Targeting location-based advertising on Facebook allows advertisers to reach specific audiences in precise geographic locations, from countries, states, to cities. This enables businesses to connect with relevant audiences tailored to their specific needs. Bluefocus will share the most effective targeting strategies for running Facebook ads today.
So what is targeting location-based advertising on Facebook?
- Targeting location-based advertising on Facebook is a feature that allows advertisers to display their ads to users based on their geographical location.
- This tool offers a high level of specificity, enabling ads to be shown from broad regions such as countries to smaller areas like cities.
- Depending on the business’s targeting preferences, ads can be tailored to individual regions if desired, and advertisers can choose to display them in areas they believe will be suitable for their business.
- In many cases, broad targeting implies bypassing all potential targeting filters, such as custom audiences, lookalike audiences, or detailed targeting, instead focusing solely on location, allowing the algorithm to handle the rest.
- Options include the “global” targeting feature as well as targeting broad regions like Asia or large regions with a variety of accessible options.
- By leveraging this feature, businesses can ensure their ads reach people in the most suitable locations for their products or services, thereby optimizing advertising effectiveness.
Here are four types of location-based targeting options for advertising on Facebook
All People in This Location
- This option allows businesses to deliver ads to all individuals present in a designated location.
- Who Should Use This Option: Useful for all businesses with physical storefronts in a specified location or aiming to attract foot traffic within a specific area, targeting local residents or visitors.
All People Who Live in This Location
- This category targets all individuals residing in the location specified by the business through their Facebook profiles.
- This is beneficial for businesses aiming to reach local residents.
- Who Should Use This Option: This is ideal for businesses and local service providers seeking to engage with local residents or provide services to the local community.
People Near This Location
- This category targets individuals with device information indicating they have been near the location the business is targeting, whether they have left or not. It primarily serves as a business’s event notification to consumers, whether they have departed or not.
- This category targets individuals who have shown interest or engaged in a specific field.
- This category is mainly used by businesses targeting tourists or wanting to promote events they are about to launch in the near future.
People Traveling in This Location
- This category allows businesses to reach individuals who are currently traveling or have recently registered to travel to this location, but it applies only to those who are more than 200km away from their home.
- This is beneficial for businesses targeting tourists, such as hotels, travel agencies, or local attractions.
How does targeting by location work in Facebook advertising?
Facebook platform utilizes data collected from users combined with device information to determine user location.
- City specified in the user’s profile.
- User’s IP address.
- Information from user location services.
- Aggregated data about the locations of user’s friends.
- When a user’s location matches the parameters set by the advertiser, they become part of the target audience for the advertising campaign.
- This enables advertisers to display ads to individuals based on their geographical location.
- However, the accuracy is not guaranteed, and at times, you may notice impressions or even messages from potential customers not in the location you’ve chosen.
Benefits of using targeting location-based advertising on Facebook
Boosting Local Advertising
- Targeting location-based advertising on Facebook enables businesses to adjust ads to suit specific geographical locations, thereby increasing local relevance.
- This targeting approach tends to boost interaction levels as users are more inclined to engage with content relevant to their immediate surroundings, coupled with ads resonating within their local environment.
Personalized User Experience
- Instead of running scattergun advertising, targeting location-based advertising on Facebook significantly improves advertising effectiveness by directly targeting the local users of the business, enhancing personalized experiences by providing content tailored to the geographical characteristics of each area.
- For example, each area has its own unique tendencies, so users in different areas will have different perspectives on the service. This demonstrates an approach to enhancing user satisfaction with the business.
Cost-effective Advertising Strategies on Facebook
- Targeting advertising placements on Facebook allows advertisers to strategically allocate their advertising budget by focusing on specific placements rather than creating broad ad networks.
- This enables businesses to target areas with ample resources that may include numerous potential customers interested in their services, thereby generating conversion value.
- Moreover, excluding areas with less relevant user interest in the business’s services or products helps businesses avoid wasting advertising budgets on areas lacking demand for their offerings.
