Custom combination lists: Mix and match audiences to reach just the right customers

Custom combination lists: Mix and match audiences to reach just the right customers

With custom combination lists, you combine existing audience lists to create a new one. Combine lists using AND, OR, and NOT conditions to reach just the right set of customers.

Examples

• Selling products: Let's say you sell camping gear, and you want to drive sales of camping accessories:

  List A Purchased a tent

  AND

  ( List B Viewed an air mattress

  OR

  List C ) Viewed a sleeping bag

  =

  Combined list Audience for accessories sale

• Getting leads: Let's say you provide tax-preparation services, and you want to reach new customers:

  List A Previous website visitor

  NOT

  List B Already filed taxes

  =

  Combined list Potential new customers

Both of these examples were possible previously, but required multiple audience associations or audience exclusions. With custom combination lists, there's just one audience list to work with.

Using custom combinations

How do I create a custom combination list?

1. In the left pane, click Shared Library and then Audiences (or from the global menu at the top of the page, click Tools and then Audiences).
2. Click Create audience.
3. Give this audience a unique name.
4. For Type, select Custom combination.
5. Click Next.
6. Combine audience lists into a set of conditions:
   1. First, select how you want to combine audiences:

      Combination option	What it means
      Any of these audiences (OR)	This will include customers who are in any of these audience lists.
      Each of these audiences (AND)	This will include only customers who are in every single one of these audience lists.
      None of these audiences (NOT)	This will exclude customers who are in any of these audience lists.

   2. Then, search or browse for existing audience lists and select the appropriate ones.
   3. Click Done.
7. You now have the option to click Add and create another set of conditions to combine with the set you just created. Each condition set is combined with the other using an AND condition.
8. When you're done, click Save.

Note

Custom combination lists must have at least 300 members.

How do I associate custom combination lists?

1. From the Campaigns page, click the Audiences tab (or from the main menu on the left, click All campaigns and then Audiences).
2. Click Create association.
3. Select the ad group or campaign you want to associate with the custom combination list.
4. Under Ad group targeting or Campaign targeting, select Combined list and then select the appropriate list.
5. Select your Targeting setting:
   • Bid only: Shows ads to people searching for your ad, with the option to make bid adjustments for the selected audience.
   • Target and bid: Shows ads only to the selected audience, with the option to make bid adjustments.
6. Set the Default bid adjustment. By default, new targeting associations are set to 15%, however, the bid adjustment can range from -90% to +900%.
7. Click Save.

What audience types can I combine, and are there any restrictions?

Audience type	Restrictions
Remarketing list	Can only be combined with other remarketing lists and/or dynamic remarketing lists.
Dynamic remarketing list	Can only be combined with other dynamic remarketing lists and/or remarketing lists.
Custom audience	Can only be combined with other custom audiences.
Similar audience	Can only be combined using a single OR condition with one other similar audience. (Not everyone has this feature yet.)
Customer list	Can only be combined with other customer lists. (Not everyone has this feature yet.)
In-market audience	Not eligible for custom combination lists.
LinkedIn profile targeting	Not eligible for custom combination lists.
Custom combination list	Custom combination lists cannot be combined.