PUBCAST: 10 Years Later (Year 2)

Today's question is about the easiest and most cost-effective way to set up server-side tracking and the Conversions API. The website pixel alone isn't reliable anymore due to privacy laws and browser settings, which means incomplete data and bad optimization. Jon explains why you need the Conversions API, the simplest setup method using the Conversions API Gateway, and when you might need to tackle the more complex step of sending CRM events. Want your question to be answered on a future episode? Go to JonLoomer.com/Question and record your question today.

Meta's creative testing tool launched in 2025, but most advertisers either aren't using it or completely misunderstand how it works. The old approach of creating separate campaigns and ad sets for testing has serious flaws that this tool solves. Jon explains why the creative testing tool should be part of your process, how to use it in stages instead of testing 20 ads at once, and why it gives you data to make informed decisions instead of guessing based on gut feel.

Meta introduced 83 changes to advertising in 2025, making it nearly impossible to keep up if you weren't paying close attention. Three updates stood out above the rest and completely changed how advertisers should approach their campaigns. Jon breaks down the year of Andromeda, the creative testing tool that finally makes testing useful, and value rules that give back control where you actually need it.

Today's question is whether you should use 7 day click, 1 day click, or 1 day view for attribution. The best attribution setting depends entirely on what you're promoting and who you're targeting. Jon explains when to stick with Meta's defaults, when to switch to 1 day click only, and the one specific scenario where view through conversions will make your results look way better than they actually are. Want your question to be answered on a future episode? Go to JonLoomer.com/Question and record your question today.

Advertisers either oversimplify results by only looking at conversions and cost per conversion, or they get lost obsessing over secondary metrics like CPM and CTR that don't actually matter much. But conversion results have multiple layers that reveal what's really happening. Jon explains how to use attribution settings, breakdowns, and backend data to dig beyond surface-level metrics and understand what your results actually mean.

Simplified campaign construction is the foundation of good Meta advertising, but there are legitimate exceptions where complexity is necessary. The problem is knowing when to add complexity versus when you're hurting your own results. Jon explains how to thread the needle between too simple and too complicated, and why you should start simple and only add layers when they solve actual problems.

Advertisers get stuck planning the perfect campaign with 20 or 30 ads across different personas, messaging angles, and formats, only to watch Meta spend most of the budget on one ad after weeks of preparation. But all that upfront planning wastes time you could spend learning from actual results. Jon explains why you should start small with one or two ads, hit publish quickly, and build based on what's actually working instead of what you think will work.

Advertisers blame Andromeda when their results tank, treating it like a boogeyman algorithm that destroyed their performance. But most don't even understand what Andromeda actually is or how it works. Jon explains what this ad retrieval engine really does, why creative diversification doesn't mean creating 50 ads, and how to use it without drowning in unnecessary work.

Conspiracy theories about Meta advertising spread because most advertisers don't understand how things actually work, making them vulnerable to believing anything. Jon challenges you to invest time learning Meta's actual mechanics, not theory or opinion, and explains why building this foundation of fact is the only way to cut through the noise and confusion.

Advertisers want clear rules, step-by-step checklists, and universal solutions they can apply to fix their campaigns. But Meta advertising doesn't work that way, and demanding certainty means missing where real solutions are found. Jon explains why "it depends" isn't a cop-out, why the best answers live in the grays, and how to get comfortable with the uncertainty that comes with actually understanding how things work.