TL;DR
You’ve got different titles for the same campaign across multiple platforms (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads). This guide shows you how to find and fix those inconsistencies so your reporting is accurate and your branding stays strong.
Step-by-step Guide
- Identify All Your Campaigns: Make a list of every platform where you run ads. Common ones include:
- Google Ads
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Ads Manager
- Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads)
- LinkedIn Campaign Manager
- TikTok Ads Manager
- Choose a ‘Source of Truth’: Pick one platform as the official place for your campaign names. Google Ads is often a good choice, but it depends on where you manage most of your campaigns.
- Extract Campaign Names from Your Source of Truth: Get a list of all campaign names *exactly* as they appear in your chosen source (e.g., Google Ads).
- Google Ads: You can download a report with this information.
Reports > Predefined reports (Campaigns) > Download Campaign Report - Meta Ads Manager: Export campaign data as a CSV or Excel file.
- Google Ads: You can download a report with this information.
- Check Other Platforms for Mismatches: Go through each of your other platforms and compare the campaign names to your ‘source of truth’ list.
- Look for variations in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, or extra spaces.
- Pay attention to special characters that might not copy correctly between systems.
- Update Inconsistent Campaign Names: Rename campaigns on platforms where they don’t match your ‘source of truth’.
- Google Ads: Edit the campaign name directly in the Google Ads interface.
Campaigns > Select Campaign > Settings > Campaign Name - Meta Ads Manager: Edit the campaign name within each ad set’s settings.
- Google Ads: Edit the campaign name directly in the Google Ads interface.
- Document Your Changes: Keep a record of what you changed and where. This helps with future audits and prevents re-occurrences.
- A simple spreadsheet is often enough. Include columns for ‘Platform’, ‘Original Name’, ‘New Name’, and ‘Date Updated’.
- Regular Audits: Schedule regular checks (e.g., monthly) to ensure campaign names remain consistent as you add new campaigns or make changes.
Tips for Avoiding Future Issues
- Naming Conventions: Create a clear naming convention for all your campaigns. For example:
[Campaign Type] - [Target Audience] - [Keyword/Theme] - Copy and Paste: Always copy and paste campaign names from your ‘source of truth’ to avoid typos.
- Automation (Advanced): If you use an ad management platform, explore features that can automatically sync campaign names across different channels.