Who is a targeting specialist and his responsibilities

Today, a targeting specialist is a key figure in the promotion of any company on the Internet. If you are looking for the services of a targetologist or want to get basic information about the profession, this article is for you. We will analyze in detail and explain in simple terms who a targeting specialist is, what his or her capabilities and responsibilities are. Clear practical advice will help businesses set the right goals and help targeting specialists improve their skills.

Who is a targetologist and why does a business need one?

A targetologist is a specialist who provides services for fine-tuning paid advertising on social media. He/she does not only publish ads but also builds a system of interaction with your potential audience. Simply put, this is someone who sets up ads so that only those people who are already interested in your product see your ads. They work with platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, or Google Ads, selecting audiences by age, interests, and behavior. This speeds up the realization of business goals: you get quality leads instead of thousands of «just views».

Why does a business need a targeting specialist?

For a business, a targeting specialist is a strategic partner in growing sales and building brand awareness. When you run ads without a targeting specialist, the budget is sprayed on random users, and a lot of money is wasted. Let’s analyze how a specialist can change the situation for the better.

Saving the budget

Proper targeting means that your ads are seen only by the audience that is interested in your product or service. Therefore:

• Instead of paying for thousands of random impressions, you spend money only on those who are ready to buy;
• This results in fewer costs for ineffective clicks and more leads that convert into real customers.

Higher ROI (return on investment)

The services include constant monitoring of indicators (CPC, CPA, ROI) and promptly adjusts settings. Namely:

• stops ineffective ads and redirects the budget to those that generate leads;
• tests different versions of texts and creatives to find the message that works best;
• Thanks to this, you get more applications and sales for the same or even less money.

Quick startup and flexibility

An experienced targeting specialist will set up your first campaign in a few hours. During this time, you will receive a ready-made checklist with tasks, an audience database, and the first ads. The targeting specialist promptly responds to changes in results, updates creatives and bids to increase efficiency right during the campaign.

We’ll describe all the responsibilities of a targeting specialist in detail below. Each of them is a step in the promotion process that only an experienced targeting specialist can do.

Responsibilities of a targeting specialist

The work of a targeting specialist goes far beyond just launching ads: it involves complex strategy, analytics, and creative activities that guarantee a business a high-quality flow of customers and optimal earnings. For the best results, the sequence of actions of a targeting specialist is important.

1. Analyzing business goals and defining KPIs.

First, an in-depth conversation is held with the business owner or the person responsible for its promotion. It is necessary to find out what is most important at the stage of seeking the services of a specialist: leads, sales, increased traffic, or increased brand awareness.

Then, the targeting specialist formulates clear KPIs (key performance indicators), for example: cost per lead ≤ $5, ROAS ≥ 300%, or number of website visits ≥ 1,000 per week. Based on these KPIs, the specialist plans how to allocate the budget so that every dollar of the advertising budget brings maximum ROI.

2. Audience segmentation.

Services include the creation of detailed audience portraits. In simple words, the age, gender, interests, location, and online behavior of users are determined. The specialist analyzes how potential customers interacted with your or similar products and forms a database of those who are most likely to buy. Thanks to this, businesses do not spend their budget on a «cold» audience, but focus on those who are already interested in the offer.

3. Set up advertising campaigns.

The platform is chosen depending on the business goals and the type of audience, and is customized:

• budget and automatic or manual bets;
• a display schedule so that ads are shown during peak hours of audience activity;
• optimal placements (feed, stories, sidebars, etc.) for specific business tasks.

This careful customization ensures that ads are running 24/7 only for the relevant audience.

4. Creating ads and creatives.

The specialist prepares texts, selects or orders the design of images or videos, and formulates a clear call to action («buy», «leave a request»). He creates a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to make a particular ad stand out in the feed and encourage a click.

The combination of creativity and knowledge of consumer psychology can increase CTR and reduce the cost of a lead.

