When your core audience is small or tapped out, how do you reach more people who are likely to convert — without starting from scratch?
The answer: lookalike audiences.
Lookalikes allow you to reach cold users who are similar to your best leads or customers — giving you the power to scale campaigns with less risk and more predictability.
In this article, you’ll learn how lookalike audiences work, how to build them on platforms like Meta and Google, and how to use them to scale campaigns without losing performance.
What Are Lookalike Audiences?
A lookalike audience is a group of users that shares similar characteristics (behavior, demographics, interests) with a source audience you already have — such as:
- Website visitors
- Leads
- Buyers
- Video viewers
- Email subscribers
The ad platform uses its algorithm to find people with similar traits and behavior — and serves your ads to them.
Think of lookalikes as intelligent cold targeting.
Why Use Lookalike Audiences?
✅ Reach new people who are likely to convert
✅ Scale without losing relevance
✅ Optimize campaign delivery faster
✅ Reduce audience fatigue
✅ Lower cost per lead (CPL) or sale in most cases
Lookalikes work because they’re based on real-world data, not assumptions or guesswork.
Where You Can Create Lookalike Audiences
| Platform | Lookalike Feature |
|---|---|
| Meta Ads | Lookalike Audiences (1%–10%) |
| Google Ads | Similar Audiences (automated with GA4) |
| TikTok Ads | Lookalike Audiences (Narrow to Broad) |
| LinkedIn Ads | Lookalike Audiences (based on matched audiences) |
Meta’s system is the most flexible and widely used, so let’s focus there.
How to Create Lookalike Audiences on Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
Step 1: Create a Custom Audience
This is your source audience, based on people who have taken specific actions.
Go to Audiences > Create Audience > Custom Audience, then choose:
- Website traffic (e.g., people who visited a landing page)
- Customer list (CSV of buyers, leads, etc.)
- Facebook Page engagement
- Video views (25%, 50%, or 95%)
- Lead form interactions
Tip: Use high-quality sources — like people who completed purchases or submitted a form.
Step 2: Create a Lookalike Based on That Audience
- Choose “Create Lookalike Audience”
- Select your custom audience as the source
- Choose location (country or region)
- Select the audience size (1% = closest match, 10% = broader reach)
Start with 1% for best results.
Test 2–5% when scaling horizontally.
Step 3: Use the Lookalike in a New Ad Set
- Combine lookalike with strong creatives
- Avoid layering too many interests or exclusions
- Let the algorithm optimize delivery
You can also exclude your original audience to avoid overlap.
Advanced Lookalike Tactics
🔹 1. Lookalike Stacking
Combine multiple 1% lookalikes into one ad set:
- 1% buyers + 1% leads + 1% engagers
- Helps create a larger audience while keeping quality high
🔹 2. Value-Based Lookalikes
If you have purchase data, you can upload it with order value and create a lookalike of high-value customers.
Perfect for e-commerce and digital product sellers.
🔹 3. Video Engagement Lookalikes
Use viewers of your video content to build a warm audience:
- Create a 1% lookalike of people who watched 75%+ of your lead video
- This usually performs better than pure cold targeting
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Using too small a source audience (<100 people)
❌ Targeting lookalikes without strong creatives
❌ Layering lookalikes with interests and narrowing reach too much
❌ Not testing different percentages (1%, 3%, 5%)
❌ Forgetting to update source audiences regularly
✅ Tip: Refresh your source audience every 30–60 days for better performance.
How to Use Lookalikes in Your Funnel
| Funnel Stage | Lookalike Strategy |
|---|---|
| Top of Funnel | 1% of video viewers, engagers, leads |
| Middle Funnel | 3–5% of webinar sign-ups or content readers |
| Bottom Funnel | Lookalikes of past buyers, high LTV customers |
| Scaling Stage | Test 5–10% lookalikes with broader creatives |
Final Thoughts: Lookalikes Are a Scaling Superpower
Lookalike audiences are one of the most efficient ways to:
- Reach new prospects
- Scale your campaigns
- Protect your cost per result
- Build growth on real user data
Don’t just guess who your next customer is.
Let the algorithm do the work — and show your best content to people just like your best customers.