In the last lesson, you learned how to target people based on Precise Interests that users list in their profiles. Now it’s time to cast a wider net with Broad Categories!
Ready? Let’s go!
What You Are Going to Learn Today
Today’s lesson is Broad Categories. We’re going to focus on the following:
- What is Broad Category Targeting?
- How is Broad Category Targeting Used?
The Lesson
What is Broad Category Targeting?
Broad Category targeting is very similar to #interest targeting. This allows advertisers to target users who have information in their Timelines and actions taken related to a specific category of interests.
How is Broad Category Targeting Used?
Broad Category targeting is different from interest targeting in that there are specific categories Facebook provides that you can target. With interest targeting, you simply start typing and something is bound to be there to match what you’re looking for.
Broad Categories fall into one of the following 16 groups:
- Mobile Users (Android)
- Mobile Users (iOS)
- Activities
- Business/Technology
- Events
- Family Status
- Interests
- Games
- Market
- Mobile Users (All)
- Mobile Users (Other OS)
- Movie/Film
- Music
- Retail/Shopping
- Sports
- Travel
You could, for example, target all users who mention anything in their Timelines related to baseball.
As you can see, there are more than 79 Million people who fit this target!
You could also add Broad Categories. Unlike with Precise Interests, however, this will decrease your audience. If you target the Broad Categories of Baseball and Basketball, you will only reach users who have performed actions related to both of those categories.
TIP: I’ve found that in most cases it’s best to target by Precise Interests if possible. Broad Categories tend to be just that — far too broad. Of course, there may be times when a wider net is necessary, and that’s when Broad Categories can come into play.
Recap
What did you learn today?
1. What Broad Categories are and how they are different from Precise Interests
2. How to use Broad Categories
Your Assignment
Action Items:
- Explore the various Broad Categories within each 16 groups
- Experiment with multiple Broad Categories
- Experiment with one Broad Category and a Precise Interest
