I don’t have a crystal ball, but it’s not all that difficult to predict the future of Meta ads targeting if you follow the trends.

Let’s think about it…

Algorithmic Targeting

Advantage+ Audience is the default, but you still have the option to switch to original audiences — for now.

I’m confident that option will be eliminated at some point. Maybe not in a year, but Meta’s created confusing options that often behave in similar ways.

Not only is there minimal difference in the ways that Advantage+ Audience, Advantage Detailed Targeting, and Advantage Lookalike work, but advertisers rarely understand the minor variances in the first place.

For the most extreme projection, look no further than Advantage+ Shopping, where there are virtually no targeting inputs at all.

There’s every reason to believe that we could see that for all objectives one day.

Less Control

The bottom line is this: When predicting the future of targeting, err on the side of less control than more. We’re not getting that control back.

I know the response is that this couldn’t work right now. There are reasons to use original audiences. I know that algorithmic targeting is far from perfect, and I’m not advocating for a quick fix.

Meta will need to correct some things first. My bet is that the fix will actually be in performance goal optimization. More and better options to reach your ideal audience by defining your goal action.

For example, instead of your targeting inputs, advertisers could have more performance goal options to define what they want. Right now, many of the options are generic, which can lead to low-quality results.

What do you think?