In-Market Audiences is a powerful Google tool that helps you connect with potential customers at the perfect time – when they’re about to make a purchase decision.
Launched in 2013 as In-Market Buyers, it was originally built on people’s queries and browsing history.
These days, that operating principle remains but with much more power and refinement. Now clicks on related ads and subsequent conversions, as well as the content of sites and pages visited, plus recency and frequency of visits are all taken into account.
That means Google can now categorise users into groups of buyers – called Audiences. And right now, you have over 480 In-Market Audiences that you can target.
That’s big news.
Why? Because while other online advertising may help you reach large numbers of people who are either aware of or considering buying the product or service you provide, In-Market Audiences allows you to reach those who are teetering on the edge of making an actual purchase.
As any sales guru will tell you, the further down the sales chute you can reach when targeting potential customers, the more likely you are to make a sale.
For that reason, In-Market Audiences is hard to ignore for anyone wanting to increase conversion rates – which is surely all of us. Used in conjunction with Remarketing it’s a potentially powerful tool for not only driving sales but also lifting the effectiveness of your advertising spend.
As with most of its algorithms, Google hasn’t spelled out the full method it uses to determine in-market consumers. So there’s an element of trust needed to use the service.
If you’re willing to take the leap, getting started is fairly simple. Google puts users into categories based on the products they’re interested in. You can select from those categories when setting up display, search or YouTube campaigns.
Let’s say you own a used car business. By using the Autos & Vehicles category, you could target people who’ve recently clicked on ads for used cars, read reviews of particular models, or browsed other used car businesses in your area.
In-Market Audiences include these major categories, with varying numbers of sub-categories under each:
- Apparel and Accessories
- Autos & Vehicles
- Baby & Children’s Products
- Beauty Products & Services
- Business Services
- Computers & Peripherals
- Consumer Electronics
- Consumer Software
- Dating Services
- Education
- Employment
- Financial Services
- Gifts & Occasions
- Home & Garden
- Real Estate
- Sports & Fitness
- Telecom
- Travel
As with any such service, In-Market Audiences is not a silver bullet. You have to do the work to get clear on the appropriate audience for you, and you still have to target your message (and offer) to appeal to them.
We’ve done a lot of work to understand In-Market Audiences, and we’re learning more every day. To get started, call us and we’ll discuss your best options and help you gauge your results (and tweak your advertising) along the way.
