Facebook to pull location from ad set when creating new Lookalike audiences

Facebook is testing the removal of the location field that advertisers use to create Lookealike audiences –  Facebook’s tool for reaching new audiences based on how they compare to existing customers. In the test, Lookalike audiences use locations from ad sets – eliminating one extra step in the targeting setup process.

The update, which appears to still be either in beta or rolling out, was spotted by Duane Brown, who heads digital agency Take Some Risk, this week.

What to know about the update. When creating new lookalike lists, advertisers will see a notification stating that lookalike audiences now use the locations from your ad sets. Facebook will make copies of existing lookalikes with the locations removed to use in future campaigns. Active campaigns with previously created lookalike audiences will continue to run as normal.

Why we should care. For brands that target audiences across multiple geographic locations, inputting locations to build a lookalike audience can be a time-consuming and duplicative effort. Pulling location data from ad sets can help advertisers speed up the Lookalike setup process and reduce the potential of missing a key target location.