New update to Meta Ads location targeting

For some accounts, Meta has just updated its location targeting settings.

What’s changed. In the past, Facebook’s default setting for targeting locations was “Living in or recently in this location.” This meant that without making any alterations to the settings, advertisers would reach individuals who either resided in the selected locations or had recently visited them, regardless of their permanent address.

There were four available options to choose from:

1. People living in or recently in this location
2. People living in this location
3. People recently in this location
4. People traveling in this location

Now, the dropdown menu for location targeting has been eliminated, leaving only the “Living in or recently in this location” option. This change signifies that the other options have been removed, and advertisers no longer need to choose a specific type of location targeting.

No exceptions have been identified for campaign objectives or optimization. The campaign objective represents the primary goal of a Facebook ad, and the chosen objective influences various options, including optimization and delivery. Optimization, on the other hand, determines who sees the Facebook ad, as the platform will display the ad to those most likely to perform the desired action.

Furthermore, Meta’s documentation, although not explicitly mentioning the change, seems to have been updated to reflect this new approach in location targeting.

Why we care. With the elimination of multiple targeting options and the focus on “Living in or recently in this location,” understanding this new approach is essential to successfully reach your desired audience. Adapting to these changes and optimizing campaign objectives accordingly will ensure that your ads are displayed to the most relevant users, ultimately leading to better ad performance and higher return on investment.