Using the Export for Ads Data

Overview

Follow this guide to learn how to use the information contained in an Export for Ads workbook.

After exporting your audience data from an Audiense Insights report, the workbook provides targeting recommendations that can be applied across multiple advertising platforms. Rather than manually researching interests, influencers, brands, or locations, the Export for Ads organizes this information into platform-specific worksheets that can help you build more relevant advertising audiences.

This guide explains what each worksheet contains and how to use the exported data when creating campaigns across supported advertising platforms.

Note: Export for Ads is available only to customers with an Audience Insights plan. This feature is not available on Free or Twitter Marketing plans.

Understanding the Export for Ads Workbook

The Export for Ads is delivered as an Excel workbook containing six worksheets:

• Summary
• Cities
• Facebook & Instagram
• X
• YouTube
• Google Ads & DSPs

Each worksheet contains audience insights that are intended for use with a specific advertising platform or targeting method. Rather than using every recommendation, you may choose to use only the audiences, interests, or placements that best align with your campaign objectives.

Using City Targeting

The Cities worksheet provides location-based targeting recommendations.

Although city targeting is optional, it can help create more focused advertising campaigns by narrowing your audience to locations that are particularly relevant to your Insights report.

For example, when creating a campaign in Meta Ads Manager, you can add these cities during audience creation to further refine your targeting.

Using Meta Targeting Data

The Facebook & Instagram worksheet contains audience affinities that can be used within Meta Ads Manager. When creating a Saved Audience, copy the recommended interests from the worksheet and add them to the Interests section during audience creation. These interests can also be combined with Meta's Lookalike Audience functionality to expand your reach while maintaining relevance.

After copying the desired interests, paste them into the appropriate audience targeting section within Meta Ads Manager.

Rather than importing every suggested interest, consider selecting only the most relevant entries. Because Meta periodically updates its audience taxonomy, some account names may differ slightly from those listed in the export. Adding interests individually allows you to verify that you are selecting the correct audience and review the estimated reach before launching your campaign.

Note: Meta regularly updates its audience targeting options and Ads Manager interface. The exact appearance and available targeting options may differ from the examples shown.

Using X Targeting Data

The Export for Ads workbook also supports audience activation on X (formerly Twitter).

There are two primary approaches available.

Tailored Audiences

If you use Audiense Connect, you can activate your audiences through the Tailored Audiences integration.

Once connected, these audiences can be synchronized with your X Ads account and used to create Lookalike Audiences for broader campaign reach.

To use this workflow, your X account must already be authenticated in Audiense Connect and connected to your X Ads account.

Follower Lookalike Targeting

You can also use the exported X handles to build follower lookalike audiences directly within X Ads.

When creating your campaign:

1. Copy the top 50–100 X handles from the Export for Ads workbook.
2. Open your campaign in X Ads.
3. Navigate to Audience Features.
4. Select Follower Lookalikes.
5. Choose Bulk Upload.
6. Paste the exported handles.

Using follower lookalike targeting allows you to reach audiences with interests similar to those who already follow the recommended accounts.

Using YouTube and Google Ads

The YouTube and Google Ads & DSPs worksheets provide website placements and URLs that can be used when creating campaigns within Google advertising platforms.

Using Google Ads, you can build YouTube campaigns that appear alongside relevant YouTube channels or content.

Similarly, Google Ads, Google DV360, and many Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) allow advertisers to target website placements by entering URLs directly into campaign targeting.

The exported workbook includes websites that can be copied into these placement fields, allowing Google to identify relevant audiences based on those destinations.

Platform Changes

Advertising platforms frequently update both their user interfaces and targeting capabilities. As a result, some menus, terminology, or workflows may differ slightly from the examples shown in this article. The Export for Ads workbook is intended to provide guidance on how to use the exported audience data. Although individual advertising platforms may change over time, the underlying targeting recommendations remain applicable.