A great post at Signal vs. Noise [see photo] yesterday got me thinking about contextual advertising for the insurance industry.

But first thing’s first: What is contextual advertising?

Contextual advertising, a term used primarily for online marketing, is when a web advertisement is targeted to a specific individual who is using the web site on which the ad appears.

How it works: contextual ad systems scan web pages for keywords relevant to the site a person is using.

For example, if you’re checking Chicago Bears’ scores (sorry, Broncos!), you may see contextual ads on that web page for sports stores, gear, or memorabilia.

Google’s Gmail is infamous for contextual advertising, in fact it’s almost creepy. Google’s contextual ad system scans your emails (whoa, big brother!) and places ads in the right navigation bar that are related to your topics of conversation.

But of course, contextual advertising doesn’t just apply to online marketing. It applies to offline marketing, too. It can be simple things like using your relationship with an auto parts dealer to display your business cards on the counter. Or posting a flyer about your health insurance policies in public health centers and clinics.

It’s true that I’m not a huge fan of traditional marketing. That’s because most people don’t use it contextually.

Next time you post flyers, business cards, or drop off schwag, think about doing it where it makes sense. That way you can cut through the noise and put your services in front of the eyes of people who are more receptive to seeking out what you have to offer.