Facebook collects a vast amount of demographic and behavioral data from its users.
Ever since Facebook partnered with Acxiom and other data brokers, they now have access to trillions of data points about users every year.
It's creepy.
But it also opens an unprecedented opportunity for local businesses. Over the next few weeks I'll share some of the targeting options I use most frequently to help clients acquire more local customers.
This is the first in a series of articles about audience targeting, and we'll begin with life events targeting.
Life Events Targeting
One of my favorite Facebook Ads audience targeting features is "Life Events."
Life Events is a subsection under 'demographics' that segments Facebook users based on major events going on in their lives.
Businesses can target people who have an upcoming anniversary. People who recently moved.
People who are in a new job or a new relationship, or recently engaged.
And more.
You can even target people who are close friends with people who have upcoming birthdays or who were newly engaged. Examples of how local businesses can use Life Events targeting to bring more local clients:
Recently Moved: Plumbers. Mechanics. Hairdressers. Landscapers. Home security. All sorts of service providers may find it worthwhile to target people who have recently moved to the local area by offering a welcome introductory package.
New Job: Clothing stores could target people nearby who have recently started a new job. There's a good chance they want to dress to impress!
Upcoming Birthday: A restaurant could target people nearby who have an upcoming birthday. "Call us now to reserve your table for your birthday! Bring your friends, and your birthday dinner's on us!"
Newly Engaged: Wedding Banquet Halls could target couples within a 50 miles radius who are newly engaged. Same goes for wedding dress stores, wedding dj/band and photographers.
Upcoming Anniversary: Jewelry stores, florists, and upscale restaurants could target nearby customers who have upcoming anniversaries.
Recently Married: Hotels and travel agencies can target couples who are in the honeymoon stage of their marriage.
Close Friends of people with upcoming birthday: A greeting card store or a sports stadium could target people who are looking for a gift for their friend's upcoming birthday.
People living away from home: A lot of businesses may want to target people nearby who are currently living away from home. These individuals may be away for college, temporary work or for some other reason. They're away from family and are often looking for interesting things to do and ways to meet people. Museums. Theaters. Bars. Tourist Attractions. Networking Events. Churches. All of the above would do well to target out-of-towners.
Life Events provides many options to attract local clients. This tactic can becomes even more powerful when you overlay it with other targeting options.
For example, you could overlap a life event with:
Radius targeting: people who live within a certain-mile radius of your store/office
Socio-economic status: people who have a certain net worth or earn a certain salary
Parental Status: Parents with kids in certain age groups (newborns, toddlers, high school, college age, etc)
and much, much more. Stay tuned for other ways to target your local customers using Facebook Ads...
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