Using Facebook Demographic Targeting

In part 2 of our 5 part mini-series on Core Audience Targeting, we cover Facebook’s Demographic Targeting Capabilities.

If you’re yet to read the first post, an introduction to Core Audiences, then make sure you check that out first.

If you have already, then let’s get stuck in.

Introduction To Facebook Demographic Targeting

So when we’re talking about Demographics Targeting on Facebook, we’re talking about being able to access;

1. Data that we’ve explicitly provided to Facebook (like our age and where we work)
2. Data that we’ve implicitly provided to Facebook by using the platform (like our location or major Life Events)
3. Data from Facebook’s third-party providers (such as household income and composition).

Now, let’s breakdown the individual Demographic Factors that you can choose from and how each can define your ideal target audience.

Age and Gender

This factor is a pretty basic targeting option, which means we won’t spend too much time on this.

We recommend that if you’re targeting by age, allow some room either side of your sweet spot target. 

So if you’re ideal customer is men in their mid-twenties, set your targeting parameters from 21 – 29 to ensure you’re capturing all prospective customers.

Relationships

Relationship targeting involves targeting whether someone has identified themselves as single, in a relationship, engaged, married and more. Again this is relatively basic targeting which will apply to some products and services more than others. 

This parameter is highly relevant for:

• Dating services
• Those within the wedding industry
• Travel companies

These advertisers can leverage this parameter for their product offerings.

We’ve interestingly seen quite a lot of advertising for law firms making the most of this targeting feature for newly separated couples.

Location

Location targeting falls into three main options

1. Everyone within a Location
2. People who have recently visited a Location
3. People who are travelling to a location.

Remember that this is data isn’t necessarily explicitly provided to Facebook; it’s provided by our use of the platform and through IP and Location Tracking.

Pay attention to this parameter if your business targets tourists or visitors to an area rather than residents.

Languages

This parameter is another self-explanatory one. 

However, it can be vital to including or excluding key fragments of your target audience.

Unless the language that you’re focusing on isn’t particularly common within the location that you’re targeting, we’d recommend just leaving this blank.

Education

Now things are starting to get interesting!

Within this section of your Core Audience, you can specify the Education parameters that your targeting audience have previously completed or are currently studying; from Education Level to Field of Study to Schools to the year they graduated.

We find that this parameter can be a beneficial complement to people targeting a particular industry or occupation rather than just relying on Job Titles alone.

Work

Of all the Demographic targeting parameters, this one is the most relevant to those marketing B2B products or services.

Within this parameter, you can focus in on the type of industry your ideal customer works within, what their job title is – even who their Employer is.

If you’re targeting a B2B audience, we strongly recommend focusing primarily on this parameter for much of your targeting – it’s incredibly accurate while providing a significant scale of audience members.

Financial

Within this targeting parameter, you can specify the income levels of your target and their level of affluence.

If you know the approximate household income level of your ideal client or customer, then this is an excellent targeting parameter to trial for your business.

Just remember that this data is a combination of Facebook data and data provided by local third parties so we’d recommend either A/B testing audiences or adding additional targeting parameters to ensure accuracy.

Home

This parameter is an incredibly powerful option for those within the property, construction, household services and insurance industries.

Within this parameter, you have the option to specify the following: 

• The type of home your target audience currently lives in
• Whether they own their home or are renting
• The composition of that household
• Who else they live with

Again this data is a combination of Facebook data and data provided by local third parties so ensure that you’re A/B testing audiences or adding additional targeting parameters to ensure accuracy.

Parents

If your business targets those with Children (or their close relatives), then make sure you’re taking advantage of this demographic targeting option.

From Expecting and New Parents to those with Adult Children, you’re able to target the full gamete of those with kids with highly relevant messages based on their child’s age segment.

Life Events

If you’re in the events industry or provide business or services tied to specific occasions, then this parameter should sit at the core of your Facebook campaigns.

Within this parameter, you have the option to target people: 

• In a new relationship
• With an upcoming anniversary
• Who have recently moved homes or jobs
• Who have recently become engaged or newlywed 
• Currently away from Family
• Presently in a long-distance relationship.

Within this factor, you can also target friends of those who fall into any of the above segments. 

This targeting is perfect if your business involves the sale of products or services which can are commonly gifted.

Stay Tuned!

So there you have it – some incredibly powerful Demographic Targeting parameters that you can use to start developing your Core Audiences.

In the next post, we’ll build on this by covering how you can use Interest Targeting to get even more focused on the passion points of your target audience.