A comprehensive guide to the evolution of targeting...

Targeting has changed dramatically during the past year. This email provides links to help get you caught up. Hey, {NAME}. There is no single aspect of Meta advertising that has been impacted more during the past few years than targeting. The change has been dramatic. The problem is that advertisers aren’t so quick to move with these changes. They resist, and they’re mostly determined to apply their tried and true targeting strategies from years past. In some cases, these strategies still work — or work well enough. In others, they fail miserably, and advertisers who misunderstand the current environment can’t figure out why. During the course of the past year, I’ve published dozens pieces of content related to the evolution of Meta ads targeting. I highlight the cornerstone pieces below. Consider this email a deep resource to help walk you through how to approach targeting now and in the future. You won't get through all of these links in one sitting. Bookmark this for later! ON A MACRO LEVEL Let’s begin with a group of posts related to targeting, where we were, where we are now, and what we can expect in the future. Where we’ve been… 1. [The Ultimate Guide to Meta Ads Targeting](: Some targeting methods are new and others have been around forever. This post provides a thorough overview of how you can control who sees your ads with targeting inputs. Where we are now… 2. [The Evolution of Who Sees Your Ads](): So much has changed during the past few years. It’s important that we reframe how we look at “targeting.” It’s now more about who sees our ads, and that’s not always something we determine with targeting inputs. 3. [How to Approach Meta Ads Targeting Now](): Accept that things are different now. You can’t approach targeting the same way that you once did. You need a new strategy. 4. [Does Targeting Still Matter?](): Now that some advertisers are able to get deeper visibility into the delivery of our ads, it's beginning to be evident that our targeting inputs may not matter all that much. Where we’re going… 5. [The Future of Meta Ads Targeting](=): I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do think I’m a good judge of where we’re going based on trends. And it’s pretty darn obvious. 6. [Targeting Will Get More Difficult](): If you struggle to embrace the new world of ad targeting and your role in it, there is no relief in sight. If you don’t adjust, it will only get tougher. 7. [Will Meta Remove All Interest Targeting?](=): It’s not a crazy question. After all, Advantage+ Shopping strips away virtually all targeting inputs. Interest targeting also gets Meta in trouble at times due to misuse. So, might interest targeting eventually disappear? AUDIENCE EXPANSION The biggest changes to targeting during the past year and more are related to the expansion of who sees our ads beyond our targeting inputs — if we provide them at all. 8. [Advantage Targeting: How Meta Audience Expansion Products Work](): It all started here. I’ll candidly admit that I resisted. I didn’t like the idea that Meta could expand beyond my targeting inputs. Here’s how Advantage audience expansion works in three different forms. 9. [Meta is Forcing Expanded Audiences for Top of Funnel Optimization](=): In this post, I make the case for why this is a bad change and what Meta needs to do to make audience expansion for top-of-funnel optimization viable. 10. [Advantage+ Audience Best Practices Guide](: Advantage expansion products may eventually be a thing of the past, replaced by Advantage+ Audience. This approach applies to any objective and uses your targeting inputs — if you provide any — as mere suggestions. This post outlines how this works and how you should approach it. TODAY'S STRATEGIES Most people misunderstand my feelings about Advantage+ Audience and audience expansion. While I truly believe you should embrace and use it in specific situations, it’s also counterproductive in others. It’s a matter of understanding how these things work, what makes them powerful, and when they might fail. 11. [Is Remarketing Still Relevant?](: Remarketing once made up a very high percentage of my ad spend. It now makes up a tiny amount -- if anything at all. There are several reasons for this, ranging from increased costs to how algorithmic targeting works. 12. [How Meta's Algorithmic Targeting Impacts Ad Distribution (A Test)](: Audience segments provide interesting visibility into how Meta distributes our ads. In this test, I used three different approaches, but the results (both conversions and how ads were distributed) were the same in each case. 13. [Should You Restrict by Demographic Group?](: Some of these tools force us to confront our approach to targeting. This is a primary example. In the past, it’s been a must to restrict by demographic group to help the algorithm. But there are specific cases now when that may no longer be the case — but others when that restricted is necessary. 14. [Ads Reaching the Wrong People?](): Advertisers often make claims about ads reaching the wrong people based on comments, but that’s not a good gauge of whether you actually paid to reach them. Here’s what you should do instead. 15. [No Gender in Audience Controls](=): One interesting quirk of Advantage+ Audience is that there are no controls for gender. You can provide gender as an audience suggestions but not as an Audience Control. In some cases, this actually isn’t a big deal. But there are exceptions. 16. [Example of How Broad Targeting Works](): It's always helpful to have real-world examples to explain something -- especially when it's a dramatic shift from what we've seen before. In this post, I provide an example of how a female-focused business shouldn't always restrict by gender, particularly when optimizing for conversions. 17. [When Broad Targeting Fails](): While I’m generally looking forward and an advocate for the advancements in Meta ads targeting, there are specific cases when it’s still not ready for prime time. There are reasons it fails, and it’s something that Meta could fix. 18. [When to Switch to Original Audiences](=): There are times when it does not make sense to use Advantage+ Audience due to weaknesses in how it works. Be aware of these examples because you may find yourself throwing money away. The expansion of your audience will only make what was already a problem much worse. 19. [Advantage+ Audience vs. Original Audiences](=): Some advertisers blindly resist Advantage+ Audience in favor of original audiences in all cases. That's a mistake. Here's a closer look at when you should use each approach. If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask. Have a great week! Cheers, Jon P.S. You received this email because you subscribed to my newsletter. If you don't want to receive these emails, click the link below to update your preferences... [UPDATE EMAIL PREFERENCES]() [Unsubscribe]( Jon Loomer Digital 17503 Ruxton Ct. Parker, Colorado 80134 United States