At Mavlers, we love calling a spade a spade!
Forgive us for bursting your bubble, but if you’re still running Meta Ads the same way you did in 2022, or even last year, you’re essentially bringing a flip phone to an iPhone fight.
Between AI-powered automation, data privacy crackdowns, and new ad formats dropping faster than you can say “optimize,” the Meta landscape has had a full-blown evolution. These are more than just Facebook Ads updates; these are Meta advertising changes that redefine how performance marketers operate.
And if you’re not evolving with it? You’re not just leaving money on the table; you might be paying Meta to lose.
So here’s the question: Are you truly getting the best performance out of your Meta Ads, or just… getting by?
Whether you’re running high-volume ecommerce campaigns, lead-gen funnels, or just trying to scale smart, this blog is your 2025 cheat sheet to all the Meta Ads updates that actually move the needle.
We’ll cover everything from Meta ads targeting updates to Meta Business Suite updates, all bundled with Meta Ads best practices and pro optimization tips.
Let’s dive into the good stuff 👇
1. Advantage+ Campaign Budget (Campaign Budget Optimization, CBO;cz guesswork is so 2020!)
Remember the old days of manually assigning budgets to ad sets? A/B testing like your life depended on it? Meta looked at that and said, “Nah, let’s let AI handle it.”
Advantage+ Campaign Budget (Campaign Budget Optimization, or CBO) utilizes machine learning to allocate your budget to the highest-performing ad sets dynamically.
This happens in real-time, and often it works better than setting budgets manually.
When creating a new campaign, select “Advantage+ campaign budget” and enter your total budget. Meta will share that amount between ad sets depending on which ones perform better.
Source- https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/153514848493595?id=629338044106215
Why it rocks: More efficient spend, better ROAS, and less babysitting. Let Meta’s AI do the heavy lifting while you focus on strategy.
Pro tip: Enable “Advantage+ Campaign Budget” when creating your campaign and keep a close eye on performance breakdowns.
2. Advantage+ Placements: Stop guessing where to show your ads
Are you still handpicking placements like it’s 2018? That’s like manually DJing every radio station in your car. It’s time to automate smarter.
Advantage+ Placements lets Meta’s AI find the most cost-effective, high-performing real estate across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Reels, and Audience Network.
Meta knows where your audience congregates and which placements yield the best results. Let it test and optimize in real time. These Meta ads optimization tips can give you a serious edge.
To use it, go to the ad set level and select “Advantage+ Placements.” It’s a good idea to test it and see if it helps with your ad delivery and costs.
Source- https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/196554084569964?id=369787570424415
3. Advantage+ Lookalike Audiences: Say hola to smart targeting, smarter results!
The classic Lookalike strategy, that’s great. But Advantage+ Lookalikes? Well, amigos, that’s like unlocking a whole new level!
Meta now enhances your audience targeting using behavioral signals, purchase intent, and machine learning to go beyond the basics.
Here’s why it’s a big deal:
You’re no longer targeting people who merely resemble your customers; you’re reaching those who behave like them. That’s one of the top Meta ads targeting updates of the year.
How to use: Upload strong first-party data, such as purchase lists or email subscribers, and then let Advantage+ expand your reach with precision.
4. Conversions API (CAPI): Dare to go beyond the pixel
In times when cookies are dying, privacy rules are tightening, and pixel tracking is no longer enough, CAPI is Meta’s answer. A deft server-to-server connection that tracks conversions directly from your site, app, or CRM, even when cookies are blocked.
It provides more accurate and comprehensive tracking than using the Meta Pixel alone.
With better data, your ads can be optimized more effectively, your reports will be more accurate, and you can also track offline results more effectively.
Setting it up needs some technical work on your server. You can ask your developer for assistance or use tools like Shopify or Google Tag Manager to connect to the Conversions API.
