Reach Planner

To support the process of video planning, creating a communication strategy, discovering new audiences, popular channels, and reaching the right customers on YouTube and the web, the outreach planning tool is a great help. With this tool, you can plan video campaigns, identify ideal customers, and find effective ways to reach your audience on YouTube and Google video partners. Let’s learn more about this type of tool with Ad Support !

Introduction to Reach Planner Tool

Also known as the Google Ads campaign planning tool, the Reach Planner is designed to accurately plan reach, views, and conversions based on video campaigns on YouTube, as well as on websites and apps of video partners. This tool helps users create precise media plans focused on user reach, views, and conversions.

It operates based on Google’s Unique Reach methodology, which has been verified by third parties and aligns with the actual reach and bid reporting. With this powerful tool, you can receive weekly updates, ensuring you use the latest available data. The Reach Planner tool is currently used in regions like North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

How the Reach Planner Tool Works

The Reach Planner tool is designed for media planners and strategists who want to incorporate digital video into their media plans. It provides predictive insights into the performance of a media plan based on the target audience, budget, and other settings such as geographic location and ad formats.

The predictive data is based on the most recent data, corresponding to the expected duration of the campaign. Customize the ideal audience to plan the performance and spending of ads by using metrics such as the estimated percentage of the target audience your plan expects to reach. Other metrics include target reach percentage, average frequency, views, total CPM, target CPM, CvR (Conversion Rate), number of conversions, average CPA (Cost Per Acquisition), average CPV (Cost Per View), TRP (Target Rating Points), CPP (Cost Per Point), and more.

You can use Reach Planner to forecast impressions, reach, and conversion-based metrics for your new Video Ads Drive Action (VAC) campaign. You can also use it to boost the performance of existing VAC campaigns based on their historical data or for new VAC campaigns.

This tool supports dynamic conversion rate modeling, where the provided conversion rate is linked to the provided campaign budget. The conversion rate will change as the budget changes along the conversion curve. Since the conversion rate will change as the budget changes, you need to enter the conversion rate based on the desired budget amount.

If a plan has 2 or more video campaigns that raise awareness based on frequency and reach (CPM). View-based brand consideration campaigns and click-and-conversion (CPA) action-driven video campaigns. Reach Planner now calculates separate reach and conversion-based models in forecasts.

Benefits of Using the Reach Planner Tool

Advertisers and marketers can use this tool to plan the performance and spending for new advertising campaigns on YouTube and Google video partners. You can use this tool to select ad formats, allocate budgets, or create a tailored media plan.

It allows you to create and compare the effectiveness of various campaign combinations. You can read detailed insights on reach, demographic information, and devices for the selected media plan. The Reach Planner tool provides dedicated sections for each ad format included in the media plan, while also enabling quick adjustments to settings for each ad format and generating new forecast information for your media plan.

Forecast data is provided for metrics based on reach, frequency, views, conversions, and impressions.

Supported Devices and Ad Formats in Reach Planner

For YouTube campaigns, you can combine ad formats and budgets for each format or use the Reach Planner tool to recommend ad formats based on reach, completion rates, views, and conversions. For campaigns on YouTube and television, ad formats may depend on the type of bidding you select. You can modify and add other ad formats to the media plan at a later time. The Reach Planner tool measures mobile, desktop, tablet, and smart TV device usage for all countries that support YouTube.

Platform

Starting in September 2024, the Reach Planner tool will support predictions at the platform level for Effective Reach campaign types. On the planning setup page, click the pencil icon next to Platform below the ad format section to change where the campaign’s predictions will apply. On the plan page, select Edit next to the campaign line item to adjust the platform for the prediction information.

Pricing

Reach Planner helps you choose a pricing type when creating your media plan. Depending on your goals and ad creative, you can choose from auction, reservation, or price list pricing methods.

Supported Audience Types

If you want to reach people based on who they are, their interests and habits, what they’re actively searching for, or how they’ve interacted with your business, add demographics like age, gender, and audience segments to your predictions. Search or browse in the “Audiences” section of Reach Planner.

Audience Recommendations

Starting in July 2024, some users may see relevant Affinity and Purchase Intent recommendations to expand the reach of a plan. Click View Recommendations or the light bulb icon at the top of the plan page in Reach Planner to use this feature.

