The ULTIMATE Facebook Custom Audience Tutorial

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating and utilizing Facebook Custom Audiences for effective advertising. Custom Audiences allow you to target users who have previously interacted with your business, which can significantly improve your ad campaign results. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just starting, this step-by-step guide will help you maximize your Facebook advertising strategy.

Step 1: Access the Audiences Section

1. Open Facebook Ads Manager.
2. Click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner.
3. Select "Audiences" from the dropdown menu.

Step 2: Create a Custom Audience

1. Click on the "Create Audience" button.
2. Select "Custom Audience."
3. Understand that a Custom Audience is a group of people who have previously interacted with your business.

Step 3: Choose Your Audience Source

Customer List

• This is the top-tier audience to target as it consists of people who have previously bought from you.
• To create a Customer List audience:
  1. Select "Customer List."
  2. Upload your customer data (e.g., CSV file with names and email addresses).
  3. Use identifiers like email addresses for better matching.

Email List

• Similar to the Customer List but includes subscribers who may not have purchased yet.
• Follow the same steps as creating a Customer List.

Website Visitors

• To target users who visited your website:
  1. Ensure you have the Facebook Pixel installed on your site.
  2. Select "Website" as your source.
  3. Choose "All Website Visitors" and set the retention period to 180 days for maximum reach.
  4. Name the audience for easy identification.

Step 4: Create More Specific Website Custom Audiences

1. Consider creating audiences based on specific actions, such as:
   • Visitors who added items to their cart.
   • Visitors to particular product pages.
2. Use URL parameters to refine your audience further (e.g., URL contains /product/).

Step 5: Utilize Facebook Engagement Sources

Video Viewers

1. Create an audience of users who have watched your videos.
2. Select "Engagement" and choose video views, then set criteria (e.g., watched at least 25% of your video).
3. This audience is valuable for retargeting, especially after iOS 14.5 updates.

Lead Form Interactions

1. If you run lead generation ads, create audiences from users who interacted with those forms.
2. Choose the form engagement type (opened or submitted).

Instagram and Facebook Page Engagement

1. Create audiences from users who interacted with your Facebook Page or Instagram account.
2. Select criteria like engagement actions (likes, comments, shares).

Step 6: Add Custom Audiences to Your Ad Sets

1. Go to the Ads Manager and create a new campaign (e.g., Conversions).
2. At the Ad Set level, locate the "Custom Audiences" section.
3. Add your previously created audiences (Customer Lists, Website Visitors, Video Viewers, etc.).
4. Optionally, exclude certain audiences to refine your targeting.

Step 7: Avoid Common Mistakes

• Ensure you have the Facebook Pixel properly installed to track website visitors.
• Be wary of audience size post-iOS 14.5; diversify your audience sources to counteract potential losses.
• Regularly update and review your audiences for best performance.

Conclusion

Creating and utilizing Facebook Custom Audiences is crucial for effective advertising. By targeting users who have already shown interest in your business, you can improve your conversion rates. Start with your Customer List and expand to other audience types like website visitors and video viewers. Experiment with different combinations in your ad sets and continuously refine your approach for optimal results. For further learning, consider exploring additional resources on setting up the Facebook Pixel and creating Lookalike Audiences. Happy advertising!