Source- https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/conversions-api
https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2041148702652965?id=818859032317965
5. Upping your retail partnership games with collaborative ads
Collaborative Ads let brands work together with retailers to run ads that promote the retailer’s sale of the brand’s products.
This enables the retailer to share their product catalog and help manage parts of the campaign.
This helps you reach a wider audience and increase sales through established retail partners. It’s a win-win for both the brand and the retailer.
You can find the Collaborative Ads feature inside Meta Business Suite and start working with the right retail partners.
Source- https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/tools/collaborative-ads
https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/330750424503545?id=1321866301271922
6. Testing the waters with interactive ad formats
Meta continues to introduce a range of new ad formats, including interactive polls in video ads, playable ads, and AR (augmented reality) filters.
These formats help draw more attention, encourage people to interact with your ad, and provide a stronger brand experience. This can lead to increased conversions and improved brand recognition.
When creating ads in Meta Ads Manager, explore the various formats and select the ones that align with your brand and campaign goals.
Source- https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video
7. Leveraging the power of reels and short-form video content
Everybody knows that everyone loves reels and other forms of short, on-the-go, snackable content!
For starters, it’s quick, crispy, and delivers the message in a fun way under 30 seconds. That is why short-form videos on Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels are getting a lot of attention and views.
These quick videos are ideal for telling a story quickly, reaching younger users, and building brand awareness or achieving rapid results.
You can use your existing video content or create new vertical videos specifically for Reels. Ensure your message is clear and captures interest within the first few seconds.
Source- https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/ads/facebook-instagram-reels-ads
https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/ads/video-ad-format
8. Utilizing Meta Advantage+ Catalog ads for broad audience targeting
The magic of Advantage+ catalog ads allows you to showcase products from your catalog to a wider audience, including those who haven’t visited your site but have shown interest in similar products.
This helps you find new customers that traditional retargeting might miss, so you can grow your audience and get more sales.
When you set up catalog ads, look for the “Advantage+ catalog ads” option under audience targeting.
Source- https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/397103717129942?id=1913105122334058
9. Focusing on first-party data and Customer Match
As the privacy rules grow more stringent by the day, using your own first-party data (like customer lists and website activity) holds all the more importance for good targeting and personalization.
This type of data adheres to privacy rules, enabling you to target your best customers and create robust lookalike audiences.
Ensure you have a reliable method for collecting and managing your customer data. Then, use Customer Match in Meta Ads Manager to upload and target these audiences.
Source- https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/341425252616329?id=2469097953376494
10. SMS verification for lead ads: Because spam leads are so not cool!
To be honest, nothing burns a sales team more than chasing fake leads.
Enter SMS Verification for Lead Ads, Meta’s newest security feature that prompts users to verify their phone number before submitting a lead form.
Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Filters out bots and junk leads
- Improves lead quality dramatically
- Reduces manual lead cleaning time
Yes, adding friction to lead forms can reduce volume. But trust us, quality always beats quantity.
Here’s how you can enable SMS Verification.
The road ahead
If you want to build a foolproof Facebook Ads campaign, we recommend reading ~ Avoiding Facebook Ad Fails: Top 10 Pitfalls You Didn’t Know You Were Making.
Nilesh Gaikwad - Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Nilesh Gaikwad is a SEM/Performance Marketing Executive and Analyst with over 2.5 years of hands-on experience in paid media. He specializes in managing and optimizing campaigns across Meta, TikTok, Google, and LinkedIn Ads. With a strong focus on performance-driven strategies, he has a proven ability to enhance campaign effectiveness and drive meaningful business growth across a variety of digital platforms.
Naina Sandhir - Content Writer
A content writer at Mavlers, Naina pens quirky, inimitable, and damn relatable content after an in-depth and critical dissection of the topic in question. When not hiking across the Himalayas, she can be found buried in a book with spectacles dangling off her nose!
2025 Paid Media KPIs: What to Measure Instead of ROAS
What Is Dynamic Ad Personalization and How AI Makes It Work