Targeting Specialist: What You Need to Know About This Profession

Contents:

• What is targeted advertising
• What does a targetologist do?
• What tools and techniques does he use in his work?
• How targeted advertising is useful for business
• Soft and hard skills 
• How much does a targeting specialist earn?
• Is a targeting specialist the profession of the future?

What is targeted advertising

Targeted advertising is online advertising for a “specific audience”. It is based on demographic, geographic, and behavioral factors, as well as interests related to a product or service. With its help, brands reach customers who may be interested in their products or services, which increases the likelihood of conversion.

Targeted advertising can be used across various channels, for example, on social media—from Facebook and Instagram to LinkedIn. A targeting specialist is responsible for launching advertising. They plan, execute, and optimize advertising campaigns to achieve maximum effectiveness and attract the target audience. The targeting specialist analyzes the needs and behavior of the target audience, determines their characteristics and preferences, and then customizes the advertising using various tools. For example, advertising on social networks, retargeting, etc.

What does a targeting specialist do?

We have already explained that a targeting specialist plans, configures, analyzes, and optimizes advertising. Let's look at their responsibilities in more detail. A targeting specialist:

• Analyzes the target audience.To understand its demographic characteristics, interests, behavior, preferences, and needs. Standard research includes collecting data on the target audience, using analytical tools, and analyzing competitors.
• Develops targeted advertising strategies.Determines advertising channels, ad formats, key messages, and targeting techniques.
• Configures advertising. The targeting specialist sets up advertising in the personal account using professional tools (analytical and others). Determines targeting parameters: demographics, geography, interests, behavior, etc. As a result, ads will be shown only to those clients who meet the specified criteria.
• Optimizes advertising offers.The targeting specialist analyzes the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, conducts A/B testing (edit: comparison of advertising campaigns), adjusts advertising settings and budget to improve results. If the advertising does not produce the desired effect, the specialist conducts new research and launches the campaign from scratch.
• Measures the results.To analyze and assess the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, the targeting specialist uses metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators). For example, it studies CTR (click-through rate), conversions, customer acquisition cost, etc.

What tools and techniques does a targeting specialist use in his work?

Targeting specialists use various tools and techniques in their work. Combinations of several solutions demonstrate effectiveness:

• Advertising campaigns on popular platforms: Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki and Twitter Ads.
• Searching for an audience for a product or service: demographic sorting (age, gender, location, social status) and sorting by interests.
• A/B testing. A targetologist compares different advertising campaigns by headlines, images, texts, and color palette.
• Tools for parsing (ed.automatic data collection) of advertisements: PowerAdSpy, AdSpy.
• Tools for searching for an audience on VKontakte: Target Hunter, Cerebro.
• Analytical tools: Google Analytics, Yandex. Metrica, etc.

For effective targeting, it is recommended to use solutions that meet the requirements of a specific advertising campaign. For example, sometimes advertising platforms do not demonstrate the expected results during A/B testing. In such cases, it is better to abandon it in favor of other solutions.

How targeted advertising is useful for business

Targeting for business is an effective marketing tool. With its help, brands increase their recognition by launching advertising to a wide audience. Businesses attract solvent customers who are interested in their product or service.

Targeted advertising has its pros and cons for every project. It is ineffective for businesses that lack "packaging" or a unique selling proposition for the target audience. In other cases, targeting can generate hundreds and thousands of sales.

With such advertising, brands gain a foundation for business promotion. Experienced businessmen and aspiring entrepreneurs alike highlight the following key advantages:

• High conversion;
• Low launch costs;
• An audience of several million;
• several platforms for promotion;
• reduced advertising costs;
• increasing customer retention rates.

Soft and hard skills of a targeting specialist

A professional in their field must know the basics of targeting and meet certain criteria. The more accurate the hit, the faster the career advancement and the higher the salary. We talk about the main skills of a specialist.

Soft skills:

• Analytical skills - to create advertising campaigns of varying complexity;
• Communication skills - to identify the pain points of customers and their clients;
• Ability to work in a team - a targetologist works in tandem with designers, copywriters, and other specialists;
• Creative approach to problem solving.

Hard skills:

• Understanding of marketing strategies and trending promotion techniques;
• Knowledge of advertising accounts, algorithms, and advertising requirements;
• Knowledge of analytical programs for evaluating the results of advertising campaigns: Yandex.Metrica, Google Analytics, and etc.

How much does a targeting specialist earn?

The average salary of a targeting specialist in Belarus depends on experience and type of employment. A targeted advertising specialist has the opportunity to work remotely or in the office. As a freelancer, a targeting specialist can manage several projects at once, and the final check will depend on the agreement with the client. The number of advertising campaigns is not limited, but experienced specialists do not recommend taking on many projects at once.

An employee with minimum work experience (from one year), according to data rabota.by, can expect a salary starting at $712. Specialists with extensive experience and a portfolio can earn upwards of $1,500 in large companies. Income depends on the specialist's experience and the company they plan to work for. Foreign companies typically pay more, but they also have higher requirements for candidates. The standard list consists of the following points:

• Knowledge of foreign languages: English at an upper-intermediate level or higher for work in the international market (bonus: Chinese/Japanese/French/Italian/Russian);
• Continuous development: study of new trends and professional tools to improve the quality of work;
• A diploma or certificate of advanced training/completed courses: preference is given to candidates with foreign education;
• Multitasking: ability to work on several projects simultaneously;
• Desire to make the company better;
• adequacy and high level of performance;
• ability to quickly respond to requests and make edits.

How to become a targeting specialist

To become a targeting specialist, you don’t need to get a higher education — it’s enough to take professional courses. The minimum training period is three months. This is enough to start working on projects. But optimally, you need to devote six months to a year to targeting, taking into account practice and portfolio development.

To create a portfolio, you can contact several brands and offer collaboration. In some cases, this will only be possible on a pro bono basis, but with good results, all efforts will pay off. As a result, the specialist will be able to add work to the portfolio and receive their first offer.

When planning freelance work, you can visit exchanges. Kwork and Freelancehunt are popular in Belarus. For example, at Kowork, the standard price for setting up a small ad is $100, and that's for 3-4 days of work.

Is Targeting Specialist the Profession of the Future?

Targeted advertising plays a key role in marketing. Brands find new and solvent customers, warm them up, and lead them to a target action—purchasing a product or ordering a service. That's why the targeting specialist profession is in demand all over the world, and a specialist who knows the basics of targeting can count on easy employment.