By Jeremy Koenig | Custom Audience Data Targeting | March, 12 2025 | 5 Minute Read
By Jeremy Koenig | Custom Audience Data Targeting | March, 12 2025 | 5 Minute Read
Introduction
Custom audience data targeting is one of the most powerful tools available to media buyers looking to optimize their advertising campaigns across Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google (PPC, Display, YouTube), and X (Twitter). Leveraging custom audience data allows advertisers to deploy hyper-targeted ads, maximize budget efficiency, and drive superior return on ad spend (ROAS). This best practice is a well kept secret among top tier digital marketers who consistently outperform competitors by strategically utilizing custom audience targeting.
1. Understand Custom Audience Data Targeting Basics within Social Media and Web Search Advertising Platforms to Level Up Your Media Buying Game
Custom audience data targeting involves uploading databases containing customer information such as names, emails, phone numbers, and addresses to match users on advertising platforms. Each platform has unique matching capabilities:
Meta Ads Manager matches platform users based on a combination of name, email, phone, dob, city, state, country, and zip for Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns.
» Meta custom audience guidelines
Google Ads Manager matches platform users based on a combination of name, email, phone, country, and zip for PPC, Display and YouTube advertising campaigns.
» Google custom audience guidelines
X (Twitter) Ads Manager matches platform users based on combination of email address and phone number.
» X custom audience guidelines
Best Practices for Higher Match Rates
- Ensure data is clean, accurate, and formatted correctly.
- Include as many identifiers as possible (email, phone, address)
- Regularly update and refresh custom audiences to maintain relevance.
By utilizing custom audience data, marketers can ensure their ads are reaching high-intent consumers who have the purchasing power and pre-qualification necessary for conversion.
2. Create Inclusion, Suppression, and Lookalike Audiences From Custom Audience Databases to Target Qualified Customers and Smash Sales Goals
Custom audience databases enable advertisers to refine their targeting by leveraging Inclusion, Suppression, and Lookalike audiences.
Inclusion Audiences directly target pre-qualified lead prospects (users who match advanced targeting parameters) with your ads.
Suppression Audiences exclude un-qualified lead prospects (those who do not match advanced targeting parameters) from your ads.
Lookalike Audiences expand reach of campaigns by targeting platform users who share attributes with uploaded custom audience. We recommend starting with 1% lookalike audience test and scale based on results.
Strategic Scenario
An advertiser running lead generation and eCommerce ads for high end auto parts can:
- Target an inclusion audience of qualified vehicle owners based on make, model and year.
- Suppress existing customers to avoid wasted ad spend.
- Generate lookalike audiences to scale by finding similar high value prospects.
These techniques help optimize ad spend while maximizing conversions and revenue growth.
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3. Combine Custom Audience Data Parameters with Platform Generated Interest Groups for Exponential Advertising Results
Advertisers can take targeting a step further by layering custom audiences with Meta, Google and X platform generated interest groups. This strategy enhances segmentation and delivers highly personalized ads. Custom audience databases can include advance targeting parameters including but not limited to:
Demographic Data including age, gender, marital status, number of children, dependents in household, pet owners, ethnicity, religion, language, education level, current occupation, retired, political affiliation, veteran status and more.
Residence Data including homeowners, renters, SFDU, MFDU, length of residence, square footage, home purchase amount, loan-to-value ratio, current loan interest rate, and more.
Vehicle Data including make-model-year, style preference (sedan, compact, truck, luxury, sport, van), RV owners, motorcycle owners, off road vehicle owners, boat owners, and more.
Financials Data including annual income, net worth, summarized credit score, number of credit lines, investment portfolio (real estate, stocks, business), reward card members, charitable donations, and more.
Purchase History Data including goods and services, casinos and gambling, luxury items, high tech living, travel and vacations, food and restaurants, healthy lifestyle products, and more.
Business Data including company name, job titles, industry classification, number of employees, annual sales, business year started, franchises, publicly traded, and more.
Strategic Scenario
A luxury real estate company can:
- Upload a database of qualified ultra high net worth marina luxury living condo prospects.
- Combine net worth, home value, and boat ownership with ad platform interest groups.
- Deploy ads to users who are likely to desire multi-million dollar waterfront properties.
This technique amplifies campaign efficiency and exponentially increases ROAS.
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4. Target Custom Audience Databases to Ensure Multiple Touchpoints of Communication During Traditional Advertising Campaigns for Increased Response Rates
Traditional marketing efforts including email broadcasts, phone outreach, and direct mail campaigns become significantly more effective when the same audience is targeted with digital advertising across social media and web search platforms.
The Rule of 7
Studies show that customers are twice as likely to respond when they see an offer at least seven times across different channels.
Strategic Scenario
A nationwide furniture company executing a multi-channel campaign can:
- Send a direct mail piece with exclusive offer to qualified homeowners.
- Follow up with an elegant sequence of email communications.
- Show Facebook, Instagram, Google and YouTube ads to the same audience.
- Reinforce all messaging with seasonal call center phone outreach.
By ensuring consistent exposure across multiple touchpoints from promotion to promotion—website visits, foot traffic, lead generation, and sales revenues can increase 400% and beyond.
Conclusion
Custom audience data targeting is essential for businesses of all sizes including Startups, SMBs, and Enterprise organizations who are looking to maximize the effectiveness of their digital ad spend. By leveraging inclusion, suppression, and lookalike audiences, layering data with platform parameters, and integrating traditional marketing efforts, advertisers can dramatically improve campaign performance. This advanced approach ensures ads reach the right people, at the right time, with the right message—driving more conversions, higher engagement, and increased revenue.
Please use the scheduling tool below to book a meeting with our team to discuss custom audience data targeting strategy options for your organization. Feel free to live chat for an immediate response. Thank you.
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We would love to help you target custom audience databases to optimize Google, Meta and X advertising campaigns.
We look forward to working with you,
Jeremy Koenig
Giant Partners
President
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About Giant Partners
24 years. 6000 customers. Giant Partners is America’s #1 data driven marketing agency. We accelerate campaign performance with custom audience data, brand management, website development, CRM integration, email marketing, and omni-channel advertising.
