Reports of ad spending shifts and new chatbot placements are a reason to review channel performance, not rush into a new format. Have a question about yours? Call 602-851-4104.
Reports of advertisers moving some spending from Google to Meta, alongside new ad formats in AI search and chatbots, raise a practical question for small businesses: what should you do with your own advertising budget? The short answer is to look at your business goals and channel performance before making a change. A headline about spending shifts is a reason to review your numbers, not a reason to copy someone else’s decision.
AdExchanger reports that some advertisers and agency executives shifted spending to Meta after finding their Google budgets were not delivering the reach they wanted. The article also describes ads appearing in AI search and chatbot products, including Google AI Mode, ChatGPT and Bing AI Mode. These developments point to a changing set of places where advertising may appear. They don’t tell an individual business which channel is right for its needs.
What the reported shift does, and doesn’t, tell you
The AdExchanger story describes decisions made by some advertisers and agency executives. That’s useful context, but it is not a universal instruction to move budget from Google to Meta. The reasons for those shifts, the businesses involved and the results they saw may not match your situation. The story, as described, does not establish that a particular platform will work better for every small business.
Start with the problem you want advertising to address. Are you trying to reach a particular audience, bring attention to an offer, or support a broader marketing plan? Be clear about what you want to learn from the campaign and what information you will use to judge it. Without that starting point, a platform comparison can turn into a reaction to headlines rather than a decision grounded in your business.
The same care applies to reach. If a campaign isn’t reaching the people you intended, find out what the available campaign information says before assuming the platform itself is the only issue. The setup, audience, message and measurement all matter to understanding what a report can tell you. The right next step depends on the facts available for that campaign and the business goal it was meant to support.
Review performance before moving budget
Before changing spending, review each channel on its own terms. Look at what the campaign was designed to do, the audience it aimed to reach and the results being tracked. Compare that information with your original goal. If the available data doesn’t answer the question you have, note what is missing rather than treating an unclear result as proof that a channel has failed.
It also helps to separate what you know from what you suspect. A campaign may not be meeting expectations, but that alone doesn’t show why. A careful review can help identify whether the concern is about reach, the message, the audience or how results are being measured. That review does not guarantee a particular outcome. It gives you a more useful basis for deciding whether to adjust the campaign, gather better information or consider another channel.
If you do change a budget, make the reason clear and keep track of what changed. That makes it easier to interpret the next review. Avoid changing several parts of a campaign at once if you need to understand which change may have affected what you observed. How much detail is practical depends on your campaign and the information available to you.
Treat chatbot ads as an emerging option to assess
The article’s description of ads appearing in Google AI Mode, ChatGPT and Bing AI Mode is a sign that advertising formats are multiplying across AI search and chatbot products. It does not, by itself, show how a particular placement performs for a particular business. Nor does a new format make it the right place to spend. A business should understand what the placement is, what the campaign is intended to do and how its activity will be assessed before committing budget.
Ask what is known about the placement and what remains uncertain. Find out what campaign information you would be able to review, and whether it connects to the question your business needs to answer. If those details are not clear, treat that as a reason to ask more questions before changing your plan. New formats can be worth watching without becoming an immediate priority.
For a small business, a measured test may make more sense than a broad shift, depending on the available options and scope. Define the purpose first, then decide what information would help you evaluate the test. Keep the decision proportional to what you know. There’s no need to adopt a new format just because it is receiving attention, and no need to dismiss it without understanding how it could fit your goals.
Diagnose first, recommend second
A practical channel review begins with the business problem, not a platform name. Gather the campaign information you already have, check whether it relates to your goal and identify the gap between what you expected to learn and what you can currently see. Then decide whether the next step is a change, a closer review or better measurement. The simplest reasonable next step may be smaller than a budget shift.
Why Not Results helps businesses assess marketing, technology and digital support needs before recommending a direction. Support can include marketing strategy and business diagnosis, paid advertising on Google and Meta, and human guidance. The right scope depends on the business and the problem being addressed. AI and new ad placements are part of a wider conversation about marketing choices, not a substitute for understanding the decision in front of you.
The aim is not to chase every new format. It is to make a considered choice based on your goals and the information you can review. The AdExchanger report is a prompt to ask better questions about channel performance and emerging placements, not proof that your business should follow the same spending path.
Take a practical next step
Read the AdExchanger report, then compare its news angle with your own campaign goals and available information. If you want help reviewing what your business actually needs, call Why Not Results at 602-851-4104. We’re based in Phoenix and available Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Arizona time.