What Being Single Has Taught Me About Contextual Targeting

Valentine’s Day hits differently when you’re newly single, but hey—heartbreak has a way of teaching some unexpected lessons. My girlfriend recently broke up with me, and let’s just say I’ve had plenty of time to reflect. Here’s what being single has taught this CPer about contextual targeting.

❤️‍🩹 It’s all about being in the right place at the right time 

Contextual targeting focuses on hitting consumers at a time when they’re primed to receive your message. When approaching a girl you’ve never spoken to before, you want to make sure the time and place are right to make the biggest impact.

❤️‍🩹 Sometimes audiences are hard to reach, but understanding their habits makes it easier to get your message across 

Reaching niche audiences can be very difficult, but contextual targeting allows you to place your brand around the content that this audience would be consuming. Similarly, when you have a very specific type of girl in mind, understanding what they like can make it much easier to create a connection.

❤️‍🩹 Sharing cookies used to be the way to get to someone, but with more focus on consumer privacy, we need to look to alternative options 

With cookies eventually being sunset due to consumer privacy restrictions, advertisers have utilized contextual targeting to reach their audience. Nowadays, there is a much greater emphasis on safety around strangers. Buying a drink for someone (the human equivalent of sharing cookies) might not be the way to approach a girl.

❤️‍🩹 Surrounding yourself with relevant conversation makes the connection stronger and more authentic

When using contextual targeting, your ads will always show up around relevant content. When looking for someone to approach for a conversation, it will always be easier if you have similar interests to focus the conversation around.

❤️‍🩹 Keywords can often mean different things to different people 

Contextual targeting allows you to show up around keywords that otherwise might show up on a blocklist. For example, the word “shooting” might appear on a traditional blocklist, but for a brand looking to advertise around basketball content, it takes on an entirely different, brand-safe meaning. Similarly, an ex-girlfriend might have enjoyed being called “honey,” but this won’t be the case with everyone you meet. 

Signed, Anonymous