So, you’ve seen ads that weirdly match what you’re thinking about? That’s targeting in action — but let’s break it down, simple style.

What is Targeting?

Targeting just means choosing who sees your ad. You don’t want to show a dog food ad to a cat person, right? So platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Google help you choose your ideal audience.

Types of Targeting:

• Interests: Show your ad to people into beauty, coffee, or small business tips.
• Location: Choose specific cities or countries (even zip codes!).
• Age & Gender: Need to reach Gen Z women or millennial dads? Easy.
• Behaviors: Want to reach online shoppers or recent travelers? You can!
• Custom Audiences: Already have an customer list? Upload it and show ads just to those people.

What Is Retargeting?

Let’s say someone visited your website, browsed around, maybe even added your product to their cart… but didn’t buy. That’s where retargeting comes in.

Retargeting shows ads to people who already interacted with you – like visited your site, watched a video, or clicked on an ad – but didn’t convert (yet). It’s a gentle nudge: “Hey, remember this?”

It works because these people are already kind of interested. They just need a little reminder or extra motivation.

Platforms like Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and Google let you install a tiny pixel or tag on your site to track and retarget those visitors.

Better targeting = more clicks, less wasted money. Imagine throwing flyers into the wind vs. handing one to someone who wants it. Big difference.

My tip? Start simple. Test different audiences and see what works. And remember: you don’t have to get it perfect right away. Learning is part of the fun 💪