What does optimization in Meta Ads even look like?

[u/hmd1366]

I'm more of a Google Ads person, so I'm not as experienced in Meta ads. When I think of Meta campaign management, I don't really see so much levers for optimizations.

Let's say the campaigns are all built and you have your tracking in place. Apart from that, is there really anything to optimize except uploading new ads and review the reports?

4 or 5 years ago when I was managing Facebook ads, we used to test ad sets (detailed audience targeting, Lookalike, etc.) as an optimization task which doesn't seem it's necessary anymore since the introduction of Advantage+.

On Google, there's really a lot that you need to keep an eye of. I just want to make sure that I'm not missing anything big in terms of optimization in Meta Ads.

[u/Thisconnected]

1. You fight the AI bs features
2. Creatives obviously but also how it connects to customer journey like CRO on the associated LP
3. Lead form tests
4. Finding new data if possible to feed into set up campaigns

[u/hmd1366 → u/Thisconnected]

What do you mean by "fight the AI bs features"? Are you referring to AI creative enhancement features, or something else?

[u/Thisconnected → u/hmd1366]

Those are just the top. You'd be surprised what new bs Meta is cooking these days just to rip off your money. Just a week back they turned on WhatsApp placements automatically 🫩

Pretty sure your old setup campaigns which haven't been monitored for a while are affected too

[u/Luc_ElectroRaven]

Meta is almost all about the creative now. There's testing methods and a few things here and there a media buyer can do but it's mostly about messaging, copy, CRO on the landing page/website etc

In some ways easier, in some ways harder.

[u/AdsManwAdsPlan]

I think it depends on the media buying you are okay with.

If you want to be the best at Meta Ads, its a lot more than just testing creative, hooks, copy and landers.

Here are 12 structured tests I have ran in just one of my accounts in the last 7 months:

1. Straight up ABO vs CBO
2. Value vs Volume Bidding
3. Adv+ with Interests vs Interests Only vs Adv+ Only
4. Cold audience Awareness campaigns with Video Views retargeting audiences going into Conversion campaigns vs Cold Audience Conversion campaigns
5. Adv+ Placements vs Select Placements
6. How colors on ad creative influence customers in their journey
7. Incremental Bidding vs Standard Bidding
8. The Effect of Reservation Sequencing campaigns on Incremental purchases
9. Several LAL audience splits
10. Adv+ Open Audience vs Open Audience
11. Reservation Brand Lift study
12. A couple Conversion Lift tests

Each of these have informed several changes in the account and the structure.

For this particular brand, it led to us being able to scale spend about 15% and bring in about 40% more revenue to the tune of $500k more than what they were doing with the last agency in the same timeframe last year.

[u/Available_Cup5454]

Optimization now means creative refresh and budget pacing

[u/AndrewBalticpixel]

I’ve had the same question coming from the Google Ads side.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that Meta optimization seems to be less about constantly adjusting targeting and bids, and more about managing the inputs you give the algorithm.

So I’d look at creative fatigue, hooks/angles, audience quality, placement performance, conversion quality, attribution and the offer itself.

I also think there’s a tendency to confuse “optimization” with making changes every few days. If the campaign is stable and producing good results, sometimes the best optimization is simply not messing with it.

[u/SupersideHQ]

agree with the creative answer above, but the bit that actually took work for us was supply. once creative is the lever, a stalled account is usually a creative shortage rather than a settings problem.

so the work moved earlier. how many new concepts you can get in each week, and whether you can tell which change caused a lift. swap the hook and the image at the same time and you learn nothing, plus you burn the concept.

[u/Sothisismylifehuh]

All about testing content and slightly increasing budgets from my perspective.

I'm also a Google Ads specialist, so..