Want to boost your Facebook ad performance? Here's how to nail interest targeting in 2024:
- Use Facebook Audience Insights
- Mix different interests
- Choose between wide and narrow targeting
- Find less obvious interests
- Remove certain interests
- Target competitor interests
- Try interest expansion
- Match interests to sales funnel stages
- Check results for each interest
- Keep up with new interests
Quick Comparison:
| Tip | Best For | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Audience Insights | Understanding your audience | Data-driven targeting |
| Mixing interests | Refining audience | Precision targeting |
| Wide vs. narrow | Testing different approaches | Optimizing reach and conversions |
| Less obvious interests | Finding niche audiences | Reducing competition |
| Removing interests | Focusing budget | Improving ad relevance |
| Competitor interests | Reaching similar audiences | Expanding market share |
| Interest expansion | Increasing reach | Discovering new audiences |
| Funnel stage matching | Aligning content with buyer journey | Improving conversion rates |
| Checking results | Optimizing performance | Data-driven decision making |
| New interests | Staying current | Capitalizing on trends |
Facebook interest targeting is still a big deal in 2024. It helps you find people who care about what you're selling. By using these tips, you can create super-focused audiences, boost engagement, and make the most of your ad budget.
Remember: Keep testing, tweaking, and tracking your results. That's how you'll win at Facebook ads in 2024.
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1. Use Facebook Audience Insights
Facebook Audience Insights is a goldmine for ad targeting. Even though the standalone tool's gone, you can still dig up audience data through Meta Business Suite Insights and Ads Manager.
Here's how to use it:
- Jump into Meta Business Suite or Ads Manager
- Pick your audience: current or potential
- Narrow down with filters
- Analyze and strategize
What can you find out? Tons:
| Data | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| Demographics | Age, gender, education, job |
| Location | Where they hang out |
| Interests | What they like and engage with |
| Behavior | Devices used, buying habits |
Let's say you're curious about "Social Media Examiner" fans. You might find 300K-350K people, with more 25-54 year-olds than usual on Facebook.
Want to try it? Here's how:
- Pick your starting audience in Meta Business Suite Insights
- Use sidebar filters to zero in
- Type interests to see what pops up
- Add interests and watch your audience change
"U.S. Facebook users? 61.8% women, 38.2% men. But add 'Food and Beverage' and it shifts to 64.22% women, 35.8% men."
This tool's a game-changer for targeting. Play around with it and watch your ad strategy level up.
2. Mix Different Interests
Want to boost your Facebook ad performance? Try combining interests. Here's how:
Stack Interests for Wider Reach
Use "OR" logic to target people interested in at least one of your topics. It's like casting a wider net.
For a golf store, you might target:
- Golf
- PGA Tour
- Tiger Woods
This catches golf fans, even if they're only into one aspect.
Layer Interests for Precision
Use "AND" logic to target people matching all selected interests. It's more focused but hits the bullseye.
Example: Target "Rolex" AND "Lamborghini" to find luxury lovers.
Combine Stacking and Layering
For best results, use both:
1. Stack related interests within layers 2. Use layers to refine your audience
Here's what it might look like for high-end golf gear:
| Layer | Stacked Interests |
|---|---|
| 1 | Golf, PGA Tour, Tiger Woods |
| 2 | Rolex, Luxury cars, Private jets |
This targets golf fans who also dig luxury items.
Add Demographics and Behaviors
Mix in other targeting options:
- Demographics: Age, income, education
- Behaviors: Online shopping habits, travel frequency
Example: Target "golf" interest + "frequent travelers" behavior to find golfers who might buy gear for trips.
Test and Refine
Start broad, then narrow down based on what works. Use Facebook's ad reports to see which mixes perform best.
Pro tip: Larger audiences (1 million+) often do better. They give Facebook's algorithm more data to work with.
