Hyper-targeting is a marketing activity where advertisements are delivered to a specific group of people. To reach a target audience, a general group of people is segmented based on information they share, most often voluntarily. To achieve hyper-targeting, information collected should go beyond general demographic information such as age, gender, location, language, and nationality. It should include more detailed or personal attributes such as education, interests, favorite activities, or preferred brands.
Hyper-targeting vs. mass marketing
Hyper-targeting involves more work compared to mass marketing. In mass marketing, a generalized message is delivered to as many consumers as possible. For example, a product advertisement is quickly sent out to thousands of recipients using email marketing with a collection of email addresses. However, little information is known about how many of those recipients are interested in buying the specific product, and very few respond to this kind of strategy. In fact, many email systems have spam filters where these advertisements are usually caught, never reaching their audience.
When marketing professionals use hyper-targeting, they narrow down a large pool of consumers into a smaller group whose attributes match the typical attributes of a person most likely to be interested, appreciate, and purchase their product. The marketers know who their target audience is and how to reach them using customer relationship management (CRM) software, internet marketing, and social media. Marketers and advertisers can send personalized messages that create a strong appeal to the selected audience.
Hyper-targeting enables businesses to get to know their target audience better. Knowing the right audience and their specific needs and preferences allow them to focus on the right products, features, or services. A smaller and more defined marketing campaign costs less, yet can be more effective to produce higher sales and profits. Also, personalized messages are shown to be more effective in delivering a positive customer experience.
Identifying a target audience can be done through monitoring who is engaging with your social media content or using Google Analytics.
