Don't Panic PPC Podcast

Don't Panic PPC is the podcast where PPC professionals share honest conversations, practical advice and real experiences from across the industry.

Are PPC conferences actually worth attending? And do you need to get on stage to make a name for yourself in the industry?

In this episode, Meriem, Veronica and Thuha discuss conference season, starting with HeroConf moving into its own venue away from BrightonSEO. We're not entirely in agreement about the change. Is having a dedicated PPC space a positive step for the industry, or are we missing an opportunity to bring PPC and SEO closer together at a time when collaboration matters more than ever?

We also talk about how we decide which conferences are worth attending, from networking and catching up with industry friends to finding talks that offer genuinely practical advice. With so many events competing for our time and money, what actually makes one worth the trip?

And then there's speaking at conferences. We share our different experiences of pitching, presenting and dealing with nerves, including why you shouldn't feel pressured to get on stage just to prove your expertise. If speaking is something you'd like to try, we also discuss where to find support and encouragement from people in the industry.

You'll hear about:

• HeroConf and BrightonSEO separating, and what it could mean for PPC and SEO collaboration

• How to decide which PPC conferences are worth attending

• The importance of networking and practical takeaways

• Why we choose to pitch and speak at industry events

• Dealing with nerves and the pressure to become a conference speaker

• How communities can help you take your first steps into public speaking

Don't Panic PPC is the no-fluff podcast about PPC, paid social and the reality of working in paid media.

Hosted by Meriem Nacer, Thuha Wright and Veronica Ruiz Morcillo, we bring three different perspectives from agency life and running our own businesses. We talk Google Ads, Meta Ads, Microsoft Ads, LinkedIn Ads, AI and everything else the platforms throw at us, alongside freelancing, careers, running a business, supporting junior marketers, women in the industry and the lessons we've learned along the way.

Whether you're just getting started, working agency-side or in-house, freelancing, running your own business or you've been doing this for years, expect practical advice, honest conversations, different opinions and the occasional rant.

Join the Don't Panic PPC Community:
https://www.4mdigitalconsulting.com/dont-panic-ppc

Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dontpanicppc/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Veronica Ruiz Morcillo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verorumor

Thuha Wright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuhawright/

Meriem Nacer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meriemnacer/

And remember, we're all figuring it out as we go. Don't Panic.

Don't Panic PPC is the podcast where PPC professionals share honest conversations, practical advice and real experiences from across the industry.

Does being named one of the top PPC influencers mean you're one of the best at PPC? And if you're doing brilliant work but nobody outside your team knows about it, how do you start getting recognised?

In this episode, Meriem, Veronica and Thuha catch up after BrightonSEO and PPC Hero, where Meriem was speaking and the three of us managed to squeeze in some talks, networking and a bit of fun. We share our favourite sessions, what we learnt about Meta Ads and creative testing, and why preparing to speak at a conference can make it surprisingly difficult to concentrate on anyone else's presentation. There's also some discussion about the lack of GIFs in this year's talks, and whether Meriem's cats should be offended that they didn't make it into her slides.

We then revisit the Top PPC Influencers list, which sparked quite a conversation in a previous episode. After looking more closely at the rankings and their criteria, we discuss what being influential in PPC actually means and why it isn't necessarily the same as being brilliant at managing campaigns. There are plenty of talented people doing fantastic work behind the scenes who aren't constantly posting on LinkedIn, speaking at conferences or building a personal brand. So how else can you share your knowledge, build your reputation and get noticed?

That brings us to industry awards. Having all experienced judging PPC awards, we talk about what it's actually like reading entries, what makes a submission stand out and why following the judging criteria is more important than you might think. We also discuss the cost of entering, getting support from your employer and why you shouldn't automatically assume your work isn't good enough to win. You might be doing something award-worthy without even realising it.

And as Meriem points out, if you don't put yourself forward for awards, you're never going to win one!

You'll hear about:

• Our highlights and favourite talks from BrightonSEO and PPC Hero

• How the Top PPC Influencers list works and what the rankings actually measure

• Why being influential doesn't necessarily mean being the best at managing PPC campaigns

• Why you shouldn't compare your PPC career to an influencer ranking

• Getting noticed in the industry without constantly posting on LinkedIn

• How PPC communities can help you share knowledge and build your reputation

• Why industry awards are worth considering, even if you've never entered before

• What PPC award judges look for and why following the criteria matters

• How storytelling can make an award entry stand out

• Why you might be doing better work than you give yourself credit for

Don't Panic PPC is the no-fluff podcast about PPC, paid social and the reality of working in paid media. Hosted by Meriem Nacer, Thuha Wright and Veronica Ruiz Morcillo, we bring three different perspectives from agency life and running our own businesses. We talk Google Ads, Meta Ads, Microsoft Ads, LinkedIn Ads, AI and everything else the platforms throw at us, alongside freelancing, careers, running a business, supporting junior marketers, women in the industry and the lessons we've learned along the way.

