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# Advantage+ Campaigns

## When to Use Automation vs Manual

| Factor | Automation Wins | Manual Wins |
|--------|-----------------|-------------|
| Conversion volume | 50+/week | <50/week |
| Creative assets | 10+ variations | <5 variations |
| Audience size | Large (1M+) | Small (<100K) |
| Business type | Ecom, broad appeal | B2B, niche |
| Goal | Scale, efficiency | Learning, control |

**Automation features:** Advantage+ Shopping (ASC, full campaign automation), Audience (targeting expansion), Placements (multi-channel distribution), Creative (variation testing).

## Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (ASC)

Ecommerce-focused. Automates audience targeting (prospecting + retargeting), creative testing, placement optimization, budget allocation.

**You provide:** 5–150 ads, product catalog, budget, country, existing customer cap, optional age/gender minimums.
**Meta handles:** audience, prospecting/retargeting split, creative rotation, placements, bid optimization.

### Setup

1. Campaign → Sales objective → "Advantage+ Shopping Campaign"
2. Set country, existing customer cap (0–30%), age minimum
3. Add creative: 5 minimum, 10–20 recommended, 150 maximum (mix video, static, carousel, dynamic)
4. Daily budget: $200+ minimum

### Existing Customer Budget Cap

| Goal | Cap |
|------|-----|
| New customers only | 0% |
| Mostly prospecting | 10–15% |
| Balanced | 20–25% |
| Heavy retargeting | 30%+ |

Start 10–20%, adjust based on performance.

### ASC Performance vs Manual

| Metric | ASC | Manual |
|--------|-----|--------|
| CPA | 10–25% lower | Baseline |
| ROAS | 10–25% higher | Baseline |
| Scale ceiling | Higher | Limited |
| Control | Very low | High |
| Setup time | Minutes | Hours |

**Case study:** Holded (B2B SaaS) — 86% lower CPA, 26% reach increase.

### ASC Optimization

**Adjustable:** creative (add/remove), existing customer cap, budget, country.
**Not adjustable:** detailed targeting, specific placements, bid strategy, audience segmentation.

**Creative volume:** 5 minimum, 10–20 good, 20–50 best (diminishing returns above 50). Include: product video, UGC testimonial, static product, lifestyle, carousels, dynamic ads.

**Budget tiers:** $200–500/day (testing), $1,000+/day (scaling), $5,000+/day (aggressive).

**Review:** weekly at ad level, not daily. Wait 7 days before major changes.

## Advantage+ Audience

Provide optional interest/lookalike/custom audience suggestions. Meta expands to find additional converters.

**Use:** prospecting, scaling, when you have conversion data.
**Skip:** very niche B2B, strict compliance, testing specific audience hypothesis.

**Note:** With no suggestions ≈ broad targeting. Advantage+ uses engagement and pixel signals more aggressively.

## Advantage+ Placements

Meta distributes across all placements (Facebook Feed/Stories/Reels/Marketplace/Search, Instagram Feed/Stories/Reels/Explore, Audience Network, Messenger).

**Why:** More inventory = lower CPMs. Feed-only = limited inventory at higher cost.

**CPM tiers:** Feed (high) > Stories/Reels (medium) > Audience Network (low). Feed has higher conversion; Reels/Stories drive volume.

**Use default (all placements).** Manual selection only when: creative works on one placement (9:16 Reels-only), testing placement performance, or data shows specific placements don't work.

**Creative aspect ratios:**

| Ratio | Used For |
|-------|----------|
| 1:1 | Feed (all) |
| 4:5 | Feed (mobile) |
| 9:16 | Stories, Reels |
| 16:9 | In-stream video |

Upload in multiple ratios or let Meta auto-crop (less optimal).

## Advantage+ Creative

AI tests variations: crops, brightness/contrast, 3D animation, music, text, image templates.

**Enable:** Ad Setup → Advantage+ Creative → ON. Toggle enhancements (visual touch-ups, animation, music).

**Use:** high volume, want testing without extra work, performance-focused.
**Skip:** strict brand guidelines, specific vision needed, need to understand winners.

**vs Dynamic Creative:** Dynamic = you upload assets, Meta tests combinations, you see winners. Advantage+ = you upload finished ads, Meta creates variations, less visibility. Use Advantage+ for optimization; Dynamic for learning.

## Account Evolution

**Stage 1 — Launch (Manual):** Few conversions, test creative, learn what works.
**Stage 2 — Growth (Mixed):** Winners identified, manual testing + automated scaling, start Advantage+ features.
**Stage 3 — Scale (Automation):** High volume, proven creative library, ASC + Advantage+ everywhere.

## Hybrid Approach (Recommended)

```
Creative Testing: Manual ABO  → full control, learn winners, isolate variables
Scaling:          Advantage+ (CBO or ASC) → proven winners only, AI optimizes
Retargeting:      Manual for sequences, Auto for simplicity (depends on volume)
```

## Future of Meta Ads

Meta is pushing full automation. Manual controls are being deprecated; Advantage+ will become the only option for some features. **Competitive advantage = creative, not targeting.** Master creative production, build robust testing systems, trust automation for delivery, focus on inputs not micro-optimization.

*Next: [Decision Trees](decision-trees.md)*
