What is a Lookalike Audience?
A lookalike audience is a new audience built from the characteristics of a seed group (e.g., high‑LTV customers). It’s a scale lever for prospecting. Platforms analyze the seed’s traits and find more people who resemble them statistically. The better the seed, the better the resulting audience quality.
Understanding lookalike audiences
Seed quality matters more than size. Value‑based seeds (high spend, repeat buyers) produce stronger lookalikes than broad seeds. Start narrow with high‑signal seeds and expand sizes (e.g., 1% to 5%) as performance holds. Exclude current customers if acquisition is the goal to avoid cannibalization.
Why lookalike audiences matter
Lookalike audiences matter because they expand reach to net‑new users who share traits with your best customers. With strong seeds, lookalikes can outperform generic interests and reduce the cost of testing broad audiences.
- Scale: Reach new people who resemble top customers.
- Efficiency: Better matches than generic interest targeting.
- Learning: Reveals which seed definitions drive performance.
How lookalike audiences work
Upload or define a seed (customers, purchasers, high-AOV buyers). Choose a similarity/size tradeoff (e.g., 1% vs. 5%). Pair with product sets and clear creative.
In practice, build multiple seeds—high LTV, frequent purchasers, category buyers—and test them separately. Begin with 1% for quality, then widen to 2–5% once you see stability. Align creative and product sets with the seed’s characteristics (e.g., premium template for high‑value buyers).
Maintain exclusions (current customers, recent purchasers) for acquisition campaigns. Rotate seeds as cohorts age to keep freshness and performance.
Meta Information
- Primary Keyword: Lookalike Audience
- Secondary Keywords: LAL, similar audiences, value-based lookalike
- Target Word Count: 900–1,100 words
- Meta Title: What is a Lookalike Audience? Find More Buyers Like Yours | Marpipe
- Meta Description: A lookalike audience finds new people similar to your best customers. Learn seeds, sizes, and how to pair with catalog ads.
- URL: marpipe.com/ad-glossary/lookalike-audience
# What is a Lookalike Audience?
A lookalike audience is a new audience built from the characteristics of a seed group (e.g., high‑LTV customers). It’s a scale lever for prospecting. Platforms analyze the seed’s traits and find more people who resemble them statistically. The better the seed, the better the resulting audience quality.
Understanding lookalike audiences
Seed quality matters more than size. Value‑based seeds (high spend, repeat buyers) produce stronger lookalikes than broad seeds. Start narrow with high‑signal seeds and expand sizes (e.g., 1% to 5%) as performance holds. Exclude current customers if acquisition is the goal to avoid cannibalization.
Why lookalike audiences matter
Lookalike audiences matter because they expand reach to net‑new users who share traits with your best customers. With strong seeds, lookalikes can outperform generic interests and reduce the cost of testing broad audiences.
- Scale: Reach new people who resemble top customers.
- Efficiency: Better matches than generic interest targeting.
- Learning: Reveals which seed definitions drive performance.
How lookalike audiences work
Upload or define a seed (customers, purchasers, high-AOV buyers). Choose a similarity/size tradeoff (e.g., 1% vs. 5%). Pair with product sets and clear creative.
In practice, build multiple seeds—high LTV, frequent purchasers, category buyers—and test them separately. Begin with 1% for quality, then widen to 2–5% once you see stability. Align creative and product sets with the seed’s characteristics (e.g., premium template for high‑value buyers).
Maintain exclusions (current customers, recent purchasers) for acquisition campaigns. Rotate seeds as cohorts age to keep freshness and performance.
Best practices
- Use value-based seeds; avoid mixed-quality lists.
- Test multiple LAL sizes; stack from 1% up as you scale.
- Exclude current customers if acquisition is the goal.
- Align templates to seed (premium vs. sale shoppers).
Key Takeaways
- Lookalike audiences find new users similar to your best customers based on platform modeling.
- Build lookalikes from high-value seed audiences (purchasers, high-LTV customers) for best results.
- Test lookalike percentages (1%, 5%, 10%) to balance precision and scale.
- Refresh seed audiences regularly to keep lookalikes current and relevant.
