Using a radius (like “25 miles around Washington, DC”) is quick and convenient, making it ideal for local businesses that want to reach anyone nearby without much setup. It automatically includes surrounding areas and is great for broad coverage.
However, it offers less control—you might reach people in places that aren’t relevant to your offer. On the other hand, manually listing specific states, counties, or cities gives you much more precision.
This approach is better if you know which areas perform well or want to avoid low-converting locations. It also allows for better audience segmentation and budget allocation across regions, though it does take more effort to manage.
If you’re unsure, consider testing both methods in separate ad sets to compare performance and optimize accordingly.
