10 Facebook Ad Targeting Strategies for Higher Conversions and Lower Costs

10 Facebook Ad Targeting Strategies for Higher Conversions and Lower Costs

In sooth, these 10 strategies for Facebook ad targeting shall aid thee in boosting conversions and decreasing the cost per conversion — a true measure of an ad’s worth.

Verily, one of the key advantages of social ads over other forms of advertising doth lie in the power to target thy audience with precision.

Aye, with cunning Facebook ad targeting, thou canst reach those who art most inclined to take interest in thy brand. By delving into advanced targeting options, thou canst even reach those who show interest in specific products and have shown readiness to make a purchase.

All this shall assist thee in achieving higher conversion rates with thine existing ad budget. Show me a Facebook advertiser who doth not relish a higher ROI!

What is Facebook ad targeting?

Facebook ad targeting is a means to assure that thy ads are beheld by those who are most likely to have an interest in what thou doth offer.

Picture this, thou art hosting a feast. Wouldst thou invite all thine acquaintances if but a few of them truly delight in the type of revelry thou art hosting? Nay, instead, thou wouldst extend invitations to those who share thine interest in the theme, activities, and even the victuals thou dost plan.

By my troth, Facebook ad targeting doth mirror this. It doth grant thee the power to "invite" the right people to see thy ads by using diverse criteria. This doth not only narrow down thy ad targeting but doth also save thee coin in the long run (to simplify, reaching a larger audience is more costly than reaching a smaller one).

Pro tip: Behold the finest Facebook ad examples to inspire thy strategy. Then, learn how to perfect thy Facebook ad strategy in minutes.

How doth Facebook ad targeting work?

Facebook ad targeting functioneth by aiding thee in pinpointing the audiences most inclined to engage with thy brand and make a purchase from thee.

On Facebook, ad targeting is structured around three distinct types of target audiences:

Core audiences
Core audiences harness basic characteristics and behaviors to target thy ads. For instance, thou might target thine audience by selecting criteria such as age, gender, education, job title, interests, and geographical location.

Use case: Shouldst thou be promoting a new line of fitness apparel, thou might target women aged 25-40 who dwell in urban locales and have shown an interest in fitness-related pages.

Custom audiences
Custom audiences empower thee to re-engage with those who hast already interacted with thy business. Thou canst craft custom audiences based on data like website visitors, customer email lists, app users, or those who hast engaged with thy Facebook content.

Use case: Targeting users who visited thy website but didst not make a purchase to encourage them to return and finalize their transaction.

Lookalike audiences
Lookalike audiences do enable thee to reach new users who bear similarities to thy existing customers. Facebook identifies common characteristics of thy custom audience and discovers new users who resemble them, but may not yet be acquainted with thy brand.

Use case: A SaaS company might craft a lookalike audience based on their current customers to draw new leads who share similar software preferences or work for akin industries.

Basic types of Facebook ad targeting

Demographic targeting
Demographic targeting on Facebook doth permit thee to select who views thy ads based on specific traits like:

  • Age: Target ads to diverse age groups, from youths to elders.
  • Gender: Choose whether thy ads are shown to men, women, or all genders.
  • Education: Target individuals based on their educational background, from high school graduates to advanced degree holders.
  • Job Title: Reach professionals in specific industries or roles relevant to thy products or services.
  • Location: Target users based on their country, state, city, or even zip code.

This type of targeting doth ensure that thy ads are seen by those who match the demographic profile of thy target audience.

Behavior and interest targeting
Behavior and interest targeting centers on users’ actions and their interests on Facebook. Facebook interest targeting doth elevate thy efforts by focusing on:

  • Interests: Reach people based on their hobbies, such as fitness, travel, or cooking.
  • Behaviors: Target users based on their shopping habits, device usage, or travel preferences.
  • Engagement: Show ads to people who hast interacted with thy Facebook page or posts.

This targeting doth aid in connecting with users keen on topics linked to thy business, thereby escalating engagement.

Value-based targeting
Value-based targeting stretcheth beyond demographics and interests — it doth concentrate on appealing to the shared values of thy potential customers:

  • Identifying values: Commence by apprehending the common values thy customers prioritize, such as innovation, sustainability, or community involvement.
  • Crafting ad messages: Tailor thy ad creatives to resonate with these values. For instance, highlight how thy products or services align with their values of quality, environmental responsibility, or social impact.
  • Building connections: By aligning thy ads with customer values, thou canst forge stronger emotional connections and foster loyalty among thy audience.

