The Top 15 PPC Experts to Follow on Twitter

I didn’t really start getting excited about Twitter last year (admittedly, super late to the game). Prior to this, I had been under the impression that it was just a forum for big brands to hop up on their soapboxes and promote their products or, on the flipside, for disgruntled customers to attract their attention and solicit a response from these brands.

It wasn’t until Larry Kim, a self-proclaimed Twitter maniac, introduced me to the platform that I realized how amazing it really is. You see, what Larry helped me understand is that Twitter it is actually a really powerful way to develop relationships with other SEMs, learn about up-and-coming PPC trends, and solicit advice on client accounts. In fact, I’ve found that the best way to use it is to follow people, rather than brands.

So, of the zillions of SEMs out in the Twitterverse, who should you be following? Here are the top 15 PPC experts I recommend keeping an eye out for!

 

1. Matt Umbro, @matt_umbro

Matt’s a pretty famous guy in the PPC world, not just because he’s a SEM guru, but also as he is the founder of #ppcchat, a weekly conversation that all serious PPCers should be participating in, or at least checking out streamcaps for on a regular basis. Matt does a great job of selecting topics for these conversions, which are a good mix of strategic, tactical, and news related items, as well as crafting a series of questions to facilitate a great online conversation.

 

 

2. Kirk Williams, @PPCKirk

Kirk, owner of ZATO Marketing, has become one of the top people to follow in the SEM space, largely due to his hilarious PPC-themed memes. You can rely on Kirk to produce a meme anytime a new AdWords/Bing product is launched and to reflect just about every emotion we account managers encounter (from client-induced frustrations to excitement over successes). Anytime you need a pick-me-up, browse Kirk’s complete meme gallery here.

 

 

3. Ginny Marvin, @ginnymarvin

Ginny, who covers all paid media stories for Search Engine Land, is the Katie Couric of PPC. By following her, you can ensure that you stay on top of each and every update in the PPC industry. Not only does she provide a rundown of upcoming changes, but she also offers valuable insights into the motivating factors behind each of these updates. Save yourself the trouble of constantly refreshing the AdWords Insights blog to stay on top of things and just follow Ginny. You can thank me later.

 

 

4. Maddie Cary, @maddiemarketer

I started following Maddie fairly recently, after she blew it out of the park at SMX West a few weeks back. Though she’s only been in the industry for a few years, it’s clear that she is a master of her trade and an up-and-coming PPC star. By following her on Twitter, you’ll hear all about experiments she’s running on client accounts, new PPC strategies, and the day-to-day life at her agency, Point It.

 

 

5. Larry Kim, @larrykim

Ok, I might be a little biased, since Larry is both my boss and mentor, but his Twitter feed is definitely worth keeping an eye on. He posts a steady stream of content on topics ranging from SEM to general business advice, as well as a slew of funny marketing memes and comics. If you’re thinking of starting your own SEM agency or are a budding startup entrepreneur, this is the account to follow. Plus, he tweets pictures of his adorable son Julian, sometimes known as #ppckid, as an added bonus.

 

 

6. Elizabeth Marsten, @ebkendo

Elizabeth recently took a role as the Director of PPC at Mercent, an offshoot of CommerceHub. Her Twitter feed is by far one of my favorite PPC-related accounts because she doesn’t take herself too seriously. I’d venture to say 75% of her tweets are blog posts outlining advanced techniques and the other 25% are funny quips about the industry.

 

 

7. Frederick Vallaeys, @siliconvallaeys

A former Googler, Frederick is always in-the-know about cutting-edge PPC tactics. He recently founded Optymzr, a tool designed to help agencies implement AdWords scripts and run automated progress reports, so he’s pretty much the leading authority on AdWords scripts.

 

 

8. Melissa Mackey, @Mel66

Mel was voted the #1 most influential SEM in 3QDigital’s 2015 bracket. Guys, she beat out 63 other PPC experts. If that fact alone hasn’t convinced you to click the follow button, keep in mind that she is a super active tweeter, blogger, and participant in #ppcchat. Plus, she has tons of agency and in-house experience, so she understands account management from both angles.

 

 

9. Christi Olsen, @ChristiJOlsen

I recently met Christi at a marketing conference and was drawn to her quirky personality and passion for the PPC industry. You’ll probably feel similarly when you start following her Twitter handle. Christi has a ton of online marketing experience—she’s worked in house for huge brands and now serves as the Director of SEM at Point It in Seattle. She’s also an Excel whiz, and shares tons of PPC-related Excel tips in her blog, Search Marketing Corner.

 

 

10. Jen Slegg, @jenstar

Having been in the industry for over 15 years, Jen is a regular fixture at marketing conferences and a leading SEM blogger. In fact, she lives and breathes internet marketing, so much so that she started her very own online publication, The SEM Post, which covers everything from PPC to SEO.

 

 

11. Luke Alley, @lukealley

Luke, the Director of PPC at Avalaunch Media, is quickly becoming the golden boy of the paid search industry. He’s a prominent participant of #ppcchat (he even ran the show a few weeks back!) and his recent speaking engagement at SMX West was a huge success. Luke’s definitely a rising PPC expert with a career worth following.

 

 

12. Margot da Cunha, @chappymargot

Margot is another up-and-comer who developed her PPC smarts during her time on the Customer Success Team here at WordStream. Now, she’s shifted her attention to creating vertical-specific content to provide guidance to advertisers in niche industries, like travel and healthcare. If you work in a tricky field, follow Margot to learn new tactics and whip your account into shape!

 

 

13. John Gagnon, @jmgagnon

Known by everyone in my office as “the Bing guy,” John is the face of Bing Ads. He presents at nearly every industry conference shares much of his data and slides via Twitter. Not only is he an expert on Bing Ads trends, you can also rely on him to share any updates released to the platform. If you’re advertising on Bing, you should definitely be keeping an eye on John’s Twitter feed. (And check out this interview we did with John on five things you didn’t know about Bing Ads.)

 

 

14. Julie Friedman Bacchini, @neptunemoon

Julie is the founder and president of Neptune Moon marketing agency and another frequent participant of #ppcchat. Julie is ridiculously knowledgeable about all things PPC, SEO and web design, and what I love best about her is that is super easy to relate to. Her most popular blog posts are witty AdWords rants (this one’s my favorite) that echo the frustrations that most of us PPCers feel on a regular basis. I should also note that anytime more novice PPCers post questions on Twitter, Julie’s one of the first people to respond with a helping hand.

 

 

15. Anonymous, @drunkPPCgirl, @ppc_cat

I’ll be the first person to admit that SEM can be a little dry at times. So, how do you liven up your Twitter feed without getting your head out of the game? Follow Drunk PPC Girl and PPC Cat…I’ll leave it to you to see what these are all about.

 

Now that I’ve shared my top tweeters with you, I’d love to hear who I’m missing. Which PPC pundits do you recommend following on Twitter?