4 More Advanced Targeting Techniques Every Marketer Needs

Map of United States with pins in locations

Keeping enrollment numbers up has never been as difficult as it is today with such a high volume of Colleges and Universities to choose from. At VIQTORY, our experts are able to help you find quality applicants using our Military DSP ensuring that you stay ahead of the curve.

We are able to implement a number of advanced targeting techniques that allow us to cut through the clutter and advertise your opportunities directly to thousands of transitioning service members. Our tactics will alleviate the pains that used to come hand-in-hand with student recruitment techniques of the past.

In our first article about advanced targeting techniques, we covered 3 of the most common tactics we use here at VIQTORY to show tremendous results for our clients. Here are 4 more advanced targeting solutions that can help your campaigns show monster results!

1) Addressable Geo-Fencing

While the name Addressable Geo-Fencing is fairly straight-forward, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than the title suggests. We have the capacity to upload lists of up to 1 million addresses per marketing campaign into our DSP, or Demand Side Platform, which will convert into “Geo-Fences” around those locations.

These lists can be made up of our own first-party-data, or we can choose from 12 standard demographic categories as well as more than 130 interest-based categories to form a custom list tailored specifically to you with 1,500 variables.

This tactic allows us to target every individual who is within the geo-fenced address and target their devices separately with mobile and video ads as well as OTT/CTV ads. This means that you can be targeting desktops/laptops, smartphones, and even TVs. This is an extremely precise and powerful method of targeting. Blend it with our other tactics to help serve your ads to the exact demographics you are looking for on the devices they use most.

2) Contextual Targeting

There are two types of Contextual Targeting that we utilize here at VIQTORY, the first being Keyword Targeting. We are able to deliver ads to our audience based on the keywords and the context of what they are reading online. This is done by the use of web-crawlers. Essentially, these web-crawlers are gathering data from users based on what content they are consuming on the internet.

They can see the exact wording of every single article an individual is viewing. Using this information, we can match these users with ads based on what they have been reading. Because we know what they are interested in, we know exactly what to show them. An ad could be the push they need to commit and convert.

The second type of Contextual Targeting, which is similar to Keyword, is Category Contextual Targeting. The Internet Advertising Bureau (IBA) has 300 predefined categories in which ads can fall into based on a website’s content. This personalized advertising method displays ads on websites based off of which category the website falls under.

For example, an ad for an upcoming movie release may show up on IMDb. Or someone may be on a website looking at different times and prices for airline flights and they may see an ad for luggage. Because the website falls into a certain category like travel, there are ads being displayed for things that go hand in hand with traveling, like luggage.

This method is a real timesaver. Instead of just running your ads for random people to see, we are putting them in front of people we know are more likely to be interested in your opportunities, school or brand based on which categories their viewed websites fall into.

3) Retargeting

One problem that everyone in the marketing world has experienced at one point or another is getting traffic to their websites, but there are no conversions being made. While some might think that the battle is lost once a person leaves the website without converting, in reality, we are just getting started. About 97% of website viewers don’t take any action when they are on a site for the first time.

By using Site Retargeting we are able to show those visitors ads for the very websites they visited earlier on any device with an IP address or location services. We are also able to target individuals who have never been to our website. We can see what kinds of things they are looking at online and what they are researching. We can then, based on those keywords, show people ads for our products and services that are the same as what they are looking for.

Using these tactics we are able to increase the number of people coming back to your website after not taking any action the first time around, which in turn, will help to increase conversions.

4) Custom Lists

Different campaigns have different goals, and thus different target audiences. For example, some marketers just want their ads to appear on popular or well-known websites. For those individuals, we are able to do just that. We have Custom Lists filled with thousands of websites that put out quality content, get high volumes of traffic, and a large percentage of them are for companies or brands the average person is already familiar with.

These lists are filtered into different categories based on industry such as business, news, sports, etc. Using our custom lists, we can place your ads on these popular and reputable websites. While advertising on these sites will get your ads in front of a large audience, we recommend blending all of these advanced targeting tactics into one single campaign to ensure that you are getting the best results possible.

Employee Spotlight – Tori Mason

At VIQTORY, we put a high value on company culture, and that starts with our employees. Get to know our team in this month’s Employee Spotlight. 20 Questions With Tori Mason – Manager of Client Success

How long have you worked at VIQTORY?

It will be three years on September 11.

What is your job title?

Manager of Client Success

Briefly describe your primary responsibilities within that role. (What does a typical day look like?)

Client Success works heavily with all of the departments to fulfill products for our current clients, so I work closely with Ad Ops and the Sales Director to make sure all of our processes are aligned. I work with the team to make sure they hit their goal of 90% on time case completion (tickets closed within the target hours.)

It’s my responsibility to make sure the team has all the resources and training they need to complete their tasks at hand. Also, I need to continue finding ways that will alleviate any pain points. In 2019, we found that the ticketing system was great for tracking but tedious and time-consuming, so we worked with IT to automate some of those tasks and emails through workflows in HubSpot.