3. Choose Between Wide and Narrow Targeting
Facebook ads give you two main options: go wide or go narrow. Let's look at both:
Wide Targeting
This is like throwing a big party. It works when:
- You're new to Facebook ads
- You want to boost brand awareness
- Your product appeals to many people
Example: A clothing brand targets all U.S. adults aged 18-65. This lets Facebook's algorithm find potential customers you might miss otherwise.
Narrow Targeting
This is more like a VIP event. Use it when:
- You have a niche product
- You're focused on conversions
- You need to reach a specific group
Example: A luxury watch company targets high-income men aged 35-55 who like luxury goods.
Wide vs. Narrow: Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Wide | Narrow |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Bigger | Smaller, specific |
| Cost per impression | Often lower | Can be higher |
| Conversion rate | Usually lower | Potentially higher |
| Learning speed | Faster | Needs more research |
| Best use | Brand awareness, new products | Niche items, specific promos |
Switching It Up
Here's a smart approach:
- Start wide to gather data
- Find your top performers
- Create narrow campaigns based on what you learn
"Going broad can work well for conversions. The ad system is good at finding buyers, and there's no such thing as a low-quality purchase." - Jon Loomer, Digital Marketing Expert
Facebook's algorithm is clever. Given enough data, it often finds your ideal customers better than narrow targeting alone.
Pro Tip: Test both. Run a wide and a narrow campaign at the same time. See which one hits your goals best.
4. Find Less Obvious Interests
Facebook's interest targeting is more than just basic demographics. Here's how to dig deeper:
1. The alphabet method
Type your main keyword + each letter of the alphabet. "Golf a", "Golf b", etc. You'll find niche interests you might've missed.
2. Facebook's interest API
Enter keywords into the API URL. This often reveals interests you can't see in Ads Manager.
3. Target specific names
Instead of "Golf club", try "Bubba Watson". It's more targeted.
4. Explore related pages
"Like" a relevant fan page. Facebook's suggestions can point to new targeting options.
5. Use external tools
Platforms like Similarweb can show you audience interests for specific websites.
Here's how broad and specific interests compare:
| Broad Interest | Audience Size | Specific Interest | Audience Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs | 578 million | Sled dog racing | 28,000 |
| Dogs | 578 million | Dog behaviorist | 352,000 |
"Over 85% of advertisers secure high ROIs with personalized campaigns that target users based on their interests and preferences."
Don't go too niche, though. Keep your audience above 5,000 users to stay cost-effective.
5. Remove Certain Interests
Want to boost your Facebook ad performance? Sometimes, less is more. Here's how to fine-tune your audience by removing certain interests:
-
Cut irrelevant interests: Selling luxury watches? Ditch interests related to budget timepieces.
-
Drop sensitive topics: Meta's phasing out targeting for health, race, and ethnicity. You've got until March 18, 2024, to update your targeting.
-
Exclude existing customers: Use Facebook Pixel to avoid showing ads to people who've already bought from you. Save that budget for new potential customers.
-
Ditch low-performers: Analyze your ad data. If certain interests consistently underperform, cut them loose.
-
Target by job roles: Want to reach higher earners? Consider excluding typically lower-income jobs:
| Excluded | Potential Targets |
|---|---|
| Baristas | Executives |
| Waitresses | Business Owners |
| Bartenders | Professionals |
- Use Engagement Custom Audiences: Create audiences based on who's engaged with your content. It's often more accurate than broad interest targeting.
Meta's internal testing found that removing detailed targeting exclusions improved median cost per conversion by 22.6%.
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6. Target Competitor Interests
Want to reach people who already like products similar to yours? Here's how to tap into your competitors' audiences:
1. Find competitor pages
Use Facebook's search to find pages of brands in your industry. If you sell skincare, look for Nivea or L'Oreal.
2. Use Audience Insights
In Meta Business Suite, check out Insights to learn about your competitors' fans. You might find surprising interests. For example, a baby food brand could discover that Bellamy's Organic fans also love cooking pages like Tasty.
