In October 2023, Meta replaced the Reach and Frequency Buying Type with Reservation. Up until now, Meta Ads Manager has offered Reach and Frequency along with Auction. These two buying types determine how you will pay for your ads. 

In the Auction Buying Type, your ads enter into a digital marketplace, bidding against other advertisers in real-time, which makes your costs varied and unpredictable. With the new Reservation Buying Type, you have much more stability and can plan or reserve your campaigns in advance with predicted performance. This is due to a fixed CPM, so you will also know exactly what you’re going to pay upfront. 

Here’s what you get with the new Reservation Buying Type: 

– Reach a minimum of 200,000 users.

– Costs determined upfront. 

– Available objectives are Engagement and Awareness with Traffic no longer an option like it was for Reach and Frequency. 

– Campaigns can optimize for Reach, Ad Recall Lift, or video ThruPlay. 

– Utilize a Frequency Cap or Target Frequency to control how often users see your ads. 

– Introduces Ad Sequencing which allows you to deliver ads in a series to tell a story over a period of time. 

So what’s changed? Beyond the name, the three primary changes include: 

Fixed CPM: With a fixed cost per 1,000 impressions, you have complete control. When creating a Reservation campaign, you’ll set either a budget or the desired Reach and that’s how your Reservation Estimates are determined. You’ll get predictions for: 

– Reach per frequency

– Frequency per Person

– Spend per day

– Placement distribution

Focused Objectives: Reservation refines your campaign objectives to focus on Engagement and Awareness and not directing traffic. It’s all about fostering valuable interactions and getting or ensuring your brand is in the forefront of people’s minds building brand awareness. 

Control Ad Frequency: You can set a frequency if you have a specific number of times you want users to see your ads. Target Frequency allows you to set an average number of times users will see your ads while Cap Frequency sets a maximum number of times you want users to see your ads. 

So when is the Reservation Buying Type appropriate?

We recommend utilizing the Reservation strategy when the primary objective revolves around generating awareness rather than driving conversions or prompting specific actions. It is particularly well-suited for scenarios involving substantial budgets, where the aim is to secure predictable costs and broad reach. It’s also an incredible option for brand storytelling with the option for ad sequencing. 

However, it’s important to note that this approach may not be the ideal choice for most small businesses, and it’s not the recommended method for showcasing immediate conversion results from your advertising efforts. Instead, the Reservation strategy is more geared towards establishing brand awareness in a consistent and predictable manner. Learn more about choosing the right buying type here.

If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out to our team of Paid Media experts at info@socialflyny.com or fill out this form online. Hope to hear from you soon! 

Written By: Kelly Jensen, Senior Media Buyer