- Contest Factory
- February 21, 2023
While using native campaigns as a marketing strategy is just beginning to gain attention, it is a robust option to diversify marketing budgets. Native advertising and target market research are a powerful combination. Incorporating these strategies can help your business connect with your ideal customer base in a more personal manner than other marketing efforts.
Native advertising is an innovative way to reach your customers. Because native campaigns are fairly new to the scene, there is less competition, and they command a high level of engagement. Target market research and understanding your ideal customer are key factors to its success, and with a bit of know-how from native marketing experts, you can stake your claim and tap into this cutting-edge marketing strategy.
What Is Native Advertising?
Native advertising refers to advertising initiatives that happen within other niche publications or news publications that are reporting on similar topics. The term originated as a description for promoted content paired with, placed next to, or positioned below published articles that feel and are related to the subject you are promoting – thus NATIVE.
Native ads position your content with news like lead ins that mimic the UI on the similar content site you are advertising on. Since you can place these ads on other sites, native ads can garner up to four billion impressions daily. These results show the promise and impact native ads have and why more businesses are adopting these methods.
Positioning Your Native Ads for Success
The success of your native ads comes down to how you position them, and narrowing down your target market is a key factor. Target market research is essential, as this helps you determine your ideal customer, what they need, and how to reach them. Consider who benefits from your products or services, why they need them, and what makes your products and services different from competitors.
Creating and running ad campaigns is an investment, so it’s important to make sure your ads are seen by your target demographic, who you expect to purchase your goods or services. Understanding your target market ensures that you don’t waste time or money on ad campaigns that won’t connect with your audience.
Defining Your Target Market
Native ads rely on clear, well-researched market data to determine the ideal target audience. Target market research is the best starting point for defining your target market.
Various methods exist for defining your target market. Keeping tabs on your competitors is one of the most promising methods, as it provides a clear view of what they are doing to appeal to the market. Other methods include hosting focus groups and surveying your existing customers.
General ads are less specific and personalized; they don’t hit your customers’ pain points, so they’re less likely to catch the attention of the market you want to target. Native ads work so well because they are specifically structured to reach designated markets.
Instead of casting a wide net to catch many, wide-reaching audiences, native ads reach a smaller, more focused target market that is more likely to take the next step.
Using Target Market Segmentation to Customize Your Native Ads
The first step when using native ads is to define very clear, specific goals. Native ad platforms typically allow you to select your campaign objectives, which can include:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Generating new leads
- Growing online purchases
- Increasing app installations
- Driving traffic growth
Whatever your goal, target market segmentation is the best way to customize your marketing messaging and marketing strategies according to demographics. Specific demographics for ads include generation, age, religion, ethnicity, marital status, income level, and geographic location.
Using these segments provides greater personalization for your ads. Additionally, as you develop native ad campaigns, applying customer pain points throughout your content can help provoke customers to take small actions during their journey, like clicking your ad or signing up for emails.
Native Campaigns Research Conclusion
Target market research is an essential component of marketing with native ads. Be sure to understand your target market, their needs, and what they are seeking in thought leadership content. Be prepared to share statistics on the subject matter as to position yourself as a thought leader and intrigue with data. These points should get your native campaign ads receiving lots of engagement with lower funnel conversions as you go.
For more information on native campaigns, check out our Ultimate Guide to Native Advertising.>>
