When you think about Google Ads, you’re probably going to picture the shopping ads or text ads at the top of the search results page – the ones that are trying to sell you something right when you’re looking for it. And you’re not wrong! Google Ads is great when it comes to driving sales, sign-ups, and the like. But did you know that it can also be a powerful tool for brand awareness? Let’s break down six ways in which Google Ads can help boost your brand.
1. Effective Creative and Messaging
Before we go into specifics, we need to talk about branding in general. If you want your brand to be memorable and stick around in someone’s mind, you need to make it ”sticky.” Find your voice, and create scroll-stopping ad copy, eye-catching imagery, and a killer website. Here are a few areas to focus on:
- Consistent Branding: Make sure your brand is recognizable across all ads. Use consistent colors in visual ads (Performance Max’s new Brand Guidelines can help with this) and taglines to stay uniform.
- Storytelling: Ads that tell a story can make a bigger impact and, therefore, will stick around a bit longer in the brain.
- Value Proposition: What makes your brand unique? Keep that messaging clear.
2. Audience Targeting
In many cases, a brand will have a specific audience that they are trying to reach. Instead of blasting your branded ads to anyone and everyone, Google Ads gives you the capability to narrow down your targeting so you can reach your desired target market using “audience segments.” Here is a blurb from Google on how exactly audience segments work:
By utilizing audience segments, you can make sure your brand reaches the people who are most likely to connect with it.
3. Display Campaigns
Offering access to 35 million websites, apps, and videos where your ads can appear, the Display Network is a surefire way to get eyes on your brand. Unlike Search ads, which target users actively looking for products or services, display ads will appear while users are passively browsing the web – introducing your brand to a wider audience. Display ads give you the chance to show your brand’s personality with striking imagery and messaging. Even if the user isn’t ready to pull the trigger yet, this is your chance to make a great first impression and stand out among your competitors. Example of a Display ad in the wild:
4. Video Campaigns
Google Ad’s video campaigns are another powerful tool for increasing brand awareness. YouTube, a Google-owned property, has more than 2.70 billion active users as of December 2024. That’s a very large pond to dip your brand into. Using video ads can help deliver brand messages that engage with users on a more personal and emotional level and, in turn, can make a lasting impression.
5. Demand Gen Campaigns
Google Demand Gen campaigns are excellent for driving brand awareness using visually compelling, immersive ad formats that seamlessly blend into a user’s browsing experience. Users can come across these ads in Google’s Discovery Feed, Gmail, and YouTube, spreading a wide net for your brand to be seen. Demand Gen campaigns can reach up to three billion users monthly, making this campaign type a great way to expand your reach.
6. Remarketing
Remember above when I said to make your brand “sticky?” Remarketing can help you do that. Reinforce all of the above by continuing to get in front of users who are still on the fence. Remarketing allows you to show ads to people who have already interacted with your content or visited your website. This way, you stay top of mind and build up your brand recognition over time.
See? Google is not just for driving sales and leads; it’s also a powerful tool for building lasting brand awareness. From Display Campaigns to interactive Demand Gen ads to Remarketing, you can connect with the right audience at the right time and leave a lasting impression.
