Hi, I'm Steve Ferreira
A Digital Strategy Director

September 28, 2025

Is B2B Marketing Really That Different From B2C?

The biggest difference isn’t the buyer—it’s the risk. Here’s how to build a strategy that works for the human, not the corporation.

The single biggest psychological difference between a B2B and B2C buyer is the fear of institutional risk. As you pointed out, the difference comes down to who’s paying (and who has to explain the cost). A B2C buyer is driven by the desire for immediate gratification and convenience; they are risking their own $50. A B2B buyer is making a complex, logical decision with much higher financial stakes—they are risking millions for the company and their own reputation.

 

However, the core truth is that all marketing is H2H (Human to Human). The same human making an impulsive sneaker purchase on their phone is the one making a multi-million-dollar software decision at work. Their expectations for speed, personalization, and storytelling are merging. The B2B buyer is just making a human decision under intense scrutiny.

The False Choice of Expensive Platforms

A major flaw in traditional B2B marketing is the rigid belief that you must “fish where the fish are” by exclusively spending on highly professional, expensive channels.

The decision-maker is indeed on platforms like LinkedIn. But as you note, this is an expensive choice. In 2025, the average Cost Per Click (CPC) on LinkedIn for North America is typically between $5 and $10, while the CPC for a highly targeted B2B ad on Facebook can be dramatically lower.

The key insight is this: Decision-makers are not only on LinkedIn. They are also on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You do not need to pay a premium to find the human; you need to pay a premium to be allowed to interrupt the professional. A strong strategy recognizes this and uses lower-cost platforms to build the personal relationship first, and then closes the deal on the professional platform.

The B2C Strategy That Wins B2B Deals

To cut through the noise and talk to the human behind the title, B2B marketing must adopt B2C tactics. This means replacing technical jargon with simple, emotional communication.

1. Storytelling and Gamification: Simple storytelling is powerful. When the stakes are high, people rely on social proof—seeing how a solution worked for others. Gamification, simple contests, or emotionally-driven content may seem “fun” and “B2C,” but they are actually powerful tools for risk mitigation. They make the human feel safe about their impending decision. They want to connect with a brand that feels authentic and confident, not just technical.

2. Personalization Over Jargon: Your core goal should always be to “talk with them, not at them.” B2B messaging often relies on jargon to establish authority, but a 2025 study found that B2B buyers now expect the same convenience in buying business solutions as in personal (B2C) shopping. This means they demand personalized, direct, and emotionally resonant communication.

 

 

The Counter-Intuitive Truth: Don’t Push the Sale

The counter-intuitive advice for bridging the B2B/B2C gap is that you must stop pushing the sale so hard.

People don’t want to be sold to; they want to find solutions to their problems. The entire goal of your marketing—the ads, the content, the outreach—is to simply be a helpful, non-interruptive guide on their buying journey.

B2B purchases involve multiple stakeholders and can take months. This is something I have learned firsthand, working with the leadership and sales team at Custom Cubes + M&B Equipment. The moment you start pushing sales too hard, you are pushing people away. Your marketing must function as one cog in a much bigger machine that includes sales, product, and customer success. The key is to guide them to a sale, not strong-arm them into one.

Ready to build a strategic system that targets the human in B2B? Contact me today for a consultation on building a unified strategy.

CONTACT ME

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single biggest difference between B2B and B2C marketing?

The biggest difference is the decision-making process. B2B involves multiple stakeholders, high financial risk, and a long sales cycle, while B2C is typically driven by individual emotion and immediate gratification.

Why are LinkedIn ads so much more expensive than Facebook ads for B2B?

LinkedIn is more expensive because it is an exclusionary platform that guarantees a high concentration of verified professionals and decision-makers, which is a premium target audience for advertisers.

What is the “B2Cification” of B2B marketing?

It refers to the trend where B2B buyers, as individual consumers, expect B2C-level simplicity, speed, emotional connection, and user experience in their professional purchasing journeys.

How can B2B marketers use emotional storytelling?

They can use emotional storytelling by focusing on the individual buyer’s fear of making a bad decision, the excitement of success, or the relief of a solved problem, rather than just the product’s technical specifications.

How long does the average B2B sales cycle last?

The average B2B buying cycle is typically long and complex, lasting anywhere from several months to over a year, depending on the complexity of the product or service.

What does H2H marketing stand for?

H2H stands for Human to Human marketing, which is the philosophy that regardless of whether you are selling to a business or a consumer, you are always marketing to a person and should communicate with authenticity and empathy.

Want more insights? Check out these related articles to continue your journey

Consulting 5 min read

How to Create a full-funnel PPC Marketing Strategy

The marketing funnel is a cornerstone concept. It’s not just a visualization tool; it’s a strategic roadmap for success. And

September 11, 2024

How to Create a full-funnel PPC Marketing Strategy

The marketing funnel is a cornerstone concept. It’s not just a visualization tool; it’s a strategic roadmap for success. And when it comes to PPC, where every penny counts, a well-defined funnel is the difference between stagnant campaigns and explosive growth.

This article breaks down the full-funnel PPC strategy you need to dominate your market. We’ll walk you through each stage, from initial brand awareness to conversion, and show you how to leverage PPC to its full potential.

The Marketing Funnel: A Quick Recap

The marketing funnel simplifies the customer journey towards a purchase. Here’s a breakdown of the key stages:

• Awareness: This is where potential customers first encounter your brand. They might see your ads but haven’t actively researched your product or service yet. Think of it as planting the seeds of brand recognition.
• Consideration: Now, they have a need and are actively looking for solutions. This is where you provide informative content to establish yourself as a trusted authority in the space.
• Conversion: This is the golden stage: the purchase decision. Make it easy for them to find you with targeted campaigns and persuasive CTAs.

PPC for Every Stage: Building Your Funnel Strategy

1. Top-of-Funnel PPC: Awareness Campaigns

Don’t underestimate the top of the funnel! Even if someone isn’t ready to buy today, they might be tomorrow. Brand awareness campaigns using display, video, and discovery campaigns ensure you’re on their radar when they start researching.

2. Middle-of-Funnel PPC: Consideration Campaigns

Now that they’re aware, provide valuable content to help them make informed decisions. Use search campaigns (targeting relevant keywords) and informative video or display campaigns (with refined targeting) to position yourself as the solution they need.

