Is broad targeting better than lookalike audiences?

In many modern Meta ad accounts, broad targeting outperforms lookalikes because Meta’s AI can use creative engagement signals to find buyers more effectively.

Why did lookalike audiences become less effective after iOS14?

Apple’s privacy updates reduced data accuracy and match rates, weakening the quality of seed data used to build lookalike audiences.

How does broad targeting work on Meta Ads?

Broad targeting gives Meta’s machine learning more flexibility to identify likely buyers using creative signals, engagement patterns, and pixel data.

Should I still use lookalike audiences in Facebook Ads?

Lookalikes can still work in some cases, especially with strong first-party data, but most modern scaling strategies rely heavily on broad targeting.

What is creative targeting in Meta Ads?

Creative targeting means the ad itself becomes the targeting mechanism. Meta learns who responds to the creative and automatically expands toward similar users.

Does Broad Targeting Work Better Than Lookalike Audiences in 2025?

Executive Summary

• iOS14 killed the data fidelity needed for accurate Lookalike Audiences.
• Broad Targeting allows Meta's AI to use your Creative as the primary targeting signal.
•
Action: Stop restricting the algorithm. Use Broad targeting for 90% of your spend.

The debate is over. In 2025, Broad Targeting (targeting only Age, Gender, and Location) outperforms Lookalike Audiences (LALs) in 90% of ad accounts spending over $5k/month. If you are still relying on 1% LALs, you are fighting the algorithm.

Why Lookalikes Failed (The iOS14 Effect)

Lookalike audiences rely on "Seed Data" (e.g., your email list or pixel events). Since Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rollout, the match rate of this data has dropped below 40%. This means when you upload a customer list to build a 1% LAL, Meta can only match a fraction of those users. The "Lookalike" is based on incomplete, low-quality data.

"Restricting the audience with Interests or LALs is actively preventing the AI from finding cheaper conversions." — Meta Engineering Team

The Power of Broad Targeting

Broad targeting gives Meta's AI unrestricted access to its entire user base (3 Billion+ users). It uses the data from your Creative and your Pixel to find buyers.

How it works:

You launch an ad about "Dog Toys."
Meta shows it to a small sample of users.
Dog owners click on it.
Meta's AI learns: "Oh, dog owners like this."
It finds MORE dog owners, even if they aren't in your "Dog Interest" list.

This is called Creative Targeting. Your ad copy and creative *are* the targeting.

Sources & References

1. Meta AI Sandbox. "Generative AI and the Future of Ad Targeting." (2024).
2. Common Thread Collective. "The Death of the Lookalike Audience." (Case Study).