Why Creative Is the New Targeting in Paid Social (And What Brands Should Do About It)
For years, paid social success looked like this:
find the right audience, layer the right interests, tweak the demographics — and let the creative do its thing.
That model doesn’t really work anymore.
In 2026, platforms like Meta aren’t rewarding advertisers who obsess over who they’re targeting. They’re rewarding advertisers who get what they’re saying — and how they’re saying it — right.
In short: creative has become the strongest targeting signal you have.
If your paid performance feels less predictable than it used to, this is probably why.
The Shift No One Told You to Prepare For
Paid social platforms are now powered by AI systems designed to maximise relevance in real time.
That means delivery decisions are no longer based primarily on:
interests
demographics
tightly defined audience buckets
Instead, they’re driven by:
how people behave on-platform
what content they engage with
which creative elements make them stop, watch, click or convert
Your job has shifted from building perfect audiences to feeding the algorithm the right signals.
And the strongest signal of all?
Your creative.
What “Creative Is the New Targeting” Actually Means
This phrase gets thrown around a lot, but let’s make it practical.
When platforms like Meta assess your ads, they’re not just asking:
“Who should see this?”
They’re asking:
“Which version of this message will resonate most with this person right now?”
Every hook, visual, format, caption style and call-to-action gives the algorithm information about:
intent
relevance
likelihood to engage
That’s why two brands selling similar products can see wildly different results — even with similar budgets.
One gives the platform one idea.
The other gives it options.
Why Interest Targeting Is Losing Its Power
Interest targeting hasn’t disappeared — but its influence has weakened.
There are a few reasons for this:
User behaviour is more fluid than static interests
People don’t fit neatly into predefined categories anymore.Privacy changes have reduced signal reliability
Platforms can’t rely on third-party data the way they used to.AI is better at pattern recognition than humans
Platforms can spot intent signals you’d never think to target.
So while interest targeting can still help guide delivery early on, it’s no longer the main performance lever.
Creative is.
What Winning Paid Social Looks Like in 2026
The accounts performing best right now tend to share a few traits:
1. They Use Broad Targeting
Instead of slicing audiences into tiny segments, they:
keep targeting open
reduce exclusions
allow the algorithm to explore
This gives the system room to learn — and learning is where performance comes from.
2. They Run Fewer, Smarter Campaigns
Over-segmentation slows optimisation.
Simpler structures mean:
more data per campaign
faster learning cycles
clearer performance insights
3. They Prioritise Creative Volume and Variety
Not one “perfect” ad.
Multiple:
hooks
angles
formats
tones
Same offer. Different ways in.
How to Build a Creative System (Not Just Ads)
This is where most brands struggle.
They know they need “more creative” — but without structure, that turns into chaos.
A better approach:
Start with one core message
Break it into multiple angles
Turn each angle into different formats
For example:
Problem-led
Benefit-led
Social proof
Educational
Emotional
Objection-handling
Each variation gives the platform another opportunity to find relevance.
Common Mistakes Brands Are Still Making
Even in 2026, I still see brands:
obsessing over audience tweaks instead of creative insights
killing ads too early before learning stabilises
scaling spend without scaling creative
treating creative as an output, not a system
The result? Inconsistent performance and constant frustration.
The Takeaway
Paid social isn’t broken.
Targeting isn’t dead.
But control has shifted.
The brands winning right now are the ones who’ve stopped trying to out-smart the algorithm — and started working with it.
Creative isn’t just what people see anymore.
It’s how platforms decide who sees you at all.
