5 Practical Targeting Techniques for Your Facebook Ads Campaigns

Facebook became a public social network back in 2006, but a lot has changed in the last decade and a half. Now, the platform boasts of almost 3 billion monthly active users that come from all corners of the globe. From the design of the interface to the devices we use to access this platform, the social media giant has reinvented itself and rolled out regular updates to keep its users engaged year after year.

But, one thing that has remained constant is that Facebook allows companies to connect with their audiences like no other channel. The best part is that the Facebook targeting features at your disposal can help you narrow down your audience and ensure that most interactions are relevant. That said, developing a Facebook targeting strategy is not easy, especially if you’re participating in multiple affiliate programs.

Our team has firsthand experience working with some of the top publishers across multiple industries, many of which use Facebook as one of their main traffic sources. We’re familiar with a variety of Facebook targeting techniques, so we’ve put together an article with 5 of the best strategies for your next paid campaign.

Is Facebook a Legitimate Source of Quality Traffic?

Before going over the different targeting strategies, let’s go over the benefits of acquiring Facebook traffic.

Many affiliates still have difficulties when trying to transform Facebook ads into a reliable traffic source, but this social platform has become one of the most reliable methods to get engaged users on a website.

With the right Facebook targeting strategy, affiliates can take advantage of benefits of:

Reach and User Engagement

The most impressive element about Facebook’s paid ads platform is its reach. The social platform has 2.8 billion monthly active users located in hundreds of countries and territories, so it’s suitable for all types of campaigns. Moreover, Facebook’s user base consists of people from all ages, genders, and other demographics, making the platform ideal for almost all businesses.

Furthermore, Facebook is an effective traffic source because its users are usually engaged and willing to interact with content that delivers quality. This, combined with a wide array of ad formats that publishers can work with, creates the perfect environment for affiliates to amplify the reach of their content, especially if a solid Facebook targeting plan is in place.

Ideal for All Industries and Audiences

While Facebook has been regarded as a great place to target B2C customers since its inception, the platform has also become one of the best resources for B2B marketers.

The social network is so effective that business decision-makers actually spend 74% more time on it than the average user, which is perfect for affiliates that specialize in B2B software and similar solutions.

This means that Facebook is the perfect solution for businesses, regardless if they’re targeting B2B or B2C traffic.

Ridiculously Good Targeting Features

Social media users share a lot of information with these platforms and Facebook is no exception. Most users share their name, gender, location, interests, and other pieces of information proactively with Facebook, not to mention the other ways that the social giant collects data.

As a matter of fact, Facebook has developed a series of features that collect information from users to deliver a better customer experience, but the platform also uses the data gathered to provide superb targeting features to anyone running paid campaigns. But, the only way to get great results from these is to implement a Facebook targeting strategy tailored to your company.

5 Practical Targeting Techniques for Your Facebook Ads Campaigns

Now that we’ve gone over the main advantages of running paid campaigns on this network, let’s take a look at 5 practical Facebook targeting strategies you can take advantage of today.

It’s important to note that there is no specific targeting setting that always yields a 100% success rate. All affiliates and audiences are different, so you need to evaluate the programs you work with and figure out which approach or combination of approaches has the highest chance of success.

Some of the most effective Facebook targeting techniques you can implement include:

1. Retarget Existing Customers with Custom Audiences

It may seem obvious, but the more relevant your ad, the most likely it is to generate a click. And, the best way to ensure that a potential prospect is interested in your solutions is by targeting a person that has already purchased from your business in the past.

Facebook has a feature called Custom Audiences, which allows you to upload a list of email addresses and phone numbers to target users that match this data. Instead of trying to convince users based on their demographic, this feature can help you target people that have already bought from your business.

Keep in mind that this Facebook targeting approach may not be the best for high-ticket items, but it’s a great alternative for more affordable goods.

2. Analyze Previous Purchase Behavior

Did you know that Facebook has more access to user data than users actually provide? In the year 2013, Facebook partnered with a variety of different data brokers, which are companies that specialize in collecting information about consumers and reselling it to interested businesses. Thanks to these partnerships, Facebook allows you to target users based on specific behaviors, for example, people who have bought a specific product.

This Facebook targeting strategy is a great fit if you work with products that have a higher price tag. Rather than attempting to sell to the same users, this feature can help you narrow down the list to new customers who have purchased similar products in the past. This, in turn, increases your chances of getting more conversions from the same amount of traffic.

3. Narrow Down Your Audience and Target Fans Only

Remember, users don’t only give Facebook a huge amount of information, but they also express appreciation for their favorite companies proactively. If your business page has fans, you should develop a Facebook campaign that only targets these users specifically.

The premise is simple: if a user has liked your page, there’s a much higher chance of selling a product or service to that person than to the average user. Users don’t simply like pages for the fun of it, they only take the time to follow companies they are genuinely interested in. This is one of the most underrated Facebook targeting tips, but following this simple step can exponentially increase your revenue.

4. Leverage the Power Editor to Run Promotions

Although it may not sound like a Facebook targeting strategy, the Power Editor is a feature that can help you create more targeted campaigns.

There are many different ways you can create ads on Facebook. Instead of choosing to create a campaign or boost a post manually, the Power Editor is a self-serve bulk ad creation feature designed for marketers that launch larger campaigns. This feature accelerates the ad development process and provides additional targeting features that aren’t available through the regular ads management interface.

The best part is that it’s easy to learn how to use the Power Editor, but keep in mind that it’s better suited for large-scale campaigns with relatively large revenue.

5. Assess Previous Traffic, Optimize Settings, and Develop Content for Engaged Users

Facebook has developed a variety of different targeting features for marketers to test out, but this has taken a lot of attention away from traditional traffic analysis, optimization, and targeting adjustments. Check out this article on how to optimize a landing page for Facebook ads that might be interesting for you.

You should always develop a campaign that relies on conventional traffic analysis. This is the process where marketers develop a campaign, let it run until there’s statistically significant data, and analyze the information collected to make adjustments to the existing targeting settings.

Successful affiliates also go one step beyond and they develop content designed for the users who are showing the most engagement. For example, if you notice that you are getting the best results by targeting women from a certain area, you should develop content that resonates with these users.

Bonus: Life Events Targeting

Life events targeting is so effective, we simply had to include it as a bonus. As the name suggests, this targeting approach focuses on users who have a big life event coming up, like getting married, a milestone birthday, or a similar occurrence. These people are usually looking to celebrate and are more susceptible to new ideas, which makes them a prime target for affiliates looking to promote a relevant solution.

Let’s say you’re an affiliate that specializes in promoting exercise gear. You can target people who are planning to complete a marathon, reaching their 35th birthday, and other demographics that may have extra motivation to stay in shape.

The Key to Success: Diversity and Flexibility

When making your list of the best Facebook targeting tips for your business, remember that you don’t have to pick just one of these strategies. As long as you take an organized approach, test out different techniques, and make a decision based on performance, you should be able to find the best fit.

The key to successfully developing your next Facebook ads campaign is to create a diverse and flexible campaign. Don’t narrow down your customer list to a few users in a limited number of regions. Cast a slightly wider net to start with and make sure that your campaign is flexible enough to allow for a complete overhaul if necessary. You can also monitor and optimize your Facebook ads roas to guarantee the campaign’s success.

Ready to Start Your Facebook Campaign? Find the Best Programs at lemonads

Are you thinking about starting a Facebook ads campaign and implementing one of the targeting strategies we listed above? Increase your chances by finding the best affiliate programs by partnering with the right network.

To learn more about finding the best facebook affiliate programs, contact lemonads and our team will be glad to help.