What Ecommerce Businesses Should Know about Meta AI Advertising Tools

Posted on 11/9/2023

Reviewed by Arnt Eriksen updated at 8/14/2024

Introduction

Tired of spending hours manually editing ad creatives? What if AI could do it for you in seconds? The recently unveiled Meta AI advertising tools will change the way we work with its platforms.

Generative AI tools like Background Generation, Image Expansion, and Text Variations can instantly generate multiple personalized ad variations. Initial tests showed advertisers could save five or more hours per week on repetitive creative tasks. But they want more customization to match brands' unique styles.

Meta is listening. They aim to keep refining the AI features through close collaboration with advertisers, as well as creative and media teams. The new capabilities signal Meta's commitment to integrating smart automation into Meta's Ads Manager. This could be a game changer for ecommerce brands.

Read on to learn more about the AI advertising revolution.

Overview of New AI Advertising Features

Meta's suite of new tools leverage the power of generative AI features to make ad creation faster and more effective.

Background Generation

  1. This feature can automatically generate background images that complement a business's product photos. For example, for an athleisure brand, it may generate outdoor backdrops.
  2. Ecommerce advertisers can instantly test ads with different backgrounds tailored to various audiences. This expands creative possibilities.

Image Expansion

  1. This tool seamlessly resizes existing creative assets to fit different ad sizes and surfaces, like Facebook Feed or Instagram Reels.
  2. Businesses can reuse creative assets across campaigns without costly and time-consuming manual editing. This optimization saves hours of work.

Text Variations

  1. Based on an initial ad copy, this feature generates many versions highlighting products' key features and benefits.
  2. More tailored ad copy connects better with target customers. Businesses can create hundreds of variations in seconds to boost engagement.

Early Feedback and Implications

Meta's initial testing yielded valuable insights into these new AI tools.

In a survey, most advertisers expected to save 5+ hours per week on creative development and editing. The AI automation enables quicker iteration of more ad variations.

With the ability to make and refine many ads rapidly, advertisers can identify top-performing combinations faster. This could lead to improved campaign results.

While valuing the time savings, some advertisers felt the AI outputs needed more customization to match brand styles. Meta acknowledges more training is required so the AI reflects unique visual and voice nuances.

Future Developments and Opportunities

Meta views these initial tools as just the starting point for AI innovation on its platforms.

Meta plans to enable generation of more ad copy variations highlighting products' benefits. For images, the AI could create variations tailored to a brand's style, like outdoor backdrops for athletic brands.

Meta announced plans to integrate AI into business messaging for automated conversational responses. This could help with customer engagement, commerce, and support.

Together, these developments show Meta's vision for AI and automation transforming marketing and customer interactions. The ability to instantly tailor ads and conversations could allow businesses to connect with audiences on an unprecedented personal scale.

The Collaborative Approach of Meta

Meta emphasizes that developing impactful AI requires an ongoing partnership with advertisers.

Meta stresses that new tools must align with brands' objectives and provide real value. Close cooperation with businesses of all sizes will enable Meta to shape solutions that meet advertisers' diverse needs.

Meta is committed to continually improving its AI advertising based on user input and testing. With millions of advertisers, gathering insights and refining capabilities will be an iterative process. But this feedback loop will ultimately help unlock AI's full potential.

What Ecommerce Businesses Can Do Now

Meta's AI advertising innovations will soon reshape ecommerce marketing. Here are tangible steps brands can take to prepare:

Preparing Creative Assets for AI Integration

  • Audit image and video creative assets - ensure high resolution, on-brand, appealing.
  • Create a diverse library of lifestyle product images for the AI to pull from.
  • Develop a brand voice guide and compose ad copy templates the AI can refine.
  • Organize all creative assets so they're easily accessible to the AI.

Strategies to Test and Optimize AI Advertising

  • Start with lower-funnel retargeting ads where more personalization can boost conversions.
  • Limit AI application to higher-value products where incremental sales justify the spend.
  • A/B test AI-generated ads against manual creative and measure incremental lift.
  • Review top performing AI ads frequently and further optimize based on insights.

Staying on Top of Rapid Developments

  • Follow Meta's news blog and ad product update pages closely.
  • Attend educational webinars on leveraging new capabilities.
  • Enroll in beta programs to test features pre-launch and provide feedback.
  • Read updated best practices guides as tools and strategies evolve.

The AI ad revolution brings both opportunities and preparation needs. With the right approach, ecommerce brands can ride this wave to new levels of marketing productivity and performance.

Conclusion

Meta's new generative AI advertising tools mark a major milestone. The ability to instantly test personalized ad variations unlocks tremendous potential for ecommerce brands.

Savvy marketers who strategically embrace these innovations will gain a competitive edge. They will also shape the technology's future through collaborating with Meta.

The AI advertising revolution is here. For growth-focused ecommerce brands, now is the time to ride this wave to new heights of innovation and success.

Want your business to use even more AI? Check out the 15 AI tools for ecommerce that we think can help you transform your business fro the better.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are Meta's AI advertising tools?

Meta's AI tools are a suite of artificial intelligence features designed to automate and enhance ad creation for ecommerce businesses. They include Background Generation, Image Expansion, and Text Variations.

2. How do these AI instruments benefit advertisers?

These tools save time by automating repetitive creative tasks, generating multiple ad variations, and resizing images for different platforms. They also help create more personalized and effective ad campaigns.

3. What is Background Generation?

Background Generation is an AI feature that creates various background images that complement a product photo, providing a range of visual contexts for ad campaigns.

4. What does Image Expansion do?

Image Expansion automatically resizes and adapts existing creative assets to fit different ad formats and platforms, such as Facebook Feed or Instagram Reels.

5. How does Text Variations work?

Text Variations generates multiple versions of ad copy based on initial input, focusing on different features and benefits of the product to better connect with target audiences.

6. What feedback has Meta received from early testing?

Advertisers reported significant time savings and the potential for improved campaign performance. However, there is a need for more customization to align with individual brand styles.

7. What future developments are planned for Meta's AI tools?

Meta plans to introduce more ad copy and image generation features, integrate AI with business messaging on Messenger and WhatsApp, and continue refining AI capabilities based on advertiser feedback.

8. How can ecommerce businesses prepare for AI integration?

Businesses should audit and organize their creative assets, develop a brand voice guide, start testing AI-generated ads, and stay informed about Meta's latest developments and best practices.

9. What strategies should businesses use to test AI advertising?

Businesses are advised to begin with retargeting ads, apply AI to high-value products, conduct A/B tests with AI-generated ads, and continuously optimize based on performance insights.

10. How will these AI tools change ecommerce advertising?

These tools will allow for more efficient ad creation, personalized engagement, and potentially higher campaign performance, giving ecommerce brands a competitive edge in the market.

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Article by Thomas Moen
Number 1 Facebook Ads influencer in Nordics
Thomas Moen
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