If you’ve ever run Facebook Ads and felt like you were throwing money into the void, you’re not alone.
Many businesses waste thousands of dollars advertising to the wrong people—people who scroll past their ads without a second thought. The key to stopping the waste and boosting your ROI?
Facebook Custom Audiences.
With Custom Audiences, you’re not just shouting your message into the crowded digital space. You’re strategically placing your ads in front of the right people—people who already know your brand, have visited your website, or even added products to their cart but didn’t buy.
This guide will take you behind the scenes of how to create and use Facebook Custom Audiences like a pro, including untold tips and tricks to make your ads more effective than ever.
To make it real, let’s follow Alex—a small business owner—who cracked the Custom Audience code to scale his business from struggling to six-figure success.
Meet Alex: A Business Owner Who Was Wasting Money on Ads
Alex runs an online sneaker store. His products are great, but there’s one big problem—his Facebook Ads aren’t working.
He’s been running ads for months but keeps seeing the same results:
❌ High ad costs
❌ Low sales
❌ Lots of clicks, but not enough purchases
One day, a friend told him: “You’re advertising to the wrong people.”
That’s when Alex discovered Facebook Custom Audiences.
Instead of targeting random people who “might” be interested, he learned how to reach people who already showed interest in his sneakers—people who:
✔️ Visited his website
✔️ Engaged with his Instagram posts
✔️ Started checkout but didn’t finish
The result? A 300% increase in sales in just two months.
Let’s dive into exactly how Alex did it—and how you can do the same.
Step 1: What Are Facebook Custom Audiences?
A Facebook Custom Audience is a group of people you can target with ads based on their past interactions with your business.
Instead of relying on broad targeting, you can retarget specific people who have already shown interest in what you offer.
Think about it this way:
Would you rather advertise to:
A) Random people who have never heard of you?
B) People who visited your website last week but didn’t buy?
Option B is a no-brainer.
Custom Audiences allow you to nudge potential customers who already know your brand, making your ads more effective and less expensive.
Step 2: The 5 Best Custom Audiences You Should Be Using
Alex learned that there are five powerful Custom Audiences every business should use.
1️⃣ Website Visitors (The “Almost-Buyers” Audience)
- Targets people who visited your website but didn’t buy
- You can get hyper-specific by retargeting visitors from certain pages (like your product page)
✅ Example: Alex set up an audience of people who viewed a sneaker but didn’t check out. He ran a retargeting ad saying:
“Still thinking about these kicks? Get 10% off today!”
Pro Tip: Set up a 7-day retargeting window for hot audiences (people who recently visited), and a 30-day window for colder audiences (people who visited a while ago).
2️⃣ People Who Engaged With Your Facebook or Instagram
- Targets people who liked, commented, or saved your social media posts
- Great for turning social media lurkers into buyers
✅ Example: Alex noticed many people liked his sneaker posts but never bought anything. He created an ad saying:
“You loved these sneakers—now it’s time to grab a pair! ”
Pro Tip: Use a video ad to retarget engaged users—it builds trust and reminds them why they were interested in the first place.
3️⃣ Cart Abandoners (The “So Close” Audience)
- Targets people who added something to their cart but didn’t complete checkout
- One of the highest-converting audiences because they already showed strong buying intent
✅ Example: Alex set up a retargeting ad offering free shipping for people who abandoned their carts.
Pro Tip: Add a countdown timer in your ad to create urgency:
“Your 10% off code expires in 24 hours—act fast!”
4️⃣ Customer List (The “Repeat Buyers” Audience)
- Uploads your email list to Facebook and targets your past customers
- Perfect for upselling and repeat sales
✅ Example: Alex targeted past customers with a “VIP exclusive” ad featuring new sneaker drops.
Pro Tip: People who already bought from you are 3X more likely to buy again—so don’t forget them!
5️⃣ Lookalike Audiences (The “Find More Customers” Trick)
- Finds new people who are similar to your best customers
- Best for scaling your business
✅ Example: Alex told Facebook to find more people like his past buyers. Within weeks, he had thousands of new customers who were just as interested in sneakers.
Pro Tip: Use a 1% Lookalike Audience for the most accurate results.
Step 3: Creating a Custom Audience in Facebook Ads Manager
Here’s how Alex set up his Custom Audiences:
1️⃣ Go to Facebook Ads Manager
2️⃣ Click “Audiences”
3️⃣ Choose “Create a Custom Audience”
4️⃣ Select Your Data Source (website visitors, customer list, etc.)
5️⃣ Define Your Audience (e.g., people who visited the product page in the last 14 days)
6️⃣ Save & Use in Your Ad Campaign
Boom. Just like that, Alex was showing his ads to the right people.
Step 4: Writing the Perfect Ad for Custom Audiences (Using NLP for More Sales)
Targeting the right audience is only half the battle. You need to write persuasive, NLP-powered ads that make people click.
How Alex Improved His Ad Copy:
✅ Use emotional triggers
✔️ “Imagine unboxing your dream sneakers—fresh, stylish, and made just for you.”
✅ Create urgency
✔️ “Only 10 pairs left—grab yours before they’re gone!”
✅ Use direct calls to action (CTA)
✔️ “Click below to claim your 10% off now!”
✅ Add social proof
✔️ “Over 5,000 happy customers—see why sneaker lovers trust us.”
Pro Tip: Use dynamic ad copy that mentions the exact product they viewed (Facebook’s Dynamic Product Ads can do this automatically).
Step 5: Scaling Your Custom Audience Ads for Massive Growth
Once Alex saw success, he scaled his ads strategically:
✔️ Increased his budget on winning audiences
✔️ Created Lookalike Audiences to find new buyers
✔️ Tested different offers (discounts, free shipping, bundles)
Result? A six-figure business in under a year.
Final Thoughts: Your Turn to Master Facebook Custom Audiences
If you’re tired of wasting money on Facebook Ads, it’s time to use Custom Audiences the right way.
Start by targeting:
✅ Website visitors
✅ Engaged followers
✅ Cart abandoners
✅ Past customers
✅ Lookalikes
Optimize your ads with:
✔️ Persuasive NLP-based copy
✔️ Eye-catching visuals
✔️ Urgency & social proof
Now it’s your turn—go set up your first Custom Audience and watch your ad results skyrocket.