3. Bottom-of-Funnel PPC: Conversion Campaigns

The moment of truth. Make yourself the easiest choice with branded search campaigns, shopping campaigns, and remarketing to keep your brand at the forefront of their mind.

Small Budget? Prioritize, But Don’t Neglect Growth

Yes, you can start with a limited budget. But here’s a crucial point: prioritize the bottom of the funnel initially, not as a long-term strategy.

Focus on maximizing conversions, then gradually expand your reach with middle and top-of-funnel campaigns as your budget grows. This approach can give you a quick revenue boost, but it has limitations.

Why Full-Funnel PPC Wins Every Time

Let’s illustrate with an example. Imagine you get 100 customers converting at $10,000 each, resulting in $50,000 monthly revenue. Optimizing the bottom of the funnel might increase your conversion rate to 10% ($100,000 in revenue). Great, right?

But that’s a short-term win. You’re not growing the pool of potential customers. A full-funnel strategy addresses this.

Imagine top and middle-of-funnel campaigns doubled your potential customers to 200. Even with a 10% conversion rate, that’s $200,000 in revenue – with the potential for continuous growth!

The Power of Guiding Your Audience

A full-funnel PPC strategy takes effort, but the rewards are substantial. By guiding potential customers through every stage of the buying journey, you nurture leads, build brand loyalty, and achieve sustainable, scalable growth. Display, video, search, shopping, and remarketing all play a role – tailor your approach to maximize impact at each stage.

Build a rock-solid full-funnel PPC foundation, and watch your business soar.

While you’ll initially see a revenue bump with this strategy, long-term growth is hard because you’re not trying to grow the real number that matters strategically, which is the number of people at the bottom of the funnel. If you don’t grow the number of people looking to convert, it gets harder and harder to grow the business.

Now, let’s run the math on what a full-funnel strategy can do:

Same example as before: 100 customers at the conversion stage, 5% conversion rate at $10,000 per purchase. Adding bottom-of-the-funnel advertising can help boost the conversion rate from 5% to 10% (ideally), but what if top and middle funnel grew the number of potential customers from 100 to 200?

200 customers x 10% conversion rate = 20 conversions at $10,000 per purchase. That’s $200,000 in revenue, with the potential to continually grow the number of customers in your target market.

While this example is obviously a best-case scenario, it’s all to illustrate the point that while targeting the bottom of the funnel is good, implementing a full-funnel strategy, where you take customers from awareness to consideration to conversion, is the best and most consistent way to achieve long-term growth in paid advertising.

Crafting awareness, consideration, and conversion-focused PPC campaigns

Implementing a strategic full-funnel approach to your PPC campaigns takes more initial effort but pays dividends through continual, scalable growth over chasing short-term profits.

By guiding potential customers from initial awareness through consideration and onto conversion, you increase lead volume and gain momentum.

Display, video, search, shopping, and remarketing play distinct roles across the funnel. Evaluate your business’s current customer volume and conversion rates to prioritize budget and resources.

With the proper full-funnel PPC foundation supporting your efforts, you enable the revenue growth your business needs to thrive.

Article adapted from Search Engine Land

Consulting 4 min read

Digital IMC – The Perfect Blend for Results in 2024

Table of contents: The rise of the digital maestro A symphony of Success Reaching the right audience Building brand recognition

September 11, 2024

Digital IMC – The Perfect Blend for Results in 2024

Table of contents:

• The rise of the digital maestro
• A symphony of Success
• Reaching the right audience
• Building brand recognition in the digital age
• Data drives decision

In today’s marketing world, a successful strategy requires a powerful combination: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and digital marketing. Think of IMC as the conductor of an orchestra, bringing together various marketing channels like advertising and PR to deliver a unified message. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is your band of talented musicians, utilizing SEO, social media, and other online tactics to create an engaging performance.

The Rise of the Digital Maestro

Marketing has come a long way from billboards and TV ads. Digital marketing emerged as a game-changer, offering exciting new ways to connect with audiences. It’s not just a new medium, it’s a complete transformation in how businesses interact with customers.

A Symphony of Success

Imagine an orchestra without its instruments – that’s what IMC would be like without digital marketing. IMC sets the overall tone, while digital marketing brings the message to life through targeted online channels. It’s a win-win situation, creating a harmonious brand experience for the audience.

Reaching the Right Audience

Digital marketing shines in its ability to target the perfect audience. With tools like Google Ads and social media algorithms, businesses can laser-focus their message on exactly who they want to reach. By analyzing consumer behavior online, marketers gain valuable insights that guide their entire IMC strategy.

Building Brand Recognition in the Digital Age

Maintaining a consistent brand image across all channels can be tricky, but digital marketing tackles this head-on. From your website to social media, the digital world becomes your canvas to paint a clear and consistent brand identity. This consistency builds trust and familiarity with your audience.

Data Drives Decisions

Digital marketing excels at providing valuable data and metrics. Through platforms like Google Analytics, businesses can track website traffic, user engagement, and conversion rates. This data empowers marketers to refine and optimize their IMC strategies for maximum impact.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

The digital world is constantly evolving, and so should your marketing strategy. By embracing the latest trends and adapting to change, IMC strategies can stay relevant and resonate with a dynamic audience.

Content is King

In the digital kingdom, content is king. A well-crafted content strategy that aligns with your IMC goals is key to success. From informative blog posts to engaging videos, every piece of content you create contributes to your brand story, strengthens communication, and boosts audience engagement.

The Social Pulse of Your Brand

Social media integration adds a human touch to your IMC strategy. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram become your conversation hubs, where you can directly interact with your audience. Social media isn’t just about broadcasting messages, it’s about building relationships.

Challenges and Triumphs

There are hurdles to overcome when integrating digital marketing into IMC. Balancing traditional and digital channels, ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms, and keeping pace with rapid change require strategic solutions. But by embracing these challenges, you can build a resilient and adaptable marketing strategy.

Learning from the Best

Real-world examples showcase the power of a strong bond between digital marketing and IMC. Studying how successful brands seamlessly integrate online and offline channels provides valuable insights that you can apply to your own marketing journey.

The Future of Marketing

The future holds even deeper collaboration between digital marketing and IMC. Emerging trends like AI-powered marketing, immersive technologies, and interactive content will continue to reshape the marketing landscape. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses must anticipate these trends and adapt their IMC strategies accordingly.

