Meet Becky Carré, Google Ads PPC Consultant, and our latest Featured Freelancer 🎤

Setting up an effective ad campaign isn’t as straightforward as adding card details and clicking publish. You may quickly find you’re paying out but the results aren’t coming in. That’s where PPC consultant Becky Carré comes in.

Read on to find out how Elevate PPC was born, and what Becky has been up to in the last 2 years.

What is your name and what do you do?

Becky Carré – I’m a Google Ads PPC consultant and the founder of Elevate PPC.

 

How long have you been running your business/freelancing and why did you start? 

Two years – I actually had my two year ‘business birthday’ this week!

In 2021 I was Head of Paid Media at a digital agency and going through a tough spot with my mental health and finding work/life balance. I needed a break from agency-life but still needed an income so I handed in my notice and picked up some freelance and contract work. The intention was to do it for a few months, but I’ve never looked back!

 

Finding clients is one of the biggest concerns for people starting out working for themselves. Where did you find your very first client or customer? Where do you mostly find them now?

I found my very first client by DM’ing someone looking for help on LinkedIn. I also did a LinkedIn post about going freelance and I had some great conversations with potential clients off the back of that.

These days I mostly find clients by word of mouth and recommendations. It’s always nice to get a personal recommendation from a satisfied client! I invested in a new website last year and I’m now starting to see that it draws in some good quality leads, but it’s been a long process.

 

What does a dream client look like to you and why?

I wouldn’t necessarily say a ‘dream client’ is a particular product or service (although I am a bit of a skincare and beauty junkie!), it’s more about the dream client relationship.

I love working with clients who really trust your expertise, are happy to take measured risks to achieve their goals, and are keen to understand PPC with an openness to learning.

I mostly work with small to medium sized businesses, as well as offering support to a couple of digital agencies, and I’m really lucky to work with some lovely people who I’d happily share Friday drinks with!

 

What app or social media platform could you not run your business without, and why?

LinkedIn is actually the only social media platform I use for my own business. There is a fantastic community of PPC specialists and freelancers on LinkedIn who are friendly, helpful and it’s where I often pick up tips and learn new things.

 

Is working for yourself what you expected? How do you manage a healthy work-life balance?

I thought being freelance would be working in fancy coffee shops, being a digital nomad, out every night at networking events, and signing a new client every week – but that is not reality!

But in all honesty, it’s better than I expected. I tend to start work early, around 7.30am or 8am. I start my day with ‘quick tick’ tasks like replying to emails, quick check-ins on my client’s Google Ads accounts, doing any finance or admin tasks, and checking in on LinkedIn.

Then I make breakfast and get stuck into the day’s project work with some ‘deep work’ time. This could be building a new campaign, copywriting for ads, an account audit, a proposal for a new project – no two days are the same.

I try to finish work around 2pm and have a late lunch before having the rest of the afternoon to myself. I’ll go for a run, walk into town to run errands, go to the gym, or any appointments. Then when my partner finishes work we always have dinner together and catch-up about our days – I really enjoy cooking and I use it to wind down after a busy day.

I’ll do a quick check-in on emails after dinner, but otherwise I have email notifications turned off on my phone. My clients know they can call me for anything urgent, but not having emails flashing up on my phone really helps me protect my non-work time and properly switch off.

 

What has been your favourite project to date?

I work with clients on a retainer basis and my favourite ones are long-standing relationships (I have clients who have been with me from the beginning) where I’ve seen their businesses grow. Seeing them being able to hire new staff and grow their business, knowing you’ve played a part in that, is really satisfying.

 

What is your biggest win of the last 12 months? 

I think it’s finding work/life balance and a schedule that works for me. In year one of my business I worked every hour I could and felt like I could never say ‘No’ to an opportunity – it led to me being pretty stressed, which is exactly what I’d been trying to avoid when going freelance.

But in my second year I’ve gotten much better at setting boundaries, knowing when to close the laptop, and really settled into a rhythm that allows me to balance earning what I want while working the hours I want.

 

What is it about running your business/being a freelancer that you most enjoy?

I most enjoy having the freedom to choose the type of work I do and who I work with. I try to travel as much as I can and I’d love to do a month working from somewhere abroad – knowing I have the freedom to do that is great.

I least enjoy doing my own marketing! I find self-promotion a bit cringey, but it’s necessary when you are your own Marketing Manager.

 

If you were given a free £1000 to spend on your business, what would you spend it on?

Someone to help me with my marketing!

 

What is your ONE top tip or piece of advice you would offer to other freelancers/small business owners?

Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s so easy to see people shouting about their success online and forget that they are at a different stage in their journey, or even running a completely different business!

Concentrate on your business and what works for you – there is enough work to go round and you are what makes your business unique.

 

And finally, is there anything you’d like to shout about right now?

I’ve just launched a new Google Ads Power Hour consultancy call offer. It’s ideal for small business owners who need help with their PPC but don’t have the budget for ongoing management. It’s a 60-minute call plus 14-days of email support to get your burning PPC questions answered.

 

You can connect with PPC consultant Becky on LinkedIn and via her website.

 

Visit our other Featured Freelancers here and, if you’re a UK freelancer and would like your profile in our freelancer directory, access to all our events and workshops each month, plus more, then sign up and test drive us for a week for free here.