The digital advertising landscape is ever-changing, and Google Ads is no exception. Recently, Google announced a groundbreaking update that has the potential to redefine how we approach digital advertising—Demand Gen Campaigns.
This blog post aims to unpack what Demand Gen Campaigns are, why they’re replacing Discovery Ads, and how you can prepare for this significant shift.
What Are Google Ads Demand Gen Campaigns?
Traditional Google search ads are designed to capture users actively searching for a product or service. In contrast, Demand Gen Campaigns are engineered to reach potential customers before they even search for your brand. These more visual and interactive campaigns serve ads across multiple Google-owned platforms like the Google Discovery Feed, Gmail, and YouTube.
The Evolution: Why Replace Discovery Ads?
Google’s Discovery Ads have been a staple for advertisers looking to reach new audiences across Gmail, YouTube, and the Google Discovery Feed. So, why the change? Demand Gen Campaigns offer several key enhancements:
1. Expanded YouTube Reach
While Discovery Ads were limited to certain parts of YouTube, Demand Gen Campaigns include YouTube In-Stream and YouTube Shorts, significantly increasing your ad’s visibility.
2. Diverse Video Ad Formats
The new campaigns allow advertisers to include up to five videos in addition to multiple images, headlines, descriptions, logos, and calls to action.
3. Creative Experiments and Tools
Google has introduced a new ad preview tool specifically for Demand Gen Campaigns, enabling advertisers to preview how different creatives will look across various screens and placements.
4. Flexible Bidding Options
Unlike Discovery Ads, which only supported smart-bidding options, Demand Gen Campaigns allow for “maximize clicks” as a bid strategy.
5. Enhanced Reporting
Demand Gen Campaigns offer more insight into campaign performance with their Brand Lift, Search Lift, and Conversion Lift reports.
New Audience Targeting Features
One of the most exciting features of Demand Gen Campaigns is the introduction of a special lookalike audience segment. This allows advertisers to target users who share similar characteristics and behaviors with their existing audiences, offering a more refined targeting strategy.
Best Practices for Transitioning to Demand Gen Campaigns
1. Plan Your Migration Early
Google will automatically upgrade any active Discovery campaigns to Demand Gen Campaigns. However, to take full advantage of the new features, planning your migration early is advisable.
2. Refresh Your Creatives
The new campaigns will feature your ads in highly visual settings. Make sure to update your creatives to fit these new placements.
3. Build Robust Audiences
Start building your original seed audiences using first-party data to take advantage of Google’s lookalike segments.
4. Revisit Conversion Tracking
Ensure your conversion tracking is up-to-date, especially after the recent GA4 migration.
5. Budget Wisely
Google recommends setting a budget at least 15 times your target CPA to allow your Demand Gen Campaign to grow and optimize quickly.
Conclusion
The introduction of Google Ads Demand Gen Campaigns marks a significant shift in the digital advertising landscape. By understanding these new features and preparing for the transition, advertisers can position themselves for success in this new digital marketing era.