The Takeaway

The relationship between digital marketing and IMC is more than just a partnership – it’s a dynamic force that breathes life into brand communication. By embracing this synergy and weaving a multi-channel marketing strategy, your business can thrive in the ever-changing digital age.

Consulting 4 min read

Google Performance Max: Everything you need to know

Table of contents: Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins Performance

September 11, 2024

Google Performance Max: Everything you need to know

Table of contents:

• Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads
• Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins
• Performance Max in Action: Proven Strategies
• The Future is Performance Max

Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads

Even the most seasoned PPC managers can’t deny it any longer: Performance Max campaigns are a game-changer. But to unlock their true potential, you need a fresh mindset compared to traditional Search and Shopping campaigns.

Why Performance Max Crushes It

Performance Max isn’t about cramming your ads into specific categories. It’s about providing Google Ads with a treasure trove of assets (text, videos, images, product feeds) and letting its machine learning work its magic across all of Google’s vast advertising inventory. This means your ads can appear on Search results, YouTube videos, Display networks, Gmail inboxes, Maps listings, and more – all from a single, streamlined campaign.

Here’s what makes Performance Max so powerful:

 

• • Unleash the Power of Targeting:

    Leverage keywords, audiences, and product feeds for laser-focused targeting. But remember, Performance Max will quickly expand beyond your initial settings to find the highest-converting users. Embrace this flexibility!

• • Smart Bidding for Maximum Conversions:

    Ditch manual bidding. Performance Max uses Smart Bidding to optimize bids in real-time, maximizing conversions or conversion value based on your goals.

• • Complex Auctions? No Problem:

    Google’s sophisticated algorithms analyze user behavior across millions of data points to identify users most likely to convert at any given moment. The result? Ads that resonate with the right people at the right time.

• • New Customer Acquisition & Brand Control:

    Need to attract new customers? Performance Max allows you to bid higher for those valuable acquisitions. Plus, you can now exclude brand terms to ensure your ads appear for non-branded searches.

• • Pruning for Peak Performance:

    Asset group-level reporting empowers you to identify underperforming segments and take action. Exclude them, move them to a new Performance Max campaign, or bring them back to Standard Shopping – the choice is yours!

Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins

 

• • Inventory & Budget Management: Bidding and budgeting are a breeze at the campaign level. Transparency might be limited, but Performance Max prioritizes reaching users likely to convert, even if it means venturing outside traditional high-cost-per-click bubbles.

• • Reporting: While granular keyword data is gone, Performance Max offers campaign and asset group reports with valuable insights. Don’t neglect the revamped Insights tab either – it’s a goldmine of downloadable data.

• • Control vs. Guidance: Performance Max isn’t a “set it and forget it” campaign. You steer the ship by providing ad copy, creatives, audience signals, data feeds, and strategic goals. Let the algorithm handle the heavy lifting.

• • Involvement: Your role shifts from constant tinkering to focused monitoring and big-picture adjustments. Focus on clean data, CRM integration, and landing page optimization – all crucial for peak profitability.

Performance Max in Action: Proven Strategies

Here are winning campaign structures for different account types:

 

• • Ecommerce:

    For brands selling their own products, Performance Max with creative assets shines. For multi-brand retailers, prioritize data feed optimization and “Smart Shopping” approach.

• • Lead Generation:

    Start with Search campaigns to build conversion data. Then, move to Performance Max with asset groups segmented by offerings and location for targeted lead generation.

The Verdict on Performance Max

We’re bullish on Performance Max, but it’s not perfect. Here’s a balanced view:

Pros:

 

• • Breakthrough Beyond Search Intent:

    Reach potential customers who aren’t actively searching for your product but might be receptive based on their interests.

• • Full-Funnel Targeting:

    Performance Max captures users at all stages of the buying journey, maximizing conversion potential.

• • A/B Testing on Steroids:

    Test new ad formats like YouTube videos without the learning curve of dedicated campaigns.

Cons:

 

• • Expensive Takeoff:

    Performance Max can be pricey during the initial learning phase as the system gathers data.

• • Patience is Key:

    Don’t expect instant results. It takes time for Performance Max to truly optimize and deliver.

The Future is Performance Max

January 27, 2026

What’s The Most Common Reason A Digital Strategy Fails?

The Most Common Reason A Digital Strategy Fails Is A Lack Of Research And Planning

The single biggest reason a digital strategy fails is a lack of proper research and planning. Many businesses are so focused on rushing to market that they skip the foundational work that makes all the difference. This “act first, think later” approach is a costly mistake that leads to a series of tactical failures and wasted resources.

As a recent study from Businessmap showed, 80-90% of digital transformation strategies fail to achieve their goals, with a lack of a clear strategy and vision being one of the top reasons. The problem isn’t a lack of effort; it’s a lack of a solid plan. A strategy isn’t just a list of things to do, but a clear roadmap that defines what to do and, more importantly, why you are doing it.

Sharpening the Axe: A Return to Fundamentals

In a world full of noise, people often think that a strategic plan needs to be complex. The truth is that the most powerful solutions are often the simplest. This is where the old adage of “sharpening the axe” comes into play. You want to spend more time understanding the problem before you begin to cut. This isn’t just about collecting data, but also about understanding the psychology and motivations behind consumer behavior. Without this foundation, you are simply taking a guess at what will work, and in today’s market, you cannot afford to guess.

My work with Woolworths in South Africa is a great example of this principle. Woolworths is a large, high-end retail chain known for its high-quality food, clothing, and home goods. We were working with their food division, specifically on the “braai” category. For those unfamiliar, a braai is the South African equivalent of a barbecue, but it’s more of a social and cultural event where friends and family gather around a fire to cook meat.

The challenge was that the team had been given a set of aggressive sales targets for the 6-week period leading up to Heritage Day, a time when South Africans celebrate their culture and often host a braai. The targets seemed extreme on paper, and we had no clear idea how we were going to achieve them. Instead of rushing to launch an ad campaign, we took a step back and began to sharpen the axe.

We did in-depth research into the local market, analyzing customer data, and looking at shopping behaviors in specific areas. We wanted to find that “nugget”—the one small insight that could make all the difference. We came to a simple conclusion: based on the current average basket size in a key area, all we had to do was increase the average spend by R50, which is approximately $2.50 USD. This small, almost insignificant increase, applied consistently over the six-week period, would be enough to hit the ambitious sales target.

