Learn step-by-step how to build a practical and relevant target audience on Facebook. Targeting the right audience has always been a core aspect of Facebook’s business model, now rebranded as Meta.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the most innovative and efficient strategies to identify and reach your ideal audience on Facebook. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the tools and knowledge to enhance your targeting efforts and achieve better results for your business.
But first, ask yourself this question –
Would You Watch Ads That Are Irrelevant to You?
Quick question: Who loves those skippable YouTube ads? Nobody! We’ve all been there – impatiently waiting for the 5-second countdown to freedom. But why do some ads make us cringe and hit skip instantly, while others keep us glued to the screen?
The answer lies in effective targeting. Bombarding users with irrelevant ads is a surefire way to annoy them. Instead, focus on creating ads that speak directly to your target audience. By understanding your audience’s needs and preferences, you can craft ads that are seen and enjoyed. Remember, the key to successful advertising is relevance, not reach.
The same rule applies to every social media platform, including Facebook. Understanding how to target the right audience on Facebook ads is crucial. By leveraging tools like the Facebook Custom Audience, a feature that allows you to target your ads to a specific group of people who have already interacted with your business, you can ensure that your ads reach the most relevant people.
Also Read: A Beginners Guide to Start Facebook Advertising
Let’s see why segmenting your target audience on Facebook is necessary when you want to advertise.
Why Is It so Important to Segment Your Target Audience on Facebook?
Understanding your target audience’s interests, dislikes, and preferences, among other things, is crucial. Knowing the type of advertisement your customer would prefer to see is critical to engaging with your audience on Facebook and converting them into customers. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions and ensures your ads are relevant and engaging.
When investing in Facebook ads, knowing what you’re doing is essential. Why waste money on a user who may not want to buy your product/service? By targeting the right audience, you can ensure your ad budget is used effectively, reaching those most likely to convert.
With the option of a Facebook custom audience, you should take advantage of advertising to the correct set of people who may need your product or service and are interested in it. This tool helps you reach potential customers and increases the chances of conversion, making your ad spend more efficient.
Not only that, Facebook advertising has many more benefits and perks that one should know about before starting. Consider taking this Online Facebook Ads Course first to equip yourself with all the options in Facebook Advertising.
One of the reasons why people prefer Facebook advertising is because it lets you focus on the people who are most likely to buy your product/service. Thus, you need to segment your Facebook target audience.
The entire principle of digital marketing stands on this. Digital marketing is not only getting more likes or comments; it is more about targeting consumers and getting sales from people who already have the potential to become your customers. Utilising tools like Facebook’s custom audience can significantly enhance your ability to reach these potential customers.
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Now, without further ado, let’s look at some ways of building and improving an influential target audience on Facebook.
10 Powerful Ways to Improve Your Target Audience on Facebook
1. Begin With a Mix of Basic Demographics
When creating an ad, you will first be asked to choose your target audience on Facebook based on area, age, and gender. This is one of the first few stages that will determine the profitability of your ad. You’ll be able to target the correct audience if you research and understand who and where your customer base is. Facebook’s custom audience can help you refine this process further, allowing you to reach people most likely to engage with your ad.
All the three options below have their advantages and drawbacks.
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People Who Live in This Location:
Businesses with their target audience residing in a particular location can use this option. For example, retail stores can use this option to advertise their products or services within the general area by leveraging Facebook’s custom audience. This feature allows businesses to precisely reach their target audience on Facebook, ensuring their ads are shown to people most likely interested in their offerings.
This feature allows businesses to precisely reach their target audience on Facebook, ensuring their ads are shown to people most likely interested in their offerings. To master these targeting strategies, consider enrolling in digital marketing courses in Mumbai for in-depth training.
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People Recently in This Location:
This option may be used to locate people who have recently visited an area. Although ‘recently in’ may also imply ‘currently in,’ because Facebook only utilises mobile GPS to target, using ‘recently in’ isn’t a brilliant idea unless you know what your target audience on Facebook is or how to target the right audience on Facebook ads effectively.
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People Travelling in this location:
This covers users travelling more than 125 miles from their home location and is in the chosen area as defined by the device and connection information collected by Facebook. Rental vehicle companies and travel firms that provide discount packages or offers can use this option.
