In an era where consumers are skeptical of broad marketing messages, traditional national advertising campaigns are facing new challenges in reaching and resonating with their target audiences. As consumers seek recommendations from within their own communities, successful advertisers are cutting through the clutter with the power of hyperlocal targeting and personalization.

Through innovative technologies, brands are learning to bridge the gap between national presence and local relevance, transforming traditional advertising approaches into meaningful community-specific conversations to stay ahead.

Get personal and precise to meet key audiences

Broadly targeted ad campaigns often miss the mark when attempting to reach their ideal consumers. They frequently do not include the nuanced local dynamics that are key to conversion and connection in a concentrated advertising landscape.

With modern consumers seeking authentic recommendations from trusted sources, particularly those in their own communities, local targeting and personalization have never been more important for advertisers.

Advances in advertising technology are revolutionizing how brands approach meeting their customers where they are, enabling precise local targeting and community-specific context while maintaining national reach.

Related: How Your Small Business Can Become a Hyperlocal Event Sponsor

A prime example is Jack in the Box’s partnership with Nextdoor, which used local targeting and the platform’s 100m+ high-intent neighbors to drive close to a million store visits in just two days. This campaign and approach demonstrate the potential of hyper-local, targeted advertising that connects directly with consumers in their local context.

In addition to precise local targeting, when you craft a campaign rooted in what makes a community unique, you can firsthand see the power of locally relevant storytelling — it feels personally meaningful to each community member and drives engagement.

In 2022, Verizon partnered with Nextdoor on a hyperlocal-at-scale campaign to reach its US consumers at the neighborhood level. With this approach, Verizon could appear to be speaking to those in specific neighborhoods across the US through personalized ad copy that includes unique traits and cultural identifiers to appear as if an ad was designed for a distinct neighborhood.

Verizon’s campaign is a perfect example of how brands can achieve both broad reach and local authenticity — ultimately catalyzing ROI so that each dollar counts.

A key consideration for successful local targeting and personalization requires understanding platform-specific audiences and purposes. Each digital platform serves a unique purpose and audience looking to get something done. LinkedIn users seek professional connections, and Pinterest users hunt for inspiration.

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Prioritize decision-makers & building trust

Modern advertising should go beyond broad messaging and focus instead on reaching key decision-makers. By targeting consumers in their daily environments and media consumption habits, brands can influence critical purchasing decisions.

To take your ad campaign to the next level, consider identifying platforms rich in “household decision-makers.” For example, on Nextdoor, these “household CEOs” are responsible for purchases in over one-third of US households, providing a rich opportunity to connect directly with real people in charge of purchasing decisions.

Additionally, advertisers crave brand-safe environments in a polarized world to ensure their content appears with posts that mirror and uphold their brand values, safeguarding their investment and building trust with consumers. Prioritizing advertising channels that invest in brand safety is essential not only for advertisers seeking a transformative return on investments but also for continuing to drive trust with consumers, which yields customer lifetime value. And its importance is growing.

As Gen Z and Gen Alpha continue to grow their buying power, marketers must stay attuned to what’s most important to them. Increasingly, Gen Z’s primary concern when making a purchase decision is to ensure a given brand’s values match their own. The data supports this claim.

According to a study conducted by Edelman, “To earn Gen Z’s trust and minimize vulnerability, brands must ensure Gen Z consumers hear, see, and believe their values and intentions.” To continue to cultivate customer trust and loyalty, it is essential for brand marketing and advertisements to be seen in the company as content that upholds its values.

The future of advertising is targeted and authentically personalized

For brands of all sizes, the future of successful advertising is rooted in precise targeting and personalization, while a one-size-fits-all national advertising approach is coming to an end. Brands that successfully combine broad reach with specific community relevance are seeing and will continue to see tangible returns on investments — whether that’s increased foot traffic, improved online-to-offline conversions or deeper customer loyalty.

With advancements in technology enabling local personalization at scale, the most successful campaigns now focus on storytelling that reaches real, precise audiences, reflects local culture, addresses regional preferences and mirrors salient aspects of a neighborhood. Brands are focused on meaningful engagement with real people rather than wasted impressions.

By embracing local-at-scale strategies, brands can transform their advertising from a megaphone into a meaningful conversation — connecting with consumers where and when it matters most.