Hey there, if you’re a B2B marketer looking to scale your Google Ads campaigns, you’re in the right place.
In this article, I’ll walk you through how to effectively use YouTube Ads and Google Demand Generation (previously known as Discovery) campaigns to scale beyond paid search and stay top of mind while keeping costs low.
So let’s dive in! 👇
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Search campaigns are fantastic for capturing high-intent users, but eventually you’ll hit a wall. Why? There’s only so much traffic coming from people searching for your keywords (especially in B2B).
As I always say, Google Ads is a blessing and a curse. You’re blessed with intent but cursed with scale.
So to break through, it’s necessary to explore other types of Google Ads campaigns.
Video and Demand Gen campaigns, in particular, are great for that because they let you reach a broader audience on YouTube, Gmail, and Discover at a fraction of the cost per click you’d pay for high-intent search terms.
For example, instead of paying $100 per click for “CRM software”, you could pay just $0.05 per view on YouTube, targeting the same audience.
It’s a game-changer for SaaS companies looking to grow.
You may ask how you can get LinkedIn-like targeting with YouTube Ads and Demand Gen campaigns since we can’t rely on job titles or target specific companies.
The secret to successful prospecting with these channels lies in custom audiences.
These are people actively searching for your top-performing keywords, competitors, or industry terms.
Custom segments let you target users based on search behavior, getting your brand in front of highly relevant prospects at just the right time.
Below is a custom segment I created to target people with any interest or purchase intentions in B2B-related terms and tools and how many impressions I can get per week with this segment.
I also recommend creating custom segments with the following:
As I pointed out, by using these custom audiences, you can target people who have searched specific terms on Google through Demand Gen or YouTube campaigns. Instead of paying a premium cost for search clicks, you’re reaching them on different platforms for dramatically less.
If you want to learn more about YouTube costs check out this benchmark data we pulled from $1,041,988 in ad spend from our own B2B SaaS clients.
In B2B marketing, sales cycles can range from months to years, so another great option to leverage Video and Demand Generation campaigns on Google Ads is using remarketing audiences to stay top of mind with your prospects.
Running remarketing campaigns on YouTube, Gmail, Discovery and Google Display allows you to re-engage visitors who’ve interacted with your site or content.
For example, you can create specific segments based on user activity, such as visiting your pricing page, blog, case studies, or downloading a resource.
Here are some of the remarketing segments I recommend most for B2B SaaS companies:
If you’re running LinkedIn Ads and confident in your audience targeting, you can also steal that LinkedIn Ads traffic by remarketing them on Google 🔥
To do that, you just need to build a retargeting audience using utm_source=linkedin or whatever utm_source you use for your LinkedIn Ad campaigns.
This will let you get in front of the same users on YouTube, Gmail, Discovery, and Display for a fraction of the cost you’re paying on LinkedIn. 🤓
Check out our free LinkedIn Ads courses to master this channel:
The beautiful thing about remarketing is that it deals with smaller audience sizes and requires less budget, but it keeps you in front of the people who matter most.
So I highly recommend building a multichannel B2B retargeting strategy to ensure your brand stays visible, nurturing prospects throughout their long decision-making process.
You can steal my YouTube Remarketing Checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything when creating your campaigns.
Scaling beyond search campaigns, leveraging custom audiences, and using remarketing are your keys to running successful B2B SaaS campaigns on YouTube and Google Demand Generation.
These strategies let you break free from search constraints, attract new prospects efficiently, and remain top of mind throughout the sales cycle.
If you have any questions, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
If you want to become a Google Ads pro, check out our free B2B Google Ads courses, where you'll learn how to launch, optimize, and scale your campaigns to drive pipeline and revenue.
Here's what you'll learn in each course:
⚙️ B2B Google Ads 101 - How to Launch Dangerously Effective Campaigns for Beginners
🎯 Google Ads 102 - How to Clicks Into Profit
🚀 Google Ads 103 - How to Scale Google Ads For Advanced Advertisers
Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.
Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)
Paid ads have the potential to be the biggest revenue driver in your business. Not to mention, they are one of the fastest ways to build brand awareness.
