Not all contextual strategies are equal
Contextual targeting can be a powerful tool to reach your audience. I covered it in our latest blog. But like all targeting strategies, contextual targeting is not without its challenges. This is why we would always recommend an intelligent mix of targeting strategies for every campaign.
So, what should you consider when using contextual targeting?
Targeting strategies are only as good as the diligence, insight, and intelligence that goes into creating them. This is particularly true for building a contextual strategy. For all contextual strategies, work with a strong media partner who can spend time curating lists of effective keywords based on what they know will resonate better with certain audiences, specific clients, and different products.
No one size fits all, and like all biddable digital media, there is a constant need to test, refine, execute, and optimise.
You should also be cautious about brand safety, but don’t be hindered by fear. Being overly cautious on the keywords you decide to block can mean that not only will miss out on reaching your audience, it can also affect your ad effectiveness and cost. There’s continuously news content blocked unnecessarily because of over-cautious blocking.
Here are a few tips to bear in mind when planning a contextual strategy:
Think about creative alignment. As you have more control around the content you’ll be appearing next to, you have a great opportunity to align your creative with the specific content you’ll be around.
Experiment with a multi-layered approach. Start with a broad list of relevant keywords, and then get more specific, ending with an ultra-targeted segment.
Think around brand safety but careful to not over do it! Keyword blocking is a blunt tool that doesn't take into consideration context. The effects of it should be carefully considered before it's applied. Misuse or overzealous use of content blocking can be damaging for both brands and publishers. Brands limit their reach by ruling out safe environments and publishers struggle to monetise their content.
Always make it part of a wider targeting mix – different targeting strategies will work for different objectives and products.
If you’d like to discuss how contextual targeting can help you reach your audience and see what we can achieve together, please get in touch.