Apr 05, 2016 | 2 minute read

Local Businesses Can Target Ads to Nearby People With Facebook’s New Tools

It’s no surprise Facebook’s advertising sales increased over the past year as the social networking company expands its Internet influence. They recently revealed a 45 percent increase in revenue, which was a factor fueling their decision to dive into local marketing.

Facebook is now offering two local ad products that are designed to give businesses an accurate picture of foot traffic in their area. It also allows advertisers to target their ads to those specific people.

The first of the new products, a tab in Page Insights, brings together aggregate demographics to paint a picture of the types of people walking by your business store. These insights are pulled from those using Facebook’s mobile app.

A company representative said the tool allows businesses to track anonymous users within 150 feet, 450 feet and 1,500 feet. The data gathered will show details regarding their gender and age, as well as whether or not they’re residents of business’s city.

Facebook announced news of their tools in a blog post, explaining how advertisers could view the demographics of local ad viewers in percentages. They told readers that these metrics can help stores target their advertising toward their local market, thereby reaching more business goals.

Last year the company launched local awareness ads, which served as a huge step forward in location-focused advertising. This increased focus on target local traffic ties in with Facebook’s second new tool: an advertising option specifically for multi-store businesses. The new tool should help further simplify the process of local ad targeting.

Businesses who use this multi-store advertising option will be able to show their branch name, phone number, address, and a customized call-to-action button on their ads. Nearby Facebook users will then be able to contact the stores through these ads.

According to Matt Idema, Facebook’s vice president of monetization product marketing, the new tools are an effective way to give businesses an accurate understanding of how their ads affect people walking near their store. The company is set to continue its development in local advertising products, further connecting businesses to people in their area.