Types of paid media campaigns

These are the text ads that appear in Google search results when someone searches for a term. It is the format with the highest purchase intent, because the person is actively looking for something. If they search for "refrigerator repair in São Paulo," they clearly have a problem to solve now.

Therefore, the search network usually offers the best return for capturing existing demand. The limitation is that it only reaches those who are already searching, meaning it doesn't create new demand.

These are the visual ads (banners) that appear on websites, blogs, and app partners of the Google network. Unlike search, display does not depend on the person actively searching: it reaches people browsing other content. This makes it excellent for brand awareness and remarketing, re-engaging those who have already visited your site while they browse elsewhere.

These are product ads with a photo, price, and store name that appear at the top of e-commerce searches. They are essential for online stores because they show the product with its price even before the click, attracting those who are ready to buy. They depend on a well-structured product catalog to function.

These are video ads, primarily on YouTube. They are very effective for building brand, telling stories, and reaching specific audiences at scale. Video has a power of connection that other formats do not, being strong at the top and middle of the funnel. It can also be used for video remarketing.

These are ads in the feed, stories, and reels of platforms like Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok. They combine wide reach with detailed targeting by interests and behaviors. They are very versatile: they work for discovery, consideration, and conversion, and are the natural territory for social remarketing and creatives that generate desire.

These are campaigns where you define the objective and provide the creatives, and the platform uses automation and AI to distribute the ads across all available channels (search, display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover), aiming for the best result. They are powerful for scaling, but require good conversion data and monitoring, so they don't become a black box that spends without clarity.

The choice depends on the objective and the stage of the funnel:

• Capture those who are already searching (bottom): search network and shopping.
• Awareness and reach (top): video, display, and social.
• Re-engage interested parties (middle and bottom): remarketing on display, social, and video.
• Scale with automation: automated campaigns, with a good data foundation.

In practice, a mature strategy combines several types, each playing a specific role. The mistake is choosing a format just because it's popular, without linking it to the objective.