What is it you enjoy most about your job?

The challenges. When a client has a problem that we haven’t addressed before and maybe needs more research or when the team comes together to try to start a new process and we have to figure out what works best. I just love trying to take on new problems.

What is your favorite memory from working at VIQTORY?

Valen-Fries-Day/National Fry Day. I thought it would be a fun event for the office to bring a bunch of toppings and all kinds of french fries to have a French Fry feast in 2018. The first year was epic. We had a few air-fryers, so we had waffle fries, regular fries, and fries from a local BBQ shop. People also brought buffalo chicken dip, homemade poutine, guacamole, cheese, etc. I could go on because it was so much fun and delicious. We are lucky to have amazing cooks in our office for these potlucks!

Where are you from?

Wheeling, WV

Where did you go to school and what was your major?

I have a BA in English from Wake Forest University.

What was your first job?

Marketing Assistant

How do you spend your time outside of the office?

Before work, I go to the gym. Afterward, I binge a lot of drama series. Recently I finished Downton Abbey. When I got into my current role, I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose my writing skills, so I started a blog that’s all about brunch. Needless to say, I spend most of my weekends brunching.

What are your favorite sports teams?

I’m not crazy about sports but as a Yinzer I like the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates.

Who are your 3 favorite bands/artists?

Currently The Chainsmokers, Drake, and “mumble rap.” I just listen to the Rap Caviar playlist on Spotify.

What is your favorite food?

It’s hard to choose but I’m obsessed with gnocchi with a white sauce and sage.

If you could have dinner with 3 people from history who would they be?

Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, William Shakespeare (if you believe it was just one person)

What is the last book you read?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

What is your favorite place to travel?

Everywhere! My favorite so far is Mykonos in Greece. The Greek islands are stunning.

Do you have any pets?

Technically no. I had a cat but she peed all over my apartment, so, sadly, I had to send her to live with my parents.

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

So, there used to be an insane country music festival on a farm in Ohio. It was a four-day event with mostly big headliners – Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift (when she was country), Toby Keith, Florida Georgia Line, etc. The concert had just a really fun atmosphere.

If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life what would it be?

Probably the Breakfast Club.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee as black as my soul.

What ranks first on your, “Bucket List?”

Travel to at least 20 countries.

3 Advanced Targeting Techniques Every Marketer Needs

Finding the right employees has never been more of a struggle than it is today in this candidate-driven market. At VIQTORY, our experts are able to help you find the exact candidates you are looking for using advanced targeting through our Military DSP. These advanced targeting techniques allow us to cut through the clutter and advertise your opportunities directly to your desired audience. Our tactics will alleviate the pains that used to come hand-in-hand with recruitment techniques of the past.

1) Targeted Display

In the digital age in which we live people are now spending up to 5 hours a day on the internet. This makes online ads one of the best ways to reach a wide audience. The trick is knowing where to place those ads, and that is where Targeted Display comes in. Targeted Display means that you are putting ads in front of an individual based on what they are interested in, regardless of which websites they are on. Here’s an example.

Say that an individual wants to buy a new guitar. The first thing that they are going to do is hop online and do some research. They may start on the Guitar Center website, which leads them to various other websites/forums where they can learn about different guitars such as Reverb or Musicians Friend. Now they have gone down a rabbit hole and their internet activity is filled with guitar-related searches. Later, that same person is back on the internet browsing Facebook, and they see an ad for Sweetwater Music. Then maybe they are looking up movie times on the Cinemark website and they see an ad for Gibson Guitars.

We are essentially following the user and showing them ads that are relevant to them based on sites they’ve visited, what they have searched, and what they have read. This ensures that ads are being placed in front of the right people instead of them going to waste. That very concept can be applied to any business and any industry. Here at VIQTORY we use Targeted Display to help increase exposure and awareness for our clients by getting their ads on the screens of the exact demographics they are looking for.

2) Geo-targeting

Businesses are no longer confined to advertising within their geographical location through the use of things like billboards and newspaper ads. Geo-targeting allows us to advertise to people wherever you see fit. Every computer in the world has a unique IP Address that identifies the location of every specific device that is connected to the internet. We can take that information and run ads to those IP addresses anywhere we want.

As an example, say the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown New York is running ads to promote an upcoming event. They’re not going to want to run ads around their physical location because everyone in Cooperstown already knows about the Baseball Hall of Fame. They would want to run ads in places that are filled with baseball fans such as cities with major league teams, or better yet, cities with major league teams that are within driving distance of Cooperstown.

This way you are increasing the chances that your ads are being delivered to relevant viewers while extending the reach of the ads. We can take this example a step further when looking at Geo-fencing, but the main point is that we are able to target specific geographical locations based on a business’ needs and where they want their ads to be displayed.

