To connect immediately with audiences on Google’s feeds, it’s important to create high-quality visual experiences that delight the eye while offering authentic, meaningful messages. Use these three tips to help you drive more sales with up to 3 billion people as they scroll through content on YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
1. Use images that feature your products at their best
Your images will be the first thing people notice when they come across your Discovery ads, so be sure to use the highest possible image resolution. Also, highlight your product or service to help people instantly understand what you’re showcasing.
To more accurately illustrate how your products or services work, upload the highest resolution images possible (1200x628, 960x1200, and 1200x1200 pixels) and consider using images that show people using your products. Based on an internal analysis with Creative Works (formerly Unskippable Labs), images with a person drive 4% more clicks compared to images without a person.1
Use overlay text sparingly. It can have a varied appearance on different devices and create a less compelling experience for people scrolling through their feeds. Our internal analysis with Creative Works shows that, on average, images without overlay text drive 9% more clicks.2
Example assets from Nectar by Resident, UGG (Deckers Brands), and Fabletics
2. Create audiences based on what you know works
Audiences, messaging, and creative assets that have performed well for your other media campaigns, such as video or social, can help you unlock performance with highly engaged audiences on Discovery ads. Be sure to include at least 10 converting Search campaign keywords in each of your custom intent audiences, and make the most of Google’s automated audience features: Advertisers who use audience expansion with Discovery ads see 52% more conversions at a comparable cost per acquisition to their originally selected audience.3
Example Discovery ads for fashion brand Ted Baker
In summer 2020, U.K. fashion brand Ted Baker used its social ads creative assets to build Discovery campaigns, connecting with previous website visitors and shoppers interested in clothing. As a result, Ted Baker saw a revenue lift of 70% and a 62% increase in return on ad spend (ROAS) in under one year.
3. Set up your campaign to make the most of automation
Automated campaign types need the right budget, a variety of great assets, and enough time to analyze the performance of your ads to determine which settings for your creative assets and bids work the best across your audiences. Your campaign optimizes your settings for peak performance over time.
If you’re running Discovery ads for the first time, give your campaign time and space to learn what works by choosing an average daily budget at least 10 times the value of your target cost-per-action bid. Then wait for at least 40 conversions before making any changes. Whenever you change your assets, audiences, or bids, your campaign will need two to three weeks to adjust and optimize for the best results.
For more detailed examples and tips for how to set up Discovery ads, check out our full best practices guide.
