How to Target the Right Audience on Facebook in Singapore
Running Facebook Ads without proper targeting is like putting up a billboard in the middle of the ocean—no one sees it, and your money sinks. If you’re a Singapore business investing in Facebook Ads, the #1 factor that determines success is whether your ads are reaching the right people.
At Elite Media Singapore, we specialise in helping businesses get in front of their ideal customers with precision targeting on Facebook. In this guide, we’ll show you how to accurately target your audience and make your ad dollars work harder in the competitive Singapore market.
🎯 Why Targeting Matters More Than Ever in 2025
As Facebook (Meta) evolves and user behavior becomes more fragmented, smart targeting is essential. With rising ad costs and limited attention spans, it’s no longer enough to rely on broad or generic targeting.
Great targeting leads to:
- Higher click-through rates (CTR)
- Lower cost per click (CPC)
- More qualified leads
- Better return on ad spend (ROAS)
💡 Singapore is a highly digital, mobile-first market—yet every niche has its own nuances. Knowing how to target properly makes or breaks your campaign.
✅ Step-by-Step Guide to Facebook Targeting in Singapore
Let’s break down how to find and target your ideal audience on Facebook, using tools available right in Meta Ads Manager.
1️⃣ Define Your Customer Avatar
Before touching Ads Manager, you need to clearly define your ideal customer. Ask yourself:
- What age group are they in?
- Where do they live?
- What are their interests and habits?
- What problems are they trying to solve?
- What language or slang do they use?
🧠 Example: A premium hair salon in Orchard might target women aged 25–45, working professionals, interested in fashion and beauty, who live or work in Central Singapore.
2️⃣ Choose the Right Location Targeting
Singapore is small, but location targeting still matters—especially for brick-and-mortar businesses.
📍 Options include:
- Targeting by district (e.g., Tampines, Orchard, Bukit Timah)
- Radius targeting around your shop (e.g., 3km around your store)
- Nationwide targeting for e-commerce and online services
💡 Elite Tip: If you’re a tuition centre in Bedok, targeting all of Singapore wastes your budget. Use a 5km radius or postal codes like 460XXX to be precise.
3️⃣ Use Detailed Demographic Filters
Facebook allows you to narrow your audience using:
- Age
- Gender
- Education level
- Job titles
- Relationship status
- Parents with children of certain ages
🎯 Example: A preschool targeting first-time parents can run ads to 28–38-year-olds who are “parents with toddlers” and live in the East.
4️⃣ Layer Interest & Behaviour-Based Targeting
One of Facebook’s superpowers is the ability to target based on interests, behaviors, and lifestyle habits.
You can target users who:
- Are interested in yoga, baking, or skincare
- Recently traveled
- Shop online frequently
- Like competitors’ pages
🧠 Smart Strategy: If you sell gym apparel, target users interested in “Fitness & Wellness,” “Nike,” and “Gymshark.”
🔥 Elite Tip: Always test multiple combinations of interest-based audiences to find the sweet spot.
5️⃣ Build Custom Audiences for Retargeting
These are your warmest audiences—people who’ve already interacted with your brand.
You can create Custom Audiences from:
- Website visitors (via Facebook Pixel)
- People who viewed your videos
- Instagram or Facebook page engagers
- Customer email lists
🎯 Use Case: If someone watched 75% of your product demo video, retarget them with a limited-time offer to close the sale.
6️⃣ Create Lookalike Audiences from Your Best Customers
Lookalike audiences let Facebook find people similar to your existing customers—based on behavior and demographics.
Start by uploading:
- Your customer email list
- Website purchase data
- Page or Instagram followers
Facebook will then find similar users in Singapore (or globally) to expand your reach.
💡 Elite Client Tip: We created a 1% lookalike audience from a skincare brand’s customer list and doubled their ROAS compared to cold interest targeting.
7️⃣ Use Exclusion Targeting to Save Budget
Want to avoid showing ads to people who already converted or aren’t relevant?
Use exclusions like:
- People who already purchased
- Past leads (to avoid duplicate targeting)
- Job seekers (if you’re not hiring)
📌 Pro Tip: Exclude “Page admins” or “Business page admins” to avoid showing ads to other agencies or competitors.
8️⃣ Split-Test Audiences (A/B Testing)
Never assume what works—test it.
Create multiple ad sets with different targeting variables:
- Audience A: Women 25–40 in CBD
- Audience B: Parents 30–45 in East Singapore
- Audience C: Lookalike audience from customers
Track which audience gives you:
- Lower CPC
- Higher CTR
- Better conversions
🧪 At Elite Media, we test multiple audiences for every campaign before scaling the winner.
9️⃣ Adjust Based on Campaign Objective
Not all objectives need the same targeting precision.
| Objective | Targeting Strategy |
|---|---|
| Brand Awareness | Broader targeting to cast a wide net |
| Traffic | Target semi-warm audiences + interests |
| Leads | Use custom audiences + lookalikes |
| Sales | Target previous visitors + high intent interests |
🔍 For cold audiences, content like Reels or educational blog links work well. For hot audiences, use promo-based ads or retargeting.
1️⃣0️⃣ Monitor, Optimise, and Retarget
Facebook targeting isn’t a one-and-done task. You must:
- Check audience breakdowns in Ads Manager
- Monitor frequency (if it gets too high, rotate your audience or creative)
- Set up retargeting flows for cart abandoners or video viewers
- Stop targeting underperforming segments
📊 Use breakdowns like age, gender, and region to spot where your strongest performance comes from.
💼 Case Study: Smarter Targeting = Better ROI
Client: Local home cleaning company
Initial Strategy: Broad targeting, all of Singapore, aged 25–65
Result: High CPC, low conversions
Elite Media’s Fix:
- Targeted only homeowners aged 30–50 in North and East Singapore
- Created lookalike audiences based on past customer list
- Excluded past leads and competitors
Outcome:
- 40% drop in CPC
- 3.5x increase in leads
- 2.8x return on ad spend (ROAS)
Final Thoughts: Target Smart, Not Wide
You don’t need to reach everyone—you need to reach the right ones. With proper Facebook targeting, your Singapore business can:
- Reach the right audience
- Maximise ad efficiency
- Drive real business results
At Elite Media Singapore, we take the guesswork out of Facebook Ads. Our team will:
- Define your ideal customer
- Build smart custom and lookalike audiences
- Test, refine, and scale for performance