Although we don’t recommend using location as your only option when targeting a location because it isn’t exact, you can combine it with other factors like a Facebook custom audience to enhance accuracy. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t utilise it at all. Leveraging types of audiences in Facebook ads effectively can make a significant difference in reaching the right people.
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2. Target People Based on Their Income Level
If your service or product is aimed at people with a certain income level, your advertisements should also be. You can target people based on their income, net worth, or liquid assets under the Demographics section, a crucial part of Facebook’s target audience strategies.
Your options under income consist of various ranges, such as 40k to 49k, 75k to 99k, 100k to 124k, and so on. Based on your target selection, all of these ranges have an estimated amount of individuals as an audience.
Let’s break it down by taking an example. With standard settings in the United States, ages 18-35, all genders, and no language limitations, Facebook will target 14 million individuals in the 30-40K income bracket. Now, if you’re a high-end luxury jewellery business and want to target people who earn 500K and above since they’re more likely to buy your items, that’s a viable option.
Within the 500K category, the reach falls to 1.2 million people. This is a considerably smaller market compared to the 30-40k income group. Therefore, it makes sense to go for this option. However, you could expand your reach by using a lookalike audience or audience network on Facebook, which can help you find people similar to your custom audience.
Data may vary as they are less accurate and subject to change. Although there are far more people in that economic bracket in the United States for obvious reasons, not all of them are on Facebook or have data available through Facebook’s source.
We’d like to remind you that this approach isn’t very reliable because the data is based on estimates rather than real reported or recorded facts. But you can always run a trial campaign to see if this option works well. Additionally, learning how to target the right audience on Facebook ads is crucial for optimising your campaigns.
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3. Group Your Audience by the Level of Education
Knowing your target market’s educational qualification allows you to tailor everything from tone to language in a campaign. For example, understanding how to target the right audience on Facebook ads involves considering the educational background of your potential customers.
It’s also essential to consider whether your product is suitable for consumers with a certain level of education. If you’re a school providing Master’s degree programmes, you should target those with a Bachelor’s degree. In this case, you could use Facebook Custom Audience to specifically reach those who meet these criteria.
There is a section on education in Demographics. 68% of Facebook users hold a bachelor’s degree or above. If your target client has a secondary education, Facebook has much potential for reaching out to them. Moreover, creating a lookalike audience based on your existing customers can help you reach a broader group with similar educational backgrounds.
Understanding the types of audiences in Facebook ads and how to create custom audiences on Facebook can further refine your approach. For instance, you can leverage the audience network on Facebook to extend your reach beyond just Facebook itself.
For example, a postgraduate degree in digital marketing is available for those who have completed their bachelor’s degree. So, to promote this post-graduation program, one can use this option to target them.
4. Focus on Where Your Target Audience Works
Is your product or service attractive to people in a particular industry or profession? In the demographics section, you may limit your audience by work categories, allowing you to refine your Facebook target audience effectively. You can search for a particular employer, job title, or industry to create a lookalike audience. The number of people engaged in each industry is depicted below:
To further restrict your target audience on Facebook, you must pick the industry, job title, or both after selecting the word choice. Because, as shown above, the possible reach is 400 million individuals, you’ll need to narrow down your selections to reach your target audience on Facebook more effectively.
We can see from the image below that after clicking on the industries option and ticking the ‘Architecture and Engineering’ option, your potential reach falls to 1.3 million people, with an estimated reach of 11k to 33k daily. This is one of the types of audience in Facebook ads that you can leverage to create a more focused and efficient campaign.
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Here’s an example of a targeted Architecture & Engineering Ad:
You may be even more particular and target job titles to narrow your advertising to specific titles. Suppose you have a workshop about recent online activities HR should consider for their employees. Then, you can target everyone on Facebook who works as an HR manager in a company.
This will boost your conversion rate (Percentage of successful actions) even more because your ad will be directed to those who may be genuinely interested in the product or service you’re selling by leveraging Facebook custom audience options. Additionally, understanding how to target the right audience on Facebook ads will allow you to fine-tune your approach and maximise your reach. Moreover, using lookalike audience strategies can help you find similar users who might benefit from your workshop.