But if you are like most B2B SaaS companies, you probably find that a large portion of ads you run drive a less-than-impressive CTR or an astronomical CPL.
Before you switch strategies or try another platform, we need to look at your ad copy. One study found that 75% of B2B LinkedIn ad creative was ineffective, ranking just one star or less out of five 😱
Here are 3 common mistakes SaaS companies make in their ad messaging. Read on to learn what they are and how you can fix them today.
You need to get specific about the core features of your product.
You might be thinking, well duh!
But you would be surprised at how many ads fail to clearly communicate how their product actually achieves the awesome results that it does.
If you search the LinkedIn ad library, you’ll find it awash with ads like this ⤵
And while, yes, everyone wants to make more sales, statements that solely focus on a result, without explaining the how, leave people in the vague zone.
The mind craves certainty, tangibility and proof. So you’ll want to get out of the vague zone and into the land of specificity as quickly as possible.
In our B2B ad agency, we have consistently seen this formula perform again and again.
1. Hone in on one specific feature
2. Clearly tie it to a very specific outcome
3. Show how the feature actually achieves that outcome
(Bonus if you combine it with a visual snapshot of this process happening on the platform)
Let’s take an example.
Imagine you are an analytics company that tracks user behavior on your website.
Your product has a LOT of functions, but it essentially allows marketing teams to understand what users do on your website, so they can improve user experience and ultimately make more sales.
Usually, something like this happens. You simplify the whole process and end up with a headline like “Turn data into dollars.”
Short and catchy, right?
Maybe. But if you ask the marketing manager reading the ad to explain what they’re actually getting? They will have no idea.
Try this instead.
Think about one core feature of your product that customers like.
In this case, it could be tracking when customers drop off during the sales process.
Focus the whole ad around that feature.
For example, we could say something like “See when customers drop off, remove obstacles that stop them buying.”
Ok, you can make it catchier than that.
But this version allows our audience to really understand how the product helps them.
Combining this with a visual to show what we mean is also a game changer. Here this might look like a simplified snapshot of a tracking dashboard, with a notification that says “462 users dropped off at checkout.”
This ad is now:
⤷ Tangible
⤷ Our audience gets what our product does
⤷ And instead of spelling out the result, we make it easy to make the connection between this feature and making more sales.
Here’s a real example from one of my clients, a data analytics platform. It hones in on one specific feature that allows you to watch replays of users navigating your platform:
When you work closely on a product, you are acutely aware of ALL its awesome features.
But, that doesn’t mean you should mention them all in a single ad.
While you might think everything is important, speaking to too many benefits or features can confuse or overload your audience, ending up something like this ⤵
The more you make your audience work to understand your product, the more likely they won’t remember your ad at all.
Speaking to one benefit in one ad is typically much more memorable.
The goal of an ad in SaaS isn’t usually to make an outright sale – B2B sales processes are far too long and convoluted for that.
Instead, we want to pique our audience’s interest just enough to click to learn more.
They can then dig further into your features on the website or landing page.
So how can you avoid saying too much?
Imagine you have a marketing automation software that:
You might be struggling to know what to focus on.
Try this.
Choose a real-life use case. For example, reviving abandoned cart sales with automated emails.
Instead of listing features, your ad might say something like:
“70% of shoppers abandon their cart. Bring them back with set-and-forget followups you can activate in a few clicks.”
Not only does this hone in on one easy-to-grasp feature, it also helps your audience imagine implementing and benefiting from the product.
Here’s another example from one of my clients, a customer feedback analytics platform. It focuses on the use case of automating feedback tagging:
We know we shouldn’t use buzzwords, but still, it’s a constant battle not to let them worm their way into B2B content.
I get it.
⤷ Everyone else is using them
⤷ They are an industry norm
⤷ And they neatly encapsulate what we want to express
But ultimately, they are the lazy way out. And they are killing your conversions.
So the next time you feel the urge to harness, unlock, optimize, revolutionize, supercharge, streamline, or transform in your B2B ads, try this 👇
Do the tangibility test.
If the answer is no, keep reworking it until it’s a yes.