This is the power of a strategic approach. We didn’t solve a lack of sales with a new ad campaign; we solved it by finding a foundational truth through research and planning. The key is to find the core challenge and not just the symptom. A lack of sales isn’t the problem; it is a symptom caused by a series of other underlying issues.

Building a Foundation That Won’t Fail

So how do you ensure your strategy won’t fail? You build a strong foundation. You take the time to truly understand what the challenge is. You conduct in-depth research to understand not just what your customers are doing, but why they are doing it. You look for the “nugget”—the simple, strategic insight that can fast-track you back to success.

Digital strategy is not about what you post on social media; it’s about a deep understanding of your audience, a clear plan to reach them, and a system for measuring your efforts. When you do the upfront work, you can move with clarity and confidence, ensuring that every dollar and every minute you spend on your marketing is working toward a measurable outcome.

Ready to build a strategy that won’t fail? Contact me today for a consultation.

CONTACT ME

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single biggest reason a digital strategy fails?

The single biggest reason is a lack of in-depth research and planning. Many businesses rush into tactics without a clear understanding of their audience and goals, which leads to wasted time and resources.

Is a lack of sales the real problem?

No, a lack of sales is typically a symptom of a deeper, foundational issue. The real problem is often a flawed strategy, a poor understanding of the audience, or an inconsistent message.

What does it mean to “sharpen the axe” in marketing?

This means spending more time on research and planning before taking action. By deeply understanding the challenge, you can develop a precise and efficient strategy that is more likely to succeed.

How does in-depth research help a digital strategy succeed?

Research helps you understand the “why” behind consumer behavior. It allows you to find a core insight or “nugget” that can inform your strategy, leading to more effective campaigns and a higher return on investment.

What is the difference between a tactic and a strategy?

A tactic is a specific action, like posting on Facebook. A strategy is the overarching plan that defines why you are doing that action and what goal it is meant to achieve. Without a strategy, tactics are just random acts.

What’s the most important first step to a successful digital strategy?

The most important first step is to take the time to define your audience and your goals. You need to know exactly who you are talking to and what you want to achieve before you can build a plan that works.

Want more insights? Check out these related articles to continue your journey

Consulting 5 min read

How to Create a full-funnel PPC Marketing Strategy

The marketing funnel is a cornerstone concept. It’s not just a visualization tool; it’s a strategic roadmap for success. And

September 11, 2024

How to Create a full-funnel PPC Marketing Strategy

The marketing funnel is a cornerstone concept. It’s not just a visualization tool; it’s a strategic roadmap for success. And when it comes to PPC, where every penny counts, a well-defined funnel is the difference between stagnant campaigns and explosive growth.

This article breaks down the full-funnel PPC strategy you need to dominate your market. We’ll walk you through each stage, from initial brand awareness to conversion, and show you how to leverage PPC to its full potential.

The Marketing Funnel: A Quick Recap

The marketing funnel simplifies the customer journey towards a purchase. Here’s a breakdown of the key stages:

• Awareness: This is where potential customers first encounter your brand. They might see your ads but haven’t actively researched your product or service yet. Think of it as planting the seeds of brand recognition.
• Consideration: Now, they have a need and are actively looking for solutions. This is where you provide informative content to establish yourself as a trusted authority in the space.
• Conversion: This is the golden stage: the purchase decision. Make it easy for them to find you with targeted campaigns and persuasive CTAs.

PPC for Every Stage: Building Your Funnel Strategy

1. Top-of-Funnel PPC: Awareness Campaigns

Don’t underestimate the top of the funnel! Even if someone isn’t ready to buy today, they might be tomorrow. Brand awareness campaigns using display, video, and discovery campaigns ensure you’re on their radar when they start researching.

2. Middle-of-Funnel PPC: Consideration Campaigns

Now that they’re aware, provide valuable content to help them make informed decisions. Use search campaigns (targeting relevant keywords) and informative video or display campaigns (with refined targeting) to position yourself as the solution they need.

3. Bottom-of-Funnel PPC: Conversion Campaigns

The moment of truth. Make yourself the easiest choice with branded search campaigns, shopping campaigns, and remarketing to keep your brand at the forefront of their mind.

Small Budget? Prioritize, But Don’t Neglect Growth

Yes, you can start with a limited budget. But here’s a crucial point: prioritize the bottom of the funnel initially, not as a long-term strategy.

Focus on maximizing conversions, then gradually expand your reach with middle and top-of-funnel campaigns as your budget grows. This approach can give you a quick revenue boost, but it has limitations.

Why Full-Funnel PPC Wins Every Time

Let’s illustrate with an example. Imagine you get 100 customers converting at $10,000 each, resulting in $50,000 monthly revenue. Optimizing the bottom of the funnel might increase your conversion rate to 10% ($100,000 in revenue). Great, right?

But that’s a short-term win. You’re not growing the pool of potential customers. A full-funnel strategy addresses this.

Imagine top and middle-of-funnel campaigns doubled your potential customers to 200. Even with a 10% conversion rate, that’s $200,000 in revenue – with the potential for continuous growth!

The Power of Guiding Your Audience

A full-funnel PPC strategy takes effort, but the rewards are substantial. By guiding potential customers through every stage of the buying journey, you nurture leads, build brand loyalty, and achieve sustainable, scalable growth. Display, video, search, shopping, and remarketing all play a role – tailor your approach to maximize impact at each stage.

Build a rock-solid full-funnel PPC foundation, and watch your business soar.

While you’ll initially see a revenue bump with this strategy, long-term growth is hard because you’re not trying to grow the real number that matters strategically, which is the number of people at the bottom of the funnel. If you don’t grow the number of people looking to convert, it gets harder and harder to grow the business.

Now, let’s run the math on what a full-funnel strategy can do:

Same example as before: 100 customers at the conversion stage, 5% conversion rate at $10,000 per purchase. Adding bottom-of-the-funnel advertising can help boost the conversion rate from 5% to 10% (ideally), but what if top and middle funnel grew the number of potential customers from 100 to 200?

200 customers x 10% conversion rate = 20 conversions at $10,000 per purchase. That’s $200,000 in revenue, with the potential to continually grow the number of customers in your target market.

While this example is obviously a best-case scenario, it’s all to illustrate the point that while targeting the bottom of the funnel is good, implementing a full-funnel strategy, where you take customers from awareness to consideration to conversion, is the best and most consistent way to achieve long-term growth in paid advertising.

