Take Advantage+ of your Meta campaigns

Meta has just released some new updates to Advantage+ shopping campaigns (ASC). In the previous article we highlighted that one of the downsides of ASC was that it was only able to optimize performance towards purchase conversions. This has changed with the new update. Sounds intriguing, right? Let’s break it down. 

But first, let’s just quickly summarize what Advantage+ shopping campaigns are. 

THE BASICS OF ASC 

In short, ASC is an AI driven solution that optimizes the performance of your Meta campaigns. All you need to do is feed it with your creatives and then define the market, minimum age, time span and budget of your campaign. Then you can just sit back and let the algorithm do its magic and it will optimize the campaign to achieve the most conversions. 

The traditional approach to achieving conversions is by applying the marketing funnel, focusing on the different touchpoints within the journey a consumer takes from awareness to conversion. For this, you would normally curate a set of creatives for each section of the funnel. This has always been the way, but ASC changes the rules of the game.  

With ASC, all creatives across the funnel stages are put into a system. Then, ASC determines which creative best suits which audience at any given time, effectively blurring the lines between the funnel stages. This means that a creative made for mid-funnel considerations could end up being shown in an ad aiming for conversions – and it works! 

WHAT’S NEW? 

One of the most exciting new updates to ASC is that it is now possible to optimize towards non-purchase goals. With this new feature, ASC can now optimize for other types of conversions, not just purchases. Whether you’re looking to increase newsletter sign-ups, drive traffic to a particular page on your website, or encourage users to download a white paper, ASC can help. 

Here’s how it works: You set your non-purchase goal, just like you would with a purchase goal. Then, ASC uses its machine learning algorithms to analyze your audience and determine which creatives are most likely to achieve that goal. It might find, for example, that a certain creative is particularly effective at driving newsletter sign-ups among a specific demographic. The surprising aspect is that the creative most effective at driving sign-ups might not be a conversion-focused one but could instead come from your mid-funnel catalog of creatives. 

This new feature opens up a whole new world of possibilities for marketers. Now, you can use ASC to optimize performance across a wider range of goals, making it an even more versatile tool in your digital marketing toolkit. 

However, as with any new feature, it’s important to approach non-purchase optimization with a clear strategy in mind. Consider your overall business goals and the specific actions you want users to take. With careful planning and strategic implementation, non-purchase optimization can be a powerful tool for boosting your campaign performance. 

BEWARE! ASC IS NOT A BRANDING TOOL 

When it comes to optimizing performance, ACS is a game-changer. It’s like a well-oiled machine that works tirelessly towards one goal: Driving conversions. But while it’s a powerful tool for boosting performance, it’s important to note that it may not be your best bet for branding. Here’s why: 

ASC operates with a laser-like focus on achieving specific goals. You feed it your creatives, set your target (like product purchases or meeting bookings), and then it gets to work. It analyzes all the data at its disposal and decides which creative is most likely to achieve that goal for each segment of your audience. 

This approach can lead to impressive results when it comes to driving conversions, as the system continuously learns and refines its strategies. However, this laser focus on driving conversions could potentially be a double-edged sword. ASC is designed to do whatever it takes to drive a conversion and attribute it to itself, but this might not always align with broader marketing objectives or accurately reflect the complexity of the customer journey. It’s crucial to remember this when using ASC, and ensure it’s part of a balanced, multi-faceted marketing strategy. 

The performance-centric approach also means that ASC may not always align with your branding efforts. Branding is about telling your brand’s story, building an emotional connection with your audience, and fostering long-term loyalty. These objectives are broader and more abstract than the concrete, measurable goals that ASC is designed to achieve. 

For instance, if you’re running a campaign to raise awareness about your brand’s commitment to sustainability, ASC might not be the best tool for the job. It would prioritize creatives that are most likely to drive immediate conversions, rather than those that best communicate your brand’s values and mission.  

That’s not to say you can’t experiment with incorporating branding creatives into your ASC campaigns. Just keep in mind that the system will always prioritize performance over branding. This 

So, if you’re looking to build brand awareness or shape your brand image, you might need to complement your Advantage+ shopping campaigns with other marketing strategies. 

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? 

In the world of digital advertising, bidding is more than just setting a price for your ads. It’s a strategic decision that can significantly impact the success of your campaigns. As ASC continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more sophisticated bidding strategies emerge. 

One exciting possibility is the ability to adjust bids based on the lifetime value of customers. This concept recognizes that not all customers are created equal – some will make a single purchase, while others will become loyal customers who make repeated purchases over time. 

In the current scenario, most bidding strategies focus on acquiring new customers, regardless of their potential long-term value. But what if you could bid more for ads targeting individuals who are likely to become high-value, repeat customers? This would allow you to allocate your ad budget more effectively and potentially achieve a higher ROI. 

SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

In conclusion, while the potential of ASC is undoubtedly exciting, it’s essential to approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. As with any new, automated tool, it should be tested thoroughly before making significant changes to your existing strategy. 

Remember, it’s not about completely replacing your business-as-usual setup with ASC. Instead, consider it as an additional tool in your marketing arsenal that can complement and enhance your existing strategies. Start small, measure the results carefully, and gradually increase your usage based on the success you see. 

The world of digital marketing is always evolving, offering new tools and techniques. But the key to success lies not in chasing every new trend but in finding the right balance between tried-and-true methods and innovative approaches. So by all means, explore what ASC has to offer, but do so strategically and thoughtfully. 

If you would like to learn more about Advantage+ shopping campaigns feel free to reach out to Emil Bonde, Social Director at [email protected]