To be clear, Meta hasn’t said that they’re doing this. BUT, the writing is on the wall.
More detailed targeting options will be removed on January 15th. Whenever there’s an announcement about detailed targeting, it’s about Meta removing options rather than adding them.
The trend is towards broad targetingIn most cases, mention of Broad Targeting refers to the removal of all potential targeting filters: No custom audiences, lookalike audiences, or detailed targeting. Instead, rely only on location and letting the algorithm do the work. More. Advantage+ Shopping is a perfect example. The advertiser doesn’t provide any targeting inputs at all for these campaignsThe campaign is the foundation of your Facebook ad. This is where you'll set an advertising objective, which defines what you want your ad to achieve. More. Targeting is determined algorithmically.
Even with Advantage+ Audience targeting, which is the default now, any inputs you provide are suggestions. Regardless of the objective. Those interests just aren’t that impactful anymore.
Meta’s hinted at a version of Advantage+ Shopping for leads, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see this roll out to other objectivesWhen you create a campaign, one of the first things you'll do is select an objective. The campaign objective is your ultimate goal. Your selection will impact options, including optimization and delivery. Options include Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App Promotion, and Sales. More.
So… has Meta said that all interest targeting will be removed?
No. They haven’t.
But would I be at all surprised if it happened by the end of 2024?
Heck no. And really, it’s the logical projection based on trends. I’d be more surprised if it doesn’t happen — or at the very least, if interest targeting isn’t further deprioritized.
What do you think? Is interest targeting on the way out?