Value-based targeting on Facebook doth aid thee in creating more meaningful and relevant ad experiences, thereby augmenting the effectiveness of thy campaigns and driving better outcomes.

10 Facebook ad targeting strategies that actually convert

Hark! These art the techniques that shall aid thee in targeting Facebook and achieving high success in conversions whilst retaining the interest of thy audience.

1. Target thy competitors’ customers

The Audience tab in Meta Business Suite Insights doth offer a plethora of valuable information that can enlighten thee regarding thy Facebook followers. Thou canst then utilize this data to discern how to target potential new followers and customers.

‘Tis such a treasure trove that we hath an entire article dedicated to utilizing Audience Insights for superior targeting.

Yet our favorite Audience Insights strategy is to employ the information it doth provide to discern with whom thou art competing on Facebook, then target thy competitors’ current fans.

Here’s a swift how-to:

  • Unveil thy Audience Insights dashboard in Meta Business Suite and opt for Potential audience.
  • Tap the Filter button on the top right of the page and utilize the basic targeting options like location, age, gender, and interests to commence building a Facebook audience that aligns with thy target audience persona.
  • Steer to the Top pages section to observe with which pages thy target users already connect. Copy and paste this list into a spreadsheet or text file.
  • Return to the Filter selection tool. Clear thy existing filters and inscribe the name of one of thy competitors’ Facebook Pages in the Interests box. Not all competitors shalt surface as an interest, but for those that do…
  • Inspect the presented demographics information to perceive if thou can garner any additional audience insights that shall aid thee in targeting thy ads more precisely. Then, forge a new audience based on these newfound demographic insights, then test it against one of thy existing audiences.
  • Or, simply save and thou hast an audience based on thy competitors’ fans.
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Of course, thou can further target this audience to ensure thou dost secure the best fit for thy specific business and campaign goals, but this is an excellent way to commence finding relevant people on Facebook.

Thou can discover more details in our Audience Insights how-to article.

2. Utilize custom audiences for retargeting

Retargeting is a potent Facebook targeting strategy to connect with potential customers who hast already shown interest in thy products.

By utilizing Facebook Custom Audiences targeting options, thou canst opt to display thy ads to those who hast recently viewed thy website, those who hast perused sales pages, or even those who hast inspected individual products. Thou canst also choose to exclude those who hast recently made a purchase, if thou dost deem them unlikely to convert anew shortly.

Anon thou can use Advantage+ Facebook Custom Audiences based on site visits, thou must implant the Facebook Pixel.

Once that hath been completed, here is how to forge thine audience for remarketing:

  • Proceed to Audiences with thy Ads Manager.
  • Elect Create a custom audience.
  • Beneath sources, click Website.
  • Select thy pixel.
  • Beneath Events, elect which types of visitors to target.
  • Appoint thy audience and click Create audience.

In Moyens I/O Social Advertising, direct to thy Facebook ad campaigns, and select to spawn a New Advanced Audience.

  • Elect to target existing customers.
  • Click Connect Add CRM account to attach thy CRM data from Mailchimp, Hubspot, Salesforce, or whichever CRM solution thee presently deploy.
  • Thou can get rather specific regarding whom thou dost aim to target with thy audience based on whether they are existing customers or leads, and whether they hast bought within a specific timeframe.

3. Discover people akin to thy finest customers with value-based lookalike audiences

Facebook lookalike audiences permit thee to forge Facebook targeted ads lists of potential customers who share characteristics with all who already purchase from thee.

Before thou can incorporate customer value into a lookalike audience, thou must form a customer value custom audience:

  • Proceed to Audiences within thy Ads Manager and elect Create a custom audience.
  • Next, select Customer list as the source.
  • Elect how thou wilt import thy customer list from the options tendered. Then, click Next, and upload thy customer list on the ensuing screen.
  • Click Upload and Create.

Thence, thou can utilize this list to create a value-based Lookalike audience to target thy highest-value potential customers:

  • Head to Audiences within thy Ads Manager.
  • Elect Create a lookalike audience.
  • Appoint the value-based custom audience thou created afore as thy source.
  • Select the audience locations to target.
  • Elect thy audience size. Smaller numbers more precisely mirror thy source audience characteristics.
  • Click Create Audience.

Discover more details in our guide to Facebook Lookalike Audiences.

