Targeting Facebook users with ads is so incredibly detailed, that any business operating in any niche can find ideal customers. This is why Facebook is probably the best social media platform for marketing, both for B2B and B2C companies. To show you how much you can refine your audience selection criteria, today we will show you how to target specific mobile devices on Facebook.
Who Benefits from Targeting Specific Mobile Devices?
The first question you may have, of course, is why you should go to such great lengths in targeting ad audiences. Consider the following situations:
- You advertise your mobile phone repair services
- You are an authorised reseller for specific mobile device brands
- You advertise an app running on specific mobile operating systems.
In each of these cases, you want to make sure that you reach Facebook users who:
- Own a relevant mobile device
- Need your specialised services for mobile devices
- Expressed an interest or previously owned a relevant mobile device.
These people are most likely to click on your ads and follow through with your CTA. And this is why you should make sure that you reach them from the mass of Facebook users.
Ways to Target Specific Mobile Devices on Facebook
Now that you know why you should try this type of targeting, here is how to do it. We will detail this targeting based on various criteria: device type, ownership or interest, operating system and type of internet connection.
1. Targeting By Brand Name
This type of targeting allows you to target people who own a specific brand and model of mobile device. In the Detailed Targeting screen you will look at the Behaviour section and select Mobile Device Users.
From the drop down list, you select Devices by Brand. In the text box, you start typing the name of the mobile device brand you are interested in. Facebook will start suggesting various models of this brand. You are allowed to make multiple selections and add as many models you want to target.
2. Targeting by Inclusion/Exclusion
If you offer app installs, you may want to target devices running on Android or iOS. At the same time, you can exclude specific models of phones. This is recommended especially for Android phones. Some models are sold only in specific countries and you don’t want to pay for clicks coming from people who are outside your targeted geographical area.
To make this selection, you will go to the Edit Placements section of the Ad Creator panel and then click on Show More Options at the bottom of the page. Here, you will find the section Specific Mobile Devices & Operating Systems and click on Edit.
Next, from the drop down menu titled All Mobile Devices, select, as appropriate:
- Android Devices Only
- iOS Devices Only
- Feature Phones Only.
After you make this selection, you can refine your search by Included Devices and Excluded Devices.
3. Targeting by Interest
In some cases, you may want to target people who expressed an interest in a mobile brand name. Please note that Facebook makes a difference between Behaviour (mobile phone user, detailed at point 1) and Interest.
In this case, Interest may mean that someone liked a mobile phone brand page or joined a group related to the specific mobile phone. Thus, in the Detailed Targeting section of the Ad Creator panel, as you start typing a mobile device brand name, you can keep scrolling down the suggestions beyond Behaviours and reach Interests.
4. Targeting by Mobile Connection Type
If you offer app installs and your app has a large size, you may want to target users who are using a Wi-Fi connection and not mobile data. This is a sign of courtesy for the users: no one wants to waste their data plan on large app installs.
To do so, you start with the Placement Section, click on Edit Placements and then on Show More options. Next, look at the Specific Mobile Devices & Operating Systems section and click on “Only when connected to Wi-Fi”. Select “Yes” and you’re done. Now, your app install ads will show only for users who use the Wi-Fi connection for the mobile devices.