Benjamin Franklin often gets the credit for the saying, “Only two things in life are certain: death and taxes.” However, according to The Yale Book of Quotations, Christopher Bullock wrote in “The Cobler of Preston” (1716), “‘Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes.”  Fun fact: Ben was only 10 years old at the time. Go figure…
Half of this 300-year-old saying has come to Twitter ads. The tax side of life’s certainties is now available to marketers as psychographic targeting segments — just in time for the tax man to come ring-a-lingin’ at our doors. Hop into the seasonal side of Twitter’s behavioral targeting and you’ll find six handy ways to target U.S. citizens throughout tax season.
While Twitter tax targeting can be a big win for companies like H&R Block and TurboTax, we’re thinking beyond filing! What could you sell to folks with a sudden infusion of cash? Vacations? Big-ticket household purchases? Subscriptions? What does it say about someone who waits until April to file? Let’s take a look at the scintillating segments.
1: Who’s getting cash back?
From art museums to gyms and schools to zoos, organizations can take advantage of tax season targeting, serving ads to users expected to receive a tax refund. Companies and nonprofits with revenue derived from memberships and passes would be wise to look into this targeting, offering discounted rates for early renewals from individuals likely to receive a refund. Combine this with followers and/or related interests to identify those who have “free money” burning a hole in their pocket.
2 & 3: Do-it-for-me folks
Twitter users likely to go to the tax pros to do their dirty work are available as targeting segments, too. Tax prepared by an accountant and tax preparation services like H&R Block are available. Couple one or both of these with location demographics and find the competition’s clients. Sell these users your online preparation services and free up staff members to work with bigger clients face to face.
4: DIYers: keepin’ it on the down… load
Another interesting group to target are those hard-working taxpayers who are likely to do their own taxes with software. These do-it-yourselfers might want someone else to do their taxes this year to save them the headache and time. Accountants and tax services offering these users a worry-free tax season with guarantees of time saved could woo them away from their keyboards.
4: Month by month load
As the clock counts down to April 18*, Twitter ads provides tax filers by month, i.e.
the households likely to file their taxes in February, March and April. Combine this segment with demographics, interests and killer creative messages to reach the February early birds or the wait-to-the-last-minute April filers.
Speaking of those April filers, they’re in a bind and time’s running out. Sell them expedited tax preparation services. Many of those who wait until April to file are procrastinators (that, or they’re waiting as long as possible to write a check to the IRS). There’s a number of items you could sell these fine folks: productivity apps, automation-related items, household goods subscriptions and so on. You know what else these peeps might have forgotten? Holiday gifts. Electronic gift cards to the rescue!
Speaking of procrastination, if YOU wait to target these segments with tax-related services, your audience reach will drop each month, so don’t delay.
*Yes, you read that right: Tax day is April 18, 2017. Why? According to the IRS, it is due to April 15 falling on a Saturday and the following Monday, April 17, being the observed date of the Washington D.C. Emancipation Day holiday (D.C. holidays are treated as federal holidays for tax-filing purposes). Thus, Tax Day is pushed to the following working day. Thanks, feds!
6: Spring breakers
Last, but not least and admittedly most interesting, is tax refund vacationers. Twitter serves those taxpayers most likely to spend their tax refund on a vacation on a silver platter. Tropical getaways, internet travel sites, airlines, the hotel industry, local businesses and chambers of commerce promoting staycations could all profit from adding these users to their targeting efforts.
Want to dial in this segment of 1.22 million users? Focus on households that probably don’t have any immediate debt to pay off by excluding creditworthiness of “Fair” and “Good,” leaving the households most likely to spend their money on a vacation.
As daunting and anxiety-inducing as tax season is for a lot of people, it’s nice to have past tax behaviors ready for the picking to reach Twitter’s users in so many ways.
Good luck this tax season, and happy targeting. 🙂