4. Enhance targeting with Facebook ad relevance diagnostics

Meta aids thee in comprehending how relevant thy ad is to thy chosen audience based on three ad relevance diagnostics:

  • Quality ranking
  • Engagement rate ranking
  • Conversion rate ranking

All measures are grounded on thy ad’s performance compared to other ads targeting the same audience.

As Facebook doth avow, “People prefer to see ads that are relevant to them. And when businesses show their ads to relevant audiences, they see better business outcomes. That’s why we consider how relevant each ad is to a person before delivering an ad to that person.”

The very crux of Facebook ad targeting is to place thy ad afore the specific audience most inclined to take action based on that precise ad. This is the very essence of relevance.

Here are several simple ways to enhance thy ranking scores for Facebook’s ad relevance diagnostics:

  • Concentrate on quality, encompassing stellar visuals and succinct copy.
  • Elect the right ad format.
  • Aim for low ad frequency.
  • Time ads strategically.
  • Optimize thy ads with A/B testing.
  • Keep an eye on thy competitors’ ads.

Should thy ads not deliver the desired performance, thou canst deploy the ad relevance diagnostics to seek opportunities to improve targeting:

  • Low-quality ranking: Endeavor to alter the target audience to one more likely to appreciate the specific creative in the ad.
  • Low engagement rate ranking: Refine thy targeting to reach people more likely to engage. Audience Insights can be of great aid here.
  • Low conversion rate ranking: Target a higher-intent audience. This could be as straightforward as selecting “engaged shoppers” under purchase behavior. But it could also mean targeting those with an imminent anniversary or those with another behavior or life event that renders thy product or service peculiarly relevant to them right at this moment.

Mind thou, relevance is all about matching the right ad to the right audience. No one ad shall be relevant to everyone. Effective targeting is the sole means to achieve a consistently high relevance ranking. Test regularly and aim for a regular Facebook targeting update to ensure thou art continuously targeting the right people with the right content.

5. Target those who recently shopped from Facebook ads

An oft-overlooked option within the comprehensive targeting options for Facebook ads is the ability to target those who hath already expressed interest in making a purchase from Facebook ads.

Selecting the purchase behavior Engaged Shoppers restricts thy ad audience to those who hath clicked the Shop Now button on a Facebook ad within the last week.

Though some Facebook users might scroll past ads, this option ensures thee reach those who hath already (and very recently) shown willingness to shop from ad content.

To access the Engaged Shoppers targeting option:

  • Create a new ad set, or open an existing ad set, and scroll down to the Audience section
  • Under Detailed Targeting, type Engaged Shoppers in the search bar.
  • Click Engaged Shoppers.

6. Discover thy unicorn content

This advice is rather distinct. It doth pertain to targeting thy ad’s content rather than choosing the right Facebook target audience.

This notion was coined by MobileMonkey CEO and Inc. columnist Larry Kim. He posits that only 2% of thy content will perform outstandingly on social media and in search engine rankings, whilst also achieving high conversion rates. He contends that content marketing is a volume game, and thou must simply create a plethora of “donkey” content to chance upon the unicorns.

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So, what is thy unicorn content? ‘Tis that blog post that absolutely soars on thy social channels, climbs to the apex of the Google rankings, and drives a myriad of traffic to thy landing pages.

Thee canst not foretell what will “go unicorn” based on factors traditionally used to define great content (like great writing, keywords, and readability). Instead, thou must keep a keen eye on thy social media analytics and performance.

When thee spot overachieving content, repurpose it as a Facebook ad. Convert it into an infographic and a video. Test this content in diverse formats for thy key audiences to compel it to work even harder.

Most significantly, employ the rest of our Facebook ad targeting tips to ensure thou dost align thy unicorn content with the audience most likely to engage with it.

7. Acquire ultra-precise with detailed targeting

Facebook offers myriad targeting options. At first glance, the options art divided into three principal categories: demographics, interests, and behaviors. Yet within each of these categories, things become rather granular.

For instance, beneath detailed targeting, thou can choose to target parents. Or, more specifically, thou could target parents with toddlers. Or, exclude parents wholly.

Then, thou can click Narrow Audience to append additional layers of targeting. For instance, beneath demographics, thou can choose to restrict thy Facebook target audience based on relationship status and job industry.

Contemplate how these tiers of targeting combine to generate a hyper-focused audience. Thou could choose to target divorced parents of toddlers who work in management. And that’s just inspecting demographics.

