Facebook introduces household income targeting based on U.S. ZIP code averages
The new feature allows advertisers to target ads based on where a user's household income falls percentage-wise (top 5%, top 10%, etc.).
Facebook has added a new layer of ad targeting with the introduction of household income by U.S. ZIP code. The feature will allow advertisers to target ads to U.S. Facebook users based on the average income levels in the ZIP code in which they say they reside.
Why you should care
The new ad targeting feature will allow marketers to direct ads to people within specific income brackets and customize creative based upon the typical products or perceived needs of people in that income bracket. The feature does not identify specific income ranges, but instead lets advertisers choose income levels based on where the user’s household income falls percentage-wise, i.e. top 5 percent, top 10 percent, top 10 to 25 percent and top 25 to 50 percent.
The new targeting feature was brought to Marketing Land’s attention via a Tweet by Facebook ad expert and president of AKvertise social media marketing agency, Akvile DeFazio.
Facebook’s ad targeting interface notes that its income level data is based on public information. The company also clarifies on its “Household income by ZIP code” info page that it worked to build these segments, “…in a way that considers your needs while helping protect people’s privacy and guard against potential misuse.”
More on the news
- Same as all ads, advertisers using the household income targeting must comply with Facebook’s non-discrimination policy.
- When doing a filter for the top 10 percent of household income by ZIP code, the pool of potential users to target was 18,232,357.
- On January 31, Facebook released its earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2018. The company generated $16.6 billion in ad revenue last quarter, up 30 percent year-over-year.
Contributing authors are invited to create content for MarTech and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the search community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. MarTech is owned by Semrush. Contributor was not asked to make any direct or indirect mentions of Semrush. The opinions they express are their own.
Related stories
About the author
