Audience targeting has been on my mind lately, probably because I’ve been helping so many brands rethink how they test and reach high-quality prospects.
Earlier this summer, Meta announced expanded controls for CRM data and value-based goals as part of its larger push toward fully automated, one-click AI campaigns. According to Social Media Today, Meta plans to roll out “no-touch” campaigns by 2026. Advertisers would simply plug in a product URL (or image), set a budget and let AI take over, handling creative, targeting, placements, everything.
It sounds convenient. But at what cost?
The trade-off is clear: less control, less transparency and fuzzy targeting, especially if your CRM data isn’t perfectly integrated. That’s a big problem for prospecting, which relies on precision and learning, not just raw reach.
In most strategy sessions, brands tell me they’re trying to reach the elusive 18–34-year-olds — digitally fluent, trend-driven and in the prime of product discovery. Some intentionally pursue 55+, especially in healthcare or financial services. But that’s a choice. Not the default.
So, I pulled some data.
To my surprise, across brands using Advantage+ Traffic campaigns, nearly 40% of all spend and clicks were going to the 65+ demographic. Even for clients in age-progressive verticals, that number was far too high. Meta’s AI didn’t just skew old; it ignored specified demographics in campaign settings altogether and optimized aggressively for click-through rate (CTR) without any further context.
While conversion-focused Advantage+ campaigns can offer value with strong signals, traffic-based variants feel anything but advertiser-friendly. You get little insight into who’s being reached, and even less confidence that you’re building the right funnel.
Prospecting data is too valuable to hand over blindly.
That’s why we built our proprietary audience data stack — a smarter, more controlled way to scale prospecting without sacrificing demographic integrity or performance signals. If you’re ready to take back control of your top-of-funnel targeting, reach out to us. We’ll show you how.
Want to learn more and continue the conversation? Rise can help.