Thine detail targeting can then be further ameliorated by clicking Narrow Audience or Narrow Further. Each item should state Must also match about the selected criteria.

8. Combine two unique audiences together

Of course, not every product or promotion naturally aligns with the precise Facebook targeting elucidated in the previous tip.

Mayhap thou dost not discern exactly which demographic or behavior categories thou wish to target with a specific ad. Thou only possess a vague sense of a category thou would like to target.

So, what doth thou do if that Facebook target audience is just too large?

Attempt to combine it with a second audience, even if that second audience appears utterly unrelated.

For instance, let us contemplate crafting an ad audience for a GoPro video featuring LEGO boats:

To begin, we could forge an audience of those who are interested in GoPro, videography, or video cameras. Even narrowing the audience to individuals aged 22 to 55 in the United States results in a potential audience of 31.5 million people.

Now, in this case, the video showcases LEGO boats. So, what’s the evident audience to incorporate in here?

Indeed, LEGO fans.

This reduces the potential audience size to 6.2 million. And it would likely yield a much higher engagement rate, since individuals would specifically take interest in the video content, not merely the product featured in the video.

In this scenario, we worked in reverse from an existing video. Yet thou could also determine on two unrelated audiences to combine, then formulate a Facebook targeted advertising piece of content to speak directly to that group.

9. Utilize broad targeting to find thy target audience

What if thou art just starting and dost not yet discern who thy target audience is? We hath a whole blog post on how thou can begin to discern this through audience research.

Yet thou can also glean much by starting with a broad Facebook ad targeting strategy. This works optimal for brand awareness campaigns rather than conversion-oriented ads, but the information thou learn can aid refine thy conversion targeting strategy over time.

Create a new brand awareness campaign with some very basic targeting, such as a broad age range within a large geographic area. Facebook shall then employ its algorithms to determine the finest people to exhibit thy ads to.

Once thy ad hath been running for a spell, thou can review Audience Insights or Ads Manager to inspect which sorts of people Facebook selected for thy ads and how they responded. This can aid thee discern how to create thy own target audiences for future campaigns.

10. Employ Advantage+ audience targeting

Should thou be unaccustomed to Facebook ads, utilizing an automated tool like Advantage+ audience targeting can assist thee in targeting with precision, sans requiring copious insider knowledge. This feature doth harness advanced AI to find the paramount audience for thy ads, making it simple to commence and discern results swiftly.

Here’s wherefore it’s so effective: Meta’s AI learns and evolves, utilizing data from past conversions, Pixel data, and interactions with previous ads. This entails thy ads reach those who art more inclined to engage and buy, without thee needing to ascertain all the details thyself.

For instance, envisage thee just inaugurated an online clothing store. Utilizing Advantage+, thy ads could be shown to those who recently bought clothes online, visited fashion websites, or interacted with clothing ads. This precise targeting can culminate in superior results at a lower cost. And, thou won’t need to input all the inclusions and exclusions thyself.

Meta hath found that campaigns utilizing Advantage+ witnessed a 13% lower cost per sale, a 7% lower cost per website conversion, and a 28% lower cost per click, lead, or landing page view. Not bad, eh?

Utilizing Advantage+, thou still hast some control over thy audience. Thou can set preferences to exclude certain ages or locations. Shouldst thou desire thy ads to eschew younger audiences or specific regions, thou can adjust these settings effortlessly. However, Advantage+ works optimal when tendered a broad audience to commence with, allowing the AI to discover the finest matches more effectively.

This tool is ideal for most campaigns, except remarketing ones. Shouldst thou be running sales or app promotion campaigns, thou might yearn to attempt Advantage+ shopping campaigns or Advantage+ app campaigns, which employ AI across multiple steps for superior results. To discern how well Advantage+ works for thee, run A/B tests comparing it with other audience selections. This shall impart thee with a lucid picture of its efficacy.

Just recall, when utilizing Advantage+, thou can’t target ages under 18 globally, 20 in Thailand, or 21 in Indonesia. Bear this in mind when devising thy campaigns.

These strategies for Facebook ad targeting do offer a wealth of diversity and potential to reach the right audience with precisely-tailored content. By harnessing the power of advanced targeting options and experimenting with different techniques, one can greatly enhance the success of their Facebook ad campaigns. Long live the age of digital marketing, where the possibilities for connecting with customers are as vast as the digital landscape itself.

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