How to Reach Your Buyers with Meta Ads

Interest targeting, lookalikes, and pinpoint demographics, they’re antiquities.

That's so 2018.

Meta’s algorithm now leads with signal, not targeting.

And let’s be honest:

If reach alone worked, every business would just boost posts.

No need for marketing experts.

But reaching everyone means reaching no one.

The job isn’t reach, it's resonance with your ideal customer.

You want to reach buyers, not just random users.

That’s where expertise still matters. That's why marketing agencies still exist.

In this issue of Digital Ad Snack, I’ll break down how to guide Meta’s AI to your best audience without relying on outdated tricks.

1. Understand How the Algorithm Works

Meta doesn’t need handholding anymore, it learns based on performance signals.

Your job is no longer to micro-target, but to create a strong and clean signals.

Most of the setup is now done by Meta:

That means:

• Defined audience segments (still manual)

• Creative aligned with conversion intent

• Select the right performance goals

It's extremely important to input exactly what you want as performance goal in Ad Sets.

Meta will bring the results you aim for, if you optimize for clicks, you’ll get clicks

This is where you need to be still aware.

When your structure and strategy are sharp, Meta’s AI will find the buyers for you.

Want a deeper dive into how the algorithm shifted? Read DAS #64 - How the Meta Ads Algorithm Actually Works.

2. Remarketing Is Dead (Sort Of)

True remarketing hasn’t died, it just happens behind the scenes.

You no longer need separate “remarketing” campaigns.

In some cases you can still separate them into a solo campaign with exclusions, if your goal is to bring only new customers.

But that’s another topic for another Ad Snack.

Advantage+ campaigns automatically build in audience logic and serve your ads to audience that is most likely to convert on those ads.

But still some signal setting and manual work needs to be done.

You need to define the right signals in your ad account by defining audience segments.

I covered this in DAS #46 - How to Define Audience Segments in Meta Ad Accounts.

Let go of complicated custom audiences and bloated retargeting structures.

Instead:

• Use broad targeting with strong ads (targeted ad creative & copy)

• Serve tailored messages to warm audiences and cold audiences alike

• Let Meta automate the delivery

Meta will work hard to get results that match your goal.

That goal is defined by your performance goal as mentioned before.

3. Own the Signal, Not the Segments

Interest targeting, narrow demographics, and multiple lookalikes don’t improve performance.

They just confuse the system.

Also, I experienced that Meta will not prioritze your inputs as it states.

It simply ignores you.

Instead, focus on:

• Sharp messaging tied to funnel stage

• Consistent ad account structure

• Defined customer journey

Meta optimizes based on outcomes.

So shape the signal with clear inputs, don’t clutter your ad sets with guesses.

4. Test Creative & Copy Smartly

You don’t need more targeting options, you need better creative.

Focus on:

• Scroll-stopping hooks

• Messages aligned to buyer stage

• Creative that educates, entertains, or builds trust

Less “hacks,” more clarity.

Let Meta worry about delivery, your job is to give it the right material.

I wrote a lot about hooks, copywriting, storytelling, personalized CTAs, proven frameworks in past issues of Digital Ad Snack.

5. Track the Right Metrics

If you don’t measure the right numbers, you can’t scale profitably.

Your two north stars:

👉 GPM (Gross Profit Margin) 

👉 PAAC (Profit After Ad Cost)

If you’re not tracking these, your growth is guesswork.

Ads don’t make a business work, they amplify what already works.

See DAS #59 - 2 Metrics That Reveal If Your Meta Ads Are Failing for a breakdown of these two essential metrics.

This Is How You Scale

If you can apply these five steps with a small budget and get desired ROI, you’ve built a system.

That’s when scaling is safe.

That’s when Meta’s AI becomes a growth engine.

That’s how you reach the right people, consistently.

🍩 Snackable Challenge

Audit one campaign using these questions:

✅ Are your audience segments structured cleanly?

✅ Are you relying on old-school remarketing?

✅ Is your creative aligned with each funnel stage?

✅ Are you looking at the right metrics?

✅ If it’s profitable, can you confidently scale?

Once you’ve got signal, structure, and measurement right… the algorithm does the rest.

Let Meta’s AI do what it’s good at.

But make sure you provide the right foundation.