3. Create custom audiences
In Facebook Ads Manager, use "Engagement" to target users who've interacted with competitor pages. Pick specific actions like likes or comments.
4. Target by interests
In Ads Manager's "Interests" section, type in competitor names. This helps you reach people interested in your rivals' products.
5. Analyze content
Look at what posts do well on competitor pages. Use these ideas to make your ads more appealing to their audience.
6. Use tools
Tools like BigSpy can help you figure out your competitors' ad strategies. For a skateboard shop, it might suggest targeting interests like "World Skateboards" or "Street League Skateboarding".
7. Split test
Make separate ad sets for different competitor audiences to see which works best.
Remember: You can't directly target followers of competitor pages due to Facebook's privacy rules. Instead, focus on shared interests and behaviors.
"Target a competitor's audience because these people already care about what you're selling. The tricky part is showing them why you're better." - Christine, Viral Solutions
7. Try Interest Expansion
Want to reach more people without losing your target audience? Facebook's Interest Expansion tool can help. Here's how to use it:
1. Turn on Detailed Targeting Expansion
When setting up your ad set in Facebook Ads Manager, look for the "Detailed Targeting Expansion" checkbox. Click it.
2. Know what you're getting into
This feature can BLOW UP your reach. Check out these numbers:
| Interest | Without Expansion | With Expansion |
|---|---|---|
| Physical fitness | 820 million | 2.1 billion |
| Shredz Women | 220,000 | 2.1 billion |
3. Keep your goal in mind
Facebook turns this on automatically for conversions and app installs. For other campaigns? You'll need to do it yourself.
4. Watch your metrics
Interest expansion might lower costs, but it could mess with your conversion rates. Keep an eye on:
- How much each registration costs
- Your conversion rates
- Overall campaign performance
5. Use it wisely
- Small audience (under 100,000)? Turn it on to keep costs down.
- Bigger audience (around 1 million)? Maybe leave it off at first. If your frequency rates go up, then flip the switch.
6. Don't worry about exclusions
Facebook will still respect the audience exclusions you've set, even with expansion on.
7. Test it out
Run some split tests. Compare how your ads do with and without interest expansion. It's the best way to see if it works for you.
"Over 85% of advertisers secure high ROIs with personalized campaigns that target users based on their interests and preferences."
Interest expansion can be a game-changer. But like any tool, it's all about how you use it. Keep testing, keep watching those metrics, and you'll find the sweet spot for your campaigns.
8. Match Interests to Sales Funnel Stages
Facebook's interest targeting is a powerful tool for aligning your ads with the buyer's journey. Here's how:
Awareness Stage: Cast a wide net. If you're selling fitness gear, target "physical fitness" or "healthy living".
Consideration Stage: Get specific. Think "home gym" or "weight training".
Decision Stage: Zero in on your product. "Treadmills" or "dumbbells" for our fitness example.
Here's a quick breakdown:
| Funnel Stage | Interest Target | Ad Content |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Physical fitness | Benefits of exercise blog |
| Consideration | Home gym | Home workout video |
| Decision | Treadmills | Product comparison guide |
Tailor your ad content to each stage. Educate at awareness, showcase solutions at consideration, and highlight benefits at decision.
"47% of B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content prior to engaging with a salesperson." — DemandGen
This stat shows why serving the right content at each stage is KEY.
9. Check Results for Each Interest
To get the most out of Facebook interest targeting, you need to track how each interest performs. Here's how:
1. Use Ads Manager
Open Ads Manager, click on Campaigns, Ad Sets, or Ads, then hit "View charts" for the insights side pane.
2. Focus on key metrics
Pay attention to CPC, CTR, CPM, and ROAS.
3. Compare interests
Create a table like this to track performance:
| Interest | CPC | CTR | CPM | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs | $0.50 | 2.5% | $10 | 3.2 |
| Dog food | $0.45 | 3.0% | $9 | 3.8 |
| Dog toys | $0.55 | 2.2% | $11 | 2.9 |
4. Analyze demographics
See how different age groups and genders respond to each interest.
