On episode 324 of PPC Reside The Podcast On the most recent episode of PPC Reside: The Podcast, host Anu Adegbola sat down with PPC marketing consultant Adrienne Shaver to speak about one thing each marketer experiences however few brazenly admit: messing up.
Adrienne, who helps B2B SaaS and B2B manufacturers develop by way of a mixture of PPC, website positioning, and AI-driven methods, didn’t shrink back from sharing a few of her greatest early errors—and the way they turned the muse for her profession progress.
From Effectivity to Oversight
Adrienne’s story begins on this planet of website positioning, the place she managed content material for greater than 80 purchasers without delay. Within the rush to get issues achieved, one weblog slipped by way of with the fallacious consumer’s identify connected. “My abdomen dropped so arduous,” she recalled. “I assumed, that’s it, my profession is over.”
As an alternative, her supervisor modeled the right way to deal with it with professionalism, whereas Adrienne took accountability and shortly put guardrails in place to ensure it didn’t occur once more. That lesson in transparency caught together with her.
Later, whereas transitioning into PPC, Adrienne tried to streamline advert copywriting by making a single doc of ready-made phrases she may adapt throughout purchasers. It appeared sensible—till her supervisor caught almost equivalent copy written for 2 competing med spa accounts. “We will’t try this,” her supervisor reminded her. It was one other robust however beneficial lesson in balancing effectivity with element.
The Significance of Guardrails
At present, Adrienne emphasizes safeguards, second eyes, and course of as non-negotiables. “Errors will occur,” she stated, “however what issues is the programs you place in place to stop them sooner or later.”
Her greatest recommendation to freelancers and consultants?
- Take accountability instantly. Personal the error slightly than deflecting blame.
- Present your plan. Shoppers recognize realizing what steps you’ll take to ensure it doesn’t occur once more.
- Ask for assist. Contemporary eyes from a supervisor or peer can catch what you would possibly miss.
On AI and Trade Shifts
Adrienne additionally shared her perspective on AI in promoting. Too usually, she sees manufacturers deal with instruments like ChatGPT as in the event that they’re flawless search engines like google and yahoo. “It’s not magic,” she stated. “You want context, prompting, and human oversight. AI ought to be handled like a coworker—you should practice it.”
She additionally cautioned in opposition to outdated business practices, noting that guide CPC bidding continues to be surprisingly frequent in 2025. Reporting, too, usually lags behind. “Impressions and CTR aren’t sufficient,” Adrienne careworn. “Shoppers want perception deeper down the funnel—on leads, conversions, and progress.”
Why Speaking About F-Ups Issues
For Adrienne, sharing errors brazenly is simply as essential as sharing wins. Too many juniors in PPC panic after they make their first mistake, believing they’ve failed. “No success comes with out failures,” she defined. “Fail usually, however study from it. That’s the way you turn into a greater marketer.”
When requested what sort of film her PPC profession can be, Adrienne laughed and described it as a “scary comedy”—stuffed with moments the place you wish to yell, “Don’t go within the basement!” but in addition crammed with humor, classes, and progress.
Ultimate Ideas
Adrienne’s profession proves that errors don’t outline you—the way you deal with them does. By embracing accountability, constructing robust processes, and staying clear with purchasers, she turned her early f-ups right into a supply of belief and credibility.
As Anu closed the dialog, she reminded listeners that PPC is altering quicker than ever. What was greatest apply a number of years in the past is outdated right now. The hot button is staying adaptable—and remembering that even errors can push you ahead.
Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. We stay dedicated to offering high-quality protection of promoting matters. Except in any other case famous, this web page’s content material was written by both an worker or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.