In episode 340 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak with Amanda Farley, Aimclear’s CMO and multi-award winning marketing leader, who brings a mix of honesty and expertise to the PPC Live conversation. A self-described marketer to a T, he combines in-depth knowledge of PPC with extensive knowledge across social, programmatic, PR, and integrated strategies. His journey – from owning a gallery and tattoo studio to leading award-winning global campaigns – shows a career built on curiosity, tenacity, and continuous learning.
Overcoming limiting beliefs and embracing creativity
Amanda once ran a gallery and tattoo parlor while believing she wasn’t an artist herself. Surrounded by creators, he finally realized his only obstacle was a limiting belief. After accepting the painting, he created hundreds of works of art and found a powerful exhibition space.
This paradigm shift reflects the growth of marketing. Success isn’t just technical — it’s psychological. By challenging internal doubts, marketers can unlock new skills and opportunities.
When campaign infrastructure breaks down: The most important lesson
Amanda recalls a global mission where the tracking infrastructure failed at every airport station mid-flight. Pixels are broken, data is lost, and campaigns aren’t working properly. Many siled teams and third-party vendors have reduced maintenance while budgets continue to be used.
Instead of blaming Amanda, she focuses on cooperation. His team helped reconstruct the trail and uncover deep-rooted data structure issues. The problem has led to stricter logging procedures, pre-validation checks, and clear expectations about data cleanliness. In modern PPC, a clean infrastructure is essential for machine learning to succeed.
The hidden importance of PPC hygiene
Many audits of accounts reveal the same problem: neglected fundamentals. Mistakes in basic settings and poorly maintained audience data often hurt performance before the strategy even takes off.
Outdated inventory and disconnected data systems weaken automation. In the case of machine learning, strict data hygiene ensures that campaigns have the quality attributes they need to perform.
Why integrated marketing is no longer preferred
Amanda’s background in psychology and SEO shaped her integrated approach. PPC affects landing pages, user experience, and sales processes. If conversions drop, the problem may be outside of the ad account.
Understanding the full customer journey allows marketers to assess issues holistically. For Amanda, integration is a real need, not a buzzword.
AI, automation, and the human factor
While AI dominates industry discussions, Amanda emphasizes balance. Some tools are promising, but not all are ready for full deployment. Evaluation is important, but human observation is still important.
Machines develop patterns, but humans judge emotions, messages, and product suitability. Marketers who learn about the changing customer journey can also find new opportunities to reach audiences across channels.
Creating a culture that accepts mistakes
Amanda believes that leaders act as emotional barometers. Calm investigation trumps suspicion when problems arise. Most PPC problems stem from external changes, not individual failures.
By acknowledging stress and focusing on solutions, leaders create psychological safety. This environment encourages experimentation and turns mistakes into learning opportunities.
Fearless exploration in a changing environment
Marketing is entering another era of experimentation with no clear rule book. Amanda encourages teams to dedicate a budget to testing and lean on professional communities for insight.
Not every test will be successful, but each one provides data that informs smart decisions for the future.
The tasmanian devil who does yoga
Amanda describes her work as If the Tasmanian Devil Could Do Yoga – a combination of immediate chaos and deliberate calm. It reflects modern marketing: demanding, unpredictable, and balanced by thought leadership.
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