Target those customers

With so many more new advertisers in the online space and with an increasing number of publisher/content provider options, it is little wonder that audience targeting has seen a major upsurge in interest among agencies and client-side marketers alike. It has been estimated that more than three-quarters of marketers are now employing some type of targeting. That is smart marketing. For some, however, it can be a bit daunting. The good news is that the learning curve isn’t as steep as it once was, and there are an increasing number of tools and services available now to make the job of collecting and analyzing data and deploying new targeting strategies more user-friendly than ever before. You merely have to dig in and learn and press your vendor partners to help you get up to speed. Most will be more than glad to help, and the payoff can be huge.

Targeted advertising, whether by geography, past behaviors or retargeted ads offer better information to the consumer by taking their preferences into account. A consumer in one geographic area, for example, has no need for a sales type ad from a store or company with no location or other way to serve them other than that area. By the same token, retargeting ads to consumers who may have clicked through an ad but then left the landing page has a better chance at reengaging that consumer than one who only serves them a new advertisement. Logical right?

Savvy marketers are coming to understand that behavioral and demographic targeting represent their best options for more efficient and effective online campaigns. And more and more online publishers are now apparently in agreement and provide the facility to support them. As these methodologies and their understanding matures, and more and more marketers engage them and publishers support them, there will of course need to be more transparency and measurability moving forward. So far, the process seems to be getting better and better. It is the future and the future for many, is now!