3) Geo-fencing

The ways in which people advertise is something that is always evolving but never before have we been able to target people in such specific locations anywhere in the world. This is done through a targeting technique called Geo-fencing. It works much like Geo-targeting in the way that it targets an individual’s devices to serve them ads. But instead of using the IP addresses from computers and laptops, although it still can, it targets the location services on their mobile devices as well. If you are using a mobile app, there is a strong possibility that your location is being used. Many times, the app doesn’t even need to be opened to gather the person’s location. For instance, those that use weather applications on their smartphones, location is always being used so that you are getting accurate real-time information.

We are able to create custom shapes, or fences, on a map as small as 100 meters. We can then pinpoint any device using location services within that fence and serve ads to those individuals. Even after they leave the location, we can continue to place ads in front of anyone who has been in that shape within the last 30 days. Back to my earlier example.

Say that the Baseball Hall of Fame is running ads to promote an upcoming event, trying to increase their number of visitors. While Geo-targeting is an excellent tool that will help to get results, Geo-fencing takes it a step further. We are able to draw a fence around a specific baseball stadium and run ads to every mobile device within the fence that has location services turned on.

We could even fence every stadium in the country if we wanted to. We know that these people are baseball fans because they are currently watching a game, which makes them the perfect audience. While they are still at the game they can be seeing ads for the Baseball Hall of Fame event that’s coming up, and we are able to keep showing them ads for up to 30 days, making sure that it is top-of-mind.

Here at VIQTORY, we can find the top talent for our clients who are looking to hire. We have the ability to Geo-fence a job fair, a university, an entire military base, you name it. This capability blended with the numerous other techniques we include in our campaigns assist in making us the best at what we do.

3 Ways Empty Seats are Hurting Your Team

By Adam Kaiser, Digital Marketing Assistant at VIQTORY

If you have open positions at your company, you know it’s not only stressful for talent acquisition and HR teams, but the truth is open positions can have wide reaching effects throughout the rest of company. It is not just a monetary effect, but a company’s culture and perception can suffer as well. This is why you must be prepared for job vacancies by having a pipeline of quality candidates to fill those positions in the shortest amount of time possible.

Here are 3 ways open seats are hurting you.

Empty Seats are Hurting Your Direct Cost

When you calculate how much your open positions are actually costing you, it can come as quite a shock. Most employees generate 1-3 times their annual salary in terms of production for the company, making 2 the median.

So how do you calculate the cost of an open position?

Let’s say that an employee makes an annual salary of $40,000. To calculate the cost of an empty seat, you divide the salary of that position ($40,000), by the number of work days in a year (260), and then multiply the result by the median number (2), in regard to employee revenue generation.

In this example, when you crunch the numbers the one empty seat is costing your company $307.69 per day. If that position is vacant for an entire month it will cost you over $9,000. The larger the salary for that position, the more money your company is losing by the day.

Higher employee salaries are typically connected to the higher degree of skill required to perform that job. We’re not exactly breaking ground with that. But the direct cost, in terms of lost production, does speak to how vitally important it is to have a talent pipeline of qualified candidates ready to fill a high impact job in the shortest amount of time.

Empty Seats are Hurting Your Culture

When it comes to empty seats, the revenue lost from those positions is not the only concern for employers. Just because there are job vacancies doesn’t mean that those jobs don’t still need to get done. This means that someone, or multiple people, need to pick up the slack.

The additional workload can not only cause stress and potentially even animosity toward employers, but it can cause things to fall through the cracks and results will suffer. While giving this extra work to individuals already in the organization may seem like it will fix the lack of productivity, it is not sustainable.

Employees will burn out and can become disgruntled while managers will encounter stress and frustration when they can’t hit their goals due to understaffed teams. Filling those empty seats with qualified workers is the only real long term solution.

Empty Seats are Hurting Your Perception

Job vacancies at a company can mean one of two things. Either the jobs are not getting done, or there are one or more people picking up the extra work. Regardless of which scenario plays out the result is the same, there is a lack of productivity.

When job vacancies directly have an impact on a company’s customers, public perception begins to turn sour.

Maybe it’s because customer service is spread thin and customers aren’t getting the information and assistance that they need in a timely fashion. Maybe it’s that sales reps are bogged down by the extra work and as a result customers feel as though they are being reflected. This can look a lot of different ways depending on the situation, but across the board it means the perception of the organization is being damaged and its reputation will suffer.

Take Your Recruitment to the Next Level

Here at VIQTORY we have been helping companies small and large fill their talent pipelines for more than 20 years.

Looking for a new, forward thinking approach to candidate sourcing? Contact us today to see the power of our capabilities!

Webinar: Generating Quality Candidates From the Military Community

Join us as we discuss:

What is First Party Data and How Do We Use It to Target a Specific Audience
Best Practices in Military Veteran Recruitment
Advanced Targeting in Veteran Recruitment Marketing Campaigns

Know your Veteran Workforce!

In this video we’re going to touch a little bit on some of the business operations that impact veteran talent acquisition, and some of the things that you can do to increase the retention of your veteran employee workforce.