Mastering Meta Ads in 2025 (from what i’ve read)
Our Meta ads for Perfume Direct haven’t been firing on all cylinders recently. This led me to dig around for some new ideas that could spark some life into our account!
I found some interesting stuff on LinkedIn, so i thought i’d summarise my findings here.
As you probably know, Meta ads are always evolving, and staying ahead means testing new strategies, analysing performance differently, and keeping up with what actually works.
While there's no single "perfect" way to run Meta ads, these are some of the key ideas circulating in the performance marketing space right now.
1. Discovery Over Followers
Gone are the days when Meta ads were all about audience targeting based on page followers. Now, it’s all about discovery—finding new customers through organic-style content.
Reels are king – Video placements, particularly Reels, are dominating first-time conversions. If you’re not leveraging short-form video content, you’re leaving money on the table.
Fresh is best – Meta is now rewarding new creative above all else. The more frequently you refresh your ads, the better they’ll perform. Stagnant creative leads to ad fatigue and rising costs.
2. The New Testing Framework
Traditional A/B testing isn't as effective as it once was. Instead, the most successful advertisers are shifting to a more dynamic framework:
For aesthetic brands – Testing a variety of products often outperforms testing different creative variations of the same product.
For utility brands – Ads that focus on a clear problem-solution angle tend to drive the highest revenue.
Watch time > Hook rate – It’s no longer just about grabbing attention in the first three seconds. Keeping users engaged for longer leads to better ad performance.
Refined campaign structure: Many brands are finding success with a streamlined approach:
Single-SKU campaigns
ABO (Ad Budget Optimisation) for angle testing
Scaling based on profit-optimised creative
3. Rethinking Revenue & Budgeting
The way advertisers measure success and allocate budgets has shifted:
New Customer MER (Marketing Efficiency Ratio) – This should be your guiding metric, ensuring that you’re acquiring customers profitably.
Incrementality is key – True ad impact is measured by incremental revenue, not vanity metrics. For most brands, a 7-day click attribution model provides the best balance of accuracy and insight.
Budget allocation:
Cost caps ensure efficiency by controlling spend per conversion.
Lowest cost bidding is best when you need to scale volume.
The 4 Core Meta Campaign Types
If you’re looking to structure your Meta ad campaigns effectively, here’s a breakdown of four key approaches:
ABO (Ad Budget Optimisation): Your go-to for driving new customer acquisition and testing different ad angles.
ASC (Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns): Ideal for middle-of-funnel and broader SKU advertising.
Catalogue Retargeting: A must-have for bringing back high-intent shoppers who have engaged with your products.
Scaling Campaigns: If an ad is performing well, increase the budget by 20% daily max to avoid disrupting performance.
I’ll be testing out the above over the next few months & will report back with our results!