A little known feature within your Facebook Page gives you the ability to target wall updates to a specific group of connections.
Some examples of why you’d want to do this:
- You want to update certain fans about an event taking place in their geographic area. Who cares about a breast-cancer screening in Boston when they live 2,000 miles away?
- Your Page connections speak many languages. If you have multi-lingual page admins, they can send out updates in any language they choose without making non-speakers feel alienated.
- You want to share news that’s only relevant to a specific geographic location. Information on how to prepare for impending wild fires is mostly important to those located in the effected area.
Why not just send a targeted message?
Facebook Pages also allow you to target private updates to fans. These show up in a users messages folders, under “Updates”.
The limitation of sending these type of messages is that some people never read them (I rarely do). And because Facebook users all have different preferences for how they consume content, it’s best to send wall posts as well.
How to target wall posts to specific fans
So here’s how to do it…
1. Click on the specific icon to send a wall update (status, video, photo, link) and then click on the tiny little down arrow as shown below.
2. A new window will appear showing you that you can target your update by location or language.
3. Select your geographic preferences.
4. Select your language preference.
5. Publish update.
![[Free Webinar] Facebook for Executive Staff](http://www.johnhaydon.com/wp-content/themes/headway-2013/media/cache/images/eplus-post-18286-leaf-164.png)
![Facebook Edgerank Explained by Batman and Robin [Infographic]](http://www.johnhaydon.com/wp-content/themes/headway-2013/media/cache/images/eplus-post-18091-leaf-164.gif)
![Facebook Edgerank Explained by Batman and Robin [Infographic]](http://www.johnhaydon.com/wp-content/themes/headway-2013/media/cache/images/eplus-post-18091-leaf-540.gif)
![How To Post Smart And Successful Facebook Page Updates [Infographic]](http://www.johnhaydon.com/wp-content/themes/headway-2013/media/cache/images/eplus-post-17839-leaf-540.gif)
Great explanation John. I'm curious have you used this type of location/gender based targeting when doing Facebook paid advertisements? For example, you have an event and you set up an event page and promote that event to only people within proximity to the event. Thanks John!
Yes I have done that and it works quite well.
Good showing. Now if they'd only allow us to create in categories beyond language and location. Thanks for sharing.
What other categories would be useful?
Area(s) of interest I guess. If I could send work related messages to those interested and local or personal interest things to family and friends – that'd help me out.
Got it. I meant for Pages, not profiles.
Great post, John! Appreciate you sharing in crisp manner some of the ways in which messaging may be targeted on Facebook.
BTW, keep up your great work for #socialgood!
Thanks!
Very simple layout on how to do targeted updates – nice work John!
I would add a word of caution. We had an event coming up in NYC – so instead of hitting all of our fans we were doing mostly targeted updates.
But because not everyone designates their location – we were clearly not hitting all of the people in the area. We did another post to all fans and people a week out said they had no idea we were even doing the event.
Good learning lesson for us to make sure we aren't *always* targeting those updates!
[...] Fes que els teus missatges del mur els vegin només qui triïs, no pas tothom [anglès] http://www.johnhaydon.com/2010/09/target-wall-posts-specific-fans/ per Lobisome fa 12 segons [...]
I stuck there and could not say a word. I turned back to the handsome prince and only found him was waving to a girl who was walking in
Target or Niche marketing is a great way to reach out to your market segment with a specific message. Was not aware of this option in Facebook. Have to look into this.
Thanks for sharing John.
Cheers.. Are
[...] How to Target Walls Posts to Specific Fans – JohnHaydon.com [...]