In this episode of the The Marketing Made Social Podcast, I sit down with Jon Loomer to talk about what is really happening inside Meta Ads right now.
If you have been running ads since the so called glory days of 2017, you will recognise the shift. The levers we used to pull do not work in the same way. Targeting behaves differently. Creative matters more. And the illusion of control inside Ads Manager is stronger than ever.
Jon has been in the Meta ecosystem from the early days. Long before most advertisers even knew what a Pixel was. In this conversation, we unpack how the platform has evolved, what advertisers are still getting wrong, and how to adapt your strategy heading into 2026.
This is not about hacks. It is about understanding the system you are working with.
What We Talk About
The Wild West Era of Facebook Ads
We look back at the period between 2015 and 2018 when:
- Clicks were cheap
- Retargeting was hyper granular
- Complex funnel structures were the norm
- Micro targeting felt like a superpower
We also discuss how that era created habits that many advertisers are still clinging to today.
The Illusion of Control
One of the most important themes in this episode is control.
Meta still allows you to:
- Select detailed interests
- Build lookalike audiences
- Exclude segments
- Structure multiple ad sets
But how much of that really matters now?
Jon shares insights from tests he has run, including comparisons between broad targeting and expanded custom audiences. The results challenge a lot of long held assumptions about what actually drives performance.
Why Creative Is Now the Priority
If targeting is no longer your main advantage, what is? Creative.
We talk about:
- What Andromeda actually is and why it matters
- What creative diversification means in practical terms
- Why you do not need 50 ads to test properly
- How flexible format and multiple text options create variation
- Why the old idea of finding one winning combination is outdated
The focus is no longer on building complex targeting stacks. It is on providing Meta with strong creative assets that allow the system to match message to person.
Letting Ads Breathe
This episode also explores something many experienced advertisers struggle with. When do you step back?
In the past, we were trained to:
- Turn off underperforming ads quickly
- Optimise aggressively
- Make constant structural changes
Now, that behaviour can work against you.
We discuss the halo effect of creative, why not every ad needs to convert directly, and why overall performance matters more than micromanaging individual assets.
AI, Automation and the Future of Agencies
We finish by looking ahead.
Will Meta eventually automate the entire advertising process?
Could we reach a point where you simply input your website and let the platform do everything?
Jon shares his view on what is realistic, what is unlikely, and where agencies and strategists will still have a role.
The takeaway is clear. Automation is increasing. But strategic thinking is still required.
Who This Episode Is For
This conversation is for:
- Female founders running their own Meta ads
- Business owners frustrated by declining performance
- Marketers who learned ads during the 2017 era
- Anyone who feels like the platform has changed but cannot quite articulate how
If you want a grounded, honest look at where Meta Ads are heading and what you should focus on next, this one is worth your time.
And if you need help building a smarter testing strategy for your business, contact us to book an Ad Audit and Strategic Test Plan via the link in the description.
The platform has evolved. The question is whether your strategy has evolved with it.
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