Full-Funnel Strategy in Reach Planner Tool

With a full-funnel strategy on YouTube, it applies to various marketing objectives in awareness campaigns, brand consideration and purchase campaigns, and action-driving campaigns. Brands will increase reach at the top of the funnel, boost discovery and loyalty at the middle of the funnel, and drive purchase intent at the bottom of the funnel. The process of moving users down the funnel is a demand generation process.

The full-funnel strategy on YouTube is the perfect choice for businesses that want to engage with users at different stages of the purchasing journey. This approach helps maximize objectives, from increasing unique reach to creating or converting demand. Planning for a full-funnel strategy will show the value of enhancing reach for products or services while also boosting conversion rates or sales.

Full-Funnel Ad Combination Types

In the Reach Planner tool settings page, the YouTube campaign section includes both standard and advanced plans. The advanced plan offers suggestions for combining different ad types across the funnel, and you can also create your own ad combinations. Here, you can use any ad format supported by the Reach Planner tool across the entire funnel.

In the advanced plan, specific suggestions will appear for full-funnel ad combinations, especially for video ad formats, to increase awareness, drive brand consideration, and encourage action. The combination of ad types serves as the starting point for full-funnel planners. These combinations can vary depending on the campaign goals, such as budget, ad formats, industry, etc.

Full Funnel Visualization

On the Reach Planner forecast page, you’ll see a new full funnel sub-tab and visualization for plans with at least one YouTube CPA ad format and one CPM, CPV, or CPA ad type. You can see the distribution of forecasted metrics across all three funnel stages for impressions, views, and on-target conversions.

At the bottom of the Reach Planner and at the campaign line item level, you can see estimated CPA and conversions not only for action-driven video campaigns (like Demand Generation campaigns), but also for CPV and CPM campaigns (Drive Video Views and Video Reach campaigns).

Forecasting Across the Entire Funnel

The Reach Planner tool uses the Unique Reach method (provided by Google) and conversion rates to generate forecast data based on conversions. These factors contribute to the forecasting information across the entire funnel. While the Reach Planner provides prediction data for media plans, the actual performance may differ from the forecasted figures.

Suggested Media Plan in Reach Planner Tool

By using the suggested media plan instead of a custom one, you allow the Reach Planner tool to predict the most effective ad format combinations to achieve your marketing objectives. This way, you won’t need to know which ad formats will work best with a specific targeting method or for a particular goal.

The Reach Planner tool’s data is based on Google’s Unique Reach method, which has been third-party verified and aligns with reach and actual reported bids. The Reach Planner is updated weekly to provide the most current data available. You can use this tool to predict impressions, reach, and conversion-based metrics for your Video Action Campaign (VAC).

Additionally, you can save, copy, and reload saved media plans in Reach Planner for future editing and review. You can then select any plan from the list of saved media plans in Reach Planner. The system will display the saved version of the forecast at the date and time the forecast was saved.

You can copy settings from a saved plan to a new plan using the Make a copy option in the More options menu. In a Google Ads manager account, saved plans can only be viewed at the account level and cannot be saved across multiple accounts in an MCC.

How to Create a YouTube Media Plan in Reach Planner

Create a New Media Plan in Reach Planner

Sign in to your Google Ads account and select Tools and Settings in the top right corner of the screen. Then select Planning and then Reach Planner. Next, click the (+) icon to create a new media plan and select your Country/Region and Currency.

Next, select YouTube as the channel for your media plan. Here, you can add YouTube alongside your existing TV plan by using the “Keep TV budget and add YouTube budget” feature. Now, select the media plan settings based on criteria such as dates, demographics, sub-locations, audience, and popular channel groups.

Here, you will set the estimated budget and choose the most suitable ad combination and objectives. These include Awareness – Effective Reach, Awareness – Effective Completion Rate, Consideration – Maximize Views, and Action – Online Conversions.

For video action campaigns (VAC) and Demand Generation campaigns, use the appropriate conversion rate from previous campaigns for similar types of conversions.

Create your own plan if you wish to select the ad formats, pricing model, and budget for the media plan. The experience on the plan page will adjust to fit the chosen objectives. To add other ad formats, click on “Add Ad Format.”

The goals you set will help determine the metrics on the planning page. You can also adjust the information on the planning page. The Reach Planner can tell you where your campaign will run under the ad format.

Now click View Forecasts. The Reach Planner will generate a media plan containing your YouTube ad formats. Navigate to the campaign settings panel below the reach curve. Then scroll up to the On-Target Reach and On-Target Impressions metrics on the Planning page to see the additional impact of co-viewing.

