How To Use Custom Facebook Audiences
Are you looking to take advantage of Custom Facebook Audiences?
This feature lets you reach the people who matter most to your business. By targeting specific groups based on their past interactions with your brand, you can create highly personalized ad experiences. Custom Audiences can make a significant difference if you aim to re-engage past customers, increase loyalty, or drive conversions.
Let’s walk you through the process of creating and using Facebook Custom Audience.
What Is a Custom Facebook Audience?
A Custom Facebook Audience is a type of audience you can create for your advertising campaigns on Facebook using your own data. Essentially, it lets you target ads to people who have interacted with your business somehow. This could include:
- People who have visited your website (tracked through a Meta pixel).
- Your existing customers whose contact details you upload to Facebook.
- App users, if you have an app and track user engagement.
- Video viewers, people who have watched your videos on Facebook.
You can use this data to tailor your advertising to individuals familiar with your brand and make your ads more relevant and effective. This helps increase the chances of engagement and conversion because you’re reaching out to an audience with a proven interest in your business.
Types of Facebook Custom Audiences
Understanding the different types of Custom Audiences can transform your marketing strategy. The following are the types of Facebook Custom Audiences:
1. Customer list audience.
The customer lists audience lets you upload your saved audience on your contact lists (email addresses or phone numbers) directly into Facebook. This audience type matches your data with Facebook users, allowing you to directly target ads to your existing customers on the platform. It is ideal for businesses with a robust customer database to re-engage past customers with new offers, products, or updates.
2. Website traffic audience.
This type of audience targets people based on their interactions with your websites. You can track visitors’ actions and create audiences based on specific behaviors, such as visiting a particular page or making a purchase. But first, you need to install the Facebook pixel on your site. Website traffic audience is best for businesses aiming to retarget website visitors who didn’t make a purchase or those looking to cross-sell related products.
3. App traffic audience.
The App traffic audience targets users based on their interactions with your mobile app. You can segment audiences based on specific actions taken within the app, such as reaching a certain level in a game, adding items to a cart, or completing a purchase. This custom audience type suits mobile app developers or businesses with an app-centric consumer interaction looking to increase engagement or promote in-app purchases.
4. Offline activity audience.
This type focuses on users who have interacted with your business offline. Whether they purchased in your store or attended an event, you can use data from offline interactions to target these individuals on Facebook. This option is suitable if you have a significant offline presence and aim to bridge the gap between offline activities and ad account operations.
5. Engagement audience.
Engagement audiences are created based on how users interact with your content on Facebook and Instagram. You can target people who have engaged with your posts, watched your videos, filled out a lead form, or interacted with your page in any other way. This audience type is perfect for brands looking to capitalize on the interest shown by users who have already interacted with their content on these platforms.
6. Lookalike audience.
While not a Custom Audience per se, Lookalike Audiences deserve mention as they are built from Custom Audiences. You can create a Lookalike Audience to find Facebook users similar to those in your Custom Audience, expanding your potential customer base. It’s ideal for advertisers wanting to reach new users who share characteristics with their best existing customers, potentially increasing conversion rates.
Steps To Use Facebook Custom Audiences
Whether you want to increase sales, boost engagement, or drive traffic, these audiences help you reach the right people at the right time. The outline below are straightforward steps you can take to use Custom Facebook Audiences effectively:
Step 1: Access Facebook Ads Manager.
You must log in first to access your Facebook Ads Manager, where all your advertising activities are managed. If you haven’t set up an Ads Manager account yet, you should create one using your Facebook account.
Step 2: Go to Audiences.
Once you’re in Ads Manager, locate the ‘Audiences’ section. This is typically found under the ‘Assets’ column in the main navigation menu. Clicking ‘Audiences’ will bring you to a dashboard where you can manage all your audience-related settings.
Step 3: Create your Custom Audience.
In the Audiences dashboard, click the ‘Create Audience’ dropdown and select ‘Custom Audience.’ This will prompt you to choose the source of the audience you wish to create.
Step 4: Set up your audience.
Depending on the source you choose, the setup will vary:
- Customer File: You’ll upload a CSV or TXT file with your customer data and map the fields to ensure Facebook correctly identifies names, email addresses, etc.
- Website Traffic: You’ll need to specify the type of visitors to target, such as all website visitors, visitors to specific pages, or visitors by time spent.
- App Activity: Define the type of app engagements that qualify users to be included in your audience, like completing a purchase.
- Offline Activity and Engagement: Choose the specific interactions or engagements that will form the basis of your audience.
Step 5: Define the audience size and parameters.
You can refine your audience by adding further parameters such as demographics, interests, and behaviors. This step is crucial as it allows you to narrow your focus and increase the relevancy of your ads.
Step 6: Save and use your audience.
Once your Custom Audience is created, save it. You can now use this audience for any of your campaigns. Select it as the target audience when setting up a new campaign.
Conclusion
Custom Facebook Audiences are an invaluable tool for marketers looking to enhance the precision and effectiveness of their advertising efforts. By carefully selecting and targeting specific groups, you can significantly improve engagement and conversion rates, making your advertising spend more efficient. Start using Custom Facebook Audiences today to transform your digital marketing strategy!
Do you need to run ad campaigns on Facebook? Contact the leading Facebook ad agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Custom Facebook Audience?
A Custom Facebook Audience is a Facebook advertising tool that allows you to create lists of specific individuals to whom you can target your ads.
Can I use Custom Audiences for retargeting campaigns?
Yes, Custom Audiences are particularly effective for retargeting campaigns.
How often should I update my Custom Facebook Audiences?
Regularly updating your Custom Facebook Audiences ensures that your advertising campaigns remain relevant and effective.
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