Optimize Your Marketing Funnel with Behavioral Targeting
Create Revenue Growth with Strategic Behavioral Targeting
Ever feel like your ads are shouting into the void? You’re not alone. Throwing ads at a general audience is like trying to catch a fish with a tennis racket, it’s messy, inefficient, and leaves you wondering what went wrong. That’s where behavioral targeting swoops in to save the day. At Salem Surround, we help you focus your advertising on people who are already interested in what you offer, so your budget works smarter, not harder.
What Is Behavioral Targeting and Why is it Important?
Behavioral targeting is a way businesses use data about what people do online, like the websites they visit, the things they search for, or what they put in their shopping carts, to show them ads they’re more likely to care about. By focusing on people’s online actions, businesses can deliver personalized ads that feel more relevant and helpful.
For example, if someone browses for kitchen knives but doesn’t buy, they might later see ads for those knives on other websites. This strategy, called retargeting, helps remind people of products they’ve shown interest in, increasing the chances they’ll make a purchase.
Why Is Behavioral Targeting Important For Your Business?
Before tools like behavioral targeting, ads were mostly matched to the content of a webpage (think kitchen knife ads on a cooking blog). While this still works, behavioral targeting goes a step further by showing ads based on what someone has been doing online. This makes advertising more personal and, often, more effective.
The Benefits of Behavioral Targeting
- Ads That Feel Personal
When businesses use behavioral targeting, their ads feel less like random interruptions and more like helpful suggestions. If you’re shopping for running shoes, seeing ads for running gear makes sense, it’s relevant to what you’re looking for.
- Better Customer Experiences
People appreciate ads that solve a problem or suggest something useful. But there’s a fine line, ads that get too personal, like calling out private details, can feel creepy instead of helpful.
- Reminders That Work (Retargeting)
Sometimes, people don’t buy right away, and that’s okay. Retargeting gives your business a way to gently nudge potential customers by showing them reminders about the things they’re already interested in. Studies show it often takes seeing a product 6-8 times before someone decides to buy.
- Reaching the Right Audience
Instead of trying to talk to everyone, behavioral targeting helps your business focus on the people who are most likely to care about their products or services. This targeted approach saves time and money while increasing the chances of success.
PERSONALIZE YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY
How to Make Behavioral Targeting Work for You
Know Your Audience
Start by creating a profile of your ideal customer. Who are they? What do they want? What’s holding them back from making a decision? You can learn this through simple surveys, interviews, or analyzing your website data.
Focus on What Matters Most
Not all customers are the same. The Pareto Principle teaches us that 20% of your customers probably make up 80% of your sales. Use behavioral targeting to focus on this key group, they’re your most valuable audience.
Use Real-Time Info
Pay attention to what people are doing right now on your website or app. If someone is looking at winter coats but hasn’t bought one yet, showing them an ad for coats they viewed, or similar ones, can encourage them to complete the purchase.
Behavioral Targeting vs. Contextual Targeting: What’s the Difference?
Both behavioral and contextual targeting are effective ways to display relevant ads, but they work differently and can complement each other.
Behavioral Targeting
Behavioral targeting uses data about a person’s past online actions—like websites visited, searches made, or products viewed, to deliver ads tailored to their interests. For example, if someone browses for running shoes, they may later see ads for running gear across different sites.
Contextual Targeting
Contextual targeting focuses on the content of the page or app a person is currently viewing. For instance, someone reading a cooking blog might see ads for kitchen tools or recipe books because the ads match the topic of the page.
Better Together
Behavioral and contextual targeting don’t have to compete, they can work hand in hand. For example, if someone visits a makeup website, you could use behavioral targeting to show ads for that brand while they’re browsing a skincare or fashion blog, combining relevance from both strategies to boost engagement.
Types of Behavioral Targeting
Behavioral targeting helps businesses personalize ads and marketing using data from people’s actions. Here are five key types:
1. Retargeting
Targets people who have interacted with your brand (like visiting your site) but didn’t convert. For example, showing ads for items left in a cart.
2. Geographic Targeting
Uses location data to deliver relevant ads, such as promoting local restaurants or weather-specific products.
3. Purchase Behavior
Tracks what people buy, view, or add to their cart to recommend products, offer discounts, or thank loyal customers.
4. Campaign Engagement
Focuses on how people interact with emails or ads, like opening emails or clicking links, to refine messaging and re-engage effectively.
5. Website Engagement
Analyzes site behavior, like pages visited or links clicked—to create a tailored experience with pop-ups, ads, or recommendations.
These methods make marketing feel more personal, relevant, and impactful, helping businesses connect better with their audience.
Ready to Reach Your Ideal Audience?
Start using behavioral targeting with Salem Surround to deliver personalized, effective ads that connect with the right people at the right time. Let’s turn your audience data into results.
