7 Clever Ways to Use Facebook Custom Audiences to Reach Your Ideal Customers

Facebook is one of the largest and most popular social media platforms in the world. As of 2023, it has approximately 2.95 billion monthly active users, making it the most widely used social media platform globally. In addition to its vast user base, Facebook also dominates the digital advertising market.

In 2020, the platform generated over $84 billion in advertising revenue, representing a 22% increase from the previous year.

Despite concerns around data privacy and misinformation, Facebook remains a highly sought-after platform for businesses and marketers looking to reach a large and diverse audience. In fact, the platform’s advertising tools and targeting capabilities continue to improve, making it a valuable channel for businesses of all sizes.

In terms of usage statistics, the average Facebook user spends approximately 33 minutes per day on the platform, and over 200 million businesses have a presence on Facebook. Additionally, over 90 million small businesses use Facebook to connect with customers and promote their products or services.

What is Custom Audience on Facebook?

A Facebook Custom Audience is a type of audience that advertisers can create on Facebook for targeted advertising. It is made up of a group of people who have already interacted with a business in some way, such as by visiting its website, making a purchase, or engaging with its Facebook page.

Wondering “How do I create a custom audience in Facebook?”?

Here’s how: Advertisers can create a Facebook Custom Audience list by uploading a customer list or through the Facebook pixel, which tracks website visitors. Once created, a Custom Audience can be used to create targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms owned by Facebook.

Using a Custom Audience allows advertisers to target their ads to a specific group of people who have already shown interest in their business, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion. It also allows for more personalized and relevant advertising, as the ads can be tailored to the interests and behaviors of the Custom Audience.

Types of Custom Audience Facebook

There are several types of Facebook Custom Audiences that businesses can create to better target their advertising efforts. Determining which custom audience is better will depend on a case-to-case basis.

Here are a few custom audience examples:

1. Customer file custom audience: Businesses can upload a file of customer data, such as email addresses or phone numbers, to create a custom audience. Facebook will then match that data to its own user database and create an audience of those users.
2. Website custom audience: This type of audience is created by adding a Facebook pixel to a website. The pixel tracks visitors to the website and allows businesses to create an audience of those visitors to target with ads.
3. App activity custom audience: If a business has an app, they can create an audience of users based on their activity within the app.
4. Engagement custom audience: This type of audience is created based on user engagement with a business’s Facebook page or posts.
5. Lookalike custom audience: After creating a custom audience, businesses can use Facebook’s algorithm to find users who are similar to those in the custom audience. This can help expand the reach of the advertising campaign to new potential customers who are likely to be interested in the business’s products or services.

How to Create a Facebook Custom Audience

To create a Facebook Custom Audience, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Facebook Ads Manager account.
2. Click on the “Audiences” option in the navigation menu.
3. Click on the “Create Audience” button and select “Custom Audience”.
4. Choose the type of audience you want to create (customer file, website traffic, app activity, engagement, or offline activity).
5. Follow the prompts to upload your customer list or connect your website or app to Facebook.
6. Once you have created your custom audience, you can use it to create highly targeted ads that are more likely to reach people who are interested in your products or services.
7. To use your custom audience in an ad campaign, select it as the target audience when creating your ad set.

Facebook also offers the option to create a “Lookalike Audience”, which is an audience that is similar to your custom audience in terms of interests and demographics. This can be a powerful tool for reaching new customers who are likely to be interested in your business.

7 Clever Ways to Use Facebook Custom Audiences

Facebook Custom Audiences are a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience more effectively. By creating a Custom Audience, you can target people who have already interacted with your brand or website.

Here are seven clever ways to use Facebook Custom Audiences:

1. Lookalike Audiences: You can create a Lookalike Audience using your existing Custom Audience, which will help you find people who are similar to your existing customers.
2. Abandoned Cart Audiences: You can create an Abandoned Cart Custom Audience for people who have added items to their cart but haven’t completed the purchase. This allows you to remind them to complete the purchase.
3. Website Visitors: You can create a Custom Audience for people who have visited your website, allowing you to retarget them with relevant ads.
4. Customer List: You can create a Custom Audience using your existing customer list to target them with exclusive offers or promotions.
5. Email Engagement: You can create a Custom Audience for people who have engaged with your emails, such as opening or clicking on them.
6. Video Views: You can create a Custom Audience for people who have viewed your videos on Facebook or Instagram.
7. Lead Ads: You can create a Custom Audience for people who have engaged with your Lead Ads, allowing you to follow up with them and convert them into customers.

By leveraging Facebook Custom Audiences, businesses can reach their target audience with greater precision and increase their conversion rates.

Conclusion

Facebook Custom Audiences can be a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience with tailored messages and advertisements. By using creative and strategic approaches, businesses can unlock the full potential of custom audiences to increase engagement, drive conversions, and ultimately, boost their bottom line.

Whether it’s retargeting website visitors, engaging with loyal customers, using social media video advertising, or expanding reach to new lookalike audiences, custom audiences offer a wealth of opportunities for marketers to refine their targeting and maximize their ROI. With the right combination of audience segmentation and personalized messaging, businesses can effectively leverage Facebook Custom Audiences to connect with their audience and achieve their marketing goals.