One of the best things about using Facebook as a marketing tool is that it gives you the chance to target really the people that you think will be buying your product or service. With about 1.55 billion monthly users, Facebook has the potential to connect you with a lot of people. But of course, you don’t want to target all of them. So how can you use Facebook to target effectively the right people for you?
- Target the right people – So you can’t quite put your finger on the exact demographic of who you want to be focusing and you can see your competitors doing everything right. Facebook advertising allows you to select your significant competitors as an interest, and you can then compete with them. This is most effective when it is combined with other targeting strategies, such as setting the location and gender. If you can combine all of this with a great advertising campaign, you will be able to lure these guys away from your competition and straight into your hands.
- Target the Person within the Business – If you are marketing towards other businesses, almost always, buying decisions are made by a person. Facebook allows you to target people according to their job role. So you can target buyers, musicians, students, entrepreneurs, you can. Go to the interest cloud and here you need to create a cloud of all of the positions that you are looking to target, and include their relative hashtags. Now to go ‘See advanced targeting options’ and filter your list in ‘education’ and ‘workplaces’.
- Use the ‘Interest’ Cloud Wisely – The ‘interest’ cloud is a great way to target people, but you need to think it through. First, create your interest cloud – the best way is to start broad and then narrow it down. Say, for example, you sell musical instruments; you can start off with the genre of musical instruments then go down into the types of instruments that they play, and you sell. There are also other categories which you could try – you could add in celebrities linked to your product (e.g. bands and musicians), or how about TV shows (e.g. The Voice) or related films. This will all, in the end, give you a comprehensive list of people who have an interest in your product and who can be marketed to.
- Read Between the Lines – When we look at targeting demographics, it’s also possible to ‘read between the lines.’ For example, you can use information about postcodes to understand whether a person would have the desire or disposable income to buy your luxury goods, or likewise would be keen on buying your lower quality, budget items. Facebook allows you to target specific postcodes so you can pin point those potential customers.
To successfully target your potential customers on Facebook it can take a bit of work and a bit of creativity. However, by investing some time into it, you will find that it is well worth the effort and the results that you see, outstanding.