Minnesota trade businesses build Facebook audiences by targeting specific locations, filtering for homeowners, and using customer data to find similar people in their service area.
It’s not a complicated thing. But most HVAC companies, roofers, and plumbers get it wrong. They waste money showing ads to renters, tourists, and people outside their coverage zone.
In this situation, audience targeting decides everything. If you do it right, your campaign brings money. Otherwise, everything is a waste.
However, Matter Solutions helps Minnesota trades businesses address this specific challenge. That’s why we created this guide to show you exactly how to build audiences that convert. In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How to target homeowners in your service area?
- Which ad formats work best for trades?
- Why is winter the perfect time to run promotional campaigns?
- How to stay visible while customers compare contractors?
Let’s start with the targeting strategies that actually work.
How Do Facebook Ads Reach The Right Target Audience In Minnesota?
Facebook ads reach the right audience by letting you target specific locations, demographics, and behaviors. These strategies show your ads only to people who are most likely to need your trade services.
So, if you have a local business in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or any other Minnesota city, stop wasting ad spend out of these locations. And, Facebook’s targeting tools can help you here by targeting specific audiences those going to call you.
Here’s how you can make your ad reach the exact audience efficiently.
Location Targeting Brings Minnesota Homeowners
Facebook’s location targeting lets you show ads only to people within your service area. So every dollar you spend goes to the right people.
And if you want to do that successfully, set a radius around your business from 10-50 miles to reach local homeowners. That’s how all the active clients of your target location will reach out to you.
Also, try picking “people who live in this location” instead of “people in this location”. Because the first option also includes the tourists passing through Minnesota (and they’ll never call you).
Demographics And Behaviors Filter Out Renters And Diyers
The best part about Facebook’s demographic filters is that you don’t have to waste money on people who can’t hire you anyway. And this filter helps you do this differently.
If you want to filter renters, use homeownership status because they can’t approve major HVAC, roofing, or plumbing projects. Meanwhile, Demographic filtering lets you target a specific age range, like 30-65. It saves you from unnecessary wastage of money.
Twin Cities Radius Settings: Maximize Your Ad Budget
Most Minnesota trades make one big mistake with Facebook ads. That is: they target a narrow range of areas and run out of people to show ads to.
That’s why you start with 100,000+ people in your target area, so Facebook can collect enough data to optimize your campaigns. Besides Facebook, your platform’s algorithm requires this data to learn which audiences convert the best.
Finally, let Facebook’s algorithm find winning patterns within your local area. This platform tracks billions of interactions daily and knows what your target residents respond to when they need something.
Lookalike Audiences Find Similar Homeowners
Once you land a few customers, Facebook can find hundreds more people in Minnesota just like them. You just have to help Facebook with a few information.
For example, uploading an email list of your past customers that finds Minnesota residents with similar demographics, interests, and behaviors. These data points help Facebook build a similar audience with a matching profile.
But this process has a limitation. It works only when you have real customer data to build a match. So, get your first 20-30 customers through location targeting, then use those wins to find your next 100.
Pro tip: If you want a basic lookalike audience, start with at least 100 customers. For the most accurate audiences, add 1,000+ customers more.
What Ad Formats And Strategies Keep Minnesota Trades Busy Year-Round?
Lead ads, video ads, promotional offers, and retargeting campaigns work best for trades businesses in the Minnesota market. These ad formats capture contact information, build trust, and keep your brand visible when homeowners need services.
Unlike traditional billboards or digital displays, Facebook ads connect you with specific audiences across multiple cities at the right time.
Let’s see what kinds of ad strategies you can follow for your business.
Lead Ads Capture Contact Info Without Leaving Facebook
Lead ads let potential customers share their contact information without leaving Facebook. That means they can reach out to your business without the extra steps that lose half your leads.
From our experience helping MN trades businesses, we’ve seen that keeping forms short makes a huge impact on results. So, with your form, only ask the customer for name, phone, and email. Then, gather the rest of the information when they call. This simultaneous process engages customers.
Video Ads Build Trust Through Digital Displays
Video ads can get you 3x more engagement than static image ads. And for trades businesses, they also create an impression of your quality before anyone picks up the phone.
There are more ways in digital displays to build trust easily:
- Show Real Team Photos and Office Locations: Display actual photos of your team and street address across different pages. Once, a Brisbane web design agency added real staff photos and their local office address, and their user trust jumped 60% within weeks (crazy!).
- Keep Video Duration Under 15 Seconds: Most people scroll fast through their feeds, so small videos are mandatory for user experience. And don’t forget to add captions, since users mute videos by default.
- Feature Customer Testimonials With Real Names and Photos: Let visitors connect with actual clients who’ve used your services before. This builds trust better than any generic marketing copy or stock imagery ever could.
Once you apply these, you’ll realize a few simple strategies actually reach more people and build their trust.
Special Offers Fill Slow Winter Months With Spring Bookings
Running promotional ads during Minnesota’s slow winter months keeps your calendar full when other contractors go quiet in the market.
You can use this opportunity to convey urgency through “this month only” or “first 20 customers” language in your ad message. Otherwise, people save your information and forget when spring arrives.
Sometimes, you can even offer free estimates to start the conversation with potential clients. Once you reach out to them, you can explain what needs fixing and why you’re the one to do it. (A simple but effective trick!)
Retargeting Keeps Your Business Top Of Mind During Decision Time
Once someone visits your website or watches your video ad, retargeting makes sure they don’t forget about your services.
Plus, your retargeting ads also remind them you’re positioned to provide the services they need at the right time and place.
So, if you don’t want clients to forget you, continue retargeting in these ways:
- Show ads to people who visited but didn’t contact you yet.
- According to seasons, remind your past customers about maintenance.
- While homeowners compare contractors and check reviews, stay visible to them.
The goal is simple: be there when they’re ready to call.
Take Control Of Your Facebook Ad Campaigns Today
Facebook ads work when you get three things right: the right people, the right cities, and the right time.
Once you apply these effectively, your campaigns start reaching MN homeowners who actually need your services (Not renters and tourists).
Tired of burning ad budget on people who never call? Don’t worry. Our Matter Solutions team will help you build Facebook campaigns for trades businesses that connect with actual homeowners.
That’s why, contact us today, and we’ll show you how to fill your calendar with quality leads.
