by Are you up to date on changes from Facebook? Wondering which recent Facebook updates are important to marketers and business owners?
In this article, we explore Facebook changes that affect your marketing.
#1: Facebook Advantage+, Shops, Collaborative Ads, and Promotion Codes
Meta has announced several new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools and ad formats to help retailers and advertisers better reach and engage with customers through video content, personalization, and improved measurement.
The company is bringing dynamic storytelling capabilities to its Advantage Suite. It allows advertisers to optimize video ads for viewing on Reels and mobile apps and use branded videos in Advantage+ catalog ads. Meta is also expanding access to Shops ads integrations and introducing them to Partnership ads.
Additionally, Meta is launching new dynamic ad formats, such as Reminder ads on Instagram with external links and notifications, easier promotion highlighting, and the global availability of ads with product tags on Facebook Feed. The company is also supporting retail media networks through Collaborative ads and advanced Analytics and testing Advantage+ shopping campaigns with Collaborative ads.
To help retail media networks prove the efficacy of their campaigns, Meta is introducing Advantage+ Catalog ads with omnichannel brand and product-level reporting as a managed service solution. The announcement also includes fast facts highlighting the effectiveness of Meta's advertising solutions, such as increased return on ad spend, decreased cost per acquisition, and the growing popularity of video content among younger audiences.
Our Take: Meta’s recent updates focus on enhancing the platform's video and Reels capabilities and providing more dynamic and personalized ad experiences.
In a recent survey conducted by Meta, 79% of Gen Z (18–24) have purchased a product or service after viewing a Reel. The ability to automatically optimize video ads for viewing on Reels and mobile apps has the potential to make advertisers' lives easier. Still, there are concerns about the quality of the optimization, as marketing expert Allie Boyd mentions seeing some oddly formatted Meta ads as a result of this automatic process.
Another significant update is the expansion of Reminder ads on Instagram. These ads allow businesses to remind users of previous interests they've shown and now include the ability to add external links to new products or sales. Allie and Social Media Marketing Talk Show host and marketing expert Jerry Potter are excited about the potential for these ads to boost engagement during live events and sales, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions.
Introducing alphanumeric promo codes directly within ads is also a promising update. This could reduce friction in the buying process by allowing users to apply the code and make a purchase immediately upon seeing the ad. However, Allie notes that this feature may have some downsides, such as losing the ability to verify user information through email or text opt-ins.
While these updates show promise for businesses looking to improve their advertising efforts on Meta's platforms, testing and monitoring their effectiveness will be necessary, as some features may have unexpected drawbacks or inconsistencies.
#2: New Meta Verified Features
Customizable Links and Images
Meta has introduced a feature for Meta Verified subscribers, allowing them to customize links with images and set a primary one. This feature is available only on Facebook.
Comment Filtering
Meta has announced a new Meta Verified comment filtering option for Instagram users. This feature, which has been in the testing phase for the past few months, allows users to prioritize engagement from verified accounts, including celebrities and individuals who have paid for verification.
With this update, users will now see a new comment filter option within the app, enabling them to sort post comments based on either algorithmic filtering or the Meta Verified status. By selecting the Meta Verified filter, users can choose to engage more specifically with accounts that have a blue checkmark, making it easier to connect with high-profile individuals or those who have invested in the platform's verification system.
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Our Take: The reasoning behind this feature seems to be that Meta Verified users are more likely to be genuine individuals rather than bots, and engaging with these users might be more valuable for some people.
However, there’s some skepticism about Meta Verified's overall value and features. Allie suggests that many users, particularly those who manage ad accounts, are more interested in the improved customer support that Meta Verified promised. The quality of this support appears to be inconsistent, with some users reporting great experiences while others have not seen much improvement.
Meta should focus on introducing fewer features that have a more significant impact on users rather than rolling out features for the sake of having them. If Meta Verified offered truly valuable benefits, such as quickly connecting users with support staff who can resolve their issues effectively, more people would be willing to pay for the service.
Additionally, Allie suggests that Meta could improve its services by ensuring that users receive the same level of support and experience across all platforms and interactions, similar to how some large, well-known companies maintain a consistent brand image.
While the new comment filtering feature might be helpful for some Meta Verified users, Meta should prioritize improvements in customer support and focus on introducing features that provide substantial value to justify the cost of the subscription service.
#3: Creator Monetization Options
Meta has announced several updates to its Performance Bonus program, which rewards eligible Facebook creators for producing engaging content across various formats, including photos, text, and videos.
