What exactly is brand safety? And why is it important for businesses to take this into consideration when they are placing digital advertisements on the internet? If these are the questions you have on your mind right now, whether you’re a business owner, marketing professional, or media buyer, it’s critical to be aware of where exactly your brand is represented on the internet and how those sites reflect back on your business.

The Internet is home to many different types of content — educational, inspiring, and entertaining to name a few. But not every web page should deliver your message. The minimum risk is that it’s simply not hitting your target audience, which is a waste of advertising. But the risk can rise from there to the unintentional placement of your brand on negative sites that are considered spam, offense, or worse. If this concerns you, keep reading for three, simple tips for maintaining brand safety in digital advertising.

 1. Align Your Ads with Like-Minded Content – A great way to steer clear of appearing on websites that reflect negatively on your brand is to carefully select sites that provide content related to your product or service, and that reaches who you want to reach. If you’re selling something local, focus your ads on local media sites. There’s less of a chance that local, verified sites are spam or malicious content. You know who your local news media, retailers, or fellow business owners are; focus on the ones you trust. If you’re selling a product for moms, select sites that hit this demographic and that share good content tailored to their wants and interests. When you focus on placing your ads on like-minded digital outlets, particularly ones that are verified and trusted, you’ll do well to protect your brand’s integrity.

2. Avoid Association with Negative Sites – Make sure you understand where your ads may be placed. For ease and cost-efficiency, you may choose to place your ads in bulk through a media business that has the ability to place ads across many different websites. You can and should ask directly to see the exact sites where your ads may appear. First, you want to be sure these are quality sites that hit your target audience. Next, you want to double-check that none of these sites contain irrelevant or offense content. It may cost less to place your ads on certain sites, particularly ones that rank lower or don’t carry as high of quality of content, but these sites could also be detrimental to your brand. Avoid sites known for fake news, negative content, or spam.

3. Gain Control Over Your Ad Placement – If your advertising placement could best be described as “throwing ads up on the internet to see what sticks” then it’s time to get structured about how and where ads for your business are running. The best way to do this is to team up with a trusted advertising agency. We can advocate for you to make sure your ad placement is being placed exactly where and when you want it. We can confirm the legitimacy of every site and that it’s hitting the right audience. Finally, we can monitor and provide assurance that your ads ran exactly as requested. This takes a huge worry off your shoulders!

For a 60 second recap of the points covered above, click on Mid-Atlantic Media Hub’s Media Minute below!

If there’s more you want to know about brand safety and your advertising strategy, we are here to help. Reach out to us today!