You Can Use Email Addresses and Phone Numbers For Ad Targeting On Google, Facebook & Twitter
If you have an email account, you have received marketing in it. Most of it unwanted SPAM but sometimes, from brands or businesses you have agreed to receive mail from. But let’s face it, you don’t open a lot of it, even if you did opt in for it. More and more, email marketing is just not as effective as it once was. What can you do with all of those email addresses you have collected that are no longer responding like they used to?
Fortunately, quite a lot! Email addresses can now be used to target existing customers using ads and custom audiences. On some platforms, you can additionally purchase targeted email lists and phone numbers to use as well.
Targeting your ads to existing contacts allows you the most specific focus available. While we can target by age group, gender or specific interest, we don’t always know if we are right. Using your own lists, you are targeting by name, literally. You’re targeting people who have already liked your brand or bought your product and encouraging them to do it again.
The numbers (thanks to TechCrunch.com):
- An ecommerce company who targeted their email list found a 43% conversion rate increase among sign-ups and a 30% decrease in cost-per-lead.
- OpenSky targeted members who had either never purchased or not purchased within 30 days. They saw a 30% conversion rate increase.
- SocialCode found that one campaign with a custom audience found a 15 percent lower cost per Facebook likes.
- Another got three times as many engagements/post as standard ads and received two times as many viral engagements such as Facebook likes, Shares and comments.
Here are the top platforms and their specific tool we use to reach potential customers:
- Facebook – Custom Audience
- Instagram – Custom Audience
- Google – AdWords Customer Match
- Twitter – Tailored Audiences
Let’s talk about each one and what is and isn’t allowed on each platform.
Facebook / Instagram
Facebook Ads Based on Email Address & Phone Number (Custom Audience)
Almost every Facebook user has a registered email address or phone number within the platform. Facebook can match the email or phone number to their user and then you can directly advertise to them. Once you have uploaded the “custom audience,” the list is compiled and the users that match are targeted specifically for your ad.
Of the networks mentioned in this article, Facebook was the first to offer this type of customized targeting through Custom Audiences. This works wonderfully for B2C advertising as most users use a personal email address or phone number to sign up on Facebook. B2B can be a bit trickier.
With Facebook, you can also opt in to advertise on Instagram and their Audience Network, which is growing. And Facebook is not as strict in their guidelines, allowing you to obtain and use email addresses and phone numbers from data suppliers, if you have the actual right to use them. It is important that you obtain lists from a reputable source that can ensure your data complies with all laws. See Facebook’s Custom Audiences Terms and Conditions for more information.
What are some of the things you can do with a Facebook campaign?
- Increase page likes
- Extend the reach of your posts
- Sell or upgrade a product
- Target users similar to your subscribers
Lookalike Audiences Extend Your List on Facebook
A lookalike audience consists of users generated by Facebook that best-matches your imported contact list with like users not on your list. By examining demographic similarities, like age, gender, interests and location, Facebook finds users that are a close match. This takes a lot of work out of “finding and testing” those demographics to find an audience. Using your existing email list, you then “extend” your reach.
Twitter now has what is called Tailored Audiences. You can target Twitter users using username, phone numbers and email addresses. Again, you’ll need to make sure that your list complies with Twitter’s Tailored Audience T&C’s.
Google launched a new targeting method in AdWords named Customer Match. Customer Match, accessed through Google AdWords, gives us the ability to create a new audience using email addresses. Why is that a big deal?
Google has two platforms, aside from their Search Network. A program called AdSense and a program called AdMob. These networks essentially expand their reach beyond search results and add independent websites, mobile apps and platforms. Imagine having access to over 13 million websites and 650,000+ apps. Well, that is what you get.
By adding email addresses using Customer Match, you now can directly target your existing customers while they browse the Internet or use their mobile apps. Using standard Google ad types and sizes, you can now directly market to your customers and those who have opted-in on a regular basis.
Using remarketing, you can populate a Customer Match audience using the email list you have. You should ensure your emails comply with Google’s Customer Match Email Address Policy.
With Google, per their TOS you should not use bought lists unless you have contacted them and they have already opted in.
