Introduction

Audience targeting on Facebook used to be pretty straightforward. Once you pick your
audience demographics, all you need to do is throwing in a few interest and behavior options, and
next you will see traffic and conversions start flowing in. Before you know it, life is good. You get
new prospects at low CPL, or 3 to 5x ROAS for most products you sell in your ecommerce store. Ad
cost is hardly a concern for you. but more about scaling and expanding your team to meet the
strong demand from Facebook Ads.

However, the game has changed.

The infamous iOS 14.5 update threw a wrench into the works and stirred up the already complex
landscape of Facebook marketing. To add to the chaos, Facebook started removing detailed
targeting options, updating location targeting, and in general, made things a whole lot more
complicated.

At this point, you might even start to think... Facebook Ads are NOT working anymore!

It feels like navigating a barren desert with a broken compass. Finding an oasis in this vast
desert was easier than dealing with these constant changes. A critical question echoed in my
mind...

"Where is the next oasis?"

I followed the advice of many 'gurus' who suggested broad targeting. But this approach didn't
yield much results. It seemed like I was reaching a lot of people, but they were far from the right
audience.

My inbox was flooded with low-quality leads in lead generation. This caused my customer
database to become like a 'lead landfill'. And the high-quality leads? They seemed to have
turned invisible.

When it came to e-commerce, the situation was no better. I was making sales, but not to the
right customers. The high rate of disputes and chargebacks proved otherwise.

It wasn't about targeting a broad audience; it was about reaching the right audience. It felt like a
game of hide and seek, but my ideal customer was always hiding and never seeking.
I spent so much time and money on it, but I still couldn't figure it out. I felt exhausted and my
ROI turned out to be a disaster. So, I decided to go back to the drawing board.

I immersed myself in studying the details of Facebook's targeting options, tried, and tested
different audience configurations, and scrutinized my campaigns from top to bottom. Slowly, I
began to make sense of the labyrinth. My campaigns started performing better, the quality of my
leads improved, and my ROI began to see a new dawn.

If you're struggling with Facebook audience targeting, you're not alone.

We've all been there. But I'm here to tell you there's a way out. You can not only survive, but also
thrive in this dynamic and often unpredictable landscape.

In this E-Book, you'll learn the core strategies and framework to effectively reach your
intended target audience using Facebook Ads. You'll uncover the critical errors that may have
tripped you up in the past and gain a strong understanding of how to navigate Facebook's ongoing
targeting changes.

Contrary to the popular belief that "Facebook Ads is Dead", I'm here to tell you that it's far from the
truth. Yes, the rules of the game have changed, but it doesn't mean that the game is over. In fact,
with the right strategies in place, it's a game you can actually win.

Throughout the chapters of this E-Book, I will unravel the intricacies of Facebook's audience
targeting and deliver insights that go beyond the basics. You'll learn to think strategically and build
a foolproof targeting framework that can weather any changes Facebook (Meta) throws at you.

By the end of this E-Book, you will master the art of effective audience targeting, and equip
yourself with the strategies to consistently reach your ideal audience regardless how
Facebook Ads landscape evolves.

As a bonus, you'll find a series of exercises to solidify your newfound knowledge and apply it to
your own campaigns.

If you stumble upon a concept that seems confusing, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Drop me an email at javier@tripleblossom.com, and I will do my best to clarify.

Here's to mastering audience targeting to up your Facebook advertising game to new heights with
The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Audience Targeting!
Chapter 1 - Understanding How
Facebook's Audience Targeting Works
Before we dive into the complexities of Audience targeting on Facebook, it's important to
understand how the system itself functions. After all, knowing the mechanism behind a process is
the first step in mastering it.

Facebook's audience targeting is not some random, chaotic process but it's actually highly
sophisticated one. It's designed to connect your ads with individuals who are most likely to find
them relevant and appealing. It does this by considering a number of factors from the user's
demographics with their online behavior, interests, and connections.

This detailed understanding of your audience allows Facebook to deliver your ads to those who
are most likely to engage with them. It's about reaching the right people at the right time with
the right message.

Understanding this process is key to being proficient at navigating the changes Facebook
implements in its targeting system.

1.1 How Facebook's Targeting Updates Affect You As

An Advertiser
Navigating through Facebook's ongoing targeting changes can feel like maneuvering a labyrinth.
These shifts are transforming the traditional Facebook marketing strategies urging you to adapt to
a rapidly evolving landscape.
Starting with the iOS 14.5 update back in April 2021, Apple introduced a new policy that requires
apps to ask for user's permission to track them across apps and websites owned by other
companies. As a result, the potency of your ad targeting on Facebook took a hit. To further
complicate matters, you have to set up a Conversion API in compliance with GDPR - a technical
challenge which demands immediate attention.

