7 Advertising Verticals to Target in 2022

April 12, 2022

Do you know which advertising verticals to target in 2022? We’ve got the answers.

Ad sales pros know what works. Focused advertising outreach generates far better results than generic sales pitches. Targeting businesses in the verticals most likely to partner with your publication is the best way to generate immediate ad sales. 

Vertical targeting simplifies your outreach efforts, so you’ll have an easier time pitching clients. For example, in a sales pitch for a real estate agent, you might emphasize your publication’s affluent reader demographics and your wide variety of image-focused ad formats. When you’re reaching out to restaurants, the ideal pitch might center around your high-tech approach to digital advertising or the native advertising opportunities.

You get the idea.

Focusing your outreach efforts on the best performing advertising verticals helps you focus your pitches. This is an approach that’s being used with success throughout the digital marketing industry, and increasingly we’re seeing it being adapted by independent online publishers.

Once you’ve decided to target businesses in specific advertising verticals, the next step is to research your selected verticals and center your strategy around closing deals with these organizations in mind.

Here’s what you should know about the best advertising verticals to target in 2022.

1. Real Estate 

The housing market is still red-hot in most parts of the country, but industry analysts warn that there’s a chance it will flatten later this year. That makes this spring and summer the best time to capitalize on market momentum and sell digital advertising to real estate clients. With interest rates ticking up, real estate agents are eager to use innovative ad formats, like the Real Estate Showcase, to promote their most desirable properties to homebuyers online.

2. Healthcare 

The pandemic shifted how Americans access medical care, leading to a medical cost trend that digital publishers can use to their advantage. As healthcare spending returns to pre-pandemic levels, with some adjustments to account for the pandemic’s persistent effects, medical offices are likely to increase their digital ad spending. That makes the healthcare market a lucrative advertising vertical to target in 2022.

3. Restaurants 

Since the restaurant industry was unable to operate normally for an extended period, due to lockdowns and other Covid-19 restrictions, the industry faced a significant setback in 2020 and 2021. Now, as we head further into 2022, restaurants are increasing their ad budgets once again. With targeted local audiences, online news publishers present an incredible opportunity for these restaurateurs. Display advertising, native advertising, and newsletter sponsorships can all be incredibly effective advertising vehicles for this business vertical.

4. Travel / Local Amusements

If travel in 2022 had one theme, it would be “Go Big.” With Covid-19 cases declining, the travel and tourism industry is looking at a significant rebound. Local amusement parks and other tourism businesses are capturing the market by spending big on omnichannel campaigns. Ad sales teams should be targeting travel organizations of all sizes, from local tourism groups to international cruise lines.

5. Automotive 

Although the auto industry had a chaotic last two years, advertising spend has increased. Overall ad spend was up 12% in 2021, and that figure is expected to grow even higher in 2022, as demand for new cars and trucks far outpaces supply. Digital publishers are having success in targeting not just local dealerships, but also large automakers interested in running digital campaigns in select U.S. markets. 

6. Fitness 

Physical fitness was transformed during the pandemic. Rather than exercising in poorly ventilated gyms, consumers built in-home gyms or began to exercise outside. Now, fitness studios are working to get those customers back, and they’re spending big on digital campaigns to do it. Fitness companies spent $609 million on advertising in just the first 10 months of 2021, and they increased spending on digital channels by 97%. Some of the biggest advertisers are Peloton, ICON Fitness Corp., and Lululemon. Independent publishers seeing the lion’s share of their digital ad sales coming from local gyms that want to announce grand reopenings and new post-pandemic classes.

7. Home Improvements 

The home-buying boom of 2020 has led to the home-renovation boom of 2021 and 2022. Contractors are more in-demand than ever, and first-time homeowners aren’t sure where to go for expert advice. Flush with cash and eager to expand, contractors and other home improvement businesses, like plumbers, carpenters, and electricians, are searching for new advertising opportunities. Savvy digital publishers are stepping in to fill the void, with impressive ad formats that let contractors show off their skills.