Recent Meta Changes

The recent changes Meta (Facebook/Instagram) has made across Business Manager access, audience targeting, creative control, and campaign setup are keeping us on our toes. This will help you stay ahead of the evolving platform and adapt your processes accordingly:

1. Business Manager Access & Permissions

Stricter Access Approvals

  • Meta now requires dual approvals when adding a new admin to a Business Manager.

    • You must first invite the person, then an existing admin must approve the request.

    • Even after Business Manager access is granted, assigning someone to specific assets (e.g., Pages, Ad Accounts) often requires additional confirmation by a current asset admin.

  • This is part of Meta’s push toward greater account security and transparency.

Implication:
It can now take longer to onboard a new team member. Always ensure the client or an existing admin is available to approve requests, and remove team members as they move on from the business. If the other admin is no longer available to approve your requests - here is what to do.

2. Changes to Lookalike Audiences

Deprecation of Classic Lookalikes (Some Regions & Objectives)

  • Meta is beginning to phase out traditional Lookalike Audiences in favour of Advantage Lookalike options under their automated Advantage+ system.

  • The new version gives less granular control – you can't manually select the percentage size (e.g. 1%, 2%) in some campaign types.

  • Lookalike settings are now bundled under “Advantage Audiences”, which mix interest, custom, and lookalike data dynamically.

Implication:
Expect less precision and more reliance on Meta’s automation. To maintain effectiveness, ensure source audiences (e.g. website visitors, purchases, leads) are clean, well-segmented, and frequently updated. 3. Interest-Based Targeting Changes

3. Shrinkage of Interest Categories

  • Meta has removed or merged many interest targeting options, especially niche or sensitive topics (e.g. health, parenting, religion, political categories).

  • Some remaining interests have become less reliable, as audience definitions are now broader and less specific.

Implication:
Campaign performance may drop if previously reliant on now-deprecated interests. Shift focus to first-party data (email lists, website traffic, engagement audiences), and invest more into building Custom Audiences.

If you want to know how to optimise your audiences - here is what to do. 

 

4. Creative Control Limitations

Reduced Manual Input for Creative Variations

  • Meta increasingly pushes advertisers toward Dynamic Creatives and Advantage+ Creative formats, where:

    • Image sizing and cropping are auto-adjusted.

    • Text placement and headline ordering may be altered.

    • Creative variations are shown automatically depending on what Meta predicts will perform best.

Implication:
You have less control over brand presentation, especially for headline order, image-text alignment, or maintaining specific visual guidelines. To adapt:

  • Upload multiple versions of each creative to influence how Meta chooses.

  • Always test short and long text formats, and avoid text on images where cropping could interfere.

5. Advantage+ Campaign Types

Expansion of Advantage+ Shopping & Lead Campaigns

  • Meta is rolling out Advantage+ campaign types that use machine learning to auto-optimise:

    • Targeting

    • Placements

    • Budget distribution

    • Creative delivery

You set the goal (e.g. leads, purchases), upload multiple creatives, and Meta does the rest.

Pros:

  • Great for large campaigns with strong pixel and CRM data.

  • Reduces manual optimisation time.

Cons:

  • Limited targeting transparency.

  • Reduced audience control (e.g. can't exclude as many audiences).

  • You're expected to trust Meta’s algorithm, which may not align with your ideal segment.

Area Change
Admin Access Dual approval required for new admins and asset assignments.
Lookalikes Shift toward automated Advantage Lookalikes, with less manual control.
Interest Targeting Fewer and broader interest groups.
Creative Delivery Advantage+ Creative overrides manual placements and cropping.
Campaign Types Expansion of Advantage+ campaigns – more AI, less manual control.

 

Recommendations Moving Forward

  • Focus on building strong first-party data (email lists, site traffic, social engagement).

  • Keep creative assets varied and ready to test (different crops, headlines, lengths).

  • Always have a clear naming convention and folder system to keep track of what’s working.

If you would like some help don't hesitate to reach out to our team! 

info@mymarketingagency.co.nz