Month: March 2020

What is it?

Audience targeting! One of the most important
measures to increase your business’ exposure in this digital era. The act of
segmenting consumers into different groups while taking into consideration
their interests, demographic or even psychographic data, is essential in
establishing the alignment of marketing campaigns with consumers’ perceptions
and lifestyles. Simply put, it is evident that businesses have better results
when marketers reach the appropriate audiences…. The ones who will interact with
their products or services.

Demographic and psychographic parameters must
carefully be gathered, tracked and managed prior of targeting an audience. Such
data includes age, gender, remuneration, interests, area of living, values and
motivation; all parameters that are bound to impact consumers’ behaviour. When seeking
information about your audience, you learn who they are, what their habits are,
what they research or if they have an active involvement with your
organisation.

Strategies for implementing audience targeting:

Numerous researchers and platforms have dealt
with audience targeting; they all agree in the vital need of applying certain
strategies to effectively boost the performance of your company’s campaigns. In
a snapshot, some of the most important ones to note are:

• Google-in Market Audience: This is a powerful AdWords targeting tool that enables advertisers to target consumers who are actively searching a business’ product and/or service. Specifically, marketers have strong indications that targeting potential clients who browse websites and click on ads for specific products through in-market audience, leads to a buying behaviour of high-intent.
• Google Ads: One of its multiple tools is adding and viewing audiences which will then be used to configure numerous A/B tests. When marketers want to test the effectiveness and shrill of a campaign’s content in relation to the preferred audience, they conduct A/B testing; such actions aim in dividing an audience into two groups for campaign testing purposes. This gives the opportunity to marketers to improve the marketing content prior of officially publishing a campaign. Needless to say, A/B testing is also run while campaigns are live in order to optimise them and provide streamlined results that make sense to the marketing departments.
• Facebook Custom Audiences and Retargeting: Businesses can benefit from Facebook features in many ways; one is targeting through custom audiences. In this case, users will only be exposed to content and ads related to their interests, preferences and intentions. Thus, this adds value and loyalty to companies, as well as there is no evidence of ads waste since they reach the “right” people.
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Achieving organic SEO is considered to be one of the best audience targeting strategies, since using correct and appropriate keywords, audiences that are actively involved with a company’s products/services are actually targeted. It is worth noting that a great source of keyword research is LinkedIn and Keyword Planner in Google Ads.

Audience Targeting Options:

Google Ads has created different audiences that
can be used in campaign targeting:

1. Affinity
   Audiences: Marketers can reach
   people based on a comprehensive view of their lifestyle and interests,
   specifically people that take great consideration of a business product/service.
2. Custom
   Affinity Audience: Marketers are
   able to further define their affinity audiences in order to have a better reach
   (e.g. Sports Fans Affinity Audience are redefined as Marathon Runners Custom
   Affinity Audience).
3. Life
   Events: Reaching and Engaging
   with audiences on special occasions, such as graduation ceremonies, moving
   homes, marriage ceremonies etc. So, if for example someone moves to a new
   house, then it has a high potential that will need moving services, new
   furniture and more; thus, the said audience is exposed only to relevant content.
4. In-market
   Audiences: Marketers have in
   the centre of their interest people that will convert to potential clients.
   When in-market audiences are exposed to remarketing content, the activities will
   probably lead to the completion of a purchase.
5. Custom
   Intent Audiences: The use of
   segments in ad groups by launching in-market keywords, URLs and apps ideally
   focused in the potential client.
6. Remarketing: Focused on reaching people who are previously
   engaged with the business’ website, mobile apps, videos etc.
7. Detailed
   demographics: Reach wide range
   of audience segments that have identical characteristics.
8. Customer
   Match: The use of online and
   offline parameters to expose targeted ads in order to reach and engage with the
   consumers. Ads are demonstrated to the people that already shared information
   with the business.
9. Similar
   Audiences: Google Ads
   automatically discovers new customers who are like existing ones. Hence, the ads
   are only visible to the people on the existing Remarketing and Customer Match lists.

Benefits:

There are numerous options and strategies for implementing audience targeting. What are the benefits? Firstly, by acknowledging what the targeted market is and its true interests are, businesses can better attract towards the reach and awareness of its brand. They can also better connect with their market by using “advanced audiences”, since they can direct people’s consideration onto their products and services. They specifically focus on people who are actively searching and comparing on the Google Display Network, partner sites and YouTube. Companies assist potential customers in choosing to use their products and services. In particular, when people show an intent towards a brand, they are being categorised through hyper-targeted audiences and action ad formats. With this, remarketing and retargeting are implemented.

With the above in mind, it is essential to note
that when utilising audience targeting it is vital to always keep in mind the
buyer persona. The potential buyer must be in the centre of attention of
targeted ads and your content strategy. When marketing materials use both the Content
Strategy and Audience Targeting the
outcome would be an eventual increase of organic traffic, as well as a high
Return of Investment (ROI). Consequently, audience targeting has positive
advantages to customers but also to brands since it improves views, engagement
and – ultimately – sales rates.

References:

• Carmicheal, K., 2020. Audience Targeting: What It Is And Why You Need It.
• Hundal, A. and Azzi, C., 2019. Shift From Demographic Targeting To Audience Targeting.
• Smith, L., 2019. 8 Audience Targeting Strategies From Digital Marketing Experts.
• Support.google.com. 2020. About Audience Targeting. Google Ads Help.