To export the media plan to a CSV file before saving, click the “Other Options” icon (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner, then select “Download (.csv).” This file will contain recently saved data and detailed metrics for the media plan.

Check the metrics such as “Targeted Reach,” “Targeted Impressions,” “Targeted Frequency,” and “Targeted Rating Points (TRP)” to evaluate the supplementary impact of co-viewing in the CSV file. You can click “Copy” in the top-right of the toolbar to compare one media plan with another. Here, you can also publish a summary of the media plan to Google Slides.

If you want to save the media plan, click “Save” in the top-right corner and enter a name for the plan. Once done, click “Save a copy.” After saving, you can review the media plan in the Reach Planning Tool.

Customize the plan page in the Reach Planner tool

In your Google Ads account, click on the Tools icon, then click on the drop-down menu under Planning and select Reach Planner. Next, click on an existing plan or create a new plan. Now, customize the scorecard by clicking on the drop-down menu for Metrics, then select Custom Metrics. After that, select the metrics you want to see in the scorecard. On the right side, drag and drop the metrics to reorder them and click Apply.

To modify the columns in the campaign table below the chart, click on Columns in the top-right corner of the toolbar. Then, select the metrics you want to see in the table, drag and drop the metrics to reorder them in the table, and click Apply. Now, you can view the customized plan page.

View media plans

After clicking the Tools icon in your Google Ads account and clicking the Planning drop-down menu, click Reach Planner. In the table, click the media plan you want to open to see all forecasts for that media plan for the selected date range. Here, you will see the date that the forecast was saved if the media plan has ended. You will also see an option to edit the plan while it is still running.

Now, view the details and metrics of the media plan. To request a media plan to CSV, click the More options icon with 3 vertical dots in the upper right corner and click Download (.csv). This file contains the most recently saved information and detailed metrics for the media plan.

Edit the media plan

In your Google Ads account, click on the Tools icon, then select the drop-down menu under Planning and choose Reach Planner. In the table, click on the media plan you wish to open. Here, you can edit ongoing media plans.

Click “Refresh predicted information” to update the predicted information for the media plan. According to the latest update before May 2022, the refreshed predicted information will include the impact levels of the co-viewing activity. If you want to edit the settings for all ad formats in the media plan on the dashboard at the top, you can adjust the following: location, dates, demographic targeting information, audience, and popular channel groups.

If you want to edit the settings for a specific ad format, click the “Edit” button next to the YouTube ad format within the media plan. Here, you can update the budget, target CPM, and network for the media plan under the “General Settings” section. For Pricing, you can select Auction, Reserved, or Rate Card. Additionally, you can modify settings including: Network, Demographic and Location Information, Dates and Frequency Caps, Audience, Popular Channel Groups, Child Status, Devices, and Content Exclusion and Ad Policies.

After making the edits, click “Apply” to generate new predicted information for the media plan. If you want to add a new ad format, click “Add Ad Format” and choose the type of ad. Then, input your estimated budget and click “Apply” to finish.

To save your edited media plan, click “Save.” If you wish to save it as a separate plan, click “Copy” and enter a name for the plan. Once done, click “Save as a Copy.” If you want to download or delete the media plan, click “More Options” with the three vertical dots on the top right and select an option.

Add a Reserved Rate to a Media Plan

After you click on Reach Planner in your Google Ads account. Select a media plan you want to open in the table and edit your ongoing media plans. Click Refresh Forecasts to update the media plan.

Next, go to the campaign settings panel below the reach curve and click the Edit button next to the YouTube ad format. Or you can hover over Rates and select the pencil icon. In the Pricing drop-down menu, select Reserved to buy target impressions at a fixed CPM and click Apply to complete.

Contact a Google Ads Expert for Consultation

Not every advertiser fully understands the Reach Planner tool, especially regarding its features and usage. If you’re looking to plan media on YouTube and Google’s video partner apps to increase reach with your target customers, raise brand awareness, improve engagement, and boost conversion rates, it’s essential to grasp the features and usage of the Reach Planner tool.

Don’t worry! Contact our Google Ads experts, and we’ll help you get familiar with the new features of the platform. You will also learn how to use the Reach Planner tool to create high-impact advertising campaigns, maximize reach, and optimize costs. Call our hotline at +84868133882 for 24/7 consultation and support to answer all your Google Ads-related questions.

Through this article, you’ve learned more about a tool that helps you plan your Google Ads campaigns. By fully understanding the Reach Planner’s distinct features and how to use it, all advertisers can create highly effective campaigns.

Frequently Asked Questions