Targeting
Advertising
Advertising
Targeting is deciding who sees an ad or message: based on keyword, interest, behaviour, location, attributes or your own customer lists.
On search networks the keyword is the strongest form of targeting: someone tells you what they want. On social and display you define the audience up front, with the algorithm increasingly making the selection from your conversion data.
In practice a three-layer build works: your own data (customers, site visitors), lookalikes of those, then broader audiences. Measure each layer separately, because cost per result differs a lot.
In practice
Targeting too narrowly pushes costs up and starves the algorithm of learning. Give platforms room and steer on your conversion goal instead of manual exclusions.
Related terms
- DemographicsDemographics are measurable attributes of people: age, gender, location, education, income, household — or job title and company size in B2B.
- PsychographicsPsychographics are about motivation: values, attitudes, ambitions, worries, lifestyle and buying motives.
- RemarketingRemarketing is advertising to people who previously interacted with your site, app or customer base.
- Target audienceYour target audience is the group of people or companies you want to reach, described by characteristics, situation and buying behaviour.