Manual Bidding vs AI: Why "Advantage+" Cuts CPA by 89% & Boosts ROAS 28%
Meta’s advertising ecosystem continues to evolve, offering businesses powerful tools to maximize their Facebook Ads performance. The recent announcement of Threads ads marks another milestone, enabling advertisers to extend their campaigns to a rapidly growing community of over 300 million monthly active users. Meta's advertising ecosystem has transformed into an advanced platform that utilizes AI and automation to enhance the performance of Facebook Ads. Recent case studies from brands like Dedoles, Gloria Skincare, and Bloomingdale’s UAE demonstrate how strategic budget allocation and automation can significantly enhance return on ad spend (ROAS) while reducing acquisition costs. For instance, Dedoles achieved a 28% higher ROAS by increasing its budget allocation for Advantage+ shopping campaigns from 30% to 70%. These results highlight the importance of understanding Meta’s bidding strategies and leveraging automation to maximize campaign efficiency.
I. Understanding Meta’s Bidding Strategies
Meta's Advantage+ shopping campaigns make use of AI and machine learning technologies to automatically handle the delivery, targeting, and optimization of Facebook Ads. Unlike manual campaign setups, which require constant adjustments, Advantage+ campaigns dynamically allocate budgets based on real-time performance data. This approach minimizes human intervention while improving cost efficiency. For example, Gloria Skincare reduced its cost per acquisition (CPA) by 89% by fully automating its Facebook Ads campaigns. The system evaluates multiple variables, including audience behavior, ad placements, and creative variations, to determine the most effective combinations. Businesses can choose between manual bidding, where they set specific cost caps, or automated bidding, where Meta’s algorithms optimize for the lowest possible CPA or highest ROAS. The latter is particularly beneficial for brands with large-scale campaigns, as it eliminates guesswork and ensures consistent performance.
II. Case Study: Dedoles – Optimizing Budget Allocation
Dedoles, a European clothing retailer, sought to improve its ROAS by testing different budget allocations for Advantage+ shopping campaigns. Initially, the company allocated 70% of its budget to manual conversion campaigns and 30% to Advantage+ campaigns. However, reversing this ratio resulted in a 28% higher ROAS, a 27% lower cost per purchase, and a 46% reduction in checkout initiation costs. The success stemmed from Meta’s AI-driven optimization, which identified high-intent audiences and delivered Facebook Ads across the most effective placements. This case underscores the value of experimenting with budget distribution to uncover hidden efficiencies. For businesses with similar goals, gradually increasing automation while monitoring performance metrics can yield substantial improvements without compromising control over key campaign elements.
III. Case Study: Gloria Skincare – Maximizing Automation
Gloria Skincare’s decision to allocate 100% of its ad spend to Advantage+ shopping campaigns delivered remarkable results: an 89% lower CPA and a 4.1X increase in checkout completions. The brand’s previous reliance on manual setups required extensive time and resources, but automation streamlined the process while enhancing precision. By leveraging Meta’s machine learning, Gloria Skincare’s FB Ads were dynamically optimized for placements, creatives, and audiences, ensuring maximum relevance. This approach is especially advantageous for e-commerce brands with diverse product catalogs, as it eliminates the need for constant creative updates and audience retargeting. The case also highlights the importance of high-quality creatives; Gloria Skincare used product tutorials and benefit-driven messaging to complement its automated strategy.
IV. Case Study: The UAE branch of Bloomingdale’s - A Hybrid Campaign Strategy
Bloomingdale’s UAE adopted a hybrid strategy, combining manual Facebook Ads campaigns with Advantage+ shopping campaigns to drive online sales. The result was a 43% lower cost per purchase, a 33% reduction in add-to-cart costs, and a 37% decrease in checkout expenses. The luxury retailer’s success illustrates how automation can enhance traditional methods without replacing them entirely. Through conducting A/B tests, Bloomingdale’s determined the ideal equilibrium between human supervision and AI - driven efficiency. For businesses in competitive markets, this hybrid model offers flexibility—manual setups can target specific high-value segments, while automation scales broader Facebook Ads campaigns. The key takeaway is that even established brands can benefit from integrating Meta’s advanced tools into their existing strategies.
V. Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Facebook Ads
Creating high-performing FB Ads begins with defining clear objectives in Ads Manager, such as sales, lead generation, or brand awareness. Audience targeting should combine custom audiences (e.g., past purchasers) with lookalike audiences to expand reach. Ad creatives must align with the campaign goal; for example, video ads work well for engagement, while carousel ads showcase multiple products. Bidding strategies should match the business objective: cost caps for predictable budgets or lowest-cost bidding for scalability. For larger campaigns, reach and frequency buying ensures consistent visibility. Tools like Advantage+ placements automatically distribute ads across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, while measurement features track ROAS, CPA, and other KPIs to inform future optimizations.
Topkee’s TM tracking module further refines measurement by monitoring channel-specific conversions. Topkee’s approach exemplifies this: Its TAG technology segments audiences based on interactions and syncs data across platforms for unified targeting. Our advertising conversion strategy complements this by leveraging similar audiences to maximize bid efficiency.
VI. Advanced Tips for Budget-Efficient Campaigns
To maximize budget efficiency, businesses should leverage Advantage+ placements, which optimize Facebook Ads delivery across Meta’s platforms. Creative best practices include using eye-catching visuals, clear CTAs, and localized messaging to improve engagement. Regularly refreshing ad creatives prevents fatigue, and A/B testing different formats (e.g., video vs. carousel) identifies top performers. Additionally, Meta’s brand safety controls ensure ads appear alongside suitable content, while audience filters refine targeting. For ongoing success, analyze performance data to adjust bids, audiences, and creatives. Brands like Gloria Skincare and Dedoles prove that continuous optimization, supported by Meta’s automation, drives sustainable growth.
For example, Topkee’s TAG precision targeting tool enhances this by analyzing user behavior across platforms, enabling dynamic audience segmentation and cross-platform data integration. Topkee’s TTO creative workflow streamlines A/B testing by synchronizing creatives across teams, reducing fatigue through scheduled refreshes. Tools like Topkee’s call tracking and similar-audience expansion complement Meta’s automation, where continuous optimization drove scalable results.
Conclusion:
The case studies of Dedoles, Gloria Skincare, and Bloomingdale’s UAE demonstrate that strategic budget allocation and automation can dramatically improve Facebook Ads performance. Whether through full automation, hybrid models, or incremental testing, businesses of all sizes can achieve higher ROAS and lower acquisition costs. By leveraging Meta’s AI-driven tools and following data-driven best practices, advertisers can streamline campaigns while maintaining creative control. For personalized guidance, consider consulting Meta’s certified partners or exploring the resources below.