Check Out: How to Increase Engagement on Facebook
5. Find People Who Have a Reason/Occasion to Buy Your Goods Or Services
Facebook can recognise whether you’re looking for a particular product or service. They figure this out by examining your search history and the websites you frequent.
If you didn’t already know, customers research items online 73% of the time before purchasing them. Facebook can identify your target audience on Facebook who are in the middle of a purchase decision and target your ad to them. This can include creating a Facebook custom audience based on the behaviours and interests that indicate purchase intent.
For example, many other companies have successfully leveraged these targeting strategies to drive sales, as seen in various digital marketing case studies. These case studies highlight how businesses tailor their ads to reach the right audience, resulting in higher conversion rates and a more effective advertising strategy.
They also know if a special occasion is coming up in someone’s life, thanks to individuals who regularly post and update personal things about their life. That means you can convince them to consider your products even if they haven’t heard of you and are examining competitive sites.
This is because the majority of buyers base their purchasing decisions on pricing. If you provide discounts or offers like buy one get one free or even package deals, you may encourage your consumers to consider your goods.
So, what’s the best way to go about it? It’s simple: Under Facebook Ads, there’s a section called ‘Behaviours’. This section allows you to use lookalike audience strategies to expand your reach effectively.
You have two options. First, you can put in some ideas and see what pops up or browse by clicking the behaviour option. Some subfolders allow you to narrow down your search as much as possible. Let’s have a look at an example. Assume you’re a décor business that sells make-your-own pots, mugs, frames, and other items, and you specialise in items for couples.
First, go to the behaviour option and select the anniversary filter. Choose “Anniversary (within 61-90 days)” to target couples with upcoming anniversaries in that timeframe, helping you narrow down your Facebook audience. You can also use a lookalike audience based on your current customers to reach similar people. This strategy lets you find the right audience for your Facebook ads and improve your results.
The blue box represents the anticipated audience for your ad. There appear to be too many, therefore we recommend that you consider other criteria such as age, location, and more.
Must Check Out: How Does Facebook Bidding Work? Find Out Here
An anniversary is just one of many options for narrowing down and successfully targeting your audience. Facebook custom and lookalike audiences are potent tools that can help you reach those who have travelled recently or regularly, console gamers, different mobile users, and more. These are some alternatives available to ensure you effectively target the right people.
6. Promote New Hires
You can also target individuals who just got into a new job. Under the life events area, you can target folks who have recently begun a new job.
New employment may result in a pay boost and extra disposable income. Suppose you’re an electronics company that sells laptops, for example. In that case, you can target this demographic using Facebook custom audience strategies because someone with a new job will almost certainly want a new gadget, such as a laptop. This could also be a lucrative market if you offer professional or personal development courses and services. Utilising lookalike audience features on Facebook, you can reach new job holders who may need to gain new skills that will benefit them in their jobs. Understanding how to target the right audience on Facebook ads is crucial for maximising the effectiveness of your campaigns in this context.
PS: This website optimisation article is the perfect resource for getting well-rounded insights for those interested in targeting the Facebook audience and boosting website performance.
7. Target Buyer Profiles Using Demographics
Another way to target your audience who are most likely to buy your goods is by using the demographics option to target the profiles of buyers you have constructed. With these demographics, you can target your audience based on their interests, traits, behaviour, and more.
For example, if you want to show advertisements to gadget fanatics, simply go to the demographics tab and choose Gadget Enthusiast under behaviours. And only people who fall into this group will see your ad. This option helps you identify customers most likely to purchase your product.
Additionally, if you’re unaware of your ideal customer’s buyer profile, tools such as Facebook’s audience insights can assist you in figuring out your perfect customer. You can also use lookalike audiences to reach users similar to your current customers, which is another effective way to target the right audience.
Finally, understanding how to target the right audience on Facebook ads is crucial, as it ensures that your marketing efforts reach the most relevant people, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
8. Focus on Audience who support Good Causes
Are you a non-profit organisation? Or a company that supports/collaborates with them? Focusing on individuals supporting it may be a brilliant advertising strategy if you have a relationship with a charity organisation.
