Meta announces major updates to Advantage+ and Shopping Ads

Meta announced a string of updates to its Advantage+ and Shopping Ads, designed to help brands improve engagement, drive conversions, and deliver more personalized ads.

The platform claims that the updates will help give consumers “the confidence to make a purchase after seeing an ad.”

Advantage+ creative optimizations. This feature can now automatically optimize video ads to fit Reels or the mobile Facebook and Instagram apps with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Advantage+ creative optimizations also enable advertisers to generate multiple ad variations dynamically, tailoring them to each individual’s preferences for maximum effectiveness.

 Advantage+ catalog ads update. Advertisers can now include branded videos or customer demonstrations instead of just static images. Additionally, all global advertisers can now provide more engaging product information to shoppers through dynamic and personalized videos, as shown in the image below:

Hero images in catalog ads. Advertisers can now upload a hero image to the center of their Advantage+ catalog ads. Meta will then use AI to dynamically show people the best products from their catalog to drive performance, as shown in the image below:

More eCommerce ad options. Meta is expanding access to its Magento and Salesforce Commerce Cloud integrations for more advertisers to utilize Shops ads. This includes combining Advantage+ shopping campaigns with Shops ads. Additionally, Meta is introducing Shops ads to Partnership ads, enabling businesses to run collaborative campaigns with creators, brands, or other businesses.

Reminder ads. Advertisers can now incorporate external links to new products or sales in their Reminder ads, enhancing the potential to convert interest into purchases. Additionally, this summer, Meta will introduce additional methods for advertisers to notify users when an event begins and before it concludes. Furthermore, Meta plans to extend Reminder ads to Reels, providing advertisers with more interactive ways to connect with customers.

Promo codes. Meta is globally introducing alphanumeric promo codes to allow more advertisers to showcase their promotions and assist users in discovering and applying relevant, valid promo codes through Facebook and Instagram ads. According to Meta, advertisers who have previously utilized this feature experienced a median reduction of 9.1% in cost per purchase in their campaigns and a median increase of 10.1% in conversions.

Ads with product tags expansion. Starting in March, Meta will introduce ads with product tags to the Facebook Feed (currently available only on Instagram). Then, in April, Meta will globally launch ads with product tags for all businesses, regardless of whether they have a Shop.

Collaborative ads update. Meta is improving its Collaborative ads feature by offering advertisers more insights into performance. Additionally, Meta is testing the ability for advertisers to use Collaborative ads in conjunction with Advantage+ shopping campaigns.

Coming soon. This spring, Meta will launch Advantage+ Catalog ads with comprehensive reporting capabilities. This managed service solution aims to help retail media networks prove the effectiveness of ads on Meta platforms in driving sales both online and in-store.

Why we care. Staying current with the latest advertising features and capabilities from Meta can significantly impact your success. These updates have the potential to expand your reach, enhance conversions, and provide valuable insights to optimize your ads more effectively.

What Meta is saying. Meta said in a statement:

• “Shoppers want to make faster purchase decisions without the need for outside help or guidance.”
• “[That’s why] we’re introducing new AI-powered tools that provide more information and personalization to people at the moment of discovery to give them the confidence to make a purchase after seeing an ad.”

Deep dive. Read Meta’s announcement in full for more information.