This article was first published in displayadsdeepdive.com

Given that the world’s in utter turmoil and any country with a sizable population won’t let anyone leave the house, the only option several professionals are left with now is to work from home. As those in marketing and similar fields have recently discovered, this is not necessarily a drawback.

If you’re looking for a PPC, the best fit for your job could be thousands of miles away, sound asleep while you’re frantically searching for someone to grow your business. I guess what we’re trying to say here is that an employee doesn’t have to be physically present with you to get the job done (and done well).

However, it’s only natural for you to wonder if a PPC halfway across the world can accommodate your requirements if you haven’t worked with an overseas employee before. Therefore, let’s address some of the main factors you should take into account before you hire a PPC from another country. 

Communication

If you have an employee you can’t interact with face-to-face, the first barrier you’ll have to break down is communication. It’s often difficult to communicate effectively with a room full of people willing to lend you a listening ear. Now, imagine communicating with someone you’ve never met who’s groggy when you’re wide awake and whose native language isn’t the same as yours.

This could be a recipe for disaster and cost you dearly in terms of time and money if you don’t navigate it properly. The two main factors you’ll need to take into account when communicating with an overseas PPC are:

1) Time Zones

This is a thorn in anyone’s side who has a friend, relative, or partner living abroad and now applies to working professionals as well. You can’t expect to be online at the same time as your PPC who lives in another country so you’ll have to work around this. However, bear in mind that working when your employee is asleep and vice versa is far from ideal and can lead to ineffective communication.

The only way to deal with this is to work out a system where you schedule meetings at mutually convenient times or wait hours for a reply every day, even when it relates to discussions on the simplest matters.

2) Native Language

If your potential employee’s native language is not the same as yours, you could end up spending a lot more time on communication than it’s worth. If you find an overseas PPC who’s fluent in your preferred language, that’s great and you’ll have your work delivered on time. If not, prepare to spend a considerable amount of time trying to explain your requirements to someone who isn’t comfortable speaking your native language.

Ideology

This may not seem like the most obvious consideration when it comes to hiring an overseas PPC, but it’s important all the same. Your PPC’s ideology will undoubtedly have been shaped by the culture and other elements in their homeland. This inevitably seeps into their marketing strategy and affects the way they’ll promote your product.

A difference in opinion is bound to stem from a difference in ideology now and again and it may take an expert hand to find a middle ground. However, having said that, we may as well admit that such differences often lead to refreshing, creative outcomes that work out in the end.

Product

The product or service you’re promoting should play a big role in determining whether or not a PPC from another country is suited to your needs. If you believe they’ll be able to understand the basics of your product and what it can offer users then that’s a good start. Since your PPC is from another country, they may not be familiar with the type of product or service you wish to advertise.

Hiring a PPC specialist who’s well-versed with the nuances of the market regardless of the product you wish for them to promote is a great way to overcome this hurdle.

Work Ethic

Not all countries are alike in terms of work ethic. Some think working 8-10 hours a day is acceptable while others believe in striking a healthy work-life balance. If your work ethic doesn’t align with that of your potential PPC’s, you run the risk of having unreasonable expectations when it comes to deadlines and more. Hiring a PPC from a country that shares the same work ethic as your own or outlining your expectations clearly at the beginning of your project may be an effective way to deal with this

Cost

It’s no surprise that employers often seek out overseas employees simply because paying them is more cost-effective than paying for labor in their own countries. The same argument could be made in favor of hiring PPCs from another country that doesn’t have the same minimum wage legislation as your own.

In conclusion, hiring a PPC from another country may be a great idea to promote your business – but then it may not. The factors we’ve outlined above have covered the basics of what you should consider before you hire an overseas PPC. Ultimately, it depends on your preferences and how well you can accommodate time differences, etc. to work with someone you’ll likely never meet in person.

While this marketing model may have its drawbacks, working with someone who doesn’t share your cultural values could lead to a healthy exchange of ideas and help grow your business in ways you wouldn’t expect. After all, it’s rarely a bad thing to let down barriers and look beyond the horizon – who knows what you’ll discover?