Facebook is one of the most targeted and cost-effective digital marketing tools you can use to reach your audience. It is heavily used by healthcare marketers, even though measuring its effectiveness can be challenging.
We've discussed how to create Facebook campaigns for all stages of the buyer's journey to increase conversions. The next step? Segmenting your audience. Here's a quick primer on the types of audiences Facebook has to offer.
Facebook Audience Targeting Methods
Location
You can reach customers based on where they live or do business with you. Target ads by country, state, zip code, or even the area around your business.
Demographics
You can choose the audiences that should see your ads by age, gender, interests, or the languages they speak.
Interests
When people are interested in what your business does, they’re more likely to take action on your ad. You can select from hundreds of categories like music, movies, sports, games, shopping, and more to find just the right people who fit your buyer profile.
Lookalike Audiences
This option lets you create a targeting category on Facebook based on a profile of your current customers. It’s a great way to use the insights you’ve gained from your Facebook marketing to find more people who will benefit from your products and services.
Connections
This is how you reach the people who like your page—and their friends. It’s an easy way to find a broader audience that might be interested in your business.
Partner Categories
Through targeting options provided by third-party data partners, you can reach users based on offline behaviors, such as owning a home, being in the market for a new car, or being a loyal purchaser of a specific brand or product.
Custom Audiences
Facebook’s targeting tools also help you find your existing customers among all the people who are on Facebook. You can create a custom audience using a customer contact list, your website traffic, or activity in your app.
Behaviors
Customers can be identified based on the things they do online—such as shopping behavior, the type of phone they use, or if they’re looking to buy a car or house.
Winning Audience Combinations for Healthcare
Location-based Ads
Share your ER wait times or drive foot traffic to your urgent care facility to Facebook users within your service area. You can target as granularly as zip +4.
Lookalike Audiences
Already have a high-performing email list? Gain more subscribers with a lookalike audience. Lookalike audiences exhibit similar demographics and behavior to your existing lists.
Custom Lists
Target specific Facebook users for remarketing campaigns. For example: You host a community health fair or a weight-loss seminar. Attendees may not be ready to make a decision right away, but you can nurture them to the next step with relevant ads that remind them of the services and benefits your hospital has to offer.
The Bottom Line
No matter which marketing channels you're using, you should be as specific as possible. Facebook advertising enables you to target your service area, acquire more qualified leads, and remarket to your existing prospects. Marketing to more specific audiences keeps your cost-per-action low and delivers the most relevant content to an audience that is most likely to fulfill your desired action.
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