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Graham Ahner

Paid marketing that doesn’t suck

Graham Ahner is the Founder and Head of Growth at Whale Shark, a marketing agency focused on performance-driven paid media strategies. With over a decade of experience in various agency roles, he has developed a deep understanding of the industry, emphasizing the importance of genuine partnerships with clients to drive success and revenue growth.12

At Whale Shark, Ahner aims to disrupt traditional agency models by prioritizing results over accolades, ensuring that the agency's efforts directly contribute to increasing client traffic and conversions. His expertise lies particularly in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, demand generation, and lead generation strategies.23

Ahner's approach is characterized by a commitment to transparency and accountability; he encourages clients to hold Whale Shark to high standards, suggesting that if they are not delivering results, clients should consider terminating the partnership.1

Highlights

Mar 22 · linkedin

LI Ads features that would be amazing:

  • Offline editor
  • Account wide audience exclusions
  • The ability to segment more than just active/paused
  • More options for segments and breakdowns
  • Better reporting
  • Comparison dates should show in the total row
  • A faster interface
  • Automated rules
  • Scripts

LI product team this week: Happy St Patricks Day. The buttons are now green.

To be fair, the platform has gotten better but please hook us up with some critical features other platforms have 🙏

#LinkedInAds #ppc

Mar 21 · linkedin

My dog has gotten loose 100+ times.

Yet she still is with me 13 years later and has never been missing more than 10 minutes.

How was she getting loose so much?

  • I lived in a house that people left the door open
  • The fence was broken and she could get through it
  • She’d walk out the door at work
  • We’d go camping and she’d wander off
  • She slipped out of her collar a few times
  • She’d run off at the park to find a lake

I’ve almost never chased her down even though she could’ve ran for the rest of her life.

But 5-10 mins (usually <30 secs) after she gets loose, she’s right back pawing at the door asking to be let in.

So why does she come back every single time even though:

  • she’s not on a leash
  • she’s not on an electric fence
  • she’s not locked in a cage all day
  • she’s not told she’ll be in big trouble if she leaves

She comes back because this is the only place she knows she gets:

  • food
  • water
  • toys
  • treats
  • a comfy bed
  • love

A leash or a cage is not a retention strategy. It’s a tool for keeping something nearby, but it doesn’t mean they want to stay.

Most agencies approach this the same way.

They put their clients on a leash.

Their retention strategy is:

  • long contracts
  • holding your ad accounts hostage

Sure, those leashes will keep clients nearby for a little, but eventually they might want to see what else exists in the world.

And the only true retention strategies are:

  • driving revenue for their business
  • showing them you care and will go the extra mile for them
  • bringing them new ideas to push them further than they’ve been before
  • helping solve their problems
  • being enjoyable to actually work with

I don’t need a 3/6/9/12 month contract to retain clients. In fact, I don’t have any. And I don’t need a leash to retain my dog.

People, businesses, and dogs stay where they’re treated best.

If your business is only with your agency because of a leash (and not in a weird way), maybe you should see if there is anyone else that will take better care of you.

***this is not a recommendation to let your dog roam free. Please take care of your pets.

#googleads #ppc

Related Questions

What inspired Graham Ahner to start Whale Shark Marketing?
What are some of Graham Ahner's key achievements at Whale Shark?
How does Whale Shark Marketing differ from other agencies?
What strategies does Whale Shark use to drive client success?
Can you share examples of successful campaigns led by Graham Ahner?
Graham Ahner
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Location

Huntington Beach, California, United States