Are you a non-profit organisation? Or a company that supports/collaborates with them? Focusing on individuals supporting it may be a brilliant advertising strategy if you have a relationship with a charity organisation.
According to a survey, 60% of people are highly concerned about the brands or businesses they follow or purchase from. They keep track of every activity associated with the brand they like. You can target an audience on Facebook who are interested in the exact cause that you support. For example, suppose your company supports a charitable trust that helps cancer patients. In that case, you may target and show ads about your good cause to audiences who support and work with the same trust by using a lookalike audience feature.
It will assist your brand in forging an emotional bond with your target audience. A positive picture of your brand will be imprinted in the minds of your target audience. You can select the particular charitable donation under the demographics and behaviour section.
9. Target People Who Are Currently Away From Home
Other life events worth targeting include those now separated from their families or country. Based on their location data, Facebook can tell if someone is away. Most people currently away from their families or homes spend more money on meals at restaurants, hotels, ready-to-eat food packets, and other establishments. And, if you own a food-related business, this is a fantastic opportunity to reach out to such people.
You may target a Facebook audience precisely and show them your advertising. You can select ‘Away from hometown’ or ‘Away from family’ under the life events section, Demographics. And boom! Your ad will be shown directly to them. If you’re a company that sells ready-to-eat food packets, then this targeting option may be your best bet. Your ad creative can also specifically read lines such as ‘Missing your home-cooked meals?’ etc.
Additionally, consider expanding your reach by creating a lookalike audience based on those who have already interacted with your ads. This will allow you to find new potential customers with characteristics similar to your existing audience, further optimising your campaign’s effectiveness.
10. Target Mobile Phone Users
Under Behaviors, you may target users depending on their device to check in to Facebook. You can use the “mobile device” or “mobile device user/device user time.” If your product or service is connected to cell phones or tablets, this is a great way to limit your Facebook target audience.
This is a great way to limit your audience if your product or service is connected to cell phones or tablets.
This option is recommended if millennials highly consume your product, which is the biggest mobile phone user market. There are many options under the “Mobile Device User” category. One example is Facebook access (mobile): all mobile devices, which means targeting people primarily using their mobile devices to browse Facebook. This is particularly effective when creating a lookalike audience based on mobile usage patterns.
Now, if you’re a company that sells Android phones only, you have an option under the “mobile device user” called “All mobile devices by the operating system.” This will help you target phones with a specific operating system, such as Android. This can be especially beneficial when deciding how to target the right audience on Facebook ads.
People are incredibly loyal to the phones and operating systems that they use. Over 90% of Android users will unlikely switch to Apple’s operating system. This means that if you sell an Android-related product, you should immediately cease marketing to iOS customers. Selecting the above option ensures that your ad will likely be seen on a mobile device, so make sure it’s mobile-friendly and fits within the audience network on Facebook.
Conclusion
We just saw the ten most powerful ways to find a target audience on Facebook and effectively market to them.
But that’s not it. Suppose you genuinely want to take advantage of Facebook advertising. In that case, you should be well-versed with every one of the options available out there, such as Facebook Custom Audience and Lookalike Audience. Thus, you must learn how to create a custom audience on Facebook before entering it.
IIDE’s Online Facebook Ads Course is a life-saver for everyone, from beginners to advanced, from business owners to Facebook marketers and students who want to start in this field. You must know that along with Facebook advertising, many other digital marketing skills let you market your business organically and with paid efforts.
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Before parting ways, our biggest tip for Facebook advertising would be to start narrowing down your target demographic with the alternatives we showed you today if you aren’t seeing results from your ads. How to target the right audience on Facebook ads is crucial, and refining your approach is critical to success.
There are a plethora of possibilities from which to choose when defining your target market. Don’t be concerned if you go too narrow. Your market and ad must be precise and well-matched if you want results.
Remember that Facebook has billions of users. You can concentrate your efforts on only a few of them and still make much money.
When done correctly, Facebook ads may be incredibly effective. You will see an increase in the ROI for your ads in no time if you understand your ideal target market and apply these strategies to reach them, whether through the Audience Network on Facebook or other advanced techniques.
We hope you found this blog helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below. For more insightful content, visit our digital marketing blogs page, where you can explore various topics to enhance your knowledge further.
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