gaining more self-worth, I gained more confidence and resilience, which helped me face personal and professional challenges..

One of the toughest moments was co-owning the agency for a year, only to have one of the partners decide they no longer wanted me in that role. As a woman who was proud to be a company owner and serve as an example, letting go of that position was particularly painful.

8) What is the biggest mistake you made that you want others to avoid?

Which one to choose… One of my biggest mistakes was setting up a campaign before the website went live and forgetting to update the URLs, which led to all links resulting in 404 errors. I didn’t have scripts in place to catch this issue, and Google Ads didn't proactively warn you in those early days.

This experience taught me the importance of implementing scripts and conducting thorough checks before and after launching any campaigns. Another mistake is delaying the implementation of new automations or functionalities Google releases, assuming they would hurt the account just because It is taking away part of your control on the campaign.

I've learned that it's often worth testing these updates, as they can sometimes yield better results than expected.

9) Who are your favorite people in the industry that you follow?

I’m trying to reduce my social media usage, which can be challenging in this industry. That’s why i’ve stepped back from actively following industry figures on X or LinkedIn. Mostly due to the overwhelming amount of self-promotion on LinkedIn and negativity often found on platforms like X. I’m still searching for effective ways to stay updated without having to visit LinkedIn or X.

I used to enjoy participating in the 'PPC Chat' on Twitter, although I haven’t been active there recently. I also keep up with industry insights through newsletters from Nils Rooijmans and I enjoy The Friday Roundup by Bob Meijer & Miles McNair . Additionally, as an agency, we attend various conferences, with the next one being ADworld Experience in October.

10) Who has had the biggest influence on your career to date?

My partner has had the biggest influence on my career, as we frequently discuss and navigate these decisions together. However, my employer has also played a significant role. I've always been given the space and freedom to shape my own career path—exploring my interests, focusing on areas I’m passionate about, and trying new things. This autonomy has allowed me to influence the direction of our agency and continuously seek out new challenges within the company.

11) What has been your favorite course that you taken and why?

My favorite learning experience wasn’t a course but a conference—Hero Conf in Austin, Texas. Attending alone allowed me to network extensively and connect with many people, whereas going with colleagues often means sticking together and missing out on broader interactions. I gained valuable insights on improving campaigns and processes, which was refreshing compared to other conferences that are more inspirational or give you the ‘ jeah we know, we should really do this’ reminder.

I haven't done many courses but the one that stands out most is the course I took with Nils Rooijmans on writing scripts for Google Ads. I enjoyed the technical aspect of script creation, making this course a perfect fit for my interests.

12) What would you tell yourself or someone who is just starting out in marketing?

Online marketing is one of the few fields where a formal degree isn’t strictly necessary, though it can be helpful. There’s a wealth of information available online, including free courses and expert to follow and loads of other online content. As long as you're committed to learning and staying up-to-date, you can achieve great success in this field.

13) If the entire world was listening to you, what would you have to say?

I would share a Dutch saying: 'Don't let your mouth speak about what your eyes haven't seen.' Too many assumptions are being made, and context is often ignored. We need to cultivate a genuine interest in understanding people with different opinions, culture and values. I believe we should be more cautious about sharing opinions or making statements without actually understanding the topic. If it isn’t kind, doesn’t add value, or if you're unsure of its truth, then you might wanna keep your mouth shut.

14) Where can we find you?

Behind my desk checking my e-mail ([email protected] ) Or chilling in my garden, checking my LinkedIn notifications.