In today’s digital world, the scope of advertising has shifted and changed immensely — and one such shift is the advent of Google Discovery campaigns.

With an estimated 3 billion monthly users, the potential reach on Google platforms is enormous. Google Discover is particularly advantageous because it taps into Google’s powerful machine-learning algorithms to target users based on their behaviors, demographics, and interest in specific topics. 

There are three places where Google Discovery ads are displayed: Google’s Discover page, YouTube, and Gmail. 

Now, we know what you’re thinking — targeting through Gmail sounds an awful lot like spam. However, the strategy behind targeting Discovery ads through Gmail is incredibly beneficial, because you are not only getting your message directly into consumers’ email accounts but also targeting them in a very specific mindset. 

“When you're in your inbox you are thinking about action steps,” says Andreas Beck, CEO of Beyond Spots & Dots.

So, how do we identify and build an active audience? One way is by collecting emails through first-party CRM data, while another is by placing a Google tag on your website. 

A great example here is education. Let’s say you’re interested in applying to earn your MBA. In your search for information, you visit a school website. Your visit to this site tells Google that you are interested in information about MBA programs, and can therefore direct an email about that school’s MBA program to your Gmail inbox.

From a conversion standpoint, because you have demonstrated interest in this MBA program already, you are more likely to click the email. And because you are viewing this email in a task-driven mindset, you are more likely to follow the steps to fill out an application. 

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