How Meta Delivers Ads That Matter to You

 Ads That Matter

Have you ever wondered how

we decide which ads to show you? It's a process designed to bring you relevant and useful content while respecting your privacy and preferences. We leverage advanced technology and a commitment to transparency to ensure the ads you see are as beneficial as possible.

1)   It Starts with Understanding Your Interests:

Advertisers work to connect with audiences who will genuinely benefit from their products and services. To do this, they use our business tools to define their desired audience based on factors like age, location, interests, and categories. Think of it this way: just as you tell us what you like through your activity, advertisers are telling us who they want to reach. For instance, if you've shown an interest in cooking or fitness, you might see ads related to those topics.

And if an advertiser already has a list of email addresses or users who have visited their website, they can show them relevant ads.

2)   The Ad Auction: Where the Magic Happens

But it's not just about who wants to show you an ad. It's about which ad will provide the most value to you. That's where our sophisticated ad auction comes in. When you're eligible to see an ad from a particular advertiser, that ad enters an auction where it competes with other relevant ads.

To ensure you see the best ad, our system looks at the total value score, which is determined by the advertiser’s bid, the likelihood of your taking a positive action (estimated action rate), and the quality of the ad itself:

Advertiser Bid: This is how much the advertiser is willing to pay to show you the ad.

Estimated Action Rate: Our advanced machine learning models predict how likely you are to engage with the ad (e.g., visit their website, install an app). This is based on your activity both on and off Meta technologies, along with other factors. This helps ensure that you will see ads that are relevant to you.

Ad Quality: We prioritize high-quality ads that you'll find informative and engaging. Our system looks at factors like user feedback (whether people are viewing or hiding the ad) and assesses attributes that can make an ad less appealing (e.g., excessive text, sensationalized language, or "engagement bait").

The ad with the highest total value score wins the auction and is the ad you see. This ensures that the ads you see will deliver a lot of value to you.

3)   Machine Learning: Getting Smarter Every Day

The real power behind this system is our machine learning. These models learn continuously as they receive new information. As more people interact with ads – viewing them, providing feedback, or making purchases – our models get better at predicting which ads you'll find most valuable. This creates a positive feedback loop, delivering increasingly relevant and engaging ads over time.

4)  You're in Control: Managing Your Ad Experience

We are committed to giving you control over the ads you see. You have several ways to manage your ad experience:

Customize Your Ad Preferences: Visit your Accounts Centre to influence the topics and interests that inform the ads you see.

Adjust Your Ad Settings: Choose whether you want to see ads based on your activity on apps and websites outside of Meta technologies.

Provide Feedback: Hide ads you find uninteresting or learn why you're seeing a particular ad and take action to further personalize what you see.

Privacy Check-up: Update your profile settings to ensure you're sharing information with whom you want.

Review Your Activity Off Meta Technologies: Manage the information businesses share with us about your interactions with their apps and websites.

Setting the Record Straight: Common Misunderstandings

We understand that there are some common misconceptions about how ads work on Meta. Let's clarify a few key points:

We Do Not Sell Your Data: We would never sell your personal data to advertisers or anyone else. Your privacy is paramount.

Anonymized & Protected Information: We don't share information that personally identifies you with advertisers without your explicit permission. Any data shared is aggregated and anonymized to protect your privacy.

We Don't Listen In: Meta does not use the content of your text messages or your phone's microphone to inform ads or change what you see in your News Feed. This would violate your privacy, and we will never do that.

To learn more about the information we receive and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. Our goal is to connect you with relevant and valuable information while protecting your privacy and respecting your choices. Thank you for being part of the Meta community!

Author: Tyrop Jamenya,

Is a freelance & Digital Marketer, Web & DevOps.

Games & Android, Software & Python Expert.