Should You Jump on Google’s DemandGen Train?
I’m about to walk you through DemandGen like we’re chatting over a pint at your local café.
What Is DemandGen Anyway?
Think of DemandGen campaigns as Google’s way of sliding into your audience’s feed across YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Gmail, Discover, and the Display Network (Google, Google).
You’re talking 3 billion monthly active users and over 50 billion daily views on Shorts alone, imagine the reach! (Google, Google). Google’s AI is the matchmaker here, pairing your ads (flashy visuals, punchy headlines, videos, the whole package) with people who are likely to bite (Google).
Fast-forward to January 2025: you can now pick exactly where your ads land (YouTube Shorts, Gmail, Discover, you name it), whip up vertical 9:16 visuals for Shorts, spin out shorter versions of your videos, and even show real-time product info tied to your physical store. Oh, and the reporting's getting flashier so you can compare DemandGen performance with your paid social game (Google).
So… Should You Use It?
In the marketing world, sometimes it feels like everyone’s singing from the same hymn book, but the numbers tell a different story.
1 in 3 consumers bought something they discovered via Google’s feeds (Embryo).
A whopping 67% of users up their likelihood of purchasing after seeing a YouTube ad (Embryo).
DemandGen trumps paid social with 3× higher click-through rates (Embryo).
63% discover new products on Google feeds and 91% of those act immediately (Google).
CPA (cost per acquisition) is a cool 61% cheaper than paid social (Embryo).
59% of consumers reckon YouTube ads are more relevant and effective than TV ads (Embryo).
If you’re launching a product, hungry for new customers, or looking to grab more share of your market, DemandGen’s your best friend (SF Digital, Embryo, Reddit).
But Hold Up, Why Might You Think Twice?
On the flip side, it’s not all sunlit beaches and surfing.
From seasoned marketers on Reddit, here’s the lowdown:
“It used to work really well for me for remarketing audiences. But when they revamped Demand Gen recently… I lost all performance and it never recovered.”
“The direct response performance has been consistently underwhelming… conversion quality is generally poor compared to search or even standard display.”
“Using it as a data collection tool feeding other platforms… acquisition costs dropped by around 30% compared to Meta.”
(Reddit, LinkedIn, SF Digital)
So, for some, it’s a black box, impressions galore but not much in the way of concrete sales. For others, it’s gold as a top-funnel audience builder, especially if you’ve got remarketing or lookalike strategies going on (Reddit, First Page Sage).
Don’t forget the broader perspective: DemandGen (and demand generation overall) can boost full-funnel conversions, improve ROI, and attract higher-quality leads, but it can be complex, pricey early on, and tricky if your budget’s not right or your team’s new to managing multiple stages (First Page Sage, SF Digital).
Also, don’t fall into these classic pitfalls:
Too much straight-talk product talk, not enough emotional connection.
Sloppy data management leads to garbage outputs.
Over-reliance on gated content can turn people off.
Quitting before you see results? That’s like pulling the surfboard just as the wave is about to roll in.
(A88 Lab)
The Story in a Nutshell
Picture this: DemandGen is like being on the party train rather than waiting at the station, it puts your brand front and centre on visual platforms where people hang out, not just search. With eye-catching ads powered by Google AI, it’s great for brand discovery and building interest.
On the plus side, you get massive reach, better click-throughs, cheaper cost per acquisition, and audience-building potential, especially when paired with remarketing or other channel strategies.
On the downside, some users report poor conversion quality, limited transparency into placements, and overall complexity. As with all long-term campaigns, patience and strategy are key, you can’t ditch it after a couple of days.
How Dadek Digital Can Help
That’s where Dadek Digital steps in, think of us as your surf instructor, guiding you where to paddle, when to stand and how to ride the wave. We’ll tailor your DemandGen approach so it resonates on all the right channels and feeds right into a high-converting funnel.