It can be incredibly difficult to determine what in your Facebook profile caused them to advertise a particular product to you. That’s why I’m often so surprised by what comes up in my Facebook feed.

Sure, I understand what’s happening when I get a product that’s being retargeted to me because I’d previously viewed it. But when something is just spot on and I don’t know how? That’s impressive.

Partially, this is because I can’t see the targeting that a brand used when creating their campaign. If I could I might be able to see “Oh, they’re targeting people in my geographic location” and know quickly why I got a particular ad. However, without this insight, it’s difficult for anyone to guess exactly why they’re receiving a certain ad in their Facebook feed.

For instance, I keep getting this ad for Warby Parker glasses. I don’t “Like” the Warby Parker Facebook Page. I don’t think I’ve ever checked a box on my Facebook profile that says “Yes, I wear glasses.”

But perhaps over the years I’ve visited the For Eyes Facebook page. Perhaps Warby Parker knows that a high percentage of women my age wear glasses. Perhaps they know that people who read a lot of books have a high likelihood to wear glasses.

While I don’t know the exact answer, their ad team likely does.

The most impressive feature of Facebook ads is their ability to target people based on demographics and interest. However, in order to utilize Facebook ads tools well, it’s important to learn how to extrapolate. Not everyone will come right out and express an interest in your product. This means it’s important to know what they might be interested in that relates to your product. For instance, if you sell high-end designer socks, you might want to also target people who like designer shoes. Or yachts. Or Tiffany’s. You get my drift.

Learning how to use Facebook ads tools is becoming as important for your business as having quality SEO. Since Facebook has become a pay to play game, it’s even more important to truly understand the game you’re playing. Without that, your Facebook ads are simply wasting money advertising to users who will never convert to sales. And that’s not really worth your time or money, is it?