Ever had a promising Meta campaign fall flat because it’s stuck in Learning Limited? We get it, it's a frustrating hurdle.
Your ad's ready to shine, but it’s trapped in Meta’s ‘Learning Limited’ phase, spinning its wheels instead of driving results.
Let's break down what this phase means and, more importantly, how to get out of it and get your ads performing again.
What Is ‘Learning Limited’ Anyway?
In case you need a quick refresher, Learning Limited is Meta's way of saying your ad set isn’t getting enough conversions to exit the learning phase. During the learning phase, Meta’s algorithm is figuring out the best way to deliver your ads based on initial data.
But if your ad set doesn’t generate at least 50 conversions in a week, Meta puts it in the dreaded ‘Learning Limited’ status, where it stops optimising effectively.
What’s the Urgency in Escaping Learning Limited?
Being stuck in Learning Limited is like having a car that won’t shift out of first gear. Your ad set can’t reach its full potential because Meta isn’t confident in how to deliver your ads.
When this happens, you’re likely overspending and under-delivering. Essentially, your ROAS takes a hit, and your budget isn’t working as efficiently as it could be.
Here’s How You Break Free
Escaping Learning Limited might sound complicated, but you can usually fix it with a few strategic changes. Here’s what you can (and should) do:
Consolidate Your Ad Sets
If you’re running multiple small ad sets, combine them. Instead of splitting your budget across several small ad sets, pool that budget into fewer, larger ones. Meta’s algorithm needs a lot of data, and combining ad sets can help you reach those 50 conversions faster.
Remember, it’s better to have one strong ad set than several weak ones fighting for budget.
Example: If you’re running two ad sets each with a $50 daily budget, try merging them into one with a $100 daily budget. You’ll get faster data and likely exit the learning phase quicker.
Broaden Your Audience
It’s tempting to get super granular with targeting, but being too specific can backfire. If your audience is too narrow, Meta’s algorithm struggles to find people who will convert.
Widen your targeting just a bit—try using a broad interest or relying on Meta’s lookalike audiences. It may feel like you’re giving up control, but a slightly broader audience often leads to better results because Meta’s algorithm has more people to work with.
PRO TIP: Test expanding your lookalike audience from 1% to 3% or try removing some interest layers to see if that boosts performance.
Increase Your Budget (Strategically)
If you’re consistently falling short of the 50 conversions per week threshold, your budget might be the issue. Scaling your budget, even by 10-20%, can give Meta the extra room it needs to optimise and move out of the learning phase.
However, don’t go from $50 to $500 overnight—that kind of jump will throw Meta’s learning off even more.
Try This: Gradually increase your budget by 10-20% every few days. This method, known as ‘budget stair-stepping,’ allows Meta’s algorithm to adjust without resetting the learning phase.
Use Advantage+ Campaigns
Meta’s Advantage+ Campaigns use machine learning to optimize for conversions automatically. If you’ve tried consolidating ad sets and broadening your audience with no luck, give Advantage+ a shot.
It can help you break out of Learning Limited by letting Meta’s AI take the wheel with more control over ad delivery.
TAKE NOTE: Advantage+ isn’t a magic fix, but it’s worth testing if you’re struggling with manual optimisation. Just keep an eye on performance and adjust as needed.
Improve Your Creative
Sometimes, it’s not about the targeting or budget—it’s the creative. Meta’s algorithm thrives on new, eye-catching content. If your ads are starting to feel a bit stale, it could be why your performance is lagging.
Rotate in new images, videos, or copy to give your ads a little boost. Meta tends to favor ads that stand out visually, so make sure your content grabs attention from the get-go.
Quick Tip: Try adding captions to your videos. A lot of users scroll with sound off, so making your content accessible can improve engagement and help boost conversions.
Focus on Conversion Quality, Not Just Volume
It’s easy to get obsessed with hitting the 50 conversions per week mark, but don’t forget about the quality of those conversions. If you’re getting lots of low-quality leads, it’s not really helping your campaign.
Instead, focus on optimising for higher-quality actions like purchases or add-to-cart events. This shift can actually help Meta’s algorithm learn faster and exit the learning phase because it’s focusing on more valuable actions.
Example: Instead of optimising for link clicks, try optimising for ‘Initiate Checkout’ or ‘Purchase.’ It might take longer to hit the 50-conversion threshold, but the quality will be higher, and Meta’s algorithm will have better data to work with.
What If You’re Still Stuck?
If you’ve tried all these strategies and your ad set is still stuck, it might be time to start fresh. Duplicating the ad set and resetting the learning phase can help Meta’s algorithm kick back into action. Just make sure to apply the lessons you’ve learned from the previous version.
Final Thoughts
Escaping Learning Limited isn’t always easy, but with a little optimising (and some patience), you can get your campaigns back on track. Remember, Meta’s algorithm is only as good as the data you feed it.
The more you test and adapt, the better your ads will perform.
SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?
Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.
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