The company formerly known as Facebook recently changed its name to Meta. This has caused some confusion around whether the ads platform should now be called Meta ads instead of Facebook ads. In this article, we’ll take a look at what’s changed and what’s stayed the same when it comes to Facebook/Meta’s advertising offerings.
The Facebook company name change
In October 2021, Facebook announced that it was changing its corporate name to Meta. This rebrand was meant to reflect the company’s focus on building the metaverse. However, the apps and services we know and love, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, retained their original names.
So while the parent company is now called Meta, the Facebook app is still Facebook. This means that for most purposes, advertisers should continue referring to Facebook’s ad platform as Facebook ads rather than Meta ads.
What Meta ads refers to
Meta ads can refer to a few different things:
- Ads running across the Meta ad network – This includes ads on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network, and Meta Quest. So Meta ads may be used as an umbrella term to refer to ads across Meta’s family of apps and technologies.
- Future advertising in the metaverse – As Meta builds out its vision for the metaverse, Meta ads may eventually refer to ad formats that are integrated directly into the interactive, virtual environments of the metaverse.
- Ads for Meta/Facebook as a company – These are corporate or brand ads that promote Meta as a company. For example, Meta may run Meta ads to recruit talent.
But in most cases currently, Meta ads still refers to the main Facebook ads platform.
Should I say Meta ads or Facebook ads?
Given that the Facebook ad platform retains the Facebook name, most industry experts recommend that marketers continue referring to it as Facebook ads, not Meta ads.
Here are some key reasons why Facebook ads remains the standard terminology:
The official name is still Facebook ads
Meta has not indicated any plans to rename Facebook ads to Meta ads. The platform is still officially called Facebook ads even after the rebrand.
Facebook ads is the established term
Facebook ads has been the standard name used for over a decade now. It’s the recognized term used by digital marketers, advertisers, social media managers, and the general public alike. Changing such an established name universally would be difficult.
It avoids confusion
Calling them Meta ads when the actual platform is still Facebook ads would create unnecessary confusion. People might not understand what Meta ads refers to. Using the official name avoids any mix-ups.
Facebook remains a powerful brand
While Meta is the new parent brand, Facebook still has massive brand recognition across the world. The Facebook name likely provides a marketing boost for their ads platform so there’s no incentive for them to rename it.
The Facebook ad creation process is unchanged
Creating and managing Facebook ads is done through the same Ads Manager dashboard as before the rebrand. The tools, options, and creation process remain branded under Facebook.
When to potentially use Meta ads
Given that Facebook ads remains the standard name, when might it make sense to use Meta ads instead? Here are some potential situations:
Referring to ad offerings across Meta’s apps
If you are talking about paid advertising across Instagram, Messenger, Facebook, and other Meta properties more broadly, then it may make sense to use the umbrella term Meta ads.
Discussing future metaverse ad opportunities
When speculating about future immersive advertising experiences in the metaverse, Meta ads can refer to what these next-generation ads may look like.
Promoting employment/recruitment ads for Meta itself
Meta may opt to use Meta ads to refer to their own HR, talent recruitment, and employer branding ads. But ads related to their platforms would likely still use Facebook ads.
If the official name changes
If someday in the future Meta does officially change the name to Meta ads, then we would follow suit and switch over the terminology as well. But unless announced directly by Meta, Facebook ads remains the appropriate name.
Facebook ads platform overview
Now that we’ve established that most industry professionals continue to use the name Facebook ads, let’s provide an overview of the platform and its capabilities:
Massive reach
Facebook has over 2 billion monthly active users. This makes it the largest social network and provides unparalleled reach for advertisers. You can put your message in front of a very large audience.
Advanced targeting
Facebook ads allow advertisers to target users based on detailed demographic, interest, behavioral, and other criteria. This advanced targeting allows you to zero in on your ideal audience.
Powerful analytics
Robust analytics and reporting provide key insights into your Facebook ads performance. You can track conversions, engagement, ROI, and more to optimize campaigns.
Automation capabilities
Facebook ads integrate with automation platforms to allow you to programmatically optimize targeting, creative, budgets, and more based on performance data.
Range of ad formats
Ads on Facebook come in different formats beyond just simple text or image ads. You can run video ads, carousel ads, Stories ads, augmented reality ads, and more.
Retargeting abilities
Pixel tracking and custom audiences allow you to re-engage users who have already visited your site or taken certain actions. Retargeting helps turn site visitors into conversions.
Cross-device functionality
Facebook’s ad platform automatically connects users across devices. So you can target and track people as they switch from mobile to desktop for example.
Key Facebook ad types
Facebook offers a diverse range of ad formats and types. Here are some of the most popular Facebook ad options to consider:
Image ads
These ads feature static image content along with overlay text. Simple yet highly customizable. Can drive strong reach and engagement.
