5 Tips for a Successful Audience Targeting Strategy
Shifting consumer media habits have created challenges for advertisers to connect with the right person at the right time. Health audience targeting has emerged as a powerful solution that can help you reach qualified audiences across platforms. However, successful execution requires a proactive approach. I recently sat down with Alexandra Gilson, senior vice president of paid social – department lead at CMI Media Group to discuss the most important factors to consider when crafting or refining your audience targeting strategy.
1. Target what you measure and measure what you target
Your advertising goals lay the groundwork for your audience targeting strategy, and it’s crucial to align your measurement plan from the outset. Target what you measure and measure what you target to ensure that you maximize performance and evaluate segments accurately. When we build an audience segment, we start with our customer’s KPIs and create a highly specific audience tailored to those definitions that also matches their measurement metrics.
2. Scale success with speed
Creating a test-and-learn strategy is a cost-effective way to set your campaign up for success. “During a test and learn, we dedicate time to educate our partners on our target audience and ensure they are well-informed so we can start seeing results quickly,” says Gilson. If you set up your test correctly and have fast reporting, it shouldn’t take long to scale positive results.
3. Create an audience-first approach using cross-platform insights
In a fractured media environment, gaining a holistic view of your target audience is essential to understanding the most effective ways to reach them. “We know audiences are not just on social media; they live a vibrant digital life across other channels,” says Gilson. “We recommend an audience-first approach to reach them on whichever digital channel they’re engaging with.”
This holistic approach is critical when it comes to health audience targeting. Successful marketers use more measurable platforms to inform less measurable platforms. For example, we see programmatic teams sharing results with their social teams, who are then able to pick up those insights and have a jump-start on those learnings.
4. Invest with proactive partners
Success is a two-way street. Your health targeting partner should be as invested as you are in getting positive campaign results. We’ve seen the best successes when our clients proactively engage with us. Gilson agrees. “Your partner doesn’t always have insight into the performance metrics so it’s important to report back so they can refine audiences until we see positive results.”
5. Choose partners who are trusted and proven to perform
When selecting a health audience targeting partner, privacy is paramount. Make sure your partner is HIPAA-compliant and a Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) member. They should also proactively guide you through the complicated and ever-changing privacy laws and regulations.
When you vet a potential partner, always start with the fundamentals – data quality, methodology, and privacy. “My first question will always be, how are you sourcing your data?” says Gilson.
Your partner should also have a proven track record working across publishers and platforms to ensure you can gain a 360-degree view into your audience. Carefully evaluating partners is an essential first step to campaign success and will save you time and budget in the long run.
The healthcare advertising landscape will continue to change. Stay ahead of the curve by establishing strong workflows and selecting partners who add value with a proactive approach. By implementing these strategies, you can set your health audience targeting campaigns up for success.
Watch our webinar where Jessica Daigle, head of Crossix Audience Segments, and Alexandra Gilson, SVP of paid social – department lead, CMI Media Group, discuss additional ways to create a successful direct-to-consumer campaign.