How Can I Select An Effective “Target” For My Ad?

Internet advertising is one of the few mediums where you have an opportunity to present your message on a one-to-one basis to your chosen audience. Compared to other forms of advertising this is one of online marketing’s greatest strengths. Other mediums don’t have the same capability of delivering a specific message to a specific audience. Used correctly, online advertising can make the right offer, to the right person at the right time.

For example, with TV advertising there is a lot of waste with the average broadcast ad. It reaches a number of people who have absolutely no interest in the product or service. As one traditional marketer says, "I know that half my advertising budget is wasted; I just don’t know which half." Online marketing, on the other hand, is capable of accessing a highly targeted slice of the consumer market and therefore increasing the advertiser’s chances of making a sale.

One of the most important things you can do in creating your Internet advertising campaign is to analyze the kind of audience that you want to see your message. The first thing you should do is evaluate the type of consumers who buy your products or services. Think through the types of current customers for your product or service. How can they best be grouped to match one of the targets available through online targeting? Can they be grouped by interest type [Restaurants, Hotels, Recreation]? Can they be grouped by geography [Titusville, Melbourne, Cocoa Beach]?

Some websites allow potential advertisers to target by run-of-site (ROS). ROS means that ads can be displayed on any page, to any viewer on that site. If you feel that your customer profile exactly matches the audience of a particular website, Run-of-Site might be a good targeting option for you. ROS is sometimes more affordable than targeted options.