We have seen this trend developing for some time now, and even more so with the arrival of Google's Performance Max campaigns: ad platforms are moving steadily toward simplification and automation.
What should advertisers take away from these developments, and what should they keep a close eye on?
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A few key examples of progress in simplification and automation
The clearest examples of simplification and automation progress come from the Google Ads platform, which has evolved considerably since it launched. Today, all an advertiser needs to do is tell Google their business objective, and Google decides where to serve the ad.
Going a step further, Google launched Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) in June 2018. These are dynamic ads where advertisers simply enter up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. RSAs were Google's answer to advertiser demand for a simpler approach to creative A/B testing, making it possible to adapt tone and message to audiences at scale.
Another major example is the Performance Max campaign type, launched in May 2021. These campaigns offer near-total automation of Google Ads management. Advertisers provide key campaign inputs (creative assets, copy, budget, and so on), and Google handles the rest. These campaigns then run across the entire Google network: Search, Display, Shopping, Discover, Gmail, Maps, and YouTube.
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What are the benefits?
Digital marketing is a field where standards and tools are constantly evolving, and trends shift regularly. That is precisely why simplification and automation offer advertisers some significant advantages. For one thing, it makes launching campaigns much easier. With a simpler platform interface, smaller advertisers can more readily access these advertising solutions.
This ease of use saves advertisers a considerable amount of time, starting from the very moment they get started with the tool. The sheer power of the various ad platforms can give the impression that they are extremely time-consuming and require extensive training or even years of experience to navigate. That is no longer necessarily the case. Getting up and running is faster and more straightforward, as is campaign creation. Marketing managers can therefore focus their time on data analysis and, above all, on the highest-impact decisions for their digital strategy.
Finally, campaign automation, through smarter use of algorithms, enables better ad personalization. By using the ad customizers available across platforms, it is possible to deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time, with just a few clicks. Advertisers simply need to provide enough inputs so that the algorithm can display the most relevant ad to each potential customer, maximizing conversions.
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And the drawbacks?
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While these developments offer a range of benefits, there are certain things advertisers need to stay on top of.
By offering simplified and automated campaign types, platforms are moving toward a black-box approach, meaning there is limited visibility into what is actually happening behind the interface. This black-box model creates three major challenges: loss of control, opaque results, and complex optimization. While performance is generally solid with simplified and automated campaigns, it is worth bearing in mind that this is because the algorithm prioritizes the products and content that perform best naturally. Paid search (paid search), however, is typically used by advertisers to drive traffic to products that lack visibility. On top of that, best-selling products are not necessarily the ones generating the highest margins. The core challenge is that algorithms only work toward the objectives they are given, without any understanding of the brand's broader business goals.
This is where datashake steps in to support advertisers. We optimize campaigns according to a defined strategy and push algorithms beyond what performs naturally to align with your business objectives. And with our in-house creative studio, we can provide visuals tailored to the requirements of each platform and your strategy.
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Want help building your digital marketing strategy? Feel free to reach out!
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Sources: Journal du Net, Stratégies, Marketing Professionnel
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