Meta Ads Learning Phase: How Meta decides your target audience

Meta ads delivery system needs time to learn how to maximize the potential reach and performance of your ads. This period is called the learning phase. During this period, Facebook understands the people and places that can be ideal for your ad sets. 

Why is the learning phase important in Meta ads?

In the learning phase, Facebook determines the people and places that can generate the action you expect. For example, if you are running a sales campaign, Facebook will assess which people can buy your products/services. 

Also known as Meta Ads, Facebook needs at least 50 optimization events to provide stability to your ads. These events are not any random events but of a particular type. For example, you can stabilize your lead ad campaigns once you get 50 leads from your ads. Similarly, campaigns that are designed for conversions will perform better once the Meta Ads generate 50 conversions. 

We can say the same for reach, sales, and other types of ad campaigns you might plan to implement. After 50 optimization events, the learning phase of Facebook ends. Thereafter, your Meta Ads will perform consistently and generate the desired results. Therefore, avoid changing your ads initially. It would be difficult to avoid changes, especially in the beginning for a beginner, i.e. a new advertiser. However, it is best to be patient until the learning phase gets completed. Because of these restrictions, be a little persistent and patient while customizing Meta Ads. 

How does Meta learn?

Meta learns through the ad creatives, optimization events, and targets you select for your ads. When you run similar ads again, it preempts the response of the people. Also, it tries to show it to only those people who can generate maximum action. Any significant changes to the Meta Ads mean Facebook will start learning again. These changes are significant concerning Facebook ads:

• Changes to your targeting 
• Changes to the ad creatives 
• Pausing ad set for seven days or longer 
• Modifications to the optimization event
• Incorporating a new ad in the ad set 

For Meta Ads, you should be ready to wait sometime for the results to get better. Therefore, if you have just started publishing ads on Facebook, give them some time to be effective. Also, don’t give it up too soon, as your Meta Ads will eventually be successful once the learning phase ends. 

Define Learning Limited in Meta ads

As an advertiser, you may see a learning limited message in your advertising account. It may say something like your ad set is not generating enough traffic or leads to come out of the learning phase. It happens when your ads sets are targeting a limited audience or have a limited budget. However, this message doesn’t mean that your ads aren’t performing well. If you are content with their performance, there is no reason to worry. However, if their performance is below par, make minor adjustments to your ad campaigns. 

Best Practices for Advertisers for Meta ads

To ensure that the ads exit the learning phase early, follow these best Facebook advertising practices:

• Don’t edit them till the end of the learning period. Also, be patient as the performance is not consistent but it will improve over a period. Altering the ad sets frequently will prolong the learning phase. 
• If there is an urgent need to edit the ad, do it unless it will change the meaning or optimization of the ad completely. 
• Don’t create too many ads as Facebook will look into each one of them and it will prolong the learning phase. 
• Your budget should be large enough to complete a minimum of 50 optimization events. Also, start analyzing the performance of your Meta Ads only after they complete the first 50 optimization events.