If you’ve been running Meta ads for a while, you’ve probably felt the shift. Targeting just isn’t what it used to be. Privacy updates, stricter regulations, and Meta’s new policies—especially for sensitive industries like health and wellness—have made reaching your ideal audience a little more complicated.

Let's face it: the days when you could pinpoint your target like a laser are over. The good news is that you don't need to worry. You only need to change. It's important to know how these changes affect targets and how to get the most out of the tools you still have.

Let's go over this together. You'll have a step-by-step plan by the end on how to use Meta's new targeting features and make ads that actually work.

Let's look at what's different first before we try to find answers. Meta has limited the specific targeting choices that advertisers used to rely on. This is mostly because of growing concerns about privacy and changes to the rules.

What This Means for You

• Fewer Targeting Options: Many interest-based categories have been removed, especially in areas like health, wellness, and finance.
• Broader Audiences: Meta now encourages advertisers to target broader groups and let its algorithm refine delivery.
• Limited Tracking: Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and other privacy measures have significantly reduced third-party tracking.

It can feel frustrating, but here’s the silver lining: you can still reach your audience—you just have to adjust your approach.

If there’s one thing to take away from these changes, it’s this: first-party data is the future of advertising. Why? Because it’s data you own. No privacy updates or algorithm changes can take it away from you.

How to Use First-Party Data

• Custom Audiences: Upload your email list, past purchasers, or website visitors into Meta Ads Manager. You can then run ads specifically for these people.
• Retarget Website Visitors: The Meta Pixel lets you track actions on your site and show ads to people who’ve visited specific pages or abandoned their carts.
• Focus on Building Your List: Offer something valuable—like a discount, free resource, or exclusive content—in exchange for email sign-ups.

Why It Works

These are people who’ve already shown interest in your brand, which means they’re much more likely to convert. Plus, it’s a privacy-compliant way to target people without relying on third-party data.

We're going to talk about broad targets. I understand—it sounds dangerous. But there's a catch: Meta's program is very smart. It can surprise you if you let it go.

How to Use Broad Targeting

• Set Clear Objectives: Choose the right campaign goal (like conversions or traffic), and Meta will do the heavy lifting to find people who are most likely to take that action.
• Focus on Creative Excellence: With broader audiences, your ad’s creative becomes even more important. Make sure your visuals and messaging are on point.
• Leverage Lookalike Audiences: Meta can create audiences that “look like” your best customers based on the data you provide.

Why It Works

Broad targeting gives the algorithm more room to optimize, which often leads to better performance—and sometimes lower costs.

People won't all buy from you the first time they see your ad. This is where remarketing comes in handy. If you keep in touch with people who have already connected with your brand, you're more likely to get them to do something.

How to Nail Retargeting

• Segment Your Audience: Create separate campaigns for people who’ve visited your site, abandoned their carts, or interacted with your social content.
• Use Dynamic Ads: These automatically show users the exact products they viewed on your website.
• Time-sensitive offers: Offer a discount or free shipping for a short time to get people to act.

Why It Works

One of the cheapest ways to get people to buy is through retargeting, which targets people who already know your brand.

Meta has cut back on interest-based targeting. However, contextual and regional targeting are still very useful. They can make your ads seem more useful to your audience if you use them in the right way.

What to Do

• Run local ads: If your business is only in a certain area, target people within a certain distance. Personalise it a bit by writing something like "Serving [City Name] for 10 Years."
• Align with the Situation: Put ads where they will look normal, like in Instagram Stories or Facebook Marketplace.
• Seasonal relevance is useful: Adapt your messages to holidays, the weather, or events happening in your area. Like, "Our organic blankets will keep you warm this winter."

Why It Works

Setting and importance go together. People are more likely to pay attention to ads that work with where they are.

Meta's algorithm loves signs that show people are interested. Meta will choose to show your ads to more people if they get a lot of interactions.

How to Boost Engagement

• Ask Questions: Ads that have a question in them invite people to leave a message. Like, "What's your favourite breakfast?"
• Use video: People are more likely to interact with videos than with still pictures. Keep them short, snappy, and interesting to look at.
• Use social proof: To build trust and get people to engage, share customer testimonials, reviews, or partnerships with influential people.

Why It Works

Meta knows that your ad is useful if it gets a lot of engagement. This can lower your costs and make your ads work better.

There's always something that can be done to make your effort better. To find out what works and what doesn't, you need to test it.

What to Test

• Try a few different pictures, movies, and headlines to see which ones get the most attention.
• Audience Segments: Try targeting people in a variety of ways, such as by age group or area.
• Message: Try out different calls to action (CTAs) to see which ones get the most hits..

Why It Works

Over time, testing helps you make your efforts better, so you're always getting better results.

Things have changed because Meta changed how they target. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to succeed. Focussing on first-party data, broad targeting, strategic retargeting, and trying out new, creative methods will help you keep running ads that do well.

The key is adaptability. The advertising landscape is always changing, and those who are willing to evolve will always stay ahead. So take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves, and start putting these strategies into action.

You’ve got this—let’s master Meta’s new targeting era together.