The ongoing removal of detailed targeting options which started from January 2022 onwards
posed another significant hurdle. Detailed targeting options have long been your ticket to reach
precise audience subsets based on demographic information, interests, and behaviors. Their
elimination would not require you to re-strategize and learn how to optimize your ad performance
without these previously crucial tools.

Changes to location targeting since May 2023 have made things more complex. If you had
mastered the art of geo-targeting, these changes would have reset what you've learned and
required strategy adjustments. Facebook also reduced the available options, making it tougher to
reach people in specific locations.
These changes have considerably raised the difficulty of Facebook audience targeting, which
requires a change in strategy and methodology over time. If you don't adapt, you risk losing your
main source of traffic, engagement and even your revenue stream which you need to your
business afloat.

1.2 Understanding Facebook’s Motivation Behind

The Updates
Sometimes it seems as though Facebook is endlessly moving the goalposts, making the process of
reaching your audience feel like an uphill battle. Let's not forget that Facebook is not just an
advertising platform - it's a social media powerhouse that serves a global community.

Facebook has over 3.03 billion MAU (monthly active users) and it has to strike an optimal balance
between facilitating businesses' growth on its platform and enhancing the user experience. Your
customers may not remember the specifics of your ad or your business, but they will most
certainly remember that the ad was on Facebook. Any complaint or negative reaction to an ad
affects Facebook's reputation the most.

In the fiercely competitive world of social media where platforms like TikTok are gaining rapid
traction, Facebook constantly needs to constantly innovate and improve the user experience. In
fact, the relentless drive to provide a better, more personalized, and non-intrusive user experience
forms a large part of Facebook's strategy. This is evident from data privacy changes such as the
introduction of the iOS 14.5 update, which gave users more control over their privacy.

But, it's not about improving user experience for the sake of retaining users. Facebook also has a
responsibility to uphold the law and regulatory requirements. Their commitment to data privacy
and ethical advertising practices is a testament to this.

1.3 Key Takeout

Facebook's targeting options are always changing, but there's an important message behind it:
balancing user privacy and advertiser interests is key to a profitable platform.
As we've already seen, Facebook constantly evolves its platform to maintain this balance. They
introduced changes like the iOS 14.5 update to alter location targeting, and remove detailed
targeting options that might be "too personal" and violate data protection laws.

Based on this, you can see Facebook's main goal is to make a platform where users feel safe with
their information, advertisers can reach their target audience, and Facebook keeps doing
well. This is the essential Win-Win-Win scenario that Facebook aims for.

Instead of seeing these changes as roadblocks, try to view them as signposts. These strategies
help improve targeted ads without compromising privacy, yet still lead to higher returns on ad
spend (ROAS).
Chapter 2 - Why Your Facebook
Audience Targeting Is NOT Working
Experienced marketers understand that Facebook advertising doesn't guarantee success every
time. Even with good intentions, you might get stuck and feel confused on the journey.

"Why aren't my Facebook ads working?"

Now, if this sounds like you, you're not alone. All businesses and advertisers from every industry
have struggled to grasp Facebook's algorithm. They always end up spending money on ads that
don't yield significant results.

But what if I told you that the key to turning the tide might just lie in your approach to audience
targeting?

Yes, you heard that right.

More often than not, it is the finer aspects of audience targeting that can make or break your
Facebook campaigns. In fact, it's not uncommon for you to overlook certain details and make
unintentional errors in your audience targeting strategies which can lead to subpar performance.

This chapter is designed to shed light on some common errors you might be making in your
approach. We'll dive into 5 specific reasons - each of these could be the missing piece of your
advertising puzzle.

2.1 You're Targeting the Wrong Audience

When you throw a frisbee, where you aim and how you throw it affects your success. The same
principle applies to your Facebook advertising. If you're not throwing in the right direction, you're
likely not going to reach your target.
In Chapter 4, we'll look at different ways to reach specific groups of people based on their
demographics, interests, and behaviors.

The key to success on Facebook Ads is not having more options, but using them intelligently. To
have this intelligence, you need to know your ideal audience well. You should know who they are,
what they like, where they hang out, what motivates them, and what their pain points are.
A strong customer persona is built on a deep understanding which will help you effectively target
your audience. Now you might ask,

How do I understand my audience better?

The answer lies in

...

...

...

👉
Eager to dive into actionable strategies that will supercharge your audience targeting?

Grab The Complete E-book Here

To help you with implementing the concepts into actual business practice, I have also included:

BYO Audience Targeting Workbook (with Step-by-Step guide for strategy implementation)

Look forward to you joining the Facebook Audience Targeting Mastery Club!

Warm regards,
Javier