Crafting awareness, consideration, and conversion-focused PPC campaigns

Implementing a strategic full-funnel approach to your PPC campaigns takes more initial effort but pays dividends through continual, scalable growth over chasing short-term profits.

By guiding potential customers from initial awareness through consideration and onto conversion, you increase lead volume and gain momentum.

Display, video, search, shopping, and remarketing play distinct roles across the funnel. Evaluate your business’s current customer volume and conversion rates to prioritize budget and resources.

With the proper full-funnel PPC foundation supporting your efforts, you enable the revenue growth your business needs to thrive.

Article adapted from Search Engine Land

Consulting 4 min read

Digital IMC – The Perfect Blend for Results in 2024

Table of contents: The rise of the digital maestro A symphony of Success Reaching the right audience Building brand recognition

September 11, 2024

Digital IMC – The Perfect Blend for Results in 2024

Table of contents:

• The rise of the digital maestro
• A symphony of Success
• Reaching the right audience
• Building brand recognition in the digital age
• Data drives decision

In today’s marketing world, a successful strategy requires a powerful combination: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and digital marketing. Think of IMC as the conductor of an orchestra, bringing together various marketing channels like advertising and PR to deliver a unified message. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is your band of talented musicians, utilizing SEO, social media, and other online tactics to create an engaging performance.

The Rise of the Digital Maestro

Marketing has come a long way from billboards and TV ads. Digital marketing emerged as a game-changer, offering exciting new ways to connect with audiences. It’s not just a new medium, it’s a complete transformation in how businesses interact with customers.

A Symphony of Success

Imagine an orchestra without its instruments – that’s what IMC would be like without digital marketing. IMC sets the overall tone, while digital marketing brings the message to life through targeted online channels. It’s a win-win situation, creating a harmonious brand experience for the audience.

Reaching the Right Audience

Digital marketing shines in its ability to target the perfect audience. With tools like Google Ads and social media algorithms, businesses can laser-focus their message on exactly who they want to reach. By analyzing consumer behavior online, marketers gain valuable insights that guide their entire IMC strategy.

Building Brand Recognition in the Digital Age

Maintaining a consistent brand image across all channels can be tricky, but digital marketing tackles this head-on. From your website to social media, the digital world becomes your canvas to paint a clear and consistent brand identity. This consistency builds trust and familiarity with your audience.

Data Drives Decisions

Digital marketing excels at providing valuable data and metrics. Through platforms like Google Analytics, businesses can track website traffic, user engagement, and conversion rates. This data empowers marketers to refine and optimize their IMC strategies for maximum impact.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

The digital world is constantly evolving, and so should your marketing strategy. By embracing the latest trends and adapting to change, IMC strategies can stay relevant and resonate with a dynamic audience.

Content is King

In the digital kingdom, content is king. A well-crafted content strategy that aligns with your IMC goals is key to success. From informative blog posts to engaging videos, every piece of content you create contributes to your brand story, strengthens communication, and boosts audience engagement.

The Social Pulse of Your Brand

Social media integration adds a human touch to your IMC strategy. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram become your conversation hubs, where you can directly interact with your audience. Social media isn’t just about broadcasting messages, it’s about building relationships.

Challenges and Triumphs

There are hurdles to overcome when integrating digital marketing into IMC. Balancing traditional and digital channels, ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms, and keeping pace with rapid change require strategic solutions. But by embracing these challenges, you can build a resilient and adaptable marketing strategy.

Learning from the Best

Real-world examples showcase the power of a strong bond between digital marketing and IMC. Studying how successful brands seamlessly integrate online and offline channels provides valuable insights that you can apply to your own marketing journey.

The Future of Marketing

The future holds even deeper collaboration between digital marketing and IMC. Emerging trends like AI-powered marketing, immersive technologies, and interactive content will continue to reshape the marketing landscape. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses must anticipate these trends and adapt their IMC strategies accordingly.

The Takeaway

The relationship between digital marketing and IMC is more than just a partnership – it’s a dynamic force that breathes life into brand communication. By embracing this synergy and weaving a multi-channel marketing strategy, your business can thrive in the ever-changing digital age.

Consulting 4 min read

Google Performance Max: Everything you need to know

Table of contents: Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins Performance

September 11, 2024

Google Performance Max: Everything you need to know

Table of contents:

• Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads
• Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins
• Performance Max in Action: Proven Strategies
• The Future is Performance Max

Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads

Even the most seasoned PPC managers can’t deny it any longer: Performance Max campaigns are a game-changer. But to unlock their true potential, you need a fresh mindset compared to traditional Search and Shopping campaigns.

Why Performance Max Crushes It

Performance Max isn’t about cramming your ads into specific categories. It’s about providing Google Ads with a treasure trove of assets (text, videos, images, product feeds) and letting its machine learning work its magic across all of Google’s vast advertising inventory. This means your ads can appear on Search results, YouTube videos, Display networks, Gmail inboxes, Maps listings, and more – all from a single, streamlined campaign.

Here’s what makes Performance Max so powerful:

 

• • Unleash the Power of Targeting:

    Leverage keywords, audiences, and product feeds for laser-focused targeting. But remember, Performance Max will quickly expand beyond your initial settings to find the highest-converting users. Embrace this flexibility!

• • Smart Bidding for Maximum Conversions:

    Ditch manual bidding. Performance Max uses Smart Bidding to optimize bids in real-time, maximizing conversions or conversion value based on your goals.

• • Complex Auctions? No Problem:

    Google’s sophisticated algorithms analyze user behavior across millions of data points to identify users most likely to convert at any given moment. The result? Ads that resonate with the right people at the right time.

• • New Customer Acquisition & Brand Control:

    Need to attract new customers? Performance Max allows you to bid higher for those valuable acquisitions. Plus, you can now exclude brand terms to ensure your ads appear for non-branded searches.

• • Pruning for Peak Performance:

    Asset group-level reporting empowers you to identify underperforming segments and take action. Exclude them, move them to a new Performance Max campaign, or bring them back to Standard Shopping – the choice is yours!

Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins

 

• • Inventory & Budget Management: Bidding and budgeting are a breeze at the campaign level. Transparency might be limited, but Performance Max prioritizes reaching users likely to convert, even if it means venturing outside traditional high-cost-per-click bubbles.

• • Reporting: While granular keyword data is gone, Performance Max offers campaign and asset group reports with valuable insights. Don’t neglect the revamped Insights tab either – it’s a goldmine of downloadable data.

