「Manual Targeting」Failing? Facebook AI Ads Slash CPA 40% & Lift Loans 68%!
In today’s competitive financial market, digital advertising has become a game-changer for brands looking to acquire customers efficiently. A recent case study from PrimeCredit, a Hong Kong-based financial services provider, demonstrates the power of Meta’s AI-driven advertising solutions. The company achieved a 68% increase in loan applications while reducing its cost per acquisition (CPA) by 40%—a remarkable feat that highlights the effectiveness of Meta’s Advanced Shopping Campaigns and Opportunity Score tool.
This success story aligns with Meta’s (June 2025) update Opportunity Score, ad tools designed to help advertisers optimize campaigns with AI-powered recommendations. According to Meta, businesses that adopt these recommendations—especially in FB Ads—can reduce their cost per result by a median of 12%. PrimeCredit’s experience serves as a compelling example of how financial institutions can leverage Facebook Ads and Instagram ads (including Facebook Ads in Stories and Reels) to drive high-quality leads at a lower cost.
I. Background and Brand Objectives
Founded in 1977, PrimeCredit has been a trusted financial service provider in Hong Kong, offering personal loans and credit solutions. However, like many financial institutions, the company faced challenges in traditional ad strategies, where manual targeting and static creatives often led to higher CPAs and inconsistent lead quality.
The primary goal for PrimeCredit was clear: reduce the cost per loan application while increasing volume. Traditional methods, such as interest-based targeting, were no longer sufficient in a digital-first economy. The marketing team needed a data-driven approach that could dynamically adjust to user behavior and optimize ad delivery in real time. This led them to explore Meta’s Advanced Shopping Campaigns, which use AI and machine learning to automate placements for FB Ads, creative testing, and budget allocation.
II. Meta’s Advanced Solutions and Opportunity Score
A key factor in PrimeCredit’s success was Meta’s Opportunity Score, a tool that evaluates campaign performance on a 0-100 scale and provides actionable recommendations. Unlike static frameworks like Performance 5 or Power 5, Opportunity Score uses real-time AI adjustments to suggest optimizations such as enabling Advanced Shopping, diversifying ad creatives for Facebook Ads, or implementing Meta Pixel for better tracking.
For example, Kings Loot, another brand that adopted Opportunity Score, reported significant performance improvements after following Meta’s recommendations. Similarly, PrimeCredit leveraged this tool to identify underperforming elements in their FB ads and shift budgets toward high-converting ad sets. The AI-driven approach allowed them to test over 150 ad combinations automatically, eliminating the guesswork from manual optimizations.
III. PrimeCredit’s Marketing Strategy
To validate the effectiveness of AI-powered ads, PrimeCredit conducted an A/B test comparing two strategies:
- Group A (Traditional Ads): Three standard campaigns targeting interests like online banking, shopping, and loans, using static creatives with a "Apply Now" CTA.
- Group B (Advanced Shopping Campaign): A fully automated AI-driven campaign that optimized placements across Facebook and Instagram Feeds, Stories, and Reels.
The test ran from December 2023 to January 2024, ensuring sufficient data collection. Both groups used similar messaging but differed in targeting precision and automation levels.
PrimeCredit’s ad creatives emphasized loan benefits, featuring clear CTAs directing users to a dedicated application page. The Advanced Shopping Campaign dynamically adjusted placements for Facebook Ads, ensuring they appeared in high-engagement zones like Instagram Reels and Facebook Stories.
Meta’s AI also optimized bidding strategies, focusing on users most likely to apply. This eliminated wasted spend on low-intent audiences—a common issue in traditional FB Ads.
IV. Campaign Execution and Tactics
Topkee’s approach to Facebook Ads campaigns leverages multi-dimensional precise creativity and efficient conversion strategies to maximize engagement and ROI. By utilizing its proprietary TAG technology, Topkee collects and analyzes user behavior data across platforms, enabling accurate audience segmentation. This ensures Facebook Ads are delivered to high-intent users, such as those who have previously interacted with the brand or exhibit similar traits to existing customers (similar audience expansion).
Ad creatives are tailored to audience segment lists, dynamically adjusting content based on user interactions, transaction history, and source channels. For instance, preferential offers are highlighted for past engagers, while new audiences receive awareness-focused messaging. To combat creative fatigue, Topkee employs TTO marketing tools to systematically refresh ad materials, ensuring sustained relevance. Performance is continuously monitored via the TM tracking module, allowing real-time optimizations to creative elements like imagery, video, or carousel formats.
Placement optimization is another key tactic. Ads are deployed across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, targeting high-engagement zones such as Stories and Reels. Topkee’s multi-player multi-position advertising strategy aligns with diverse marketing goals, from brand awareness to direct sales. The TTO topic management tool further refines ad themes by extracting insights from user data, ensuring messaging resonates with specific audience preferences.
To enhance conversions, Topkee integrates remarketing plans to re-engage users who showed interest but didn’t convert. This capitalizes on the lower cost of retaining existing audiences compared to acquiring new ones. Additionally, call tracking and global code embedding (ttoclid) measure cross-channel interactions, attributing conversions to the right campaigns.
V. Results and Performance Analysis
The results were striking:
- 68% more loan applications compared to traditional ads.
- 40% lower CPA, proving AI-driven ads were more cost-efficient.
Eric Fung, PrimeCredit’s Marketing Director, noted:
"We knew Facebook and Instagram could drive conversions, but the Advanced Shopping Campaign exceeded expectations. It delivered better leads at a lower cost."
This success underscores the power of AI in financial marketing, where precision targeting and automation can outperform manual strategies—especially in Facebook ads.
Conclusion
PrimeCredit’s case study demonstrates how Meta’s AI tools can transform financial advertising. By adopting Advanced Shopping Campaigns and Opportunity Score, brands can increase conversions while cutting costs—whether through FB Ads or broader Meta platforms.
For businesses looking to replicate this success, consulting advertising experts Topkee is a smart next step. The right AI-driven strategy could be the key to unlocking higher ROI in digital marketing.
