Maddie Lightening speaks on misreported ROAS, account structure chaos & AI mistakes

Maddie Lightening, head of paid media at Hallam, joined me to speak via the errors, classes and mindset shifts which have formed her profession in PPC. With greater than a decade of expertise throughout search, social, programmatic, digital out of residence and ABM, she shared a candid take a look at the realities of main paid media in a fast-moving business.

The reporting mistake that doubled efficiency

Certainly one of Maddie’s early errors concerned misreporting efficiency attributable to account foreign money variations. Working with an Australian billing setup whereas reporting in GBP, she unknowingly halved the reported outcomes as a result of conversion values had been being translated. The problem solely surfaced after evaluating platform information with CRM figures, revealing that efficiency was really twice as sturdy as reported, highlighting how simply technical setup particulars can skew outcomes.

When legacy account construction turns into an issue

A extra complicated problem got here from a journey shopper operating an outdated, extremely granular account construction with 1000’s of campaigns. Whereas this “2016-style” setup had beforehand labored, it clashed with fashionable AI-driven bidding and information consolidation approaches, making it tougher to optimize efficiency and diagnose points when outcomes started to say no.

Why timing issues as a lot as technique

Maddie defined that though the staff had deliberate to restructure the account, they delayed it to keep away from disrupting peak season. When efficiency dropped in January, they had been pressured to make a number of adjustments rapidly, which elevated strain and complexity. In hindsight, beginning the restructure earlier would probably have decreased threat, displaying that delaying needed adjustments can generally be extra damaging than appearing sooner.

The strain of fixing efficiency in actual time

As efficiency declined throughout a vital interval, the shopper grew to become understandably involved, particularly given how a lot of their annual price range was tied to peak months. On the similar time, audits and inner evaluations added strain, making it one of the difficult moments of Maddie’s profession, but additionally reinforcing the significance of collaboration, assist and staying centered on options reasonably than panic.

How a max CPC cap helped reclaim management

One key repair concerned regaining management over rising CPCs by making use of a max CPC cap via portfolio bidding methods, even whereas utilizing automated bidding. This method decreased CPCs considerably with out harming efficiency, demonstrating that advertisers can nonetheless information AI-driven campaigns by making use of the best constraints reasonably than counting on full automation alone.

Why banning AI is the incorrect transfer

Maddie additionally highlighted a broader business mistake: refusing to undertake AI altogether. She recalled working at an company that banned AI instruments and automation, which she believes limits development and places groups at a drawback. As an alternative of resisting AI, she argues that entrepreneurs ought to discover ways to use it strategically whereas sustaining oversight.

Higher prompts result in higher AI outputs

A key takeaway on AI utilization is that outcomes rely closely on enter high quality. Maddie emphasised that imprecise prompts produce weak outputs, whereas detailed context—comparable to objectives, viewers and construction—results in way more helpful outcomes. AI needs to be handled as a assist software that enhances human work, not replaces it.

Why curiosity nonetheless issues in PPC

Maddie harassed the significance of experimentation, encouraging groups to check concepts even when outcomes are unsure. Her philosophy—“check and be taught”—displays the concept that even unsuccessful experiments present worthwhile insights that may inform higher selections sooner or later.

Small errors are usually not career-ending

She additionally addressed on a regular basis errors, comparable to sending the incorrect report back to a shopper, noting that whereas they could really feel critical within the second, they’re normally straightforward to repair. The hot button is to take accountability, appropriate the difficulty rapidly and hold perspective reasonably than overreacting.

Throughout all her examples, Maddie bolstered that success in PPC comes from adaptability, steady studying and a willingness to problem current approaches. Whether or not coping with account construction, automation or efficiency points, the power to evolve is what separates sturdy groups from the remainder.

Remaining takeaway

Finally, Maddie’s expertise exhibits that errors, when dealt with accurately, can result in stronger methods and higher efficiency, and that staying curious, proactive and open to vary is crucial for long-term success in paid media.