• • Control vs. Guidance: Performance Max isn’t a “set it and forget it” campaign. You steer the ship by providing ad copy, creatives, audience signals, data feeds, and strategic goals. Let the algorithm handle the heavy lifting.

• • Involvement: Your role shifts from constant tinkering to focused monitoring and big-picture adjustments. Focus on clean data, CRM integration, and landing page optimization – all crucial for peak profitability.

Performance Max in Action: Proven Strategies

Here are winning campaign structures for different account types:

 

• • Ecommerce:

    For brands selling their own products, Performance Max with creative assets shines. For multi-brand retailers, prioritize data feed optimization and “Smart Shopping” approach.

• • Lead Generation:

    Start with Search campaigns to build conversion data. Then, move to Performance Max with asset groups segmented by offerings and location for targeted lead generation.

The Verdict on Performance Max

We’re bullish on Performance Max, but it’s not perfect. Here’s a balanced view:

Pros:

 

• • Breakthrough Beyond Search Intent:

    Reach potential customers who aren’t actively searching for your product but might be receptive based on their interests.

• • Full-Funnel Targeting:

    Performance Max captures users at all stages of the buying journey, maximizing conversion potential.

• • A/B Testing on Steroids:

    Test new ad formats like YouTube videos without the learning curve of dedicated campaigns.

Cons:

 

• • Expensive Takeoff:

    Performance Max can be pricey during the initial learning phase as the system gathers data.

• • Patience is Key:

    Don’t expect instant results. It takes time for Performance Max to truly optimize and deliver.

The Future is Performance Max

September 28, 2025

Why Is A Strong Personal Brand More Important Than A Company Brand For A Startup Founder?

In the beginning, people don’t buy into a company—they buy into a person. A powerful personal brand is your greatest asset.

A Founder’s Personal Brand Is Their Most Important Business Asset

The most valuable asset a startup founder has is not their product, their technology, or even their company’s brand. It is their personal brand. A company brand is a logo, a color palette, and a tagline. A personal brand is a face, a voice, and a story. People don’t buy from corporations; they buy from people. A founder’s personal brand builds trust, credibility, and influence in a way that no company brand can.

As a recent study from Refine Labs showed, founder-led marketing works because “You trust people more than logos“. That trust is a founder’s greatest advantage. In the early days, when a company is an unknown entity, a founder’s personal reputation is the foundation of the business.

The Power of Authenticity and Authority

The rise of the personal brand is a direct response to a market saturated with marketing noise and impersonal ads. To break through, you need to offer something real. You need to offer authenticity.

My fellow South African, Black Coffee, offers a compelling example. Known by his real name Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, he has become a globally recognized DJ and record producer by being the face of his own Afro-house genre. His personal story—including his early life in Durban, his tragic accident as a teenager, and his career highlights like being the first African to win a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album—is a key part of his brand. His story is his authority. It’s what gives him credibility and makes his fans loyal. A company cannot have a personal story; only a person can.

The key to a powerful personal brand is creating and controlling your own narrative. Amelia Sordell, a personal brand strategist and founder of Klowt, has built a £1 million personal branding agency on a 100% inbound model. After a business failure at age 21, she learned the importance of marketing herself to get clients as a tech headhunter. Now, she’s an authority and a key example of how a personal brand can become a business in itself.

According to a study by Edelman Trust Barometer, 82% of consumers say they’re more likely to trust a company when its leadership is active on social media. This demonstrates that a founder’s face, voice, and expertise are what give a brand its credibility.

Your Personal Brand as a Business Driver

A strong personal brand doesn’t just build trust—it has a direct impact on the bottom line. It can:

• Attracts the Right Clients and Investors: Investors want to invest in people, not just ideas. A strong personal brand proves you are resilient, knowledgeable, and passionate. Research from aboveA shows that founders who build their personal brand see an 82% increase in trust from customers, and this can help reduce customer acquisition costs.

• Builds a Community of Advocates: When a founder shares their journey, people feel a connection. This is how you build a community around your brand that becomes your greatest marketing asset. As your article “Why Marketing Agencies Are Struggling” mentions, “The era of ‘we do it all’ is over… the key is the system you use to connect them.” Your personal brand is that system.

• Replaces Expensive Marketing: In the early stages, a founder’s personal brand can be a low-cost, high-impact alternative to traditional marketing and advertising. A well-crafted personal brand attracts investors, customers, and talent without needing a significant budget.

My experience with Andrew Amann, CEO of NineTwoThree, is a great example of this. As a thought leader and CEO, he built a business that has been on the Inc 5000’s “Fastest Growing Company” list for three straight years. He advises companies on AI strategies and process improvement by openly sharing his expertise. He understands business models and profit levers, and this authority comes directly from his personal brand, which is a powerful asset to his company’s reputation.

In the end, you are the most valuable asset your business has. Your story, your values, and your voice are what will separate you from the competition. As Amelia Sordell says, “LinkedIn is the credibility check before every major business decision.”

Just F*cking Post It: How to Start Today

Many founders hesitate to build their personal brand because they think they need to post every day or have a massive following to have an impact. That’s a myth. As you said, the most important step is to “just f*cking post it.” Stop overthinking and start sharing.

Start small. Post one insightful comment on a relevant article. Share one experience or lesson you’ve learned this week. A strong personal brand is not built overnight; it’s built with consistent, small actions that compound over time. The most important thing is to be authentic. People want to see the real you, not a polished, corporate version.

Ready to build a personal brand that drives business growth? Contact me today for a consultation.

CONTACT ME

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the key difference between a personal brand and a company brand?

A company brand is a corporate identity and logo. A personal brand is the individual’s reputation, story, and voice. A personal brand is often seen as more authentic and trustworthy, which is a significant advantage in the early stages of a business.

How does a personal brand help a startup attract investors?

Investors invest in people. A strong personal brand establishes a founder’s credibility, resilience, and expertise. This builds confidence and makes the founder more appealing, which can lead to more opportunities for funding.

What is “founder-led marketing”?

Founder-led marketing is when a company’s founder or CEO becomes the face of its marketing efforts. They share their story, expertise, and passion directly with the audience to build a human connection that drives trust and loyalty.

Can a founder’s personal brand hurt their company brand?

Yes. A founder’s personal brand and actions are a direct reflection of their company’s values. If a founder behaves unethically or irresponsibly, it can damage the reputation of their business. Consistency and authenticity are key.

Do I have to be a major public figure to have a strong personal brand?

