In October of 2022, Facebook made a quiet announcement that could have a big impact on businesses that use Facebook Ads as part of their marketing strategy.
The company made the decision to eliminate “Special Audiences”, also known as LAL Audiences—and if you or your clients are currently using them, this could throw a wrench in your plans.
Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate this issue and still reach targeted, segmented audiences. Here’s what the change means and how to plan for it.
Why is Facebook eliminating LAL audiences?
The decision to get rid of LAL audiences comes in response to an ongoing lawsuit between Facebook and the housing market. This lawsuit involves LAL audience targeting, which explains why Facebook has been rather hush-hush about the change.
Unfortunately, this also means Facebook has done little to help customers who rely on Special Audiences, leaving them to figure out workarounds on their own.
How will this change impact businesses using Facebook ads?
Many businesses use LAL Audiences to target specific user segments, so their removal is likely to have a big impact.
CallRail Agency Partner 81 & Sunny took a deeper look into this issue, analyzing their current clients to see just how significant this change could be.
According to 81 & Sunny, on average LALs account for 23% of their clients’ total audience size. They also make up 10% of total lead volume per month.
Unless companies take action to adapt to this change, they could stand to lose up to 10% of their total lead volume every month.
What should businesses do to avoid fallout from this change?
Here’s the good news: Businesses that act quickly can avoid any negative impact from the elimination of LALs, and they may actually be able to use this moment to improve their marketing strategy overall.
To keep your marketing engine humming along despite this change, try these strategies:
Build custom audiences of your own
If you have the capacity on your team or within your budget, you can create your own custom-built audiences to replace those being phased out by Facebook.
However, a word of warning: You must be sure you’re using these audiences appropriately, and not relying on upper-funnel marketing strategies like engagement. Otherwise, they won’t last long.
Diversify your marketing channels
A healthy marketing strategy utilizes multiple channels to reach the maximum number of people in any given audience. If you have too many eggs in the Facebook Ads basket, now is the time to diversify.
Consider moving some of your resources into other scalable marketing channels that can pick up the slack, such as SEO, on-page advertising, or ads on other social platforms like TikTok.
Tap third parties to build custom audiences
There are a number of companies that offer access to Special Audiences, such as Experian, Dun & Bradstreet, and Oracle. However, these platforms will require a significant financial investment.
81 & Sunny offers a much more affordable option, thanks to their partnership with Skai. You’ll be able to access Special Audiences through them at a much lower cost than you would with other platforms.
These changes from Facebook aren’t ideal, but they don’t have to hinder your marketing strategy. With a bit of planning and a reallocation of your resources, you can recoup your segmented audiences and keep your business thriving.
