Advertising is simpler than it used to be, but not easier. I often talk about not overcomplicating your advertising. A simpler approach is better. But, that doesn't mean that it's easier to get great results. The past few years have been much more difficult than ever before. That said, complications…
Much of the time you spend worrying about targeting is probably unnecessary. Many times, it just doesn't matter which inputs you provide -- you'll reach many of the same people either way. Once you embrace the fact that your targeting inputs don't do much (and may even hurt you), you…
Here are 10 ways that advertisers overcomplicate things and hurt their results. In most cases, simpler is better. Adding complexity rarely helps. While there are exceptions, you should test to be sure that the complexity that you add is actually worthwhile.
The approach to targeting has changed. If you're wondering which inputs to use to reach your ideal audience, you're overthinking it. There was a need to think this way in the past, but now you might just drive up costs. Here's why...
Do you still use remarketing strategies? Especially if you create separate remarketing and prospecting ad sets, I encourage you to do this. Test it against using one ad set with Advantage+ Audience. Remarketing will happen naturally without needing to create a separate ad set. For more on testing targeting strategies,…
Do you restrict your targeting by age and gender? Some advertisers do this based on the demographics of the typical customer. While I understand, it's possible that this is completely unnecessary -- especially when optimizing for purchases. Create an A/B test compared to Advantage+ Audience without these restrictions. For more…
Do you still use interests and lookalikes? If you do, you're not alone, but I want you to do this. Run an A/B test that compares your results using interests or lookalikes vs. Advantage+ Audience without suggestions. Maybe the results will confirm your assumptions. Maybe not. But you should test…
What is Post-Conversion Optimization? Not many advertisers have it, but PCO could be enormously useful for those wanting to optimize for events that happen further down the funnel. Here's how it works...
You'll find these settings at the top of your Account Overview page. Many of these settings, like managing Auction Overlap and Audience Fragmentation, were previously found within Automated Rules templates. Those templates are no longer available, and these do essentially the same thing.
There are new audience controls in your Advertising Settings. Brand Protection and Employee Controls allow you more targeting control account-wide but with some exceptions. These could be helpful, but they feel half-backed right now. Here's how they work...
When should we use CBO (Campaign Budget Optimization or Advantage Campaign Budget)? CBO is mainly dead now because the primary use in the past involved multiple ad sets by audience. That's no longer relevant due to audience expansion. But, you may instead use it to promote multiple products.
Sometimes your ads need a reset. Don't fear changes that will restart the learning phase, especially if you aren't getting good results. The restarting of the learning phase could act as a reboot. You might actually get better results that way.
Are ads finally coming to Threads? There are signs in the code that plans are being made, but that may not mean that ads are imminent. Meta denies there is an "immediate" timeline for monetization, but that doesn't mean they aren't moving up original plans.
What is the new "Multiple" conversion location? When creating a campaign with the Leads objective, some advertisers are seeing this new option. Here's how it works...
An update to instant forms when creating Facebook Lead ads will allow you to make some questions optional. Here's a closer look at how this works, limitations, and how you might use it.
A new option for creating questions in instant forms allows you to use sliders. This gives people the option of providing a range of approval, rather than short answer or multiple choice. Here's how it works...
A new lead form option for Redeem Promo Code after someone completes your form. You can reward people with a promo code they redeem on your website. Here's how it works...
Is it possible that you can submit up to 10 primary text variations? If you include AI-generated text generations, you can. I swear this wasn't the case initially...
How many primary text variations should you provide? You can provide up to five, but is there an optimal or minimum recommended number? I haven't found official documentation on this, but there are clues.
What are Incremental Conversions? These are conversions that Meta believes would not have happened if people didn't see your ad -- and it's a new attribution setting that's coming soon. Still, I have questions...
What are Conversion Value Rules? Meta made a series of big announcements related to optimization. This update allows advertisers to express which audiences or conversions they value more or less, and make a higher bid on those groups without creating a separate campaign.
An Advantage+ Shopping Campaign optimized for the Complete Registration conversion event? It was worth a test...
Meta announced that unique metrics will be deprecated from the Ads API. Presumably, this will also be reflected in the main Ads Manager interfaces. This won't affect Link Clicks, Outbound Clicks, or a couple of metrics related to Messaging. You might use First Conversion Reporting as a replacement. They aren't…
I've launched a new course to help advertisers increase their confidence and sharpen their skills in Ads Manager. Go here to sign up: https://jonloomer.com/bb Building Blocks will provide a foundation to help you understand how everything works throughout the campaign creation process -- as well as understanding you're results after…