Automation, AI and machine learning have generated a lot of buzz around the world over the last few years. Particularly across marketing and communications, the success of a lot of our advertising endeavours is a direct result of automation, AI and machine learning being applied to our campaigns.
Social media is at the forefront of this push, with platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest all giving advertisers access to products that use automation and AI. Facebook’s dynamic product ads (DPAs) are the best-in-class example of how automation and machine learning can be used to maximise outcomes for businesses. This content will dive into why we should rely on automation, as well as what businesses can do to ensure they are able to run DPA ads.
Why Rely On the Machines?
Are the machines taking over the world? Possibly, but in the context of marketing on Facebook, this is exactly what we want. While we at Retain Media are experts in social media advertising, the fact is, we are human. We are incapable of processing the millions of data points Facebook has available as quickly as a machine can. This is how Facebook works best. Think of a Facebook campaign as a car: we still have hold of the steering wheel, but we have put the car in cruise control.
While it may sound like we are handing over the keys to Facebook, we still have ultimate control over our campaigns.We still tell Facebook how much we want to spend, where we want to spend it and who we want to target. We then ask Facebook to do the rest. In the case of DPAs, Facebook would use its data points to determine which stock is shown to a user in our ad creative. Has the user shown intent signals that they are interested in purchasing a motorhome? Facebook will then show that user an ad with motorhome stock over other inventory, say, camper trailers.
Benefits of DPAs
You might be thinking what are the benefits of running DPAs. Would it really have that much of an impact on advertising performance? While each advertiser is different, below are the broad benefits of running a DPA as part of your Facebook marketing strategy.
Automation and Machine Learning: As we already touched on, DPAs work by using automation and machine learning. Just by relying on this, campaign performance should be stronger compared to campaigns that are manually being optimised.
Limits creative fatigue: There are limitless combinations that can be generated from a single DPA. This means audiences are unlikely to see the same version of the ad twice, limiting creative fatigue while maximising creative output.
Better business outcomes: A byproduct of using automated products such as DPAs is the cost element. Just by running a DPA, you should see a decrease in CPLs compared to campaigns that rely on standard creative.
Call-out sales or discounts: If your feed is set up with both sales and RRP pricing, you can add dynamic call outs to your DPA to promote a sale. This can include a percentage bubble (10% off), or a price value ($2,000 off). This is a useful feature as we know consumers are more price-conscious than ever
Customisation: DPA ads can be customised based on the inputs of your feed. While we won’t cover this in greater detail, you can add custom labels and custom numbers to your catalogue feed. These can be used however suits the needs of your business
How to Get Started With DPA Ads
Because DPAs rely on automation, before we go live with a DPA, there is some setup that needs to be done. To run DPAs, you will need to have a catalogue feed set up. You can set up a catalogue feed via the Commerce Manager within Facebook Ads Manager. Below is a quick summary of the different methods you can set up a catalogue feed
Stock Feed (preferred): usually in the form of a .csv file or Google Sheets doc. Data from your website should update the feed, which will then update in Facebook. Inventory is as live, as we can set the feed to update as often as once per hour. This is usually the easiest way to maintain a catalogue feed.
Integration (preferred): An integration isn’t available to everyone, and depends who your commerce partner is. Some partners include Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento. We can advise whether your partner platform is compatible with Facebook
Pixel: This method can be suitable for advertisers who have a developer on hand. We can use the pixel to create the product, so long as microdata tags have been set up on the website that the pixel can scrape. You can use this tool to see if you have microdata set up, or if it is set up correctly.
Manual: If none of the above options are feasible, you can create a catalogue by manually uploading your items to Facebook. The limitation here is unlike the three other options, your feed won’t automatically update based on stock availability. This could be a problem if you have lots of inventory.
My Feed is Set Up. What Next?
Once your feed is set up and inventory is coming through the commerce manager, you can start running your DPAs. If you are managing your own Facebook advertising, the campaign setup is the same as normal. Once you get to the creative level, that’s where you can create your DPA. Once in the ad builder, under Ad Setup, you will need to select ‘Catalogue’, and ‘Carousel’ like below:
Once done, all that is left for you to do is populate the ad with the information you want to show. Should you choose, you can use through the catalogue feed information such as product name or description to be the headline or ad copy of your ad. When you have finished your ad, you can publish, and then see Facebook work its magic as it uses the automation of DPA to improve your business outcomes on the platform.
Trust Retain Media for Ad Campaigns that Convert
While it’s good to have an understanding of how DPA ads work, it’s better to put your campaigns in the hands of professionals. At Retain Media, our social ads team deliver thousands of quality, qualified leads every month through well-designed campaigns that convert.
If you’re struggling to reach your buyers online, we can help. Contact us today to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation and find out how we can help boost your bottom line.
