Leveraging First-Party Data: Custom Audiences
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2025 8:07 am
Your own customer data is gold. Upload customer lists (emails, phone numbers) to create Custom Audiences. Target existing customers with specific offers, or exclude them from prospecting campaigns if they've already converted. You can also create Custom Audiences from website visitors (e.g., people who viewed a product but didn't purchase) or those who engaged with your Facebook or Instagram content.
Expanding Your Reach: Lookalike Audiences
Once you have a strong Custom Audience, create Lookalike Audiences. Meta's algorithm will find new users who share similar characteristics and facebook database behaviors to your existing high-value customers. This is one of the most effective ways to scale your campaigns with highly relevant prospects. Start with 1% Lookalikes for the highest similarity, then test broader percentages (e.g., 2-5%, 5-10%) as your budget allows.
Strategic Interest and Behavioral Targeting (Use with Caution)
While Meta encourages broad targeting for its Advantage+ campaigns (more on that later), interest and behavioral targeting can still be effective for initial audience testing or for highly niche products. Combine interests to create more specific audience segments (e.g., "Online Shopping" AND "Veganism" for a plant-based e-commerce store). However, be aware that Meta's own AI often outperforms overly granular manual targeting.
Excluding Irrelevant Audiences
Just as important as including the right people is excluding the wrong ones. Exclude existing customers from acquisition campaigns, or exclude recent purchasers from ads promoting the same product they just bought. This prevents ad fatigue and wasted spend.
Expanding Your Reach: Lookalike Audiences
Once you have a strong Custom Audience, create Lookalike Audiences. Meta's algorithm will find new users who share similar characteristics and facebook database behaviors to your existing high-value customers. This is one of the most effective ways to scale your campaigns with highly relevant prospects. Start with 1% Lookalikes for the highest similarity, then test broader percentages (e.g., 2-5%, 5-10%) as your budget allows.
Strategic Interest and Behavioral Targeting (Use with Caution)
While Meta encourages broad targeting for its Advantage+ campaigns (more on that later), interest and behavioral targeting can still be effective for initial audience testing or for highly niche products. Combine interests to create more specific audience segments (e.g., "Online Shopping" AND "Veganism" for a plant-based e-commerce store). However, be aware that Meta's own AI often outperforms overly granular manual targeting.
Excluding Irrelevant Audiences
Just as important as including the right people is excluding the wrong ones. Exclude existing customers from acquisition campaigns, or exclude recent purchasers from ads promoting the same product they just bought. This prevents ad fatigue and wasted spend.