Almost everyone who has ever run an ad online knows that the key to a successful campaign is targeting the right people. But what if you could target more specifically, and more accurately than simple demographic information would otherwise allow? With a custom audience, you can!
A custom audience is a group of people you curate based on interests or behaviors that you deem worthwhile. You can then target this group with ads on Facebook, Google, or any number of platforms, knowing that the ads will be more relevant to them.
For example, let’s say you’re a clothing retailer targeting women aged 18-35. A custom audience allows you to target not just women in your target age range, but women who have recently shown an interest in fashion and are also known to regularly purchase clothing online. By targeting this crowd and throwing in anyone else who has visited your website in the past 90 days or who engaged with your brand on social media and you have a well-curated custom audience.
Creating custom audiences ensures that your ads reach people who are more likely to make a purchasing decision or sign up for your services after they see your ad.
What is a Custom Audience and what are the benefits of using them?
Meta Custom Audiences are groups of people you create for users on Facebook and Instagram that are based on interests or behaviors that you choose. You can then target this group with ads on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Meta Audience Network knowing that the ads will be more relevant to them. Creating a custom audience is a great way to reach more people who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer!
Some benefits of using Custom Audiences include:
Improved Relevancy
When you target your ads to a specific custom audience, they are much more likely to be interested in what you have to offer. This means that your ad dollars will go further, as you’re not wasting them on ads that no one will see.
Increased Response Rates
Since your ads are more relevant to the people you’re targeting, they’re also more likely to respond to them. This means that you’ll see higher click-through rates and conversions when using custom audiences.
More Engaged Members
When you target people who are already interested in what you do, they’re much more likely to engage with your content. This means that they’ll like, share, and comment on your posts, which can help increase your reach and visibility.
How can you create a custom audience for your business?
One of the best ways to create a custom audience for your business is to use Meta Ads Manager. With Meta Ads, you can target people based on their interests, demographics, and even their behavior across all of Meta’s platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Meta Audience Network, which you might see from time to time in those free smartphone apps you download. This ensures that you’re targeting the right people with your advertising and that you’re getting the most out of your marketing budget.
Another great way to create a custom audience is by using email lists. If you have an existing email list, you can upload it to Facebook and target those people specifically with your ads. This is a great way to reach out to existing customers or subscribers and remind them about your business. Because many may have privacy concerns, it is important to note that when you upload a customer list to Meta, the data is immediately anonymized and the original uploaded record is destroyed so there is no way to track the data back and Meta does not release this information to marketers or Facebook Page administrators. That said, you must ensure that the privacy policy on your website contains information about how you use data, and depending on your locale you may need to offer users the opportunity to opt out of your capturing and using their data, even though it is anonymized.
Finally, another option for creating a custom audience is by using data from website visits. Both Meta and Google can track people’s activity on websites that use its tracking pixel, and then target those people with ads. This is a great way to reach out to people who have already shown interest in your business.
All of these methods are great ways to create a custom audience for your business. By targeting the right people with your advertising, you can ensure that your message is getting through and giving your brand exposure.
What are some ways to target a custom audience with your ads?
Once you have created your custom audiences for both Meta and Google Ads, it’s time to target them with your ads! On Meta—which includes all of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Meta Audience Network—you can target a custom audience by selecting it as the audience for an ad campaign or an ad set. On Google, you can target a custom audience by selecting it as the target audience for an ad campaign or an ad group.
The benefits of targeting a custom audience are many. First, you can laser-focus your ad campaigns and ad sets to reach only those people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service. This ensures that your ads are seen by people who are actually interested in what you’re selling, which leads to higher conversion rates and ROI.
Second, targeting a custom audience allows you to create highly personalized ads that speak directly to the needs and interests of your target market. When you know who your target market is, you can create ads that resonate with them on a deep level, leading to better results.
Finally, targeting a custom audience gives you the ability to track and measure the results of your ad campaigns more effectively. When you know who your target market is and you’re targeting them specifically with your ads, you can more easily track the performance of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments to improve your results.
In short, targeting a custom audience with your ad campaigns is a highly effective way to reach your target market, create more personalized and effective ads, and track and measure your results for greater ROI.
How effective are custom audiences in increasing conversions and sales for businesses?
Custom audiences allow businesses to create ads that specifically target these people, which can result in increased conversions and sales. This is an incredibly effective way to market because you are targeting people who have already shown an interest in your product or service.
BotLabs specializes in creating custom audiences based on previous customers and individuals whose behaviors most indicate they would likely make a purchasing decision, schedule an appointment, or attend an event. Custom audiences are not lookalike audiences (which are also something we absolutely love leveraging here), but highly curated user lists and descriptors to filter out nonprofitable leads and bring in those most likely to be loyal, repeat customers, patients, and clients for years to come.
Reach the Right People
A custom audience is a great way to target more people who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer. By creating a custom audience, you can laser-focus your advertising efforts and see better results. In addition, custom audiences are also effective in increasing conversions and sales for businesses. So if you’re looking for a way to reach more of the right people with your ads, consider using a custom audience!
