How do you choose the right target audience and segmentation criteria for your display ads and video ads?

To select the right target audience and segmentation criteria for display and video ads, define your goals and choose metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, or retention rates. This will help determine the best platforms, formats, placements, and optimal frequency and duration for your ads.

To define Display Advertising audiences , first check where your ad will be served, in which format and to whom. In the awareness-consideration-purchase-loyalty funnel, 1) If your goal is awareness you should choose broad interest based, lifestyle audiences or affinity audiences who use products or services in categories with an affinity to yours. 2) For consideration you should use audiences playing in your core category or whose behaviour shows they have availed products or services similar to your offering in past 3) For purchase you should look at audiences who are in market for your product or service and in final stages of their journey to perform the action desired. 4) For loyalty you should target your past users of your brand

Coca-Cola used display and video ads in their "Share a Coke" campaign to increase brand awareness. Personalized bottles with names were showcased in display ads, while emotional videos of people sharing Coke were shared online. These ads generated buzz, fostering brand recognition and encouraging social sharing.

To put it in a framework, you are trying to determine the parameters basis which to choose your audience. Step 1- What is my business goal ? In the awareness- consideration-purchase-loyalty funnel, if it is upper funnel, you will choose broader audiences such as interest or lifestyle based, or audiences showing affinity for your products. If it is consideration, you will choose audiences whose past actions show some kind of intent for your product or category, which may not translate into immediate action. For purchase you look at audiences who are in the market looking for a solution to their needs and loyalty is for targeting your existing customers.

To find out your target audience, imagine who will buy your product or service. Do they use Google or other search engines? What is their age and gender? What do they like the most, and so on? ➡️ You need to discover what they write when searching; those are the keywords you need to target.

To select the right target audience and segmentation criteria for display and video ads, identify your audience using data sources like website analytics, customer surveys, social media insights, or market research. Create a detailed persona describing your ideal customer's demographics, behavior, needs, and pain points.

Coca-Cola segmented audiences for the "Share a Coke" campaign based on demographics, psychographics, and consumer behaviors. They targeted specific age groups, focused on individuals valuing social connections, and engaged with those active on social media. Personalized labels added exclusivity and appealed to those seeking unique experiences.

You can also test and refine, launch small-scale tests with different audience segments to evaluate their performance. Measure key metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and engagement levels to determine which segments are most responsive to your ads.

Design attractive, clear, concise, and compelling display and video ads using persona and segmentation information to choose the right target audience and segmentation criteria. Use images, colors, fonts, headlines, copy, call-to-action, landing page, and best practices for each platform, format, and placement.

Further you can create and make use of lookalike audiences and dynamic remarketing as well. Lookalike Audiences: Consider creating lookalike audiences based on your existing customer data. These audiences consist of individuals who share similar characteristics and behaviors to your current customer base, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions. Dynamic Remarketing: Implement dynamic remarketing to target users who have previously shown interest in your products or services. By customizing ads based on their past interactions, you can re-engage them with relevant messaging.

Here are some steps to help you make those decisions: - Understand Your Product or Service: Analyze your product or service to identify its unique selling points and the problems it solves. This will help you understand who might benefit most from it. - Conduct Market Research: Research your market to identify customer demographics, behaviors, and preferences. This data will guide your audience selection. - Segment Your Audience: Segment your audience based on common characteristics. For example, you might create segments for existing customers, prospects, or different age groups. - Test and Iterate: Test different audience segments and segmentation criteria to see what works best. Use A/B testing to refine your approach.