How to Set Up Demand Generation Campaigns in Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide

Demand generation (or demand gen) campaigns are becoming a cornerstone of successful Google Ads strategies. If you're looking to expand your audience, increase brand awareness, and drive engagement, this comprehensive guide will show you how to set up demand gen campaigns effectively.

What Are Demand Generation Campaigns?

Demand gen campaigns in Google Ads are designed to create awareness and interest in your products or services. Unlike search or shopping campaigns that target users with high purchase intent, demand gen campaigns are ideal for:

• Introducing New Products: Educating audiences about offerings they might not yet know exist.
• Reaching New Audiences: Leveraging lookalike targeting to connect with potential customers based on existing audience behavior.
• Scaling Your Business: Complementing already profitable campaigns to achieve further growth.

When Should You Use Demand Gen Campaigns?

1. After Profitable Campaigns:
   Start with search or shopping campaigns to capitalize on high-intent traffic. Use demand gen once these campaigns are generating consistent results.

2. When Search Intent Is Low:
   If your product or service lacks high search volume (e.g., niche offerings or innovative products), demand gen campaigns are a great way to educate potential customers.

3. To Scale Your Marketing:
   Demand gen campaigns work best when your business is ready to increase reach while maintaining profitability.

💡 Pro Tip: Google is heavily promoting demand gen campaigns, but they’re not always the best starting point. Wait until you have a clear strategy and sufficient data to guide your targeting.

👉 Ad Copy Essentials: How to Write High-Converting Google Ads

Essential Preparations for Demand Gen Campaigns

Before launching a demand gen campaign, ensure you have the following ready:

1. Audience Data

• Minimum Audience Size: You need at least 100 users in a data segment to create a seed list for lookalike audiences.
• How to Check: In Google Ads, navigate to Tools > Audience Manager > Data Segments to confirm your audience size.

2. Creative Assets

• Design video ads tailored for this campaign.
• Include these elements:
  • Strong Hook: Grab attention immediately.
  • Problem-Solution: Highlight a pain point and position your product as the solution.
  • Trust-Building: Showcase testimonials, reviews, or credentials.
  • Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Guide viewers to the next step.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Demand Gen Campaigns

Follow these steps to launch your campaign:

1. Create a New Campaign

• In Google Ads, select New Campaign > Leads (or another suitable goal).
• Choose Demand Gen as the campaign type.

2. Name Your Campaign

• Use a clear internal name, e.g., “DemandGen_MasterclassLeads.”

3. Set a Budget

• Start with a daily budget or total campaign budget. For new campaigns, consider smaller budgets to collect initial performance data.

4. Choose Targeting Options

• Location: Focus on relevant regions (e.g., Australia, US, UK).
• Device Preferences: Exclude TVs if your goal is to drive clicks or conversions.

5. Build Your Audience

• Use custom segments to target users based on search behavior, visited websites, or interests.
• Create lookalike audiences using your seed list (minimum 100 users).

6. Design Your Ads

• Select your ad type: single image ads, video ads, or carousel ads.
• Test multiple creatives for better insights and split testing.

7. Add Enhancements

• Include site links to direct users to specific pages.
• Ensure your assets meet Google’s ad specifications.

8. Launch and Monitor

• Review all settings, publish your campaign, and monitor performance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Demand Gen Campaigns

• Starting Too Early: Wait until other campaigns (search, shopping) are profitable before launching demand gen.
• Underestimating Creative Quality: Poorly designed ads won’t capture attention or convert.
• Ignoring Audience Size: Ensure your data segment is large enough for Google to build lookalike audiences.

What’s Next? Optimising Your Demand Gen Campaigns

Launching a demand gen campaign is just the beginning. Optimization is key to improving results over time. Stay tuned for our next guide, where we’ll share strategies to optimize Google Ads campaigns for higher ROI.