{"id":17832,"date":"2024-01-22T12:23:47","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T16:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illumin.com\/?p=17832"},"modified":"2026-03-03T11:50:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T16:50:37","slug":"meta-advertising-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/illumin.com\/insights\/guides\/meta-advertising-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Meta advertising: what you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the success of the social media phenomenon, marketers continuously utilize Meta in their advertising strategies. Here\u2019s what you need to know if you want to add Meta as part of your strategies as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Platforms like Meta continue to dominate the social media advertising scene, especially with <\/span>Facebook rebranding to Meta<\/span> several years ago in order to better integrate its acquisition of Instagram. Meta continues to power advertisers\u2019 core advertising strategies as the platform develops and innovates, bringing a top-the-of-the-line ad performance. Here\u2019s what you need to know if you want to add Meta as part of your strategies as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Meta advertising?<\/h2>\n

Meta advertising through the years<\/h3>\n

Meta advertising has been around for more than a decade, dating back to 2004 in the platform\u2019s infancy stages when it offered \u2018<\/span>flyers<\/span><\/a>‘ and bits and pieces of ad space to companies in exchange for a small financial cushion to get the platform off the ground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, it wasn\u2019t until 2007 when Facebook officially launched its \u2018Facebook Ads\u2019 platform which allowed businesses to create individual profiles as well as \u201csocial ads\u201d which were ads that combined social actions from a user\u2019s friends (such as recent purchase of a business review) with an advertiser\u2019s message.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Several years later, it introduced \u2018Sponsored Stories\u2019, a desktop ad program that placed paid ads directly on users\u2019 news feeds as well as expansion to mobile ads. By 2014, Facebook rolled out its three-level advertising campaign structure, offering \u201ccampaigns\u201d and \u201cad sets\u201d on top of standard ads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Campaigns consisted of overarching plans that correspond to specific advertising objectives and were designed to help users optimize and measure results of individual ads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ad sets, on the other hand, are subsets of a campaign that could feature their own budgets and target separate audience segments. Facebook ads expanded its ad formats, featuring eight separate advertising options such as: photo, video, stories, Messenger, Marketplace, carousel, slideshow, collection, and playable content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the rebranding of Facebook to Meta, new technology and trends will bring new formats to explore and familiar processes to refine.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does it work?<\/h3>\n

At its core, <\/span>meta ads<\/span> are ads served to users based on their previous interactions and behaviors online. They leverage data collected about individuals’ browsing habits, search history, and other online activities to deliver ads that are highly relevant and personalized.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meta ads make use of \u2018cookies\u2019. When a user visits a website or engages with an online platform, a cookie is placed on their device. This cookie collects information about the user’s activities (such as the websites they visit, the products they browse, etc.). This data is then used to create a comprehensive profile of the user, which includes their interests, preferences, and demographics. Advertisers can then use this information to target specific groups of users who are most likely to be interested in their products or services.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, with the <\/span>deprecation of third-party cookies<\/span><\/a> by companies like Apple and Google in early 2024, Meta has taken it upon themselves to create more in-house data integrations in its platform via the <\/span>Conversions API<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 <\/span>The Conversions API is designed to create a connection between an advertiser\u2019s marketing data from an advertiser\u2019s server, website platform, mobile app, or CRM to Meta systems that optimize ad targeting, decrease cost per result and measure outcomes. In other words, the Conversions API tool helps advertisers use their own marketing data to optimize ad targeting, and is built to honor people\u2019s privacy preferences without it being dependent on browser technologies that collect third-party cookies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meta ads also utilize advanced algorithms and machine learning to analyze and interpret the collected data. These algorithms are constantly improving and evolving, allowing advertisers to deliver highly targeted ad campaigns that generate better results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another important feature of meta ads is retargeting. This strategy involves showing ads to users who have previously interacted with a brand or visited their website. By reminding these users of their previous interests, retargeting aims to bring them back into the sales funnel and increase the chances of conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forms and types of Meta advertising<\/h3>\n

Meta ads offer various ad formats and placement options. They can be displayed on social media platforms, search engines, mobile apps, and websites, ensuring maximum reach and visibility. According to <\/span>Meta<\/span><\/a>, there are five main types of Meta ads:<\/span><\/p>\n