What is Prospecting and what forms of Prospecting exist?
Prospecting means customer search in German. Some call it “New Audience Targeting,” while others call it Prospecting. It means the same thing: the targeted search for new customers. In Display Prospecting, new target groups are addressed via display ads, in Email Prospecting, Print Prospecting, e.g., through direct mails, etc. In all cases, it is always about acquiring new customers.
If the advertising approach in Prospecting is through Display Ads, these are often displayed through Real-Time Bidding (RTB) systems. The goal of Display Prospecting is to lead new customers to the website or defined landing page to provide qualified traffic for subsequent retargeting.
“Lookalike Targeting”
One particularly effective method in the context of Prospecting is called “Lookalike Targeting.” With these statistical twins, users are addressed who have not yet visited the provider’s website, but whose profile is similar to that of buyers. The user behavior of current buyers is analyzed and compared with the behavior of other users. The matching profiles can then be addressed in real time via display ads on RTB platforms. This type of targeting works particularly well in specific, advertising-relevant target groups.
Three types of potential new customers are distinguished in Prospecting:
- Cold Prospect: These are people who are not familiar with the product or company. Initially, brand awareness must be created.
- Warm Prospect: The potential customer has already signaled interest in purchasing the product.
- Hot Prospect: The purchase intention is clearly evident (e.g., cart abandoners).
Depending on the Prospecting status, the customer groups are addressed with varying intensity and may also be prioritized. For example, in marketing, “Cold Prospects” might be completely ignored, focusing instead on “Hot Prospects” to quickly increase the number of new customers.
Marketing activities in Prospecting vary depending on the goal and industry. Prospecting can be done through Display Ads, email campaigns, or offline measures at the point of sale. The focus is not on sales but primarily on acquiring new customers with a high customer lifetime value. Advertising materials should always include a call to action with an appealing incentive to reach as many potential customers as possible. Particularly good results in Prospecting are achieved in combination with Retargeting.
Your contact for a successful Prospecting campaign:
To set up a successful Prospecting campaign, it is best to discuss with Tanja Hensler (hensler@trebbau.com, Tel.: 0221/37646 – 330).