3 Ways Retailers Can Better Target Their Customers

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For most marketers, search is king. Search gets budget first and usually garners the largest chunk of the spend. The reason? It works. 

Capturing shoppers when they are actively looking for something is crucial to influencing a purchase. TikTok and Reddit are even now cashing in on search budgets by offering keyword targeting. When consumers search for a product a TikTok, it puts advertisers front and center on the social media platform.  

The holiday season is here and reaching your target audience is more crucial than ever. To help ensure your message is being delivered to your target demographic, you need an effective marketing campaign. But how can you figure out your brand’s demographic?

The Benefits of Finding Your Target Audience

Knowing who your target audience is means understanding their needs, preferences and behaviors in order to better personalize your marketing messages and increase conversions. Reddit and TikTok’s new keyword targeting changes are particularly significant as they allow retailers to reach their customers in a new way on these platforms. By reaching the right audience, you can maximize the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing efforts. This can help you save time, money and resources as well as improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

To help find your target audience, here are some questions you may want to ask:

  • What have people purchased before that may indicate they could be interested in my product?
  • What locations do they like to shop in and how do I target those areas?
  • What other searches have they made online that may be relevant to my product and how can I push my advertising to them?

These questions may seem daunting and challenging to answer at first, but by using the right tools and data, you’ll be able to reach the perfect audience effectively.

Here are three different ways to better target your audience:

1. Purchase History Transaction Data

By understanding the types of products your audience is already interested in and have previously purchased, you’ll be able to predict what they’ll buy next. This allows you to create advertising messages that are more likely to resonate with consumers.

For example, if a customer has previously purchased a particular brand of skincare products, you can use this information to suggest new products from the same brand or offer promotions on similar items. This not only increases the chances of a conversion, but also improves the customer experience by providing personalized and relevant recommendations. Gathering this data can be done by tracking purchases, coordinating with storefronts or using a tracking tool that gathers the information for you.

2. Location-Based Ad Targeting

By figuring out where your consumers like to shop, such as a specific store in their area or by targeting shoppers in the area around your own store, you’ll be able to deliver more relevant and personalized marketing messages to them. For example, you could use location-based data to target customers who are within a certain radius of your store, offering promotions or incentives to visit the store and make a purchase.

Alternatively, you could use location-based data to target customers who have visited a competitor’s store and offer them incentives to switch to your own brand. Many apps now offer location-based services that you can utilize for these purposes.

3. Keyword/Search History Data

Reddit and TikTok’s new keyword search allows you to use their search history data in an advertising campaign. This is especially effective because it allows you to target customers who are actively searching for products or services related to your business. By analyzing search history data, you can gain insights into the keywords and phrases that customers are using to search for products and use that information to deliver more targeted and relevant marketing messages.

For example, a retailer selling camping gear could use data to target customers who have recently searched for “camping tents” or “camping stoves” and display ads for their products when these customers browse the internet. This increases the chances of a conversion, as the customer is actively searching for products related to the retailer’s business. Exporting an audience from a keyword search can also be done with tools like Skydeo and then used on other platforms like Facebook, TradeDesk or Google. 

Mastering your ad targeting and creating a successful campaign is easy as long as you know your target audience. Gathering the data you need will save you money in the long run, let you target consumers who are interested in your product and ensure your ROI stays high during the entire holiday season.

Mike Ford is the CEO of Skydeo.