The company is removing the monthly earnings limits, allowing creators to earn unlimited payouts starting mid-March. This change will be rolled out to most creators in the program, giving them the flexibility to monetize their content in multiple ways, such as through Ads on Reels, In-Stream Ads, and the Performance Bonus.
Additionally, Meta is expanding the Performance Bonus program to more creators in new regions, including Asia, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia, which are now eligible for an invite. These countries join the list of eligible regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, India, and Mexico. The company also plans to introduce the program to more countries in the near future.
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GET THE DETAILSTo further support creators in earning from various content types, Meta is inviting In-Stream Ads creators to participate in both the Performance Bonus Program and Ads on Reels, thereby expanding their monetization opportunities. Eligible creators will receive invitations within the Facebook app, Meta Business Suite, or Professional Dashboard and can join the program through the Monetization Tools sections of these channels.
As part of its ongoing transition from ad-based to performance-based payouts, Meta has completed the transition for Ads on Reels and is continuing to transition more creators to the new model for In-Stream Ads. Over the coming months, Meta will notify more In-Stream Ads creators about the transition to the performance-based payout model.
To help creators succeed under the new model, Meta is introducing new metrics in In-Stream Ads Insights, which will be initially available to select creators using Meta Business Suite on desktop before being rolled out to more creators and surfaces over time.
Our Take: Meta is making significant changes to its Performance Bonus program for creators on Facebook. The most notable change is the removal of restrictions on how much eligible creators can earn through the program each month. This means that creators who produce highly engaging content across various formats, such as text, images, Reels, and Live videos, can now earn unlimited payouts.
Allie believes this change will incentivize more creators to put in the extra time and effort to create high-quality content on the platform, as a cap on their earnings will no longer limit them. They also mention that while this update may not be the primary focus for many businesses, it could be a valuable opportunity for those who have built a strong audience on Facebook and want to monetize their content in any way possible.
Another important update is that Meta is expanding the Performance Bonus program to include all content formats, not just Reels. This is a positive development, as it acknowledges that not all creators communicate similarly, and some may prefer text or image-based posts over video content.
The Performance Bonus program is currently invite-only, so creators should look for notifications within their Facebook accounts to see if they qualify. Overall, Meta is actively trying to prioritize creator content and attract more creators to the platform, as many currently lean toward other platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for monetization purposes.
While the Performance Bonus program updates may not be relevant to all marketers and brands, they present a significant opportunity for those already creating engaging content on Facebook to earn potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars in additional income.
#4: Meta Tests Cross-Posting to Threads
Meta has started testing a new cross-posting feature that would enable Facebook users to post content simultaneously on both Facebook and Threads, the company's competitor to X/Twitter. The feature, currently being tested on a limited basis and restricted to iOS users outside the European Union, utilizes the same functionality that previously allowed users to cross-post from Facebook to Instagram.
The cross-posting feature will support sharing text and link posts from Facebook to Threads. However, the company has not yet provided details on when or if it will make this feature widely available to all users.
Our Take: While Threads is deeply integrated with Instagram, requiring users to sign in with their Instagram account, this new cross-posting functionality would provide an additional connection to Facebook.
When Threads first launched, an automatic cross-posting feature shared content from Threads to Instagram and possibly Facebook without user control. This feature quickly faced backlash, as users wanted more control over what they shared on different platforms, recognizing that they may communicate differently or maintain separate personas on each platform.
In response to this feedback, Meta removed the automatic cross-posting feature and is now testing an optional version. This new feature allows users to choose whether to cross-post their content from Facebook to Threads, with the setting turned off by default. Allie sees this as a positive development, providing users with a convenient way to share content across platforms without having to post separately.
However, users may face limitations if they want to promote a cross-posted piece of content as an ad on the platform they shared it to. In some cases, they may not be able to run the cross-posted content as an ad, requiring them to create the ad from scratch or repost it directly on the desired platform.
Despite this limitation, the cross-posting feature is a helpful tool for marketers looking to save time and effort in their content distribution, provided that the brand voice and message are consistent across platforms. While the feature is currently in testing and limited in availability, Allie hopes it will eventually roll out to all users, acknowledging that the timeline for such a rollout is uncertain.
Allie Bloyd is the founder of Allie Bloyd Media, a leading training and consultancy specializing in social advertising for small businesses. She also hosts the Marketing Ink Podcast.
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