If you’ve spent any time scaling Meta ad campaigns, you’ve probably relied heavily on the Purchase objective. It’s logical. After all, you want more sales – so you optimise for purchases.

But here’s the issue: that objective doesn’t work the way many advertisers think it does. In fact, it might be costing you far more than it’s bringing in, simply because of what it chooses to ignore.

Let’s break down why this approach is becoming less effective, and what smarter advertisers are doing instead to unlock sustainable, long-term growth.

The Hidden Limits of Purchase Optimisation

When you run a campaign optimised for purchases, Meta looks for users who have a track record of clicking on ads and buying shortly afterwards. That’s how the algorithm measures success – fast clicks that turn into fast conversions.

But here’s the catch: that behaviour describes just a sliver of your potential buyers. These are people who:

• Click quickly
• Purchase within a day or two
• React to standard, conversion-first creative

They’re a very specific type of user – let’s call them “fast responders”. But they’re not the only people in-market. In fact, they may not even be the most valuable segment in terms of long-term revenue.

Many buyers behave differently:

• They discover you via a shared post and buy later via search
• They interact with your content on YouTube or Instagram, then purchase days later
• They don’t click ads at all, but they remember your brand

Under a standard Purchase campaign setup, these people never see your ads – not because they’re not interested, but because Meta’s machine doesn’t think they’ll help it hit your selected metric.

So while you’re pouring budget into “proven” tactics, you’re missing a massive portion of the real market.

Why This Gap is Growing

This issue isn’t new, but it’s getting worse due to a few industry-wide trends.

More Advertisers, Same Tactics

When budgets are tight or leadership is looking for guaranteed results, teams lean into the safest-feeling options – like 1-day click windows and Purchase campaigns. That leads to fierce competition for a very limited pool of users, driving up costs with diminishing returns.

Auction Costs Are Climbing

Meta’s own earnings data confirms what we’re all seeing in the wild – ad costs are rising. And the more we all chase the same “quick win” segment, the more we push each other’s CAC up.

Surface Metrics Are Misleading

Platforms are getting better at making campaign results look good – even if they aren’t genuinely helping your bottom line. Tactics like multi-advertiser placements and retargeting overlap inflate numbers but don’t necessarily bring in new, profitable customers.

In short, if your campaigns look successful in-platform, but your revenue isn’t moving, you’re not alone.

A Smarter Approach: Look Beyond the Purchase Objective

So what can you do instead? The answer isn’t to abandon performance marketing altogether – it’s to think differently about how you reach buyers and what success looks like.

Start by Diversifying Objectives

Not every campaign has to be optimised for the checkout page. Other objectives can unlock more efficient reach and introduce your brand to new buyers who otherwise get filtered out.

A few to consider:

• Page Likes or Follows: Especially valuable when paired with strong organic content and community engagement.
• Custom Events: Set up high-intent events like branded search sessions or product page views to steer optimisation toward better quality engagement.
• YouTube and TikTok Subscriptions: Building an audience here might not show instant returns, but it compounds trust and recall over time.

These campaign types often sit in less competitive auctions, meaning lower costs and better reach. And to the end user? They just see an ad. They don’t know you’re optimising for engagement instead of purchases – and many will still convert.

Rethink Your Creative Approach

Much of the creative that performs well in Purchase campaigns is optimised to provoke a fast reaction. But memorable, brand-building content often plays a bigger role in conversion than we give it credit for – especially over longer buying cycles.

Ask yourself:

• What posts or videos have organically sparked conversation or shares?
• What content has prompted someone to message you saying, “This really resonated”?
• What makes your brand feel genuinely different in your space?

You likely already have material that fits the bill – even if it hasn’t been used in ads yet. These assets can be repurposed for new campaign formats designed to reach a broader (but still high-intent) audience.

Shift Your Measurement Focus

This is where it gets tricky – especially if you’ve been conditioned to treat click-ROAS or in-platform CPA as gospel.

Instead, track indicators of real brand momentum:

• Increases in branded search traffic
• Growth in direct and referral sessions
• Engagement from organic and social traffic sources
• Overall revenue from non-paid channels

These metrics take longer to shift – and they require a bigger-picture view. But they tell you what’s really happening with your brand’s equity and customer intent.

Progress Isn’t Instant – But It’s Worth It

If you’ve been stuck in a pattern of declining efficiency, don’t expect overnight success with this approach. You’ll likely see:

1. A slowdown in the rate of decline
2. Stabilisation
3. Then, gradual positive growth

Each of those steps is a win. And over time, they add up to a healthier business and more sustainable marketing model.

Rounding Up

For brands looking to scale in 2025 and beyond, clinging to old attribution models and over-relying on Purchase objectives simply isn’t enough. The landscape has shifted – and the brands that adapt first will be the ones that continue to grow profitably, while others get stuck chasing the same shrinking pool of buyers.

The aim isn’t to ditch performance marketing – it’s to evolve it. Understand how the platforms actually work, get creative with your strategy, and use the full toolkit available to reach people who are ready to buy – even if they don’t click right away.

The smartest advertisers aren’t asking, “Can we afford to try something different?” They’re asking, “Can we afford not to?”

Summary Points:

• Meta’s Purchase objective narrows your audience to a small, expensive user group.
• Rising auction costs and platform behaviours are making this approach less sustainable.
• Using alternative campaign objectives opens up new, cheaper paths to engage real buyers.
• Brand-focused creative and broader measurement methods unlock long-term growth.
• Sustainable scale comes from looking beyond platform metrics and focusing on business outcomes.