Since the iOS 14.5 privacy updates, I've felt that interest targeting has become much less accurate. Are you guys still using granular interests, or have you moved entirely to broad targeting? I'm trying to figure out the best way to reach my ideal customer profile in 2024.
3 answers
The strategy has definitely shifted. While granular interests used to be the gold standard, the algorithm is now much better at "Broad" targeting. This means leaving interest, age, and gender wide open (or very broad) and letting the creative do the targeting. Meta’s AI analyzes who interacts with your ad and then finds similar people. We’ve seen that narrow interest groups often lead to higher CPMs and quicker ad fatigue. In 2024, think of your creative as your targeting tool—the hook and copy will naturally filter out people who aren't interested.
If you go completely broad, how do you prevent the ad from showing to people who clearly aren't your target, like people in the wrong industry?
I still find that "Interest Stacking" (combining 5-10 related interests) works better than a single interest for smaller budgets that can't afford the data for broad.
I agree with Susan. Interest stacking provides enough "hints" to the algorithm without being so narrow that the CPM goes through the roof. It’s a great middle ground.
Thomas, you use "Negative Audiences" and exclusions. You might not tell Meta exactly who TO show it to, but you can still tell it who NOT to show it to by excluding past purchasers or specific lookalikes. Also, your ad copy should explicitly call out your audience, e.g., "Attention Small Business Owners."