No. A strong personal brand is about building a reputation with your target audience, not about being famous. It’s more important to be known by the right people than by everyone.

What are the best platforms for a founder to build their personal brand?

LinkedIn is often the best platform for building credibility and influence in a professional context. Other platforms like Twitter, industry-specific forums, or even a personal blog are also valuable, depending on the target audience.

Want more insights? Check out these related articles to continue your journey

Consulting 5 min read

How to Create a full-funnel PPC Marketing Strategy

The marketing funnel is a cornerstone concept. It’s not just a visualization tool; it’s a strategic roadmap for success. And

September 11, 2024

How to Create a full-funnel PPC Marketing Strategy

The marketing funnel is a cornerstone concept. It’s not just a visualization tool; it’s a strategic roadmap for success. And when it comes to PPC, where every penny counts, a well-defined funnel is the difference between stagnant campaigns and explosive growth.

This article breaks down the full-funnel PPC strategy you need to dominate your market. We’ll walk you through each stage, from initial brand awareness to conversion, and show you how to leverage PPC to its full potential.

The Marketing Funnel: A Quick Recap

The marketing funnel simplifies the customer journey towards a purchase. Here’s a breakdown of the key stages:

• Awareness: This is where potential customers first encounter your brand. They might see your ads but haven’t actively researched your product or service yet. Think of it as planting the seeds of brand recognition.
• Consideration: Now, they have a need and are actively looking for solutions. This is where you provide informative content to establish yourself as a trusted authority in the space.
• Conversion: This is the golden stage: the purchase decision. Make it easy for them to find you with targeted campaigns and persuasive CTAs.

PPC for Every Stage: Building Your Funnel Strategy

1. Top-of-Funnel PPC: Awareness Campaigns

Don’t underestimate the top of the funnel! Even if someone isn’t ready to buy today, they might be tomorrow. Brand awareness campaigns using display, video, and discovery campaigns ensure you’re on their radar when they start researching.

2. Middle-of-Funnel PPC: Consideration Campaigns

Now that they’re aware, provide valuable content to help them make informed decisions. Use search campaigns (targeting relevant keywords) and informative video or display campaigns (with refined targeting) to position yourself as the solution they need.

3. Bottom-of-Funnel PPC: Conversion Campaigns

The moment of truth. Make yourself the easiest choice with branded search campaigns, shopping campaigns, and remarketing to keep your brand at the forefront of their mind.

Small Budget? Prioritize, But Don’t Neglect Growth

Yes, you can start with a limited budget. But here’s a crucial point: prioritize the bottom of the funnel initially, not as a long-term strategy.

Focus on maximizing conversions, then gradually expand your reach with middle and top-of-funnel campaigns as your budget grows. This approach can give you a quick revenue boost, but it has limitations.

Why Full-Funnel PPC Wins Every Time

Let’s illustrate with an example. Imagine you get 100 customers converting at $10,000 each, resulting in $50,000 monthly revenue. Optimizing the bottom of the funnel might increase your conversion rate to 10% ($100,000 in revenue). Great, right?

But that’s a short-term win. You’re not growing the pool of potential customers. A full-funnel strategy addresses this.

Imagine top and middle-of-funnel campaigns doubled your potential customers to 200. Even with a 10% conversion rate, that’s $200,000 in revenue – with the potential for continuous growth!

The Power of Guiding Your Audience

A full-funnel PPC strategy takes effort, but the rewards are substantial. By guiding potential customers through every stage of the buying journey, you nurture leads, build brand loyalty, and achieve sustainable, scalable growth. Display, video, search, shopping, and remarketing all play a role – tailor your approach to maximize impact at each stage.

Build a rock-solid full-funnel PPC foundation, and watch your business soar.

While you’ll initially see a revenue bump with this strategy, long-term growth is hard because you’re not trying to grow the real number that matters strategically, which is the number of people at the bottom of the funnel. If you don’t grow the number of people looking to convert, it gets harder and harder to grow the business.

Now, let’s run the math on what a full-funnel strategy can do:

Same example as before: 100 customers at the conversion stage, 5% conversion rate at $10,000 per purchase. Adding bottom-of-the-funnel advertising can help boost the conversion rate from 5% to 10% (ideally), but what if top and middle funnel grew the number of potential customers from 100 to 200?

200 customers x 10% conversion rate = 20 conversions at $10,000 per purchase. That’s $200,000 in revenue, with the potential to continually grow the number of customers in your target market.

While this example is obviously a best-case scenario, it’s all to illustrate the point that while targeting the bottom of the funnel is good, implementing a full-funnel strategy, where you take customers from awareness to consideration to conversion, is the best and most consistent way to achieve long-term growth in paid advertising.

Crafting awareness, consideration, and conversion-focused PPC campaigns

Implementing a strategic full-funnel approach to your PPC campaigns takes more initial effort but pays dividends through continual, scalable growth over chasing short-term profits.

By guiding potential customers from initial awareness through consideration and onto conversion, you increase lead volume and gain momentum.

Display, video, search, shopping, and remarketing play distinct roles across the funnel. Evaluate your business’s current customer volume and conversion rates to prioritize budget and resources.

With the proper full-funnel PPC foundation supporting your efforts, you enable the revenue growth your business needs to thrive.

Article adapted from Search Engine Land

Consulting 4 min read

Digital IMC – The Perfect Blend for Results in 2024

Table of contents: The rise of the digital maestro A symphony of Success Reaching the right audience Building brand recognition

September 11, 2024

Digital IMC – The Perfect Blend for Results in 2024

Table of contents:

• The rise of the digital maestro
• A symphony of Success
• Reaching the right audience
• Building brand recognition in the digital age
• Data drives decision

In today’s marketing world, a successful strategy requires a powerful combination: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and digital marketing. Think of IMC as the conductor of an orchestra, bringing together various marketing channels like advertising and PR to deliver a unified message. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is your band of talented musicians, utilizing SEO, social media, and other online tactics to create an engaging performance.

The Rise of the Digital Maestro

Marketing has come a long way from billboards and TV ads. Digital marketing emerged as a game-changer, offering exciting new ways to connect with audiences. It’s not just a new medium, it’s a complete transformation in how businesses interact with customers.

A Symphony of Success

Imagine an orchestra without its instruments – that’s what IMC would be like without digital marketing. IMC sets the overall tone, while digital marketing brings the message to life through targeted online channels. It’s a win-win situation, creating a harmonious brand experience for the audience.

