Most brands are obsessed with bottom-funnel conversions. They pour budget into retargeting and branded search, hoping to catch users who are already primed to convert. That’s all well and good, but here’s the hard truth: you can’t retarget people who’ve never heard of you.

If you want to grow in a meaningful, scalable way – not just wring out a few more conversions from the same pool – you need demand generation. And not tomorrow. Now.

Let’s talk about why it matters, how to get started, and what you need to track to make it work.

Why Demand Generation Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought

Most businesses have a demand capture strategy. Few have a demand creation strategy. And that’s the gap.

Here’s why Demand Gen isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a revenue multiplier.

1. Bigger Discovery Channels, Not Just Meta

Meta has become the go-to for performance marketers, and for good reason – it’s one of the strongest platforms for solution-aware users. These are people who already know they need something like your product.

But YouTube? That’s a problem-aware market. It’s where people go to learn, explore, and discover. If you’re only running ads on Meta, you’re fishing in a pond when there’s an ocean out there.

With Demand Gen, you’re not just waiting for people to stumble across your brand – you’re putting it in front of them in a way that makes them care.

2. Real Incrementality

You’ll hear marketers talk about “incrementality”, but not many can prove they’re delivering it.

Demand Gen done right isn’t just shifting conversions from one channel to another – it’s adding net-new customers to your pipeline. These are people who never would have searched for you, never clicked a retargeting ad, and never made it to checkout… if you hadn’t reached them earlier in their journey.

3. More Stable Than Meta (If You’re Willing To Work For It)

Meta’s performance can be erratic. It’s quick to optimise, but just as quick to destabilise with creative fatigue or algorithm changes.

Demand Gen on platforms like YouTube or Google’s Discovery campaigns is more stable – but there’s a caveat: it takes effort. You can’t just plug in a few creatives and wait for magic. You need strategy, strong audience frameworks, and a better understanding of your funnel.

4. Smarter Targeting Capabilities

One of the unsung benefits of Demand Gen is how precise you can get with targeting.

• Want to reach users who’ve visited a competitor’s site? You can do that.
• Want to build campaigns around search themes – not just keywords? You can do that too.

It’s not just about demographics or interests. It’s about intent signals. And Demand Gen gives you access to them in a way most platforms don’t.

How to Get Started With Demand Gen (It’s Easier Than You Think)

If this sounds like a mountain to climb, don’t worry. You’ve already got a head start if you’ve been running Meta successfully.

Here’s how to kick things off:

1. Repurpose Your Winning Meta Creatives for YouTube

Your best-performing Meta videos aren’t just assets – they’re proof of concept. Take them, reformat them, and run them on YouTube.

But don’t stop there…

2. Extend Videos to Focus on Problem Awareness

If your current creatives jump straight to the solution – your product – you’re missing the opportunity to speak to users who don’t even know they need it yet.

Introduce the problem. Show the pain point. Make people feel it. Then you can guide them to the solution.

3. Target Competitor Audiences and Adjacent Interests

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Your competitors have already built audiences that resemble your ideal buyer.

Use Google’s audience targeting to reach their site visitors, as well as people interested in similar categories. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can get in front of high-quality prospects.

The Metrics That Actually Matter

Demand Gen isn’t about instant conversions. That’s not the point. So don’t judge its success by the same metrics you use for bottom-funnel campaigns.

Here’s what you should focus on:

1. View-Through and Assisted Conversions

These are your canary in the coal mine. They show you whether your campaigns are influencing outcomes – even if they aren’t the last click.

Track assisted conversions in GA4. Pay attention to view-throughs in Google Ads. These give you a much clearer picture of your impact.

2. CAC and ROAS Based on Clicks (Not Engaged Views)

Google includes “engaged views” in their reporting – users who watched 10 seconds or more of your video without clicking. Don’t build your ROAS models around these. Stick to click-based conversions to understand true performance.

3. Average Frequency per User

Frequency tells you how many times someone saw your ad. Too low, and you’re not making an impact. Too high, and you’re wasting spend.

Find the sweet spot where recall and relevance meet – usually between 2.5 and 4.5, depending on your industry.

4. CPC Still Matters (But It’s Not Everything)

Lower CPC can give you more impressions and a broader reach. But don’t chase cheap traffic if it’s not converting. Balance cost with quality and downstream impact.

A Few More Tactical Tips

• Use your Meta-to-GA4 ROAS as a baseline. Your Demand Gen ROAS should fall within ±10% of this number. That’s a solid starting benchmark.
• Be patient. Google reporting is delayed. Don’t rush to kill campaigns too early.
• Remember: Google often reports a lower RTO (return on ad spend over time). Factor that into your calculations, especially if you’re used to Meta’s more generous reporting windows.

What’s Your Budget Saying?

If your entire paid media budget is going toward conversion-focused campaigns, you’re playing a short-term game. That’s not how brands are built.

Ask yourself: what percentage of your spend is going toward demand creation? If the answer is “not much”, then you’re not just missing opportunities – you’re leaving growth on the table.