Tracking and Conversion: Maximizing your return

Written by
MW
Published on
August 4, 2023
Category
Article

Tracking and Conversion: Maximizing Your Return

In the digital era, online advertising has become an essential pillar for businesses aiming to effectively reach their target audiences. However, the key to success lies in the ability to target the right people at the right time, while also respecting their privacy. Programmatic targeting has thus become the norm in digital advertising, but in practice, it's not always easy to determine which targeting tactics are most appropriate to maximize impact. In this article, we will explore different targeting strategies, how to determine which ones suit you best, and also the importance of respecting user privacy.

The Importance of Data in Programmatic Targeting

Programmatic targeting largely relies on the use of data to deliver ads in a targeted manner. Demographic, behavioral, and contextual data play a crucial role in the success of online advertising campaigns. To illustrate this, let's consider a numerical example. A recent study showed that advertising campaigns using targeting data had a conversion rate 6 times higher than those that did not use such data. This demonstrates the significant impact that data can have on the performance of digital advertising.

To succeed in programmatic advertising, it is essential to choose the right targeting tactics. Here is an overview of the main tactics at your disposal:

  • Demographic targeting: This involves targeting users based on demographic characteristics such as age, gender, location, income, etc. This allows you to reach specific consumer groups.
  • Comportemental targeting: This tactic targets users based on their previous online behavior, such as visited websites, conducted searches, interactions on social networks, etc.
  • Contextual targeting: Contextual targeting involves delivering ads based on the content of the webpage they appear on. This ensures that ads match the context of the page.
  • Interest targeting: This tactic aims to target users based on their interests and preferences, using data collected from their online activities.
  • Geo targeting : Geographic targeting allows ads to be delivered to specific audiences based on their geographic location, whether local, regional, national, or international.
  • Device targeting: Advertisers can choose to deliver ads specifically on particular types of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, etc.
  • Schedule targeting: It's possible to schedule ad delivery at specific times of the day or days of the week to reach audiences when their engagement is highest.
  • Retargeting (remarketing): This tactic involves targeting users who have previously interacted with your website or ads, to encourage them to return or convert.
  • targeting per metadata: Advertisers can use metadata such as keywords, tags, and categories to target specific audiences based on webpage content.
  • First party geo data: Advertisers can use their own customer data to target audiences similar to their existing customers.
  • Third party data targeting: Advertisers can leverage third-party data providers to access additional demographic, behavioral, or contextual information.
  • IA et le machine learning targeting based: AI and machine learning algorithms are used to analyze user data and automatically optimize advertising campaigns based on past performance.
  • Lookalike: This tactic aims to target audiences similar to your existing customers, based on similarity criteria.
  • Event: Advertisers can react in real-time to ongoing events or trends by adjusting their campaigns to target specific audiences related to these events.
  • These targeting tactics can be used in isolation or combined to create more sophisticated, targeted programmatic advertising campaigns. The targeting strategy will depend on the advertiser's objectives and the nature of their target audience.

“Advertising campaigns using targeting data had a conversion rate 6 times higher”

How do you determine the right targeting tactics?

The choice of targeting tactics depends on several factors, including your advertising objectives, your budget, and your target audience. Here are a few steps to help you determine the right targeting tactics:

  • Define your objectives: Start by clarifying your advertising objectives, whether they're to increase sales, brand awareness or engagement.
  • Know your target audience: Identify exactly who your ideal customers are. What are their demographics, interests, and online behaviors?
  • Analyze data: Use existing data to understand your audience's trends and preferences.
  • Test and measure: It's essential to test different targeting tactics and measure their performance to determine what works best.
  • Adapt in real time: Be ready to adjust your targeting tactics according to market trends and feedback.

The need to respect user privacy

As advertising targeting becomes increasingly sophisticated, it's crucial to respect users' privacy. Regulations such as the RGPD in Europe and the CCPA in the US impose stricter constraints on the collection and use of personal data. As digital advertising professionals, it's essential to guarantee the privacy and security of user data while continuing to exploit the countless possibilities offered by programmatic media buying.

Targeting is at the heart of digital advertising. Data is the fuel that powers this machine, but the choice of targeting tactics is essential to achieving successful results. By keeping in mind your objectives, your target audience, and respecting user privacy, you can create effective programmatic advertising campaigns that maximize impact while preserving consumer trust. The digital advertising landscape is constantly evolving, and professionals need to adapt to stay relevant and ethical.

Automation also makes it possible to significantly reduce the complexity of operations, particularly those induced by the increasing power and number of walled gardens, which jealously guard access to their audiences and locations. The simple fact of automating their operation makes more accessible possibilities that were previously set aside as too time-consuming or complex to set up.