Choosing Between Advantage+ Audience and Original Audiences ...
Meta's ad targeting and audience selection process has evolved significantly towards algorithmic targeting due to regulatory pressure, data loss, and investment in AI. Advertisers can choose between Advantage+ Audience or Original Audiences.
Advantage+ Audience
Advantage+ Audience uses algorithmic targeting to restrict ad visibility based on selected locations, minimum age, languages, and excluded custom audiences. Advertisers can provide Audience Suggestions, and if none are provided, Meta uses pixel data, conversion history, and prior ad engagement to find the audience. 
Advantage+ Audience is recommended when optimizing for purchases or other types of conversions. It leverages algorithmic targeting to get the most desired actions at the lowest cost.
Original Audiences
Original Audiences allow advertisers to control ad delivery based on selected locations, age range, gender, exclusions, and languages. Advertisers can provide custom audiences, lookalike audiences, and detailed targeting. Meta can expand the audience beyond these inputs in some cases.
Original Audiences are recommended for top of funnel optimization and remarketing. They allow advertisers to isolate gender, age ranges, and lookalike audiences.
Algorithmic Targeting in Meta Ad Targeting
The shift towards algorithmic targeting in Meta ad targeting has been driven by several factors:
- Regulatory pressure: Concerns about the misuse of targeting capabilities to manipulate elections or discriminate against certain groups have led to increased scrutiny and regulation.
- Loss of reliable data: Changes in tracking permissions have reduced the amount of data available for targeting, necessitating more sophisticated AI-driven methods.
- Investment in AI and machine learning: Meta has invested in AI and machine learning technologies that can potentially identify ideal audiences more effectively than manual targeting.
When to Use Original Audiences
You should consider using Original Audiences when you need more control over who sees your ads, especially in the following scenarios:
- Top of Funnel Optimization: If your performance goal is to optimize for top-of-funnel actions like link clicks, landing page views, or post engagement, Original Audiences allow you to set more specific targeting guardrails.
- Remarketing: When you want to target ads exclusively to a custom audience with a unique message meant only for them, Original Audiences will enable you to isolate that group and ensure only they see your ads.
Original Audiences provide advertisers with more control over their ad targeting parameters, allowing for greater customization and specificity in reaching their desired audience.
Both Advantage+ Audience and Original Audiences have their strengths and weaknesses. Advertisers should carefully analyze their goals and objectives to determine which approach best suits their advertising needs.
For more digital marketing insights, subscribe to our newsletter to receive information from over +100 sources in your inbox.
Download our mobile app for daily updates on digital marketing trends. Scan the QR Code or visit Optimization Up.
