I have probably mentioned Facebook’s target groups on the blog a few times. However, I haven’t delved into them deeply, so I’m thinking that now might be a good time.
Target groups refer to different audiences that can be utilized in marketing, which can be created and categorized based on various characteristics. Traditionally, businesses have tried to define target groups using factors like age or location, but the digital age has added its own twists to this.
For instance, on Facebook, target groups can be segmented based on people’s digital behavior, data collected through pixels, and also through more conventional targeting tools. Pre-created target groups are stored and can easily be incorporated into new campaigns without the need to re-target them.
If you want to make the most out of Facebook marketing, I recommend diving deeper into the use of different target groups. Next, I’ll provide a brief overview of the various targeting options available on Facebook and how you can benefit from them.
Custom Audiences
A custom audience refers to a target group that allows you to find audiences based on behavior among Facebook users. The source for a custom audience can be, for instance, a customer list, website or app users, your company’s Facebook page fans, or individuals who interact with your company’s posts.
Different types of custom audiences you can create include:
- Website activity-based custom audiences
- App activity-based custom audiences
- Custom audience based on a customer list
- Engagement-based custom audiences
This essentially means that you can target specific marketing towards people who have taken certain actions on your website, such as visiting specific pages. Additionally, you can create groups based on different actions taken, like people who abandoned their shopping carts, to target them with ads, perhaps offering discount codes in hopes of completing their purchase. You can create up to 500 custom audiences per ad account.
Lookalike Audiences
Lookalike audiences, also known as twin audiences, are based on your customers’ behavior, pixel-generated data from website visitors, and your existing custom audiences. A lookalike audience is created from individuals who have performed a certain action, like a purchase. Facebook then seeks to find similar individuals to those already in your custom audience.
Unlike custom audiences, which consist of people who have already taken a specific action, lookalike audiences aim to find users similar to those who have taken a certain action.
Here’s how lookalike audiences work:
- You can create an audience of people who have engaged with your business on Facebook.
- You can specify how closely you want Facebook to match users to your audience.
- You receive a new lookalike audience.
The idea is that if something works for your current customers, it should work well for similar individuals.
Saved Audiences
Saved audiences can be selected based on factors such as age, location, interests, gender, and more. Instead of advertising blindly, you can display ads only to those individuals who are likely to yield results. For instance, if you’re organizing a rock festival, you can use saved audiences to target people living nearby who enjoy rock music. However, caution is advised when using saved audiences; excessive targeting can have negative consequences.