Introduction

Meta ads drive real business lift -but automation isn't always more efficient. This report uncovers what 640 tests reveal about Meta’s true impact.

What's the problem it solves?

Marketers struggle to understand if Meta ads truly add new revenue or just catch customers already planning to buy. This report helps brands test and balance automation with actual sales lift - not just platform-reported results.

Quick Summary

Meta ads are proven to drive real results, delivering a 19% average lift in business performance across 640 experiments. For omnichannel brands, 32% of Meta’s impact came from non-DTC sales. That said, the platform often under-reports its true effect, especially when only click-based attribution is used.

Advantage+ campaigns work fast, identifying high-intent users quickly and performing well in the short term. But when measured over time, Manual campaigns often drive more true business value (iROAS), especially post-campaign. Advantage+ is still strong for new customer acquisition, just not always the most efficient long-term.

Mid- and upper-funnel campaigns are making a comeback. While they look less efficient on the surface, they often have higher new customer reach, stronger halo effects across channels, and deliver more lift after the campaign ends. However, they tend to under-report in Meta’s system, which can hide their true value.

Meta’s newest setting - Incremental Attribution - is meant to fix this by focusing on outcomes truly caused by ads. But early results are mixed, and it’s too soon to call it a success. Still, for most brands, the question is no longer “Does Meta work?” but “What mix of automation and strategy drives the most efficient growth?”

Key Takeaways

• Meta consistently drives real business lift - 77 of the top 100 Haus tests were Meta campaigns
• Advantage+ wins fast but can overestimate its true value, especially beyond the experiment window
• Manual campaigns usually perform better on long-term iROAS
• 32% of Meta’s impact can come from non-DTC (Amazon, retail, etc.) - track that too
• Mid-funnel campaigns build the pipeline, especially for omnichannel brands
• Upper-funnel campaigns under-report in Meta, but often drive big halo effects later
• Meta’s “Incremental Attribution” setting has potential but isn’t a sure thing yet
• Balanced campaigns (50/50 split) often underperform compared to focused setups

What to do

• Test Advantage+ vs Manual for your brand - results vary by business type
• Track post-treatment lift (after the campaign) to see true long-term impact
• Don’t judge campaigns only by in-platform ROAS - it often undercounts actual sales
• For omnichannel brands, measure across all sales channels, not just DTC
• Use mid-funnel campaigns to build intent and expand new customer reach
• Test upper-funnel tactics if you don’t have resources for YouTube/CTV - underused but promising
• Try Meta’s Incremental Attribution and monitor its impact with caution
• Focus on creative - good ads still matter more than anything else
• Avoid forced budget splits - ick a winner based on your own data
• Use real tests, not assumptions - even small shifts in structure can drive big differences

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