Facebook is letting advertisers run ads on the social network that only target their own customers, in a bid to boost retention. The new tool, called ‘Custom Audiences’ has gone live in the US, with a global rollout expected to finish by the end of November. The feature was initially launched last year, but was […]
Facebook is letting advertisers run ads on the social network that only target their own customers, in a bid to boost retention.
The new tool, called ‘Custom Audiences’ has gone live in the US, with a global rollout expected to finish by the end of November.
The feature was initially launched last year, but was only available through Facebook’s Power Editor tool, although Facebook boasts this still led “thousands” of advertisers to use it in their campaigns.
Now, Custom Audiences’ lets advertisers target customised lists using any of the social network’s ad interfaces, and includes Mailchimp support for integration with newsletter data.
To use Custom Audiences, users need to upload customer information such as email addresses or phone numbers.
Once the contacts are on Facebook, the social network will let users target matched users with ads for their site, Facebook Page, or mobile app.
Facebook offers two examples:
• Message existing customers with promotions or offers on Facebook. For example, a local auto dealer can reach people who bought a car a year ago with an ad for a free oil change.
• Find new customers in a specific area by excluding existing customers from campaigns. A clothing boutique might try to reach new customers in its area by excluding people who have already signed up for its mailing list.
To calm privacy fears, Facebook promises that Custom Audiences is “data protective.” The company says the feature is specifically designed so it doesn’t share people’s private information without their consent.
Read the official blog announcement here