Whether you're just getting started, working agency-side or in-house, freelancing, running your own business or you've been doing this for years, expect practical advice, honest conversations, different opinions and the occasional rant.

Join the Don't Panic PPC Community:
https://www.4mdigitalconsulting.com/dont-panic-ppc

Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dontpanicppc/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Veronica Ruiz Morcillo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verorumor

Thuha Wright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuhawright/

Meriem Nacer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meriemnacer/

And remember, we're all figuring it out as we go. Don't Panic.

Don't Panic PPC is the podcast where PPC professionals share honest conversations, practical advice and real experiences from across the industry.

How do you actually find clients when you start freelancing in PPC? And what happens if you don't already have a network of people who know what you do?

In this episode, Meriem, Veronica and Thuha share their experiences of finding freelance work, why so many opportunities come from relationships built years earlier, and how communities can help you build those connections. We also discuss whether going straight into freelancing is realistic for someone new to PPC, the differences between agency and in-house experience, and why white-label agency work isn't necessarily the best place for beginners to learn.

Then there's getting yourself noticed. Do you need to specialise in one industry, build a personal brand or post on LinkedIn every day? We have some fairly strong opinions about creating content just for the sake of it! And in a rather unexpected moment, we discover how Thuha has been getting enquiries from people finding her through ChatGPT, so naturally we put it to the test during the recording.

Whether you're thinking about going freelance, struggling to find clients or looking for ways to build your reputation without turning LinkedIn into a full-time job, this episode shares what we've learned from our own experiences.

You'll hear about:

• Where freelance PPC clients come from and why networking matters

• Building connections through communities, colleagues and other marketers

• Agency vs in-house experience and whether beginners should go straight into freelancing

• Finding opportunities through white-label work and freelance platforms

• Niching, LinkedIn and getting noticed without constantly promoting yourself

• How ChatGPT is becoming another way for potential clients to discover PPC freelancers

Don't Panic PPC is the no-fluff podcast about PPC, paid social and the reality of working in paid media.

Hosted by Meriem Nacer, Thuha Wright and Veronica Ruiz Morcillo, we bring three different perspectives from agency life and running our own businesses. We talk Google Ads, Meta Ads, Microsoft Ads, LinkedIn Ads, AI and everything else the platforms throw at us, alongside freelancing, careers, running a business, supporting junior marketers, women in the industry and the lessons we've learned along the way.

Whether you're just getting started, working agency-side or in-house, freelancing, running your own business or you've been doing this for years, expect practical advice, honest conversations, different opinions and the occasional rant.

🎧 Subscribe so you never miss a new episode.

Join the Don't Panic PPC Community:
https://www.4mdigitalconsulting.com/dont-panic-ppc

Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dontpanicppc/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Veronica Ruiz Morcillo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verorumor

Thuha Wright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuhawright/

Meriem Nacer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meriemnacer/

And remember, we're all figuring it out as we go. Don't Panic.

Welcome to the very first episode of Don't Panic PPC, the podcast about PPC, paid social, careers and the reality of working in paid media.We're Meriem, Veronica and Thuha, three experienced performance marketers with more combined years in the industry than we'd like to admit. We bring three very different perspectives too, with one of us agency-side and two of us running very different businesses. And in episode one, we're doing what any self-respecting podcast does: talking about ourselves. But bear with us, because it's actually quite good.We get into how we each stumbled, fell or were gently nudged into PPC. Meriem applied to a newspaper ad that asked "do you love the internet?" (yes, really). Veronica came to Brighton to improve her English and somehow ended up knee-deep in Google Ads. And Thuha, who has a maths degree, just so you know, took a year out to become a maths teacher before realising she missed PPC more than she expected. Along the way, we chat about burnout, redundancy, freelancing, moving between agency and in-house roles, why asking for help is actually a strength, and why the PPC community needs more women making noise in it. We also get briefly distracted by ChatGPT, Alexa and whether AI is just a very eager people-pleaser. (It is.)

If you've ever felt like you're winging it in paid media, welcome. So are we. Because after all these years, one thing we definitely know is that nobody knows everything, and sometimes you just have to ask.And as our tagline says, it always depends. That applies to PPC strategy and, apparently, entire careers too.Grab a coffee, a tea, a glass of wine or whatever gets you through the day. We're really glad you're here.And remember, we're all figuring it out as we go. Don't Panic.Join the Don't Panic PPC Community:
https://www.4mdigitalconsulting.com/dont-panic-ppcFollow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dontpanicppc/Connect with us on LinkedIn:


Veronica Ruiz Morcillo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verorumor


Thuha Wright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuhawright/


Meriem Nacer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meriemnacer/