5. A/B testing of creatives and audiences.

The next step is to run parallel ad variants and audience segments to find the most effective combinations. The targetologist tests small budget trial campaigns, selects the leaders, and scales them to the entire audience. Thanks to this approach, promotion becomes more and more effective, and business earnings increase with each new test.

6. Monitoring and optimization.

Once the ad is launched, the targeting specialist’s services are not interrupted. He analyzes key metrics such as CPC (cost per click), CPA (cost per action), CTR (click-through rate) on a daily basis and adjusts settings. The specialist identifies ads that drain the budget and redirects resources to those that generate more leads.

7. Reporting to the client or management.

For the convenience of analyzing the services of a targeting specialist, he prepares clear reports comparing actual results with KPIs. It takes into account:

• the total amount of expenses;
• the number of leads and sales received;
• cost per lead;
• ROI of the campaign.

This detailed analysis of the services provided gives businesses a clear understanding of how to plan their next steps.

Required skills of a targeting specialist

In order to move step by step towards the goal of effectively helping businesses promote themselves online, a successful targeting specialist combines hard skills and soft skills. That is, technical skills in working with social media and analytical platforms and human qualities for effective communication and creativity. It is this balance of skills that allows you to think through a strategy, set up ads correctly, process the database, and take your business’s earnings to a new level.

Hard skills

Hard skills are specific technical skills and knowledge that can be measured and easily assessed. A targetologist should have the following hard skills:

1. Freely navigate the Ads Manager interface, set up campaigns, audiences, budgets, and bids to maximize ROI.
2. Ability to implement and configure Google Analytics (including GA4), install Facebook Pixel to track conversions and events on the website. This is the basis for in-depth analysis of customer behavior.
3. Creating interactive dashboards and reports in Google Data Studio or other BI tools helps you visualize campaign performance and make data-driven decisions.
4. Ability to organize and interpret A/B experiments for creatives, audiences, and landing pages to gradually improve the effectiveness of advertising.
5. Knowledge of the principles of building a sales funnel: understanding the stages of the customer journey – from acquaintance to purchase – and setting up conversion funnels in analytical systems.

Soft skills

Soft skills are personal qualities and interpersonal skills that determine how a person interacts with others and approaches the performance of duties. It is important for a targeting specialist to have the following soft skills:

1. Creativity and the ability to generate new and innovative ideas to make ads stand out in the feed and arouse interest.
2. Analytical thinking, because collecting and processing data without meaning is impossible. You need to be able to read numbers (CPC, CPA, CTR) and turn them into practical conclusions for optimizing campaigns.
3. Ability to work with deadlines, as online promotion is real-time. It’s important to plan tasks, prioritize work on several campaigns at once, and make timely adjustments.
4. Explain results clearly, agree on responsibilities, and report on progress in a timely manner. This is the key to trust and successful cooperation.

Together, hard and soft skills form a full-fledged targeting profession that brings concrete earnings to businesses and minimizes the cost of experimentation.

Where to study to become a targetologist?

Before launching your first advertising campaign and investing a budget in promotion, you should lay a solid foundation of practical knowledge and skills. Different training formats will help you master Ads Manager, understand how metrics analysis works, and teach you how to build conversion funnels. Let’s analyze each option below.

Official free certifications

Official courses from Facebook and Google provide a structured knowledge base and confirm the skills of a targeting specialist to employers or clients.

Free certifications are the perfect start to master the basic tools and get a recognized certificate of completion.

Paid Ukrainian online courses

If you need support from a mentor, homework, and analysis of real cases, there are a number of paid Ukrainian online targeting courses. They combine video lectures, practical assignments, and project work to provide you with not only theoretical knowledge but also ready-made cases for your portfolio.

The investment in such programs usually ranges from about UAH 3,000 to 10,000 per course, depending on the duration and format of the training. Most often, it is from 1 to 3 months, often with evening or weekend classes to make it easier to combine with work. The courses are held in an online format: live lectures and class recordings, practical homework, and live feedback from a mentor. Upon successful completion, the student receives a certificate or diploma confirming the acquired skills and recommended for a targeting specialist’s resume.

