Targeted or contextual: which advertising to choose

Advertising on the Internet has become one of the most effective ways of business promotion. Companies actively use targeted advertising and PPC advertising to attract new customers. What is the difference between target and PPC advertising, and what type of advertising to choose to promote your business — we will tell you further.

Contextual vs targeted

Although the goal of PPC advertising and targeting is to attract customers on the Internet, they work differently and use different methods of searching for potential customers and sites for placement.

Contextual advertising

Contextual or PPC advertising is advertising that is displayed on the search network based on the interests of users and corresponds to the request of a potential customer, that is, the context. This type of advertising allows a business to place a link to its product or website and additional information at the top of Google search results. So, one of the first things a user will see is an offer from a company that placed contextual advertising based on his search query.Among the features of contextual advertising:

1. The number of potential clients depends on the popularity of the search query.
2. Ability to analyze in detail the effectiveness of the advertising campaign in Google Analytics.
3. The advertising budget depends on several factors, including the number of requests, the cost per click, and the level of competition in the niche.
4. Search ads must not violate the laws of the country where the service or product is advertised. For example, the advertising of medicines, gambling, alcohol, etc., is prohibited in Ukraine.

Important: only companies with a website can order contextual advertising. The effectiveness of the advertising campaign depends on how well optimized and user-friendly your resource is. Professional site analytics will help identify weak points.

Targeted advertising

Targeted advertising is advertising in social networks aimed at a target audience. Users see such ads every day in the feed or advertising blocks on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, etc. Targeted advertising on social networks has become a popular promotion tool, as every day, millions of users around the world visit these platforms, actively consume content, and make purchases.Among the features of targeted advertising:

• ability to clearly set parameters of the target audience;
• the success of advertising depends on creativity and the quality of content;
• the ability to analyze in detail the effectiveness of the campaign;
• payment only for ad impressions;
• the ability to redirect the user both to the company’s website and to pages on social networks, messengers, etc.;
• strict restrictions on the subject of advertising.

Social networks require a comprehensive approach to promotion from brands. To achieve the desired results, it is important not only to attract new users through advertising, but also to build effective communication with the audience. A correctly built strategy will help you to create a positive image of the company, form a loyal audience, and, as a result, increase recognition and the number of sales.

When does context work best

Contextual advertising is suitable for companies that have a website and offer a product with steady demand in the market.

Advantages of PPC advertising

1. A high level of interest in your product or service. Ads are shown to users who search for a product on their own and intend to buy the product you offer.
2. High click-through rates, as the promoted sites are placed at the top of the page before the organic search results.
3. There is no need to define the target audience.
4. High conversion rates and high-quality leads.

When should you run the target

Target is suitable for companies that do not have a website and want to present their brand, offer, or product to the audience and build a long-term interaction with users. Targeted advertising is chosen by companies that offer inexpensive products or goods that need to warm up the audience for sale.

Advantages of targeted advertising

• flexibility in setting up the target audience;
• high coverage rates;
• short sales funnel;
• the ability to build long-term interaction with the audience;
• low cost of advertising.

For which resources should you combine targeted and contextual advertising

We recommend combining these two types of advertising for companies that want to reach the widest possible target audience and, as a result, increase the number of interactions and sales. Specialists recommend combining context and target in several cases.

Brand promotion and orders

If you are interested not only in quick sales, but also in comprehensive site promotion, then ordering contextual advertising is not enough. You can use targeted and PPC advertising at the same time, or carry out promotion in two stages. In this way, brands will be able to reach the widest possible audience and not only increase the number of sales, but also form a loyal audience, improve brand recognition and build communication with customers.

Setting up dynamic retargeting

Dynamic remarketing allows you to show your offer to users on social networks who previously visited your site but did not make a purchase. Using such a strategy, a company can remind a person about a product and offer a discount or a promotional code for a purchase.

Advice from experts

You should choose the type of advertising on the Internet, considering the features of the sales offer and the goals of the company. To achieve maximum promotion efficiency, contact professionals. Specialists will perform professional analysis and offer an effective promotion strategy considering the needs and specifics of your business.