Let’s take the headline of this ad ⤵
Could you prove with a yes or no if this company can ‘streamline product drops’? Erm, I’m not really even sure what that means.
Could you draw ‘streamlining a product drop’ on a notepad? Me neither.
I did some digging and learned that this company offers a platform where brands can run eCommerce launches.
So let’s adapt the headline to something like this.
“Launch your new clothing line on a platform that will never crash.”
Could you prove it’s possible or not to launch products on this platform? Yes.
Could you prove it to be true or false that the platform will never crash? Yes.
Could you draw this concept on a piece of paper? I could give it a good shot.
Here’s an example for one of my clients, where I used conversational and human language over buzzwords to promote a webinar:
Great SaaS ads don’t have to be flashy or loaded with buzzwords. They succeed when they:
By avoiding these three common messaging mistakes, you’ll not only boost your click-through rates but also connect with your audience in a way that builds trust and drives action.
Now, go audit your ad copy—what changes can you make today?
Hope you found this article helpful! 👏
Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn with any copywriting questions.
And for more B2B SaaS copywriting tips, check out this article by Eden Bidani.
If you want to build a full-funnel B2B paid media program, then you should definitely check our free course Building a Paid Media Program: Scale Your B2B SaaS Advertising.
Here’s what is in for you:
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned B2B advertiser or a complete newbie.
You’re going to walk away with frameworks and repeatable processes for building a paid media program that scales.
Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.
It takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)
Utilize A/B testing to compare different ad copies and analyze metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per acquisition (CPA) to determine which messaging resonates best with your audience.
Conduct thorough market research, including customer surveys and interviews, to gain insights into your audience’s challenges. Use this information to craft messages that directly address their specific concerns.
Focus on clear and concise language that highlights the unique benefits of your product. While creativity can capture attention, clarity ensures the message is understood and compelling.
Segmenting your audience allows for personalized messaging that speaks directly to the needs of different groups, increasing relevance and engagement. Tailor your ad copy to address the specific pain points of each segment.
Use straightforward language that clearly explains your product’s benefits. Focus on how your solution solves problems rather than relying on industry jargon, which can alienate or confuse potential customers.
Hey everyone 👋
I’m Campbell Nelson, Marketing Director at Firefish Software, a CRM designed for recruitment agencies.
Over the last 12-18 months, I’ve led Firefish Software’s transition from a traditional lead gen strategy to a demand gen approach, which has helped us significantly increase both pipeline and brand awareness.
I’ll be breaking down our entire paid media strategy & sharing my learnings below👇
Last year, we made the transition from lead gen to demand gen for the following reasons:
1. While we were generating a ton of MQLs, our lead to opportunity and opportunity to closed won conversion rates were poor. We hypothesised that by going ungated, we could build more trust and increase conversion rates.
2. New clients acquired through lead gen campaigns had a relatively low LTV and were problematic when it came to stickiness, which seemed to indicate a lack of brand affinity. By switching to a demand gen approach, we believed that we could solve this issue and increase retention further through the lifecycle.
3. In the CRM space, buying cycles are dictated by contract renewals which can sometimes run for up to 4 years, meaning that most prospects are out of market. By shifting to ungated content, our goal was to maximize distribution and increase long-term mental availability, which would be crucial for predictable growth.
4. When attending conferences and expos, a lot of prospects mentioned our blog but had no idea that we were a CRM software – this was indicative of a lack of product awareness. We decided that ungated content would be necessary to distribute our value propositions more widely and be in the consideration set when prospects entered the market.
So far, this shift has been highly successful. Since going ungated and removing lead gen forms, we’ve seen a 40% year-on-year increase in opportunities from direct and organic branded search channels. Further down the funnel, we’ve seen a 50% increase in closed-won revenue from branded organic search and each quarter we are seeing incremental improvements in our win rates from each demand focussed channel – all associated with increased awareness.
Here’s the full breakdown of the paid media strategy that has led to our success👇
30% of our LinkedIn budget goes to content. These are typically playbooks and other resources that will help recruiters (key members of the buying committee) become better at their jobs. If everyone in the buying committee trusts us and has an awareness of our value, we know that they’ll champion us and push deals over the finish line.
