What is Targeting?
Targeting is a feature that allows ads to be displayed only to specific users or on specific content. For example, you can show baby product ads only to parents in their 20s and 30s, or show sports brand ads only on sports article pages. Through targeting, advertisers can precisely reach their desired customers, and publishers can create premium ad products by leveraging their data.Why is Targeting Important?
It’s Time to Monetize Your Data
The data that publishers possess is a valuable asset in itself. You can increase advertising revenue by turning existing data such as member information, behavioral data, and content classification into targeting products.| Data You Have | Monetization Potential |
|---|---|
| Member Information (Age, Gender, Region) | Demographic targeting products |
| Behavioral Data (Purchase History, Interests) | Interest-based targeting products |
| Financial Data (Income Level, Asset Size) | High-income targeting products |
| Content Classification (Category, Keywords) | Context targeting products |
| Membership Tier | Premium audience products |
The Difference Targeting Makes
Selling Without Targeting:- All ads are sold at the same CPM.
- Advertisers don’t know if they reached their desired customers.
- The value of the publisher’s data is not reflected in pricing.
- Apply premium rates to premium audiences for higher pricing.
- Provide advertisers with clear targeting options to improve ad effectiveness.
- Turn your data into differentiated ad products to gain competitive advantage.
Real-World Examples
Created “Parents within 6 months postpartum” targeting and sells to baby formula and diaper brands at a 40% premium over base CPM.
By providing context targeting for finance, real estate, and automotive categories, they achieved high repurchase rates from advertisers in related industries.
Audience Targeting
Display ads to specific users based on user attribute data.Data Source
Uses User Properties. Basic fields such as country, language, gender, and age are provided, and publishers can add custom fields as needed.Hierarchy Structure
Targeting is created in the following order.1
Property
Source data such as age, gender, interests
2
Category
Segments created by applying conditions to properties
3
Targeting
Collection of related categories
Example: Demographics Targeting
Before Applying Category Groups Advertiser selection options: Women in their 20s, Men in their 20s, Women in their 30s, Men in their 30s After Applying Category Groups- 20s = Women in their 20s + Men in their 20s
- 30s = Women in their 30s + Men in their 30s
Usage Scenarios
| Service | Property | Category Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Parenting App | Months postpartum | Newborn, Weaning period, Toddler |
| Finance App | Asset size | Under 100M, Over 100M, Over 1B |
| Commerce | Membership tier | Regular, Premium, VIP |
| OTT | Viewing genre | Drama, Variety, Movies |
| News App | Interest area | Politics, Economy, Sports, Entertainment |
Context Targeting
Display ads on specific pages or content based on content attributes.Data Source
Uses Context ID passed during ad requests. Context ID is a value representing the context of the page the user is currently viewing, defined by the publisher and passed through the SDK. For example, if a user is viewing a sneaker product page in a commerce app, you can pass a context ID like “shoes” or “sports_shoes”.Hierarchy Structure
Targeting is created in the following order.1
Context
Page context information defined by the publisher
2
Category
Segments combining context IDs
3
Targeting
Collection of related categories
Example: Commerce App Product Category Targeting
Before Applying Category Groups Advertiser selection options: Shoes, Clothing, Bags, Accessories After Applying Category Groups- Fashion Apparel = Clothing + Accessories
Usage Scenarios
| Service | Context | Category Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce | Product category | Shoes, Clothing, Bags, Accessories |
| News App | Article category | Politics, Economy, Sports, Entertainment |
| Real Estate App | Property type | Apartment, Officetel, Villa, Studio |
| Recipe App | Cuisine type | Korean, Chinese, Western, Japanese |
| Travel App | Destination | Domestic, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe |
Premium Rate Setting
You can apply premium pricing to specific targets. When an advertiser selects that targeting, a premium rate is added to the base price.| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Setting Range | 0% ~ 200% |
| Application Method | Base price × (1 + premium rate) |
| Cumulative Application | When multiple targetings are selected, premium rates accumulate |
Connecting Targeting to Ad Products
Set how to connect targeting when creating ad products.Visible Targeting
Targeting categories that advertisers can select during campaign booking. Only categories selected here are visible to advertisers. Example: If you set only 20s and 30s as visible targeting from the “Demographics” targeting categories of 20s, 30s, and 40s, advertisers can only select 20s and 30s.Required Targeting
Targeting categories that advertisers must select. Can be designated from categories set as visible targeting. Required targeting has two settings: Include and Exclude.| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Include | Categories that advertisers must select at least one of | ”20s” required include → Advertisers must select 20s to book campaign |
| Exclude | Categories where ads will not be displayed | ”40s” exclude setting → Ads won’t be shown to users in their 40s |
Precautions
- Cannot Use Audience and Context Targeting Simultaneously: Cannot apply both types to a single ad product.
- Multiple Targetings Within Same Type Allowed: When selecting multiple targetings, premium rates are cumulatively applied.
- Category Lock: Categories in use by live campaigns cannot be modified or deleted.
- Data Update Cycle: Targeting data is updated hourly.
Table of Contents
- ⚡ Quickstart: Selling Your First Targeting
- Creating Audience Targeting
- Creating Context Targeting
- Selling Targeting
- Managing Targeting
- Category Rules Detailed Guide
FAQ
What benefits does leveraging targeting provide?
What benefits does leveraging targeting provide?
You can generate higher revenue from the same ad inventory. Apply premium rates to premium audiences and provide advertisers with clear targeting options to improve ad effectiveness. Turn your data into differentiated ad products to gain competitive advantage.
What data should I turn into targeting?
What data should I turn into targeting?
Evaluate based on “Can this data help advertisers find their desired customers?” For example, “Months postpartum” for parenting apps is valuable targeting for baby formula and diaper brands, and “Asset size” for finance apps is valuable targeting for premium financial product advertisers. Consider whether it’s data advertisers would willingly pay a premium for.
Should I choose audience targeting or context targeting?
Should I choose audience targeting or context targeting?
Choose based on the type of data you have. If you have rich user attribute data like member information and behavioral data, audience targeting is suitable. If you have a well-structured content classification system, context targeting is effective.
How should I set premium rates?
How should I set premium rates?