Video ads
Video content can capture attention and tell richer stories. Facebook video ads are ideal for demos, explainer content, video trailers, and more.
Carousel ads
Allows swiping through multiple images/videos within a single ad. Popular for showcasing product catalogs, galleries, collections, and comparisons.
Stories ads
Ads that appear between user Stories. Vertical, full-screen, immersive format. Well-suited to lifestyle content and video.
Messenger ads
Ads on the Facebook Messenger platform. Can include sponsored messages, chatbots, and more. Engage people 1:1 on Messenger.
Dynamic ads
Automatically personalize ad creative with dynamic product/content recommendations tailored to each viewer based on their profile and behavior.
| Ad Type | Description | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Image ads | Static image ads with overlay text | Brand awareness, engagement |
| Video ads | Moving video content in ads | Storytelling, demonstrations |
| Carousel ads | Swipe through multiple images/videos | Product catalogs, galleries |
| Stories ads | Full-screen vertical video ads | Lifestyle content, video |
| Messenger ads | Ads on Facebook Messenger platform | 1:1 messaging and chatbots |
| Dynamic ads | Automated personalized ads | Recommendations, retargeting |
Lead ads
Optimized for collecting leads and conversions rather than just clicks or impressions. Include built-in lead gen forms.
Catalog sales ads
Promote multiple product catalog items together in one ad unit. Recommended for stores/retailers.
Augmented reality ads
Interactive ads that allow people to digitally try on products, explore AR experiences, and more directly within ads.
Best practices for Facebook ads
Here are some top tips and best practices to optimize your Facebook advertising efforts:
Define your goals/KPIs
Be clear about what success looks like. What specific metrics are you trying to achieve with your ads? Conversions? Video views? Lead gen form submissions? Align goals with campaign objectives.
Research your target audience
Leverage Facebook’s detailed targeting options to zone in on your ideal customer. Refine based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.
Highlight benefits and value
Convey what people get and how they benefit rather than just features. Communicate value clearly and persuasively.
Utilize high-quality creative
Ad design, imagery, copy, and video content all impact results. Invest in compelling, high-converting creative.
Test ad variations
Run A/B tests on ad elements like imagery, copy, headlines, calls-to-action, etc. Iterate to improve performance.
Monitor and optimize
Check campaign analytics regularly. Adjust targeting, bids, creative, and other parameters to optimize KPIs.
Retarget engaged users
Bring people back who have already shown interest. Remarket via website custom audiences, lead form engagements, and more.
Automate for efficiency
Leverage automation rules to streamline bid management, audience building, personalized ads, and more based on data.
Why businesses advertise on Facebook
There are many good reasons for businesses to allocate ad budget to Facebook. Here are some of the top benefits and motivations:
Massive reach and awareness
Over a quarter of the world’s population uses Facebook every month. Tapping into even a fraction of this amount of people provides tremendous reach. Brands can efficiently drive broad awareness of their offerings.
Laser-targeted audiences
Facebook’s depth of user data enables advertisers to define and find highly specific subgroups of people to target ads to.Targeting allows brands to hone in on only the most likely potential customers.
Measurable ROI
The strong analytics and conversion tracking in Facebook ads manager make it easy to gauge campaign ROI and performance. Businesses can assess which efforts deliver the highest return.
Multimedia ad formats
Options like video and carousel ads allow brands to use rich media beyond static images to capture attention and tell stories. Interactive formats perform well.
Seamless automation
Built-in automation tools allow even small teams to scale efforts and streamline optimization. Automation saves time while improving performance.
Retargeting abilities
Remarketing to people who have already engaged boosts conversions from warm leads. Audiences like website visitors or form fillers can be easily re-engaged.
Advanced analytics
Robust reporting provides valuable insights into not just campaign metrics, but also audience demographics, cross-device performance, and competitive intelligence. Data powers optimization.
Conclusion
While Facebook’s parent company recently changed names from Facebook to Meta, the Facebook ads platform retains its original branding. Most industry experts agree that the established name Facebook ads remains the standard terminology, rather than the more confusing Meta ads. This avoids ambiguity and reflects that the ad tool itself is still called Facebook Ads Manager. However, Meta ads can sometimes refer to ads running across Meta’s family of apps or future ad products in the metaverse.
Facebook provides a versatile, sophisticated advertising platform that most businesses can benefit from leveraging in their marketing strategies. With advanced targeting, detailed analytics, robust automation, and competitive ROI, Facebook ads deliver proven results across a wide range of campaign objectives. Following best practices around goal-setting, audience definition, creative testing, and ongoing optimization will help ensure your Facebook ads reach their full potential.