The curious case of automated targeting | Facebook & Google algorithm update

The Facebook Ads team has released v12.0 of their Marketing API.

The most noticeable change is that Facebook now expands targeting for all interest-based ad sets automatically. Essentially, Facebook will expand your targeting without your permission to lower your cost-per-conversion.

Other changes include:

- Facebook will select the best chat medium for you: When creating a messaging campaign, you can now specify all messaging apps where you are available (Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp).

The algorithm will choose the one most likely to result in a conversation.

- You can start a WhatsApp chat from an Instagram profile: You can now add a WhatsApp click-to-chat button to your Instagram profile.

Facebook's latest update of the ad algorithm gives an idea about the direction in which the company wants to go.

There has been a rise in easy to use features across the platform. In terms of paid ads, very easy processes where only in few clicks you are increasing your reach.

Facebook pages and professional accounts are focused on the 'boost' option beside every post. The idea remains that they want to make the process of paid promotion as easy as possible.

The majority of users are don't have the technical knowledge to set up a professional ad account. Facebook knows indie-creators and small businesses are ready to spend on ads, if they can be setup independently. Facebook designed a 'boost' option where one can promote within few clicks to facilitate such ad behaviour.

Professional marketer's opinion is that the 'boost' feature focuses more on views than ROI. However, Such changes indicate the direction in which the company wants to progress.

Changes that have been coming from both Google and Facebook reflect the rise in such trends. Google Ads latest update now gives a giant popup below the keywords box that says:

"Use a broad match to get more conversions at a similar or better ROI."

and a CTA button with

"Change keywords to broad match."

Marketers are septic as they fear google AI is recommending them keywords that will result in thousands of dollars lost. As a marketer, It's a genuine reason to worry.

Still early days, But I think both Google and Facebook are trying to automate the entire ad experience from both advertisers and consumers perspectives.

With Google and Facebook's focus on automation of targeting features, It seems plausible that the company message is You define goals and let the algorithm decide how to reach that goal.

The reason is that they know the audience better than you. It makes a convincing case as Facebook and Google are sitting on heaps of data mined where they can accurately predict when and where a user is searching, engaging and spending money.

Conclusion:

Only time can answer how such changes affect us, I think Google and Facebook want to make the process of advertising as easy as possible. Within few clicks, you can set up ads and start seeing results.

From the consumer perspective, This is good news as they will see more relevant ads. Such targeting might result in better conversions.

As many Marketers and companies show their displeasure in taking away the control, Facebook and google knows as long as consumers are happy and spending more time interacting with ads, Transactions will keep happening bringing in more ROAS which will make the companies keep coming back to them.