Facebook Ads Aren’t Broken, You’re Just Playing by the Old Rules

Costs are rising, competition is fierce, AI is taking over the platform and the algorithm keeps evolving.

But here’s the truth:

The best advertisers don’t complain about change, they adapt to it.

If you’re struggling with results, it’s time to reassess your approach.

Here’s what you should avoid and what you should be doing instead.

What Not to Do

🚫 Try to Outsmart the Platform – The Facebook Ads algorithm is more sophisticated than ever.

It learns from billions of data points daily, meaning manual tweaks and outdated hacks won’t help.

If you’re constantly adjusting bids, targeting tiny audience segments, or turning campaigns on and off in a short period, you’re working against the system—not with it.

🚫 Judge on Vanity Metrics – Likes, shares, and even CTR (click-through rate) don’t always tell the full story.

If your campaigns aren’t driving purchases, leads, or other meaningful actions, those high engagement numbers don’t mean much.

Stop basing your decisions on clicks, CTR, views, view-throughs and other standard vanity metrics that Meta provide.

Use custom metrics, that are relevant for your business targets. Find out more about these custom metrics in DAS #1 - Facebook Ad Metrics: What Matters and what Doesn't.

🚫 Sell in the Ad – Ads that feel like hard sells turn people off.

Gone are the days when you put out a simple text copy with a white background image and sold like you are at the local market. (However, I still see these type of ads.)

Instead of hard-selling, focus on providing value, sparking curiosity, or addressing pain points.

Look at this Shein ad, it's straight out of 2014. Well, they have big budgets to spend on ads.

🚫 Blame Zuckerberg – Algorithm changes, rising costs, and ad rejections can be frustrating.

But instead of complaining, successful advertisers pivot, test new strategies, and make the system work for them.

Remember: Facebook is still the biggest social media platform with over 3 billion active monthly users.

What You Should Do Instead

✅ Test, Test, Test – The only way to know what works is to keep testing.

Try different creatives, target different audience avatars with smart copy, refresh your hooks.

Let the data guide your decisions.

Pro Tip: Have an ongoing hook database that you can always go to, if you are out of ideas. Download my Hook Library for Free and feel free to add more hooks to it.

The library has 150+ hooks that can be used in many different niches.

✅ Use UGC Content – Authentic, User-Generated Content (UGC) performs better than polished, salesy ads.

People trust real customers more than brands. Leverage reviews, testimonials, and organic-style videos to build credibility and engagement.

✅ Talk to Your Customers’ Pain Points – Instead of making your ads about your product, make them about your customers.

What problems do they have? How does your product solve them? Position your brand as the answer.

✅ Use Hooks to Grab Attention – The first 3 seconds of your ad determine if someone keeps watching or scrolls past.

In case of static image ads, the headline acts as the hook. Make it count.

Use curiosity, bold statements, or surprising visuals to stop the scroll.

✅ Embrace Ads Manager Updates – Facebook is constantly rolling out new features like Advantage+ and AI enhanced optimisations.

Instead of resisting these changes, test them to see how they impact performance.

My motto is: Don't trust Meta Suggestions, but try them and see which ones actually help your goals.

The Only Way to Win in 2025

Facebook Ads are not what they used to be:

📉 More competition

📉 Higher costs

📉 Stricter policies (especially in the European market)

📉 Conversion Tracking Restrictions

But every shift brings new opportunities for those willing to adapt.

The brands that win in 2025 will:

📈 Adjust to the Platform Changes – Instead of sticking to old strategies, they embrace the new norm.

📈 Keep Mastering Creatives – The creative (image, video, and copy) matters more than ever.

📈 Think with the Head of the Customer – They craft ads based on real customer insights, not just what they think will work.

You don’t have to love the changes, but you do have to accept them and adjust.

So, will you cry about the changes—or adapt and thrive?