Before the global pandemic and especially during our months of social distancing, many Americans had shifted their attention to digital devices. Screen time has increased on all platforms – computers, tablets, mobile devices – as people visit websites, follow social media, and use video streaming services. And since that’s where the consumer is, that’s where your business should be Enter targeted digital advertising.
As an important part of your digital marketing strategy, Targeted Digital Display allows even more efficiency in capturing consumers’ attention. Strategically directed ad placement allows you to speak to just the right person at just the right time.
Targeted Digital Display advertising is effective because it’s:
1. Targeted
The name says it all. Targeted Digital Display advertising gives you the ability to capture your potential customer using relevant factors – age, gender, salary, location, online behavior, purchase history, values, interests, and more – to align with your ideal customer base. This laser-focused attention ensures that your message is reaching the most qualified potential customers. Otherwise, a scattershot approach wastes your ad spend on people who won’t convert.
Contextual targeting, one strategy used in targeted digital advertising, determines web users who have searched for relevant keywords: landscaping, massage, shoes, tax preparation, chiropractor, etc. Contextual targeting then matches the web user with an ad that is relevant to their needs – a win-win for consumers and businesses. Imagine that a web user searching for “outdoor furniture” sees an ad for deck and patio supplies. That’s a match made in, well, online heaven. [See how this strategy worked for a Richmond, Virginia, Hyundai dealership.]
2.Trackable
No matter the size of your business, you want to know how well your money is working. With digital ads, you can receive detailed reporting metrics, from view-throughs and ad clicks to website visits and form fills. You can compare your ad campaign to industry benchmarks to see if it’s on par with where it should be.
3. Flexible
Chances are, your potential customers don’t stay in one place at all times, so neither should your ads. Using digital advertising, you can flex. Ask, am I reaching the potential customers I want to? If not, who am I reaching? How are people responding? Should I extend my reach?
Knowing the answers to questions like these can help in adjusting channel optimization (where your money should go) and target optimization (to which potential customers).
4. Sticky
If a visitor comes to your website without acting, that doesn’t mean they weren’t interested. Perhaps they were comparing products and services, are not quite ready to buy, or got interrupted. Truth is, they came to your site for a reason, which makes them highly qualified. They entered your sales funnel, just where you want them. Retargeted ads follow those visitors, displaying your ads wherever they may go next – social media, news sites, blogs, and other relevant sites, across the various platforms.
Retargeting builds brand awareness and reminds potential customers of your business’s services and products – sort of like a retail website’s reminder if you leave something unpurchased in your cart! Retargeting adds to the effectiveness of targeted digital advertising, getting customers to return and spend money with you.
5. Affordable
Targeted digital advertising works for businesses small and large. What’s more, its efficiency makes it a smart choice for small businesses, offering more impact per spend.
Targeted advertising is about more than simply conversion. It’s a powerful way to build your brand, to establish your credibility, and to get your visuals in front of future customers. After all, that’s where a business needs to start. A strong brand translates to successful SEM (Search Engine Marketing) campaigns and higher click-through rates. And when, in the not-too-distant future, customers are ready to act, who will they think of? Who will they see? And who will they turn to? Let it be you!
Related: “The Basic Guide to Geo-fencing”