Reaching the Right Audience

Digital marketing shines in its ability to target the perfect audience. With tools like Google Ads and social media algorithms, businesses can laser-focus their message on exactly who they want to reach. By analyzing consumer behavior online, marketers gain valuable insights that guide their entire IMC strategy.

Building Brand Recognition in the Digital Age

Maintaining a consistent brand image across all channels can be tricky, but digital marketing tackles this head-on. From your website to social media, the digital world becomes your canvas to paint a clear and consistent brand identity. This consistency builds trust and familiarity with your audience.

Data Drives Decisions

Digital marketing excels at providing valuable data and metrics. Through platforms like Google Analytics, businesses can track website traffic, user engagement, and conversion rates. This data empowers marketers to refine and optimize their IMC strategies for maximum impact.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

The digital world is constantly evolving, and so should your marketing strategy. By embracing the latest trends and adapting to change, IMC strategies can stay relevant and resonate with a dynamic audience.

Content is King

In the digital kingdom, content is king. A well-crafted content strategy that aligns with your IMC goals is key to success. From informative blog posts to engaging videos, every piece of content you create contributes to your brand story, strengthens communication, and boosts audience engagement.

The Social Pulse of Your Brand

Social media integration adds a human touch to your IMC strategy. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram become your conversation hubs, where you can directly interact with your audience. Social media isn’t just about broadcasting messages, it’s about building relationships.

Challenges and Triumphs

There are hurdles to overcome when integrating digital marketing into IMC. Balancing traditional and digital channels, ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms, and keeping pace with rapid change require strategic solutions. But by embracing these challenges, you can build a resilient and adaptable marketing strategy.

Learning from the Best

Real-world examples showcase the power of a strong bond between digital marketing and IMC. Studying how successful brands seamlessly integrate online and offline channels provides valuable insights that you can apply to your own marketing journey.

The Future of Marketing

The future holds even deeper collaboration between digital marketing and IMC. Emerging trends like AI-powered marketing, immersive technologies, and interactive content will continue to reshape the marketing landscape. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses must anticipate these trends and adapt their IMC strategies accordingly.

The Takeaway

The relationship between digital marketing and IMC is more than just a partnership – it’s a dynamic force that breathes life into brand communication. By embracing this synergy and weaving a multi-channel marketing strategy, your business can thrive in the ever-changing digital age.

Consulting 4 min read

Google Performance Max: Everything you need to know

Table of contents: Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins Performance

September 11, 2024

Google Performance Max: Everything you need to know

Table of contents:

• Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads
• Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins
• Performance Max in Action: Proven Strategies
• The Future is Performance Max

Performance Max: The All-In-One Powerhouse for Google Ads

Even the most seasoned PPC managers can’t deny it any longer: Performance Max campaigns are a game-changer. But to unlock their true potential, you need a fresh mindset compared to traditional Search and Shopping campaigns.

Why Performance Max Crushes It

Performance Max isn’t about cramming your ads into specific categories. It’s about providing Google Ads with a treasure trove of assets (text, videos, images, product feeds) and letting its machine learning work its magic across all of Google’s vast advertising inventory. This means your ads can appear on Search results, YouTube videos, Display networks, Gmail inboxes, Maps listings, and more – all from a single, streamlined campaign.

Here’s what makes Performance Max so powerful:

 

• • Unleash the Power of Targeting:

    Leverage keywords, audiences, and product feeds for laser-focused targeting. But remember, Performance Max will quickly expand beyond your initial settings to find the highest-converting users. Embrace this flexibility!

• • Smart Bidding for Maximum Conversions:

    Ditch manual bidding. Performance Max uses Smart Bidding to optimize bids in real-time, maximizing conversions or conversion value based on your goals.

• • Complex Auctions? No Problem:

    Google’s sophisticated algorithms analyze user behavior across millions of data points to identify users most likely to convert at any given moment. The result? Ads that resonate with the right people at the right time.

• • New Customer Acquisition & Brand Control:

    Need to attract new customers? Performance Max allows you to bid higher for those valuable acquisitions. Plus, you can now exclude brand terms to ensure your ads appear for non-branded searches.

• • Pruning for Peak Performance:

    Asset group-level reporting empowers you to identify underperforming segments and take action. Exclude them, move them to a new Performance Max campaign, or bring them back to Standard Shopping – the choice is yours!

Performance Max vs. The Rest: Why It Wins

 

• • Inventory & Budget Management: Bidding and budgeting are a breeze at the campaign level. Transparency might be limited, but Performance Max prioritizes reaching users likely to convert, even if it means venturing outside traditional high-cost-per-click bubbles.

• • Reporting: While granular keyword data is gone, Performance Max offers campaign and asset group reports with valuable insights. Don’t neglect the revamped Insights tab either – it’s a goldmine of downloadable data.

• • Control vs. Guidance: Performance Max isn’t a “set it and forget it” campaign. You steer the ship by providing ad copy, creatives, audience signals, data feeds, and strategic goals. Let the algorithm handle the heavy lifting.

• • Involvement: Your role shifts from constant tinkering to focused monitoring and big-picture adjustments. Focus on clean data, CRM integration, and landing page optimization – all crucial for peak profitability.

Performance Max in Action: Proven Strategies

Here are winning campaign structures for different account types:

 

• • Ecommerce:

    For brands selling their own products, Performance Max with creative assets shines. For multi-brand retailers, prioritize data feed optimization and “Smart Shopping” approach.

• • Lead Generation:

    Start with Search campaigns to build conversion data. Then, move to Performance Max with asset groups segmented by offerings and location for targeted lead generation.

The Verdict on Performance Max

We’re bullish on Performance Max, but it’s not perfect. Here’s a balanced view:

Pros:

 

• • Breakthrough Beyond Search Intent:

    Reach potential customers who aren’t actively searching for your product but might be receptive based on their interests.

• • Full-Funnel Targeting:

    Performance Max captures users at all stages of the buying journey, maximizing conversion potential.

• • A/B Testing on Steroids:

    Test new ad formats like YouTube videos without the learning curve of dedicated campaigns.

Cons:

 

• • Expensive Takeoff:

    Performance Max can be pricey during the initial learning phase as the system gathers data.

• • Patience is Key:

    Don’t expect instant results. It takes time for Performance Max to truly optimize and deliver.

The Future is Performance Max