5. Track platform performance
Compare how your ads do on Facebook vs. Instagram for each interest.
6. Monitor regularly
Most agencies check Facebook ad results daily (62%) or weekly (30%).
7. Make data-driven decisions
Use your findings to refine your targeting. If "Dog food" outperforms "Dogs", shift more budget there.
8. Test and iterate
Try new interest combinations based on your results. One client saw a 129.73% conversion increase and 70.62% CPA decrease through smart interest targeting.
10. Keep Up with New Interests
Facebook's interest targeting is always changing. Here's how to stay ahead:
- Check Google Trends and Twitter for what's hot
- Use Facebook's Audience Insights to see what your audience likes
- Spy on your competitors' pages
- Type A-Z in Facebook's interest field to find hidden gems
- Use Facebook's interest API for more targeted options
- Read Facebook's business blog for new targeting features
- Play with Meta AI to understand your audience better
- Focus on video-related interests
- Look for mobile-specific interests
- Mix new interests with demographics and behaviors
Over 85% of advertisers get high ROIs from interest-based targeting. So it's worth staying on top of it.
"Facebook advertising's future is packed with potential, with new trends shaping how businesses advertise."
Track new interests like this:
| New Interest | Reach | Engagement Rate | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interest 1 | |||
| Interest 2 | |||
| Interest 3 |
Update this table often and tweak your strategy based on what works. That way, you'll always target the most effective interests for your campaigns.
Conclusion
Facebook interest targeting is still a big deal for advertisers in 2024. Use these tips to boost your ad performance and ROI:
- Dig into Facebook Audience Insights
- Mix and match interests
- Find the sweet spot between broad and narrow targeting
- Look for hidden gem interests
- Ditch irrelevant interests
- Target competitor interests
- Try interest expansion
- Match interests to funnel stages
- Track interest performance
- Stay on top of new interests
Keep testing. As Facebook ads change, so should you. Use your data to fine-tune your approach.
Check out this win from 686, an apparel brand:
"686's year-over-year SEM revenue jumped 562% with a profitable ROAS after optimizing their paid search and remarketing campaigns."
That's what good targeting can do.
For best results:
1. Use about 70% of your budget to find new customers with interest targeting
2. Update your Facebook audience structure often
3. Tailor your ads to match audience interests
Remember: Facebook interest targeting isn't set-it-and-forget-it. It's a constant process of tweaking and improving. But get it right, and you'll see the difference in your bottom line.
FAQs
What's an example of interest targeting?
Interest targeting on Facebook lets you reach people based on what they like. Here's how it works:
"If you target the football interest audience in the United States, your ads will only show to people who like football and live in the US."
So, if you sell sports gear, you can show your ads to football fans in the US. This helps you find potential customers more easily.
How does Facebook figure out what people are interested in?
Facebook looks at a bunch of things:
- Pages you like
- Stuff you interact with (on and off Facebook)
- Your comments on friends' posts
- How you react to ads
Being "interested" in something isn't the same as liking a page. For example, Mailchimp's Facebook page has about 400,168 likes, but around 2.5 to 3 million people are interested in Mailchimp.
How do I use interest targeting for my Facebook ads?
It's pretty simple:
- Open your Facebook ad account
- Start a new campaign or edit an existing one
- Pick a campaign objective
- In the Ad Set setup, find the "audience" section
- Click on "detailed targeting"
- Hit "browse" to see a list of interests
Pro tip: Combine interest targeting with location and demographics for better results.
Can I target people interested in my competitors?
Yep, you can. This helps you reach folks who like products similar to yours. Just be careful not to use any trademarks or copyrights in your ads.
How often should I update my interest targeting?
Keep an eye on it regularly. People's interests change, and new ones pop up all the time. Try to check your targeting at least every three months, or more often for short campaigns.
