Capturing and converting consumers has become increasingly challenging as brands face difficulties in moving interest down the funnel to purchase. Meta remains a key acquisition channel for most digital advertisers, and we recently attended their Agency Summit to prepare our teams and our partners for 2025 success.
We explored new platform features, discussed evolving best practices, and analyzed shifting consumer behavior patterns. Here’s how brands can leverage Meta’s powerful tools to effectively attract, acquire, and retain customers as we enter a critical period for many businesses.
1. Leverage AI and Automation to Drive Performance
At the summit, Meta highlighted the growing importance of AI and automation in driving ad performance. With billions invested in their AI infrastructure, Meta is constantly refining its tools to help businesses reach their goals more efficiently.
Meta’s Performance Five Framework was central to the discussion, emphasizing five core strategies:
- Simplify Account Structures to give AI more flexibility.
- Use Advantage Campaigns to dynamically target the right audiences.
- Embrace Broad Targeting for better reach.
- Focus on Creative Variety to give AI multiple creative assets to optimize.
- Leverage Machine Learning for automated, data-driven ad decisions that reduce costs and improve outcomes.
For brands, the key message was clear: AI is not just a buzzword. It’s a powerful tool that can help you scale, optimize, and maximize your ad spend – especially during high-pressure times like Q4.
2. Optimize and Expand Your Creative Resources
Creative is the biggest driver of ad performance, and Meta emphasized the need for variety in creative assets. According to Meta’s research, using at least 20 dynamic creatives can significantly reduce costs and increase ad effectiveness.
Meta also shared four creative levers that drive success:
- Human Connection: Ads featuring people, particularly those making eye contact, outperform others by 81%.
- Product Integration: Seamlessly incorporating the product into your creative boosts effectiveness by 46%.
- Visual Dynamism: Ads with fast-paced visuals and dynamic elements see a 74% increase in performance.
- Distinct Atmosphere: Unique settings and bold color schemes can improve ad effectiveness by 67%.
For brands, this means constantly refreshing your creative portfolio and investing in a variety of ad formats to keep audiences engaged.
3. Redefine Goals to Maximize Value
Meta has introduced new tools that help advertisers focus on long-term value rather than just immediate conversions. Their value optimization tools are designed to help brands target high-value customers, driving higher average order values and long-term growth.
The summit also introduced profit optimization, a new feature designed for businesses with variable profit margins. Instead of simply maximizing revenue, brands can now optimize their ads to prioritize higher-margin products, making their campaigns more profitable overall.
Meta’s conversion value rules also allow advertisers to bid more aggressively for high-value customers, helping businesses balance broad targeting with profitability. This shift toward value optimization will be key for brands aiming to maximize returns during the critical holiday season.
4. Invest in Short-Form Video
With 50% of time spent on Instagram now in Reels, short-form video has become a dominant format for both discovery and conversions. Meta revealed that 79% of users make purchases after watching a Reel, making it a critical format for Q4.
For brands, investing in Reels is essential. To optimize performance:
- Use vertical video for a better fit on mobile screens.
- Include audio, as videos with sound significantly outperform silent ads.
- Emphasize authenticity: Less polished, more relatable content tends to drive higher engagement on Reels.
As short-form video continues to dominate attention, brands should prioritize this format to capture both awareness and conversions, particularly during key shopping periods.
5. Strike a Balance Between Brand and Performance Marketing
One of the summit’s biggest themes was the convergence of brand and performance marketing. Consumers today move through non-linear buying journeys, blending discovery, consideration, and purchase in ways that challenge traditional marketing funnels.
Meta encourages brands to collapse the funnel by combining brand-building efforts with direct response campaigns. Case studies revealed that this strategy can lead to a 30% increase in organic search traffic and a 24% rise in paid search traffic when brand awareness ads are layered with direct response campaigns.
By using AI to balance both short-term performance goals and long-term brand-building objectives, brands can optimize for total efficiency and effectiveness.
As we enter this crucial holiday period and beyond, brands must be prepared to leverage the latest AI-driven tools, creative strategies, and campaign best practices on Meta’s platforms. By embracing these insights, brands can optimize their campaigns, maximize returns, and build stronger customer relationships through the end of the year and beyond.
