The Who, Where and Why of Targeted Advertising

Reaching Your Business’s Ideal Consumers Right Now

Targeted advertising is the best way to ensure your brand’s message is reaching the right people, at the right time – and in the right place. In addition to the benefit of zooming in on your key customers, targeted advertising is also a great method to help you effectively plan and utilize your advertising budget and can open up many channels for competitive advantage. If this sounds like exactly what your business needs, keep reading to learn more about the who, where and why of targeted advertising.

THE WHO

Targeted advertising keeps the focus of your ads where it should be – on your desired audience.

Intentionally targeting specific groups of consumers can benefit your business in a multitude of ways. And today, you can target your desired market more narrowly than ever before – based on online browsing and buying patterns, preferences and other geographic, demographic and behavioral characteristics. For example, if you are a local furniture store, you can intentionally serve your ads to consumers searching for couches online, in your local area. By leveraging these many targeting capabilities for the benefit of your business, you drastically increase your chances for reaching the right people, turning their awareness into engagement…and ultimately, into a sale.

WHERE 

What media should I focus on to reach my desired audience?

Well, first you must know your audience! Your advertising partner will be able to help you identify your marketing split, but here are few pointers:

You might consider first reviewing the effectiveness of your website. Ask yourself the following questions, “Is my website easy to navigate?”, “Can I easily locate options for services, scheduling and pricing?”, “Is my contact information up-to-date?”, “Who manages my web experience and email; are they accountable?”. These are all very important questions to ask yourself because new clients will go to your site for evidence of your work, more information on your business, and to get a sense of your business and what you stand for.

How about TV? Depending on your target audience, TV can be an awesome way to reach a diverse – and engaged – audience. Your advertising partner will help you narrow down the best day-part for your ads – it might be right after a popular Food Network show, or right before a popular sporting event on ESPN. Viewership plays a large role in this selection, and your advertising partner can help identify the demographics of your target audience, which will increase the effectiveness of the TV ads you choose to air.

Finally, there’s mobile! You may be thinking “What is this mobile advertising I keep hearing about?” You’ve probably heard quite a bit about geo-targeting and geo-fencing. These are clever approaches that help you quickly “bait” and attract consumers, and it’s all based on location.

Bottom line: Depending on your ultimate goal, targeted advertising can effectively be utilized across all channels.

THE WHY

Why should I bother putting in the extra effort to “target” my advertising?

The advertising world is constantly evolving and consumers are more knowledgeable and discerning now more than ever. Not only that, but selective exposure (ignoring what doesn’t peak your interest or attention) means that a lot of advertising efforts don’t actually reach consumers on a cognitive level. Gaining attention, keeping attention and translating that into meaningful action is a challenge for advertisers. In other words, it’s better to carefully identify your scope to ensure your ads are hitting the right people at the right place and at the right time. This strategy can also be a much more efficient use of your budgeted advertising dollars and can lead to cost savings (and increased revenue!).  Furthermore, targeting provides an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage, or at least level the playing field, over your competitors.

Want more information on targeting the right consumers for YOUR brand? Check out our free eBook, here.