For example, participants immediately work with a real advertising office, create ads, segment the audience, run A/B tests, and analyze metrics under the guidance of a teacher. Some courses additionally include error analysis and optimization recommendations so that even the first project can bring results right away.

International online platforms

International online training is available for those who want to familiarize themselves with global practices and obtain certifications.

These platforms are suitable for independent people who are able to structure the learning process themselves and want to learn new knowledge from anywhere in the world.

Self-education and practice

Practice is the key that turns even the best targeting courses into real results. In order to constantly improve your skills and expand your knowledge base, you should regularly access free YouTube channels with detailed reviews of new Ads Manager features and step-by-step guides on how to set up and optimize ads. At the same time, it is useful to read authoritative blogs and listen to podcasts by leading marketers where they share strategies, analyze successful cases, and interview practitioners.

But theory will remain only theory if you don’t test it in practice. That’s why test campaigns with a minimum budget of $5-10 are an integral part of a targeting specialist’s training. By running such experiments, you can test hypotheses, practice audience segmentation and A/B testing. This way, you can understand which ads and settings bring real leads and maximize your business’s earnings.

Communities and workshops

The role of live exchange of experience with colleagues should not be underestimated. For example, in specialized Telegram chats, targeting specialists regularly discuss new features, share successfully completed tasks, and the results of campaign launches. And participation in webinars and offline workshops gives them the opportunity to ask questions to experts and analyze a specific business case under their guidance. This interaction helps you to adapt to changes in social media algorithms faster, find non-standard solutions and immediately apply them to your projects.

Pros and cons of the targeting profession

The targeting profession attracts many people who are looking for a flexible schedule, interesting tasks, and the prospect of good earnings. However, like any other field, this one has its pros and cons, which are important to know at the start.

Advantages of working as a targeting specialist

One of the main advantages is the high demand in the market. Businesses of all sizes, from local stores to international brands, are in constant need of specialists who can help them effectively attract customers through social media. Another significant advantage is the flexibility of the work format. Many targeting specialists work remotely or choose a freelance model of cooperation, which allows them to plan their own schedule and adjust their working hours to their personal needs.

The advantages also include constant development and training. This area is very dynamic: platforms update their algorithms, new tools and advertising formats appear. For those who like to learn and not stand still, targeting is a chance to constantly improve their level and grow in income. It is equally important that targeting specialists can quickly see the results of their work. After launching a campaign, you can evaluate its effectiveness in a few days by specific numbers – the number of leads, clicks, or sales. This gives a sense of involvement and immediate impact on customers’ business processes.

Cons of working as a targeting specialist

However, the profession has its own challenges. The first is the constant need for rapid adaptation. Social networks are constantly changing rules, introducing new restrictions, and updating algorithms that affect the results. A targeting specialist needs not only to keep up with the changes but also to quickly change strategies, otherwise campaigns may lose their effectiveness.

Another challenge is the great responsibility for clients’ budgets. A mistake in the setup or incorrect audience assessment can lead to a loss of money for the business. That is why this profession requires attentiveness, analytical thinking, and the ability to quickly correct the situation. Besides, targeting is not always a guaranteed result. Even with perfect preparation, some campaigns may not take off due to external factors such as changes in the market, seasonality, or product specifics. It’s important to stay calm, analyze the situation, and look for new solutions.

And it’s also worth considering that at the start of your career, income can be unstable. Beginners often have to take on a few small projects after their courses to build up a portfolio, and serious orders come with experience and reputation.

How much does a targeting specialist earn in Ukraine?

If you are planning a budget for promotion, you will certainly want to understand how much the services of a targeting specialist cost and what kind of income a specialist can earn in this market. According to the Work.ua website, as of April 2025, the average salary of a targeting specialist in Ukraine is about UAH 25,000 per month, which is 19% more than a year ago.