50% of our budget goes to product ads, aimed at our key decision makers (C-suite, VPs, Directors). These ads are all related to our main value propositions, and they clearly articulate how we can solve their biggest problems.
By consistently highlighting these pain points, we know that we’ll be top of mind when decision-makers start actively searching for solutions.
Finally, the remaining 20% of our LinkedIn budget goes to social proof. We show these ads to both champions (recruiters) and decision-makers (VPs and execs) that have entered our remarketing audience, either by visiting our website or engaging with other ads in some capacity.
The goal of these ads is to continue to build trust and increase the likelihood of a conversion.
While most of our spend happens on LinkedIn, we also run YouTube Ads to stay in front of prospects across multiple channels.
All of these ads clearly highlight our value propositions and show exactly how our product works.
To minimize wasted spend, we run these 30-second video ads to our warmest audiences:
1. Remarketing, staying in front of people who have already visited our site
2. Prospecting, targeting people who have searched our dream product-related keywords on Google (doing this via YouTube is great because we can get in front of high-quality prospects without paying Google’s insanely high CPCs)
By leading Firefish Software’s marketing and implementing this strategy, I’ve learned a lot of important lessons – here are the biggest ones:
You’re not going to get everything right the first time around. Sometimes your message won’t resonate and your ads will flop, and that’s okay. Marketing is all about failing, learning from the failures, and trying again.
This is something that so many B2B SaaS companies get wrong 😢
In the early days, we were testing a lot of different messages in our ads, but we hadn’t clearly outlined our value proposition or the problems we were solving with our product.
Now that we’ve clearly outlined our core value props, all our ads highlight them in some capacity. Also, most of our content now relates to these value props as well, so we can easily repurpose it for our ad campaigns.
Ultimately, having alignment across your entire marketing department on overall messaging is essential to maximize your ROI and return on effort.
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of copying exactly what’s already being done in your industry.
But by doing this, you’ll likely end up with vanilla B2B ads that your prospects won’t remember. I know we definitely fell into this trap, running generic ads with boring “click here” CTAs 🥱
No matter what type of ads you’re running – product, content, social proof, etc. – the most important question you should ask yourself is:
Are my ads memorable?
If they aren’t, prospects probably won’t think of your brand when it’s time to buy.
If you’re switching to a demand gen strategy, you need to get good at stakeholder management and bring your CRO/CFO along on the journey – otherwise, they might be alarmed by the sudden decrease in leads.
To prove that your strategy is working, I highly recommend using an attribution tool like Dreamdata or HockeyStack (Dreamdata has a free version that you can get started with) to demonstrate that certain touchpoints are having an impact on pipeline.
In addition to this, it’s a good idea to set up microconversion events, such as engaged visits, to demonstrate that your ICP is finding value in your content.
Finally, make sure you’re also tracking positive comments and mentions of your ads in self-reported attribution – showing these to the leadership team will increase their confidence in your new demand gen approach.
We often forget this in B2B, but marketing is supposed to be fun.
It’s supposed to be about creativity and testing new ideas, not just measurement and graphs. If you’re having fun, your prospects will take notice, and will likely be more interested in working with you.
Hope you found this article helpful!
Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn with any questions about paid media or B2B marketing.
Shifting to demand generation focuses on creating awareness and interest, potentially attracting more engaged prospects who have a genuine need for your solution, leading to higher-quality leads and improved customer retention.
Consider the trade-off between lead quantity and quality. Ungating content can enhance trust and reach, but it’s essential to have alternative methods for capturing prospect information and nurturing leads effectively.
Evaluate metrics such as brand awareness, website engagement, lead-to-opportunity conversion rates, and customer lifetime value to assess the effectiveness of demand generation efforts.
Challenges include aligning internal teams, redefining success metrics, and adjusting marketing tactics. Address these by providing training, setting clear goals, and maintaining open communication across departments.
Implement strategies that maintain ongoing engagement with prospects, such as regular content updates, nurturing campaigns, and staying top-of-mind until they are ready to make a purchasing decision.
