When you advertise on Facebook, you are required to create your target audience, the individuals to whom your ads will appear. For example, you may create a target audience comprising of US moms aged 30 to 60. You can also create a target audience by uploading a Custom Audience.
A Custom Audience is an ad targeting tool that allows you to serve ads to Facebook users who are in your existing contact list. This may contain leads you collected from a Facebook ad or a sign-up form from an email marketing campaign. Facebook will compare the data you provide with its own to find the people from your list. For example, if your contact list contains the phone numbers of your customers, Facebook will find those customers on its platform using the phone numbers from the list.
The Custom Audience tool also allows you to serve ads to Facebook users who previously interacted with your business, whether that’s visiting your website, filling out your lead form, or watching your video.
Compared to other types of ad targeting on Facebook (broad targeting and interest targeting), Custom Audience allows you to target individuals most likely to respond to your ads because these individuals have already interacted with your business.
The 10 Types of Custom Audiences Available
There are several types of Custom Audiences available, and the type you use will determine the type of audience to whom your ads will be served. For example, if you choose a website traffic Custom Audience, your ad will only appear to those who visited your website. Similarly, if you choose an app activity Custom Audience, your ad will only appear to those who interacted with your app. Below are the types of Custom Audiences available to you.
- Website traffic – This audience is comprised of individuals who visited your website. The data is gathered by the Facebook Pixel, which tracks users’ activities on your website.
- Customer list – This audience is comprised of individuals who are in the customer list you uploaded to Facebook. Facebook will match the information from your customer list to users’ information on the platform.
- App activity – This audience is comprised of individuals who interacted with your app, whether that’s launching the app, playing a game in the app, or purchasing an item in the app.
- Offline activity – This audience is comprised of people who interacted with your business outside of the internet, for example, people who interacted with your business over the phone or in store.
- Video – This audience is comprised of users who watched one of your videos on Facebook or Instagram.
- Instagram business profile – This audience is comprised of users who visited your Instagram profile or clicked on your ad on Instagram.
- Lead form – This audience is comprised of users who opened or completed your lead generation form on Instagram or Facebook.
- Events – This audience is comprised of users who interacted with your event on Facebook, whether that’s RSVPing to or sharing your event to friends.
- Instant Experience – This audience is comprised of users who interacted with your Instant Experience ad on Facebook.
- Facebook page – This audience is comprised of users who interacted with or followed your Facebook page.
Again, the type of Custom Audience you choose will determine the type of people who will see your ads. Make sure to choose the right one to get the results you desire.
How to Create a Custom Audience in Facebook
To create a Custom Audience, you need a Facebook Business account and a working Facebook Pixel.
Step 1: From your Facebook Business Manager page, click the “Business Manager” menu, click “All Tools,” then click “Audiences.”
Step 2: Click “Create Audience” then click “Custom Audience.”
Step 3: Choose your Custom Audience source. Facebook will ask for more information. Fill in the required fields, then you’re done.
How to Find Your Custom Audiences on Facebook’s Ad System
To find all of the Custom Audiences you created, go to the same page where you created your Custom Audience.
Step 1: Go to Business Manager.
Visit Business Manager at business.facebook.com. Click the “Business Manager” tab located on the upper-left corner of the page. Click “Audiences” under “Assets” located in the drop down menu.
Step 2: You’re done!
Your Custom Audience list should be appear on this page.
The Benefits of Custom Audience
Custom Audience allows you to show specific ads to users most likely to be interested in your business. For example, you can show an ad with an exclusive offer (a customers’ only discount or a limited time offer) to your contact list of 1,000 customers. Contrastingly, you can also exclude these customers from any ads you choose. In addition to ad targeting, you can run audience insights reports on these groups to gain valuable information about their purchase behaviors, demographics, lifestyles, or geography.
