Reaching new target groups – local advertising on the internet

Industry 4.0: Targeted advertising? Thanks to the internet, it's no problem! When businesses want to specifically target customers, trainees, or skilled workers, local online ads can quickly reach the right audience. But how does it work? And what should you pay attention to?

This article is part of the special feature on digital craftsmanship.

The internet has drastically changed people's information-seeking behavior. Several studies in recent years have shown that between 75 and 90 percent of all Germans primarily search for local service providers online . Some target groups can now only be reached almost exclusively via the internet: According to the statistics portal Statista.de, 14- to 29-year-olds in Germany primarily used websites, apps, or e-papers of newspapers as their information sources in 2019. Therefore, in addition to regional newspapers, portals, and business directories, local online advertisements are also part of a successful marketing mix.

Exact target group profiles

Also of interest? Tips for successful online advertising! But how does regional online advertising work? Companies like Google , Facebook , and Instagram promise low wastage because they know their customers very well. Most users of these platforms are very open about their personal data or accept that, in exchange for using the services for free, they usually automatically consent to their data being analyzed. Therefore, businesses that place an ad on an online platform can usually create very precise profiles of their target audience . This allows them to specifically target customers, skilled workers, or trainees.

Minimize wastage

When placing ads in Google search results, you can specify, for example, that only users from a particular region or postal code area should see your advertisement. Combined with other characteristics, such as age groups or interests, this significantly minimizes wasted ad spend . It's even possible to specify particular days of the week and times of day, allowing you to select times when your target audience is likely to be online. Keywords , which determine when your ad will appear, play a crucial role on Google. Any combination of words is possible, such as " carpentry apprenticeship " or " oil heating maintenance ." This, combined with your defined target audience, allows you to make your ad placement even more precise.

Tailor-made campaign

Businesses can also run regional advertising campaigns on many social networks, such as Facebook, YouTube , and Instagram. Here, they can define their desired target audience characteristics , from state, region, city, or postal code to age and gender, as well as demographic information , interests, and behaviors. This allows businesses to easily tailor various campaigns.

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The cost of local online advertising varies depending on the platform and your specific ad preferences . Google charges per click: Advertisers can set a daily budget (for example, €15) and a cost per click (for example, €12) for each campaign. Facebook allows you to define a weekly advertising budget and a bidding strategy , which determines the price for a specific result. However, certain ad types have minimum spend limits as well as cost and bid limits . Other providers use different billing methods, such as cost per mille (CPM) or fixed ad prices.

Checklist: Local advertising on the Internet Develop a concept: What do you want to achieve with your advertising campaign? Possible goals: Acquiring new customers, increasing online shop sales, increasing brand awareness, recruiting employees.
Define target group: Who do you want to reach? Possible target groups: New customers, existing customers, prospective customers, decision-makers in companies, trainees or skilled workers. – Select channels: Which websites or social media can you best use to achieve your desired goals?
Define target group characteristicsWho should see your ad? Minimize wasted advertising with appropriate criteria such as region, city, zip code, age, gender, demographic information, or interests.
Produce an ad: Create your text, banner or video ad and upload it to the desired online platform.
Analyze successes: Use statistical evaluations, tracking results or your own analyses to assess the success of your ads and further improve them.
Observe laws: Always consider all legal requirements when conducting online activities, such as GDPRthe Copyright Law and Telemedia Act.

On most online platforms, tradespeople can easily create, upload, and launch their local advertising campaigns themselves via a website . Various advertising formats are often available, such as text ads, banners, or videos . The advantage of most online platforms is that your advertising is distributed across many different channels , for example, on websites or in the corresponding apps, on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones . Those who don't feel confident implementing online advertising themselves can also hire specialized agencies. When searching for suitable service providers, tradespeople should pay attention to existing certifications and references.

Google My Business: Create your own listing

To ensure your business is found by customers and suppliers in Google search results and on Google Maps, you can register for free with " Google My Business ." Important : By registering, you agree that customers can leave reviews for your business . You can comment on these reviews , but you cannot disable them . Furthermore, Google does not allow "My Business" listings to be deleted later.

Google My Business checklist

1. Sign in with your credentials at https://accounts.google.com/signin or create a new account.
2. Go to www.google.com/intl/de_de/business and click "Get started now."
3. Enter your company name and click "Create company with this name".
4. Read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Only if you agree to them, click "Continue."
5. Select a company category and click "Next".
6. If desired, add your business location including address and confirm with "Next".
7. Indicate whether you also serve customers outside of your location. Optional: Define your catchment area. Click "Next."
8. Specify which contact information prospects should see and add your phone number and/or website. Optionally, you can have Google create a simple, free website for you. Click "Next."
9. Indicate whether you would like to receive "timely information and recommendations" from Google in the future. Click "Continue."
10. Click "Done." Complete your profile on the next page and discover more opportunities with Google My Business.

Photo: © Thomas Busch