How to Utilize Lookalike Audiences to Expand Your Reach

With so many businesses competing for attention on Facebook, it can be challenging to stand out and reach the right people. This is where Facebook Lookalike Audiences come in.

Lookalike Audiences are a great feature that allows you to expand your reach and find new potential customers who are likely to be interested in your business. By leveraging data from your existing customers, Facebook can help you identify people who share similar characteristics and are more likely to convert.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the world of Facebook Lookalike Audiences, exploring what Facebook Lookalike Audiences are, how they work, and why they can be such a valuable addition to your Facebook Marketing strategy.

So, let’s get started!

What are Facebook Lookalike Audiences?

Facebook Lookalike Audiences are a powerful tool that allows you to reach new people who are likely to be interested in your business because they share similar characteristics to your existing customers. In essence, Facebook uses data from your current audience to find people who “look like” them, hence the name “Lookalike Audiences.”

This tool is particularly useful when you want to expand your reach beyond your current customer base and find new potential customers who are more likely to convert.

How do Lookalike Audiences work?

To create a Lookalike Audience, you first need to have a source audience. This can be a Custom Audience based on your website visitors, app users, or customer list, or it can be based on people who have engaged with your Facebook page or ad.

Once you have your source audience, Facebook uses machine learning algorithms to analyze the common characteristics among these people, such as demographics, interests, and behaviors. It then searches its database of users to find people who share similar traits.

You can choose the size of your Lookalike Audience, ranging from 1% to 10% of the total population in your target country. A smaller audience (e.g., 1%) will be more closely matched to your source audience, while a larger audience (e.g., 10%) will be less precise but have a broader reach.

Why use Lookalike Audiences?

There are several reasons why Lookalike Audiences can be a valuable addition to your Facebook Marketing strategy:

1. Increased relevance: By targeting people who are similar to your existing customers, you’re more likely to reach people who are interested in your products or services.
2. Higher conversion rates: Lookalike Audiences tend to have higher conversion rates compared to more broadly targeted audiences. A study by Adroll found that Lookalike Audiences had a 63% lower cost per action (CPA) compared to interest-based targeting.
3. Expanded reach: Lookalike Audiences allow you to reach new people who may not have heard of your brand before, but are likely to be receptive to your messaging.
4. Time-saving: Rather than manually researching and selecting target audiences, Lookalike Audiences automate the process of finding potential customers, saving you time and effort.

How to create a Lookalike Audience

Creating a Lookalike Audience in Facebook is a straightforward process:

1. Go to the Audiences section of your Facebook Ads Manager.
2. Click on “Create Audience” and select “Lookalike Audience.”
3. Choose your source audience (e.g., a Custom Audience or Facebook Page).
4. Select the country where you want to find your Lookalike Audience.
5. Choose your desired audience size, from 1% to 10% of the total population in your selected country.
6. Click “Create Audience.”

Facebook will then generate your Lookalike Audience, which may take a few hours to populate fully.

Best practices for using Lookalike Audiences

To get the most out of your Lookalike Audiences, consider the following best practices:

1. Use high-quality source audiences: The quality of your Lookalike Audience depends on the quality of your source audience. Make sure your source audience consists of engaged, high-value customers.
2. Experiment with audience size: Test different audience sizes to find the right balance between precision and reach for your campaign goals.
3. Segment your Lookalike Audiences: Consider creating separate Lookalike Audiences based on different actions, such as website purchases, app installs, or email sign-ups, to further refine your targeting.
4. Combine with other targeting options: Use Lookalike Audiences in conjunction with other targeting options, such as age, gender, or interests, to create even more targeted campaigns.
5. Refresh your Lookalike Audiences: As your customer base grows and changes, make sure to periodically update your Lookalike Audiences to ensure they remain relevant.

Examples of successful Lookalike Audience campaigns

Many businesses have seen success using Lookalike Audiences in their Facebook Marketing campaigns. Here are a couple of examples:

1. Airbnb: The vacation rental platform used Lookalike Audiences based on its most valuable customers to drive a 3.3x higher conversion rate and a 60% lower cost per acquisition compared to other targeting methods.
2. Bombas: The sock company used Lookalike Audiences based on its email subscribers and website purchasers to drive a 50% lower cost per acquisition and a 2x higher return on ad spend compared to other Facebook targeting options.