Nothing in digital sits still for long, and Meta’s latest product roadmap is no exception. From smarter automation to a greater focus on creativity, a lot is happening.
But don’t worry. We’ve sifted through the very dense recent update deck, and we’re here to break it down into plain English. No fluff, just the good stuff you need to know to keep your Meta campaign performance strong in 2025 and beyond.
We also got some insights from Emily Falkingham, our Performance Marketing Director and Co-Founder, to help guide your next steps.
Let’s get stuck into what you need to know following recent Meta updates from March 2025…
Automation is evolving. Ready to let go?
Meta’s automation tools aren’t new, but they are getting smarter and more aggressive in 2025. The Advantage+ suite is becoming the default setup for many ad types, with automatic campaign optimisation across budget, placements, audiences, and even creative.
During early testing:
- Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns delivered a 22% higher return on ad spend
- Advantage+ leads campaigns helped filter out spam and low-quality leads using verification tools like one-time passcodes
Meta is clearly signalling a shift toward less manual input and more machine learning-powered performance.
Emily explains:
“You don’t lose control by using automation, you gain time. But it’s still vital to check under the hood and retain a strategic oversight. Automation works best when your creative, tracking, and objectives are watertight and closely monitored, and you are using your first-party data effectively.”
Creative is your secret weapon
Privacy changes mean less reliance on audience targeting tricks and more emphasis on creative that truly resonates with your audience.
Meta’s main focus is on Reels, visual storytelling, and content that feels native to the platform. And the data backs this up, with faster-paced, colourful, emotive content performing best.
Meta’s Elevate 2025 deck detailed that:
- Reels creative with audio brand cues saw a +22 point lift in positive response compared to ads without.
- Ads using distinctive atmospheres (e.g., bold colour palettes, music) were 67% more effective.
- Ads with visual dynamism, such as animation and shot changes, were 74% more effective.
- Mobile-first, culturally relevant content with native storytelling was 81% more effective when leveraging human connection, such as eye contact and real people.
Emily adds:
“Your creative needs to do the work your targeting used to do. Think beyond your brand guidelines and determine what’s going to stop someone mid-scroll and actually connect with them? Build your creative for Reels first, then adapt for Stories and Feed.
If you’re not using video yet, it’s time. Even if your video isn’t completely polished, don’t worry too much. Often, the videos that work best are ones that are quickly assembled, showcasing the product in action.”
A First-Party Data Strategy is no longer optional
Meta’s message is that your own data is your most powerful asset, especially as cookies continue to disappear and tracking becomes more limited.
Brands that take first-party data seriously now will be better prepared, more efficient, and ultimately more profitable in the long run. The future of performance marketing is built on first-party data, and tools like Meta’s Conversions API and Signals Gateway are making it easier to use that data well (and responsibly).
The tools Meta is pushing, such as the Conversions API and the new Signals Gateway, are all about helping you make the most of the data people voluntarily share with you, while respecting their privacy.
The stats speak for themselves (from Meta & Deloitte)…
Brands that invested in strong first-party data strategies saw:
- +27% increase in conversion rate
- -18% reduction in acquisition costs
- +23% increase in customer satisfaction
- Advertisers using Conversions API with Meta Pixel saw a 13% average improvement in cost per result.
- Better data quality = better results. For example, advertisers with higher-quality Conversions API setups saw +33% more incremental purchases.
Emily says:
“It’s not just about having data, it’s about using it properly. Many businesses sit on a goldmine of insights, but they’re not activating them. With the right setup, your first-party data can work harder for you across every stage of the funnel.”
What can you do?
- Get CAPI implemented ASAP, especially if you’re still relying on browser-only tracking. It’s a game-changer for attribution and targeting.
- Evaluate your data diversity. Are you only collecting email addresses? Consider lead forms, CRM data, purchase history, on-site behaviour, etc.
- Quality over quantity: Format your data correctly, deduplicate events, and prioritise real-time freshness. This will drive better performance.
If you’ve been putting off your data cleanup or CAPI setup, now’s the time. The tools are there, and so are the results. And if you need help making sense of it all, we can help.
Where attention lives in 2025
Grabbing attention in 2025 is far from easy, but if you’re still pouring time and budget into static feed posts and calling it a job done, we need to talk.
As mentioned in the section above about Creative, Meta is doubling down on immersive, engaging content formats, particularly Reels, video, and its growing Threads platform. And it’s not just about trends; it’s about where user attention actually is.
The numbers are hard to ignore:
- 50% of content viewed on Instagram is now AI-recommended, and it’s largely video.
- Now, 50% of the time spent on Instagram is spent watching Reels.
- Threads has surpassed 300 million users and now offers seamless ad placements with brand safety tools built in.
Reels-first creative with native audio and vertical video delivers:
- +7x higher lift in top-of-mind awareness
- -47% decrease in cost per lead
- Up to 2x more sales
Emily shares:
“We’ve seen a direct link between shifting to Reels-first and stronger performance, such as lower CPAs, more engaged traffic, and higher retention. It’s about showing up natively, not interrupting someone’s scroll with an outdated, flat format that doesn’t resonate.”
Make measurement a muscle
With more automation and AI driving campaign delivery, the real edge lies in understanding what actually works.
Meta’s 2025 updates double down on measurement, with tools designed to help you learn, test, and optimise continuously, not just report on performance after the fact.
Two major upgrades you should be paying attention to:
1. Opportunity Score
This new tool inside Ads Manager gives your campaigns a score out of 100 based on how well they’re set up and then offers experimentally validated recommendations to improve performance.
Suggestions are tailored to your campaigns and business profile and backed by real experiments across Meta’s platform. They are updated in near real-time based on campaign activity.
Emily explains: “Think of Opportunity Score as a digital performance coach. It tells you what to fix first and why it matters. Use it to improve setup and budget structure, catch missed best practices (like underused placements or creative formats) and get fast, low-effort optimisation wins.”
2. Conversion Lift Studies & A/B Testing
Forget just looking at cost per result. Lift studies let you measure the true impact of your Meta campaigns, including how they influence search, direct traffic, and sales in ways that might not be captured in traditional attribution.
Use these tools to:
- Prove impact beyond Meta’s ecosystem (e.g. paid search lift)
- Compare creative or audience strategies
- Make decisions based on causal impact, not just correlation
Measurement is a habit, and to do it well, you must build it into your monthly processes. Test small changes, run lift studies alongside always-on campaigns, and don’t be afraid to challenge assumptions.
How to leverage:
- Set up lift studies to understand Meta’s impact on broader outcomes (like branded search or conversions)
- Use Opportunity Score in Ads Manager for performance-led recommendations.
- Run A/B tests on creative formats, placements, and bid strategies regularly, not just once a quarter.
Final thoughts
Yes, there’s a lot changing. But the fundamentals haven’t gone anywhere.
TLDR? The key takeaways of the Meta updates for March 2025 are:
- High-quality creative is now the fastest change you can make to drive growth
- Clean, real-time first-party data is the backbone of attribution and optimisation
- Automation + a human-led strategy is the winning combination.
Meta’s 2025 updates are not about replacing marketers. This is about freeing them up to focus on strategy, testing, and customer experience.
If you’re not sure where to start or want to discuss your Meta campaign setup, creative performance, or data readiness, we’re here to help.
Get in touch to discover our Paid Social offering and why we’re trusted by brands like Madison’s Niche, PACK’D and more.
