Ever found yourself reading an article and wondering why the webpage has ads that seem to have an eerie connection to what you are reading? If you have, you have already seen contextual advertising in action.
Anyone working in advertising, especially digital advertising, has at least found themselves thinking about contextual advertising, even if they haven’t given a name to their brilliant thought. Even you may have thought about placing ads about your client selling running shoes on the Healthline blog post talking about the benefits of running.
Bottom line, anyone using the web and/or working in advertising already has a fair idea about contextual advertising, even if they don’t know it is a thing. Firstly, This article aims to confirm that placing ads next to contextually relevant content is indeed a brilliant idea. And secondly, this article will tell you everything you need to know about contextual advertising as a savvy advertising pro.
Let us begin with a simple explanation of the concept.
Contextual Advertising: A Bird’s Eye View
Contextual advertising is the practice of placing ads on web pages based on the keywords they use and the content that is present on them. It is a type of targeted advertising. However, unlike other forms of targeted digital advertising, contextual advertising does not depend on user behavior data to deliver ads.
A great example of the same is present in the screenshot below:
The article about Bitcoins features ads from a cryptocurrency platform.
When used correctly, contextual targeting allows advertisers to create a more seamless advertising experience. This translates to better conversions and more qualified leads for the advertisers or brands and a better advertising and web surfing experience for the user. The best part is, contextual targeting does not demand manual work.
Just like traditional programmatic advertising relies on advertising platforms to use behavioral targeting, contextual programmatic targeting is also offered by many of the same platforms.
Now that we know how contextual programmatic advertising is different from regular programmatic, it is time to see what makes it such a superb alternative.
Benefits Of Contextual Targeting
From a marketer’s perspective, ads are a gift from the sales Gods. Ads in the digital realm are an incredibly powerful tool in a good marketer’s arsenal. However, on the other side of the spectrum, ads are despised by some. Who are these people? Well, the users of course.
Users hate ads and the proof lies in the existence of ad blockers. It’s not hard to imagine how ads, which are usually essentially an interruption, have come to be viewed in a negative light by the users being targeted for them. However, ads are still one of the most viable channels to reach potential customers.
All marketers can do to make their ads effective is to deal with their interruptive nature. By using ads to complement the conversation, instead of cutting it in the middle, advertisers have a chance at creating a truly enjoyable advertising experience.
This is where contextual targeting becomes extremely relevant. Let’s look at exactly how contextual advertising is beneficial:
- Become Visible To A Primed Pair Of Eyes
Contextual targeting ensures your ads assimilate seamlessly into the current mindset of your potential customer or client. Imagine having an not just present on a webpage, but belonging to it, complementing the content, maybe even adding value to it.
Contextual targeting, combined with the right message delivered in the right manner can compel targets to click through on your ads, even if it is simply to explore down the rabbit hole that they are already digging. - More Bang For Your Buck
Contextual targeting, on most platforms, is a much cheaper alternative to behavioral targeting. That’s right, when used correctly, your ads will attract more qualified and relevant prospects, and do it at a lower price.
If you already have a handsome digital advertising budget, you can expect to make the most of the same with contextual advertising. On the other hand, if you are someone working with a lean marketing budget and finding yourself struggling with advertising, you can easily start making sales with the low CPC that contextual targeting offers. - A Future Proof Solution
One of the things that makes modern advertisers nervous is the trend of phasing out cookies. Soon enough, advertisers will not be able to depend on cookies and behavioral advertising will lose its luster.
However, those who start using contextual ad targeting right now will not only save themselves from this future predicament, they may even enjoy an early mover advantage when the use of cookies becomes impossible or obsolete. - A New Dimension Of Personalization
Personalization is a powerful tool in all forms of marketing. However, in most cases, personalization is time-consuming and simply difficult. This is not the case with contextual targeting. By targeting the context of web pages, creating personalized brand experiences is easier and more effective than ever before.
Conclusion
Saying that contextual advertising will be big in the advertising world in the coming years would be an understatement. In fact, in many industries, contextual targeting is already being widely used to lower the cost of advertising and make ads that are received in a positive light. For instance, several major brands use contextual video advertising on platforms like YouTube to deliver complementary advertising experiences instead of interruptive ones.
For now, advertisers don’t have to switch to contextual targeting. However, now is a good time to start making this switch as cookies become more unpopular in the digital ecosystem.
