Meta Introduces New Tools for Ecommerce: Omnichannel Ads, AI and New Placements

Key Updates

• Expanded access to omnichannel ads to support sales online and in brick-and-mortar stores
• New applications of generative AI for retail, including virtual try-on and background generation for catalog ads
• Testing a simplified checkout experience for Shops ads in the US and select international markets
• Introduction of ads in Facebook notifications

Omnichannel Ads for Everyone

Meta is globally expanding access to omnichannel ads, which will be available this summer. These ads allow advertisers to guide customers to the nearest stores with available products and highlight discounts that motivate visits to physical stores. According to Meta’s data, advertisers using omnichannel ads saw 15% lower customer acquisition costs (CPA) and 12% higher return on ad spend (ROAS).

Craig Brommer, CMO of American Eagle, stated: “Ads are a critical part of our marketing strategy to reach younger audiences and drive sales online and across our 800-plus stores. With omnichannel ads we were able to achieve a 48% higher omnichannel return on ad spend with our core audience – 18-24-year-old shoppers.”

Meta Introduces New Tools: Improvements for E-commerce

Meta is also introducing updates to tools for online sales:

1. Simplified checkout experience for Shops ads – testing will begin this year, allowing customers to complete their purchase on the advertiser’s website after building their cart in a shop. Testing will start in Australia and Taiwan.
2. Combining Partnership ads and Advantage+ catalog ads – enables the use of creator content in catalogue ads.
3. New optimization for displaying additional products – the ad system can show other relevant products from the catalogue.  In tests, advertisers saw an average 14% increase in ROAS. British retailer Boden achieved a 23% increase in ROAS, and Dexter in Latin America saw a 25% decrease in conversion costs.

New Possibilities with Generative AI

Meta is expanding the use of generative AI for retail:

• Virtual try-on of clothing on digital models
• Background generation for catalog ads
• More personalized text generation for ad copy

New Formats and Placements

This spring, Meta will begin testing ads in Facebook notifications, providing advertisers with a new space to reach customers and encourage repeat visits.

Additional updates include:

• The ability to request an email before sharing promotional codes in ads
• Global availability of site links in ads on Instagram

Nissan tested site links to direct customers to vehicle information in Europe and recorded a 39% increase in landing page views and a 19% increase in qualified website visits.