Declare: “Meta wants lookalikes to outline my very best buyer.”
It is a fantasy. Right here’s why…
Historical past Lesson
First, a little bit of historical past behind this function. Do not forget that Meta launched lookalike audiences in 2013. Yeah, 12 years in the past.
Again then, this was an enormous deal. In 2012, you needed to outline your very best buyer utilizing a mix of pursuits and behaviors. That was a ache. Lookalike audiences automated that course of, discovering others who had been prefer to your prospects.
Algorithmic Concentrating on
However issues are completely different now. An analogous course of occurs with algorithmic focusing on today. Meta works with mounds of information and numerous real-time alerts to seek out an viewers to your advert.
It’s additionally based mostly on issues like your pixel exercise, conversion historical past, and prior engagement along with your advertisements. In different phrases, the entire belongings you’re attempting to perform with lookalike audiences.
It could be unusual to belief the lookalike viewers, however not the algorithmic focusing on that works in most of the identical methods. However that’s not the one situation right here.
Viewers Recommendations
Presumably the largest downside is that lookalikes are solely seen as recommendations when optimizing for conversions.
You’re offering a suggestion of greater than 1,000,000 folks, in lots of instances, that Meta can blow previous. The algorithm goes to succeed in the folks it needs to succeed in.
Exceptions?
Until you’re coping with a totally new account the place pixel, conversion, and engagement information doesn’t exist, it’s unlikely Meta wants this info. And when you use lookalikes, they most likely aren’t doing something.
It doesn’t harm to make use of lookalike audiences, however don’t obsess over them. Spend extra time on what really issues to succeed in your very best viewers. Learn my latest lavatory publish on this to be taught why.
