In our world that is increasingly interrupt driven, reaching a candidate online on THEIR terms when they will be most receptive to a message is crucial. Just as I see the potential in using data to effectively target and market to candidates via email marketing (see the post here) – I also see the use of behavioral targeting for recruitment brand building as another place where we have TONS to learn from the online retail marketing space.
What is Behavioral targeting? The terms used in searches are one type of data that can be used to target ads. Data is also kept about WHAT surfers are doing: shopping, travel planning, consuming news etc. Online behavioral information can provide huge clues to identifying the time when a candidate might be receptive to an employer’s message – “this is the aperture moment.” Understanding the heaps of mined data however is still in its infancy and knowing what is relevant, when – is where it gets sticky.
Yahoo is trying to make great strides in behavioral targeting of ads as a key differentiator from Google (we have yet to see what the Google/AOL deal will mean for behaviorally targeted graphical ads). 
Yahoo! has allowed advertisers to deliver banners based on search behavior for several years, but only immediately following entry of a term. Now – you can advertise your employer brand to anyone that you know has searched for say “nurse jobs” or “actuary” during the last TWO days. “Click-through” rates on some types of behaviorally targeted ads can be 200% higher than normal ads, according to internal focus group studies cited by Fayyad as cited in a recent Forbes article.
We need to pay more attention to online advertising trends by retailers and figure out innovative ways to make employer brand messaging relevant – on the candidate’s terms.
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I would be very interested in knowing what behavioral targeting networks are most relevant to recruitment, i.e. who is hip to the potential of recruitment advertising and who is cost effective for a braod range of budgets, etc.
I am trying to find a network that actually uses professional and trade sites as data sites. Is there anybody specifically looking at healthcare and nursing sites to gather behavior information for their network?
Thanks.
SH
Hi Steven,
Yahoo! does behavioral targeting and they have started promoting recruitment banner buys on the rest of the site through HotJobs. Behavioral targeting market leader Tacoda has a career category but I’m not sure if they’re specifically looking at healthcare and nursing. Let me check on that and get back to you. Thanks for the great question.
– Julian
Yahoo! does offer behavioral targeted graphical ads throughout the entire network (Mail, Finance, Sports etc.)
79% of the Yahoo! audience is employed full-time. So this is a qualified group.
You can target campaigns to only those in a particular industry or occupation, located in some particular city or state and whom are the ‘Careers’ behavioral bucket.
Hey Matt – I include banner ad campaigns utilizing Yahoo!’s behavioral targeting capabilities in my recommendations frequently. It is a terrific way to be able to capture the attention of the often passive audience on Yahoo and engage them in an employer brand in a highly targeted way.
I appreciate the comment!
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