A new Google campaign type was rolled out a few weeks ago—and it offers exciting potential to generate leads and drive online sales. Titled “Performance Max,” this new campaign tool allows you to run ads in ALL Google Networks (Search, Display, Discover, YouTube, and Gmail) from one centralized place.
What sets Performance Max apart?
One of the most noteworthy differences between Performance Max and other campaign types is that with this new offering, Google automates the targeting and delivery of the campaign based upon the information that the advertiser provides. Reminiscent of Smart campaigns, with Performance Max, Google will automate ad creation based upon the assets provided.
Therefore, all you need to do to get started is provide the ad assets (images, videos, headlines, and logos), set a budget and bidding strategy, locations, language, ad scheduling, desired URL, and audiences—then sit back, relax, and let it work its magic. In terms of audiences, this also helps Google to identify who to target (even outside of the actual audience), so it will serve both your audience list and those similar.
Reporting needs to be improved
Currently, the biggest downside to Performance Max is the lack of adequate reporting. As it stands, you cannot see the performance of each asset or know to whom or where your ads have been shown. There is also nothing available in terms of audience reporting, keyword reporting, or demographics.
This leaves much to be desired. However, this was essentially the state of things when they first released the Responsive Search Ads, and reporting was improved over time. It is safe to assume that the reporting available for Performance Max will also be expanded, allowing the full potential of this approach to be realized.
Who is Performance Max for?
For now, Performance Max is still a great starting point for businesses looking to begin their online activity. It is useful for small companies who don’t know much about Google Ads and are eager to get a campaign up and running. If you’re starting from scratch, Performance Max is advantageous because it allows you to test different topic areas and channels.
These learnings can offer insights you can then incorporate into the rest of your marketing and product measures. On the other hand, if you’re looking to scale and understand customer behavior, I would advise taking a different route.
We’ll continue exploring the potential of Performance Max campaigns and keep you updated on how it performs as we can accumulate more insight. In the meantime, if you’d like to stay up to date on current social media trends and growth marketing hacks, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest digital marketing news.
