You've set up your tracking. You're ready to spend money.
Now you're faced with a dashboard full of options: Search, Display, Shopping, Video, App... It's overwhelming. Where do you start?
Most new marketers either try to be everywhere at once or just pick the one they've heard of. Both are expensive ways to guess.
Pro Approach
The pro marketer doesn't think about the platform first. They think about the customer's intent.
In the last module, we talked about the "Hot-to-Cold Intent Scale. " Now, we're going to apply it. Your job is to match the right campaign type to the right "temperature" of your customer.
Not all campaigns are created equal. Each one is a specialized tool designed for a specific job.
1\. Hottest Intent (Demand Capture)
* •The Campaign Types: Search Ads & Shopping Ads. • The Mindset: The customer is "hunting. " They are actively searching for your exact product or solution.
They're typing "Best lemonade near me" or "buy running shoes size 10. " • Why it matters: This is the lowest-hanging fruit. The intent is fiery hot.
You are not creating demand; you are capturing it. This is where you should always prioritize your budget first.
2\. Warm Intent (Demand Generation)
* •The Campaign Types: Video Ads (like on YouTube) & App Ads. • The Mindset: The customer is "discovering" or "researching. " They aren't searching for your product by name, but they are interested in the topic.
They might be watching a video review of running shoes or looking for an app to help with their fitness. • Why it matters: This is your chance to engage them visually. You're interrupting their content consumption, but with something highly relevant.
You're warming them up to the idea of your brand. This is the logical place to expand after you've maxed out your "hot intent" search campaigns.
3\. Cooler Intent (Brand Awareness)
* •The Campaign Types: Display Ads & Smart Ads. • The Mindset: The customer is "consuming. " They are reading a blog, checking the news, or using an app.
They have little to no intent to buy anything right now. • Why it matters: This is about building awareness and retargeting. You're placing "Beat the heat with our lemonade!
" banners on other websites, just to get your brand name in their head. It's also a powerful way to retarget people who have already visited your site, reminding them to come back.
4\. Local Intent (Immediate Action)
* •The Campaign Types: Local Ads & Call-Only Ads. • The Mindset: The customer is "local and on-the-go. " They are on their phone, looking for a solution right now, right near them.
• Why it matters: This campaign type is designed to facilitate an immediate, direct order. It's not about website clicks; it's about driving a phone call or getting footsteps into your physical store.
Don't boil the ocean.
1\. Start with Search and Shopping: Capture all the hot, existing demand first. 2. Expand to Video and App: Use your profits to engage and attract a wider, warm audience. 3. Use Display and Smart Ads: Build long-term brand awareness and retarget your website visitors. 4. Add Local/Call-Only: If you have a physical business, use these to target local customers and drive direct orders.
This is how you build a campaign structure that works with the customer's mindset, not against it.
In the next chapter, we'll cover the other tracking system that's essential for figuring out exactly what's working: UTMs.