Why contextual targeting on social media is a smart move

Why contextual targeting on social media is a smart move 

Imagine you're casually browsing through Instagram, looking for recipe inspiration, when suddenly, a sponsored post catches your attention. It's an advertisement for a meal delivery service that aligns perfectly with what you were searching for. The relevance of the content and the potential solution it offers to your problem make you more inclined to click on it. This is the power of contextual targeting on social media. 

For marketing professionals and experts in paid social advertising, incorporating the browsing activities of their target audience into their overall strategy is a clever and predictable move.

Once you have determined what you want to advertise and chosen a specific platform, the process becomes more straightforward. To begin, it's essential to establish relevant keywords. These keywords should always directly relate to your products and services, and it's generally advisable to avoid using branded keywords unless your brand is already well-established.

Once you have selected your keywords, the social media platform you're utilising will deliver your content to eager "customers" at the most opportune times. This includes considering factors such as language, location, and other vital advertising demographics, ensuring that your contextual targeting efforts yield optimal results.

Go beyond contextual targeting

Sometimes contextual targeting isn’t enough, as your viewers might not even see your ads. This is because there is far too much advertising noise. So, how do you ensure your message gets across eventually?

To find the solution, we must leverage every available tool and resource at our disposal. This includes creating remarkable content, implementing a well-executed paid advertising strategy, and possessing a deep comprehension of our target audience and their specific needs. 

Why the need for such targeting? 

The landscape of marketing has shifted. It's no longer centred around you, your brand, your product, or your campaign message. Instead, the focus has shifted entirely to the customer and their needs. It doesn't matter how incredible your product is or the amount of brilliance poured into its creation. Today's audiences demand relevance. And with the constant advancement of technology, including artificial intelligence and predictive analytics, the patience of your customers is wearing thin.

As marketers, we must improve our ability to attract our audience by providing the content they truly want, need or love. This means moving away from solely discussing what we sell and shifting towards explaining why we sell it. This is where the power of contextual marketing comes into play. To enhance the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, we must develop content that is highly contextualised and deeply personalised.

In the present day, busy audiences expect content that tells a compelling story and educates them in helpful, informative or entertaining ways.