Facebook Advertising in 2023: Why Retargeting Audiences Are Less Effective

As we move further into 2023, the digital advertising landscape continues to evolve and present new challenges for marketers. With the release of iOS 14, retargeting audiences on Facebook have become less effective, and exclusions are no longer as reliable as they used to be. This has created a dilemma for marketers who want to reach new audiences without hitting the same people repeatedly.

Retargeting audiences have been a go-to strategy for many Facebook advertisers, but with the recent changes to Facebook's pixel tracking capabilities, retargeting has become less effective. With iOS 14, Apple has introduced new privacy features that make it more difficult for Facebook to track user behavior. As a result, retargeting audiences are now less precise, and marketers may find themselves targeting the wrong people or missing potential customers altogether.

Additionally, exclusions have become less reliable due to the same privacy changes. Previously, advertisers could use exclusion lists to avoid targeting people who had already seen their ads or visited their website. However, with iOS 14, it's harder to accurately track user behavior, and exclusions may not be as effective as they used to be. This can lead to wasted ad spend on targeting people who are unlikely to convert or already familiar with your brand.

Prospecting is an alternative strategy that marketers can use to reach new audiences. Instead of targeting people who have already interacted with your brand, prospecting allows you to reach people who may be interested in your product or service but have not yet engaged with your brand. This approach can be more effective in iOS 14 because it relies on Facebook's algorithms to find new audiences rather than pixel tracking.

However, it's important to note that prospecting campaigns can also hit the same people repeatedly if not managed carefully. Facebook's algorithms are designed to find people who are similar to your existing audience, so if you're not careful, you can end up targeting the same people over and over again. To avoid this, it's important to continually monitor your campaigns and adjust your targeting as needed.

In conclusion, the changes introduced by iOS 14 have made retargeting audiences and exclusions less effective on Facebook. As a result, marketers need to find new strategies for reaching their target audience. Prospecting campaigns can be an effective alternative, but it's important to monitor these campaigns carefully to avoid hitting the same people repeatedly. By staying on top of these changes, marketers can continue to reach new audiences and drive business growth in 2023 and beyond.