Demand Gen campaigns and Performance Max campaigns are how you can get your ads into Gmail inboxes. Before starting to create and use Gmail ads, you need to create a Google Ads account. Both of these campaign types use Gmail Ads and allow you to tap into a huge user base and drive real engagement. Let’s get into how Gmail Ads fit into these campaigns.
Gmail Ads: Leveraging the Promotions Tab
With over 3 billion monthly active users across Google’s feeds for Demand Gen campaigns (Gmail, Discover, YouTube etc) the reach is massive. Here are some stats:
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One in three consumers have bought something on Google feeds that they weren’t originally shopping for.
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63% of consumers discover new products or brands on Google feeds and among those 91% took action.
These stats show why you need to be in users’ inboxes where Gmail users are already engaged and open to new info.
Demand Gen Campaigns:
Demand Gen campaigns allow you to create visually rich, multi-format ads that appear on Google’s most important surfaces, YouTube, Discover and Gmail. These campaigns often include expandable ads, which can significantly impact user engagement by mimicking regular emails and taking up screen space. These campaigns are perfect for social advertisers looking to expand their reach and drive engagement.
Gmail Ads in Demand Gen
Within Demand Gen campaigns, ads in Gmail play a key role in grabbing users’ attention as they scroll through their inboxes. Recently, ads have also been introduced in the desktop version of Gmail, following their initial rollout on mobile.
Key benefits of using Gmail Ads in Demand Gen campaigns:
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Visual Impact: Advertisers can use rich media, images and videos to create attention grabbing ads.
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Tailored Messaging: Google’s AI will create the perfect combination of visuals and messaging so your ads tell the right story.
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Purchase Mindset: By reaching users in their inboxes you can help put potential customers in a purchase mindset.
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Expanded Reach: Combining Gmail Ads with placements on YouTube and Discover means you can reach users across multiple touchpoints.
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Promotions Tab: Ads appearing in the promotions tab are formatted like regular emails, which can confuse users when mixed with personal messages.
Performance Max Campaigns: Maximize Results Across Google’s Network
While Demand Gen campaigns focus on visual appeal and brand awareness, Performance Max campaigns take a broader approach, optimizing for specific conversion goals across Google’s entire ad network, including Google Ads.
Gmail Ads in Performance Max Campaigns
Performance Max campaigns also include Gmail as one of their placements. So your ads can appear in Gmail inboxes alongside other high performing placements across Search, Display, YouTube etc. Google explains how Gmail ads work, emphasizing the automation of ad placement and the company’s ongoing experimentation with ad formats.
Key benefits:
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Automated Optimization: Google’s algorithms will automatically adjust your ad placements including Gmail to maximize your campaign’s performance.
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Cross-Channel Presence: Your ads can appear in Gmail as part of a broader strategy that includes other Google properties so your message is consistent across multiple touchpoints.
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Goal Oriented: Performance Max campaigns are designed to drive specific actions, so Gmail Ads is part of your conversion funnel. Google may serve ads in Gmail, and while users can adjust settings to reduce ads, the future of ad serving on Gmail remains uncertain.
Demand Gen vs Performance Max for Gmail Ads
Both campaigns use Gmail Ads but for different purposes: Mobile devices significantly impact the user experience with Gmail Ads, particularly due to the increased frequency and intrusive placement of ads.
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Demand Gen for brand awareness, visual storytelling, upper funnel engagement. These campaigns often utilize paid ads, which appear in users’ inboxes resembling normal emails. Users can prevent ads from appearing in their inboxes by changing certain settings in the Gmail app, such as disabling the Promotions tab.
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Performance Max for advertisers with specific conversion goals, looking to use Google’s entire network for maximum results. This can lead to confusion between ads and promotional emails from businesses that users subscribe to. Traditionally, ads were positioned at the very top of the ‘Promotions’ tab for easy visibility, but recent changes have moved them, causing user dissatisfaction.
