For location-based businesses like salons or restaurants, the most effective strategy is to focus on hyper-local targeting with broad audiences, while using strong creative and offers to drive foot traffic or bookings.
1. Use Broad Targeting Within a Small Radius
- Let Meta’s algorithm find the best people within a tight geographic area.
- Set your location radius based on how far people are realistically willing to travel, for example: Urban areas: 3–5 miles (5–8 km), Suburbs: 5–10 miles (8–15 km), Rural areas: 10–15 miles+
2. Avoid Over-Narrow Interest Targeting
- Interest-based targeting can limit reach in smaller geographic areas.
- Go broad and let your creative and offer do the filtering (ex: “20% off first visit” or “Free drink with dinner”).
3. Use Location-Specific Messaging
- Include the neighborhood or city name in your headline or copy.
- Mention landmarks or “near XYZ” to build instant familiarity.
4. Campaign Objective
For walk-ins or bookings, use:
- Leads (for appointment forms)
- Messages (for DMs/WhatsApp bookings)
- Traffic (to drive visits to Google Maps or your website)
5. Retarget Website Visitors and Page Engagers
- Set up a custom audience for people who engaged with your page, Instagram, or visited your site, then retarget them with offers or time-limited deals.
- Run ads during high-intent times (e.g., mornings for salons, late afternoons for restaurants), and split test offers like “first-time discount” vs. “referral reward.”