While demographics will always be a key to marketing, whether online or offline; behavioral targeting is still a piece of the marketing puzzle we can use to increase the reach of our marketing efforts.
What behavioral targeting basically does is bring marketing beyond the demographic targeting that is usually done. It cuts across the normal way of this type of targeting - at least it looks like it at first.
The reason it looks like it at first is because the ads aren't relevant to the context on the page. So at first glance it looks like somebody dropped the ball by advertising way outside the demographic that is reading the page.
The genius of behavioral targeting is that it targets consumers based upon their search patterns, past purchases, and web sites they visit. They are targeted, in other words, based upon their behaviors; not only their demographic profile.
One example would be a company that is marketing games. Obviously the normal campaign would put ads on gaming sites appealing to a certain demographic: normally young males.
But what if there were a considerable number of older players or females that liked gaming, but didn't fit into the demographic? Behavioral targeting can reach them on sites that would not be normally considered a target by game companies.
With the tracking abilities and data on habits of consumers the company has measured, gaming companies could put an ad on a health site that markets to older males or another that targets young females. They would have the information that would reveal whether these specific customers have bought any of their offerings in the past or were shopping around on specific sites related to their product.
The ad will only be shown to those that it is relevant to; those who have made purchases or visited the type of sites connected to the product or service being advertised. This has great potential.
Now why behavioral targeting is so important is because there are nowhere near enough quality content sites out there attracting enough eyeballs to make it worthwhile for marketing companies to advertise through them. It offers an alternative, and makes it so we don't have to rely upon someone else to provide the content needed to attract those interested in our products or services.
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