Meta introduces 'Flexible Media' to boost ad performance

Meta is rolling out a new ad option named ‘Flexible Media,’ designed to boost the effectiveness of ad placements by allowing different media elements to be displayed across various user segments based on predicted engagement. The development aligns with the company's broader shift toward automated, AI-driven campaign management, which tailors ad delivery in real-time to maximise reach.

Bram Van Der Hallen, a digital advertising expert, highlighted this new feature in a recent LinkedIn post, noting that some advertisers have already noticed 'Flexible Media' as an option in their Meta Ads campaigns. According to the company's description, this allows its system to deliver selected media across placement groups when likely to enhance performance. Unlike 'Flexible Ads,' which allow advertisers to submit up to 10 images from which Meta selects the most suitable for each user, 'Flexible Media' appears to adjust imagery across varied ad formats, further refining content presentation to align with user preferences.

The approach is an expansion of the company's Advantage+ campaign tools, which guide ad delivery by automating key elements. Advantage+ already determines which of an advertiser’s content is most suitable for different users, with the new option adding further depth to this capability. In this system, the company's algorithms dynamically adjust ad formats, aiming to display more appealing media combinations to specific audience segments.

By automating ad components, the company offers advertisers a way to reach more receptive users with minimal manual intervention. While handing over creative control to AI-driven systems may feel counterintuitive to those who rely on audience insights for targeting, Meta’s data-driven recommendations are working towards improved engagement rates by optimising every ad interaction. With Flexible Media, the company is increasingly moving toward a future where advertisers might simply set their campaign objectives and let the platform’s AI manage the rest.