Effective Advertising and Targeting Event Objectives
- Targeting advertising placements on Facebook, particularly effective for event organization, sales, or promotions tied to specific geographic areas, enables businesses to reach users near an event or store.
- This facilitates engagement from users while enhancing conversion rates that drive revenue. For instance, promoting information about a music event featuring popular singers can attract users in the area who are fans, thereby boosting revenue from ticket sales and merchandise at the music event.
Setting Up Location-Based Advertising Targeting on Facebook
Setting up location-based advertising targeting on Facebook includes the following steps:
Step 1: Create a Campaign
- If you already have an advertising account, follow these steps. If you don’t have an advertising account, consider hiring a Facebook advertising agency to ensure smoother campaign allocation.
- Access the Ads Manager and create an advertising campaign based on your desired objectives.
Step 2: Set Up Targeting
Step 3: Customize Location Targeting Options
Step 4: Choose the Locations Where You Want Your Ads to Display
You can navigate to countries, cities, states, zip codes/postal codes, or your business address.
- Enter Location: When entering a location, there will be various options available. Therefore, you need to select the precise location that your business aims to target.
- Pin on Map: Zoom in on the map and locate the area where you want your ads to be displayed. Then, pin the location, and your ads will automatically be shown in that area.
- After pinning the location, the remaining task for you is to adjust the age and gender of the users and complete the campaign creation process.
Targeting location-based advertising on Facebook is not working and how to fix it
The issue of Targeting Location-Based Advertising on Facebook has been shared by bluefocus in an article on Facebook ad targeting strategies, and below are additional detailed supplementary contents.
Some reasons why Targeting Location-Based Advertising on Facebook may not be working are:
- Inappropriate Audience Selection: Selecting the wrong audience or misconfiguring location settings can result in inaccurate targeting, ultimately leading to ad distribution failure. In this case, you need to check the location settings within the ad group section to ensure they are appropriate.
- Mismatched Location and Language Settings: If your location and language settings do not match, you may encounter errors in targeting location-based advertising on Facebook. This can impact the effectiveness of your ads. To address this issue, adjust the language settings to match the targeted location.
Strategies to Leverage Location-Based Advertising Targeting on Facebook
Identify your target audience in detail
Businesses need to know where their potential customers are as the first step. They can utilize Facebook Insights to gather information about users’ geographical locations and then allocate resources accordingly.
In addition to targeting advertising based on location on Facebook, combining other criteria such as demographics, interests, and behaviors will bring more accuracy and effectiveness to the advertising campaign.
Take advantage of the location-based targeting feature by using radius targeting
The radius targeting feature allows businesses to pinpoint the area where they are running their advertising campaigns, targeting mobile users within that radius. This campaign ensures advertisers that their ads are reaching people around the selected location.
Combining location-based targeting with other criteria can enhance the effectiveness of your advertising campaign
As mentioned above, in addition to using location-based targeting on Facebook advertising, you should combine other criteria such as demographics, behaviors, and interests. This will not only target the potential areas for your business but also reach the appropriate audience, thereby boosting conversion rates and revenue.
Smart exclusion targeting
In addition to focusing on targeting potential business objectives, smart exclusion targeting is equally important. This helps businesses eliminate unbeneficial targets, reducing irrelevant audiences and minimizing costs associated with these targets.
Using a Facebook advertising agency account in conjunction with location-based targeting on Facebook ads
As you may know, agency accounts have several advantages, especially when it comes to dealing with disabled advertising accounts. Additionally, these accounts are all Facebook partners, making them more effective than individual accounts. That’s why most experienced advertisers choose to rent Facebook advertising agency accounts to ensure smooth-running campaigns.
Conclusion:
Targeting location-based advertising on Facebook helps businesses reach the right audience in key locations. By tailoring their ads to specific locations, businesses can operate more effectively in terms of relevance, cost-saving, and personalized user experience.
more: A Comprehensive Guide to Advertising on Facebook – Crafting Effective Ads in 2024
99 Proven Tactics for Dynamic Advertising on Facebook to Maximize Campaign Success
