Targeting
The term targeting means addressing target groups. Targeting is an important element in marketing. In this process, advertising appears on a website, and this advertising is directed at a specific target group. The more precise the targeting is, the greater the chance of reaching the specific target group.
Keyword targeting
Keyword targeting refers to addressing a target group on the basis of a searched term in general search engines, business search engines, supplier search engines or other portals. In this process, the user is shown an advertisement that matches the keyword. The disadvantage of keyword targeting is that advertising can sometimes appear out of place. For example, an advertising campaign about a new car may appear right next to news about a serious car accident.
Other forms of targeting
Another form of reaching a target group is semantic targeting (context targeting), in which advertising is placed in a specific environment, but an attempt is also made to make a distinction within individual content categories. A context can also be developed in the environment of ambiguous words, which means that out-of-place advertisements can be avoided. Behavioral targeting, which is a further development of keyword and semantic targeting, uses cookies to examine the behavior of a website’s users. Fonts or plug-ins can provide conclusions about user behavior, and the IP address also enables the user to be classified geographically. This information can be used to create a behavioral profile to which advertising is adapted. In the more advanced form of behavioral targeting, known as predicted behavioral targeting, the user-related information is supplemented with statistical data. The information is obtained through online surveys of a small number of users, and the results are then used to draw conclusions about the users as a whole. The form of retargeting is an attempt to win back lost customers. The same technique is used as with behavioral targeting, whereby the attempt is made to convey the same product to the user over several weeks. The newest form of targeting is social media targeting. This combines all forms of targeting. With the help of this combination, an even more detailed determination of a target group is possible. User-related information can be accessed directly via social media platforms. With social media targeting, it is possible to place personalized advertising on the user website. Social media offers communication in real time, so advertising projects can also be realized in real time.
Risks of targeting
Besides the advantages, such as efficient or user-specific advertising, targeting can also be associated with risks for both users and advertisers. For example, users have the impression that their interests and preferences are being spied on and their privacy is being restricted. For the providers of the advertising, there is a risk that the information collected could be misused by unauthorized third parties.
