Many businesses waste ad spend chasing cold audiences while ignoring warm segments that are ready to convert. In this article, we’ll uncover three overlooked Facebook ad targeting opportunities that can lower your costs and boost ROI.
Why Hidden Retargeting Segments Matter
An overview of Facebook audience types to highlight where hidden segments like engaged page viewers, top time-on-site visitors, and past-but-not-recent purchasers fit into your retargeting strategy.
Facebook advertising thrives on precision. While most marketers focus on broad demographics or interest-based targeting, the real power lies in retargeting. According to Wordstream, website visitors who are retargeted with display ads are 70% more likely to convert than those who aren’t. Yet, many brands leave money on the table by not leveraging lesser-known retargeting options.
Below are three hidden audience segments you should add to your Facebook ad targeting strategy today.
1. Engaged Page Viewers (But Not Buyers)
Most advertisers retarget cart abandoners, but they forget about people who actively engage with your Facebook page or Instagram content without taking the final step. These are highly valuable because they’ve shown brand interest but need an extra nudge.
How to use this audience:
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Retarget people who watched 50%+ of your videos.
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Build custom audiences from Facebook Page interactions (likes, shares, comments).
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Use ad creatives emphasizing social proof and trust.
Stat to know: Research shows that retargeting social engagers can increase CTR by 2x compared to cold traffic campaigns.
2. Website Visitors by Time Spent
Retargeted visitors are significantly more likely to convert compared to new visitors, underscoring the importance of leveraging hidden segments.
Not all visitors are equal. Someone who spent three minutes on your site is a stronger lead than someone who bounced in ten seconds. Facebook allows you to create custom audiences based on the top 25% of visitors by time spent.
How to use this audience:
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Segment audiences into top 10%, 25%, or 50% of visitors.
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Retarget with dynamic product ads or exclusive offers.
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Focus on high-intent content pages like pricing or product detail pages.
Stat to know: Studies indicate that users who spend more than 2 minutes on a site are 3x more likely to convert compared to quick bouncers.
3. Past Customers (Excluding Recent Purchasers)
Many brands stop retargeting after the first sale. But past customers are often your best source of repeat revenue. The key is excluding recent buyers so you don’t waste ad spend while still keeping your brand top of mind.
How to use this audience:
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Create a custom audience of past buyers in the last 6–12 months.
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Exclude those who purchased in the last 30 days.
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Offer loyalty discounts, product bundles, or referral incentives.
Stat to know: Bain & Company reports that repeat customers spend 67% more on average compared to new buyers.
Final Thoughts
These three hidden audience segments—engaged page viewers, top time-on-site visitors, and past customers excluding recent buyers—can dramatically improve your retargeting strategy. They allow you to allocate budget toward audiences most likely to convert, reducing wasted ad spend and maximizing ROI.
When planning your Facebook ad campaigns, remember that smart audience segmentation is just as important as creative and budget allocation. Start experimenting with these hidden segments, track performance, and scale what works.