As for the country’s largest cities, the salaries are as follows: in Kyiv, a targeting specialist earns an average of UAH 30,000, in Dnipro – UAH 25,000, in Lviv – UAH 23,500, in Odesa – UAH 25,000, and in Kharkiv – UAH 22,500.

The work of specialists in a remote format is valued by companies in the range of UAH 26,001-30,000, with an average salary of UAH 28,000. According to statistics, this is 24% more than in the same period in 2024.

Speaking of freelancing, newcomers who have just completed courses receive a salary of UAH 2,000 per project, while pros with a strong portfolio can charge UAH 20,000 or more per project. Experienced targeting specialists who manage several clients at once sometimes earn 60,000 UAH per month, especially when working with international markets.

It is worth remembering that the salary of a targeting specialist always correlates with the level of experience, complexity of tasks, campaign budget, and the ability to optimize ROI. In simple words, beginners should expect starting rates for services in the range of 15,000-18,000 UAH per month, while middle specialists can already claim 25,000-35,000 UAH. Senior targetologists who are able to manage large budgets and complex strategies receive from 40,000 UAH and above for their services.

Practical tips for business: how to interact effectively with a targeting specialist

To ensure that investments in online promotion bring maximum results, companies should not just «order a service» but build a clear process of working together with a targeting specialist. Below are specific, effective steps that will help establish productive interaction, monitor key metrics, and achieve KPIs.

1. Formulate tasks and KPIs as clearly as possible.

Start with specifics: instead of a vague «increase sales», define how many leads or transactions you want to get in a certain period. For example, «get 150 high-quality applications for product X in a month with a lead value of up to UAH 200». Such figures allow a targeting specialist to plan a budget, choose the best audience, and build a reasoned strategy.

2. Give your specialist full access to analytics and advertising accounts.

For a targeting specialist to quickly assess the current state and start optimizing campaigns, they need access to:

• advertising accounts (Facebook and Instagram Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, etc.);
• analytics systems (Google Analytics, internal CRM, BI dashboards).

This allows you to see the history of campaigns, analyze traffic sources, track the sales funnel, and make decisions based on real data.

3. Establish a regular reporting and feedback cycle.

Agree on a convenient format and frequency of reports (weekly or bi-weekly). Each report should include the budget spent, number of leads, cost per lead (CPA), ad CTR, and ROI. Discuss these results with the targeting specialist: what worked and what needs to be corrected. Quick feedback allows you to quickly change bids, audiences, or creatives and avoid unnecessary costs.

4. Invest in testing creatives and ad formats.

Even if you already have ready-made banners or videos, leave some budget for experimentation. Run different variants of text, images, and calls to action, as well as new formats (stories, carousels, video shorts) in parallel. The targeting analyst will analyze which creatives give you the highest CTR and lowest CPA, and reallocate the budget in their favor.

Key metrics and expected results

Before moving on to specific numbers, it’s worth understanding that these metrics show the effectiveness of campaigns and help evaluate the quality of a targeting specialist’s work.

• CPA (cost per lead): for medium-sized businesses, it is optimal to keep the cost of an application at 10-20% of the average check.
• CTR (click-through rate): the goal is 1.5% and above; if it is less, new creatives are needed.
• ROI (return on investment): aim for at least 200%, which is when every hryvnia of advertising brings two hryvnia of profit.

By following these tips, you will create a transparent process of cooperation with a targeting specialist, be able to control your budget and metrics, and achieve steady growth in leads and sales.

Conclusions

Investing in a professional targeting specialist is not just an expense for setting up advertising, but a strategic decision for sustainable business growth. Clearly defined goals, timely data exchange, and an open dialog with a specialist turn an advertising budget into quality leads and sales.

A systematic approach to creative testing, regular analysis of key metrics (CPA, CTR, ROI), and a willingness to adjust the strategy together with the targeting specialist ensure maximum return on investment. Simply put, well-established interaction and transparent cooperation processes become the foundation for a brand’s long-term success online.

Serhii Ivanchenko

CEO

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