Targeting & Matching - Reach the Right Audience

The most compelling offer fails if shown to the wrong audience. Effective targeting starts with accurate category selection—choosing categories that genuinely describe your offer rather than aspirational ones you wish applied. Keywords and context matter too: think about what your target customers care about and where they're already engaged. The smartest approach is starting with broader targeting to gather data, then refining based on actual performance.

In brief:

• Choose categories that accurately describe your offer
• Multiple categories are fine when genuinely applicable
• Adding irrelevant categories wastes impressions and damages partnerships
• Keywords should reflect customer interests, not just product features
• Consider complementary contexts where your audience already engages
• Start with broader targeting to gather performance data
• Narrow focus based on which partnerships actually deliver results
• The data will tell you where your offer resonates most
  

Category Selection: Accuracy Over Reach

Category selection is one of the most important decisions when creating an offer. It determines which host partners see your offer and whether their audiences are right for you.

The temptation is to select as many categories as possible to maximise reach. Resist it. Accuracy matters more than volume.

Choose categories that genuinely describe your offer. If you sell running shoes, select athletic footwear. Don't add general fashion hoping to catch a broader audience—you'll get impressions from people who aren't interested, and host partners will notice the poor fit.

That said, if your offer legitimately spans multiple categories, select them all. A fitness app might reasonably fit Health & Wellness and Technology. A sustainable fashion brand might fit both Apparel and Eco-Friendly Products. Use multiple categories when they're genuinely applicable.

Keywords and Context

Beyond categories, think about the broader context where your offer will appear.

Consider what your target customers actually care about. Don't just list product features—think about the problems you solve and the outcomes you enable. A meal kit service isn't just selling food; they're selling convenience, health, and time savings.

Think about complementary contexts. Your running shoe offer might perform brilliantly alongside content about marathon training, fitness goals, or outdoor activities. These are contexts where your target customers are already engaged and receptive.

The Smart Approach: Start Broad, Then Refine

Don't over-restrict your targeting from day one. You don't yet know which partnerships will work best.

Start with broader parameters to gather performance data. Let the matches happen, observe the results, and learn which partner types and contexts drive the best outcomes.

Then narrow your focus based on actual data. Double down on what works, reduce what doesn't. This data-driven approach outperforms guessing every time.