Meta 2.0 as a Service

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A Facebook handle, also known as a username, is a unique identifier for profiles or pages on Facebook and Instagram, appearing in the form of @handle e.g. @Masterclass, or @Lyft. It allows users to easily identify, search, mention, or link to specific accounts. Handles are visible in organic posts, paid ads, page bios and URLs (e.g., facebook.com/@handle or instagram.com/@handle) and are crucial for brand identity and discoverability on Meta's platforms.

For Advertisers, these handles are typically associated with their brand name or product and used for both organic content and paid advertising. As Advertisers scale their ad efforts, having a strong, recognizable handle can significantly impact ad performance by improving brand recall and relevance. However, with growing competition on Meta’s ad platforms and as advertisers scale spend, many advertisers are facing increased Cost Per Click (CPC) rates due to saturated audiences and intense bidding competition.

If we double click into why CPCs increase it is most often because of ad fatigue. But what is ad fatigue? It can happen for 3 reasons:

showing the same ad to the same people who fb as deemed as high intent, so they click the ad less which then causes the fb algo to make you pay more to show the ad to those same people,

showing ads to new people that have a lower CTR because they have lower intent which then causes the advertiser to have to pay more in CPM to show to those lower intent users, and

increased auction competition for the same users e.g. advertising in November before a national election or in December before Christmas.

Our goal is to lower CPCs for Advertisers by increasing their CTR and Engagement rates at the ad layer. 

The great news is that we have tools to address both groups “1) high intent - in-market users” and “2) low intent - future in-market users”. For group 1 (usually people that have seen branded ads but are not clicking) we can show them either new ads, or because we know they are high intent, we can show them content that is more editorial in nature, more on that below. For group 2 (people that are low intent, that may be interested in the product) we can show them content that is more appealing and engaging to a wider audience of people like editorial content. Both of these groups benefit from editorial content.

Providing advertisers with access to custom Facebook handles. These handles are designed to appear more aligned with organic, content-driven pages rather than traditional, overtly promotional business accounts. This shift to "content marketing or advertorial" style handles allows ads to blend more naturally into users' feeds, improving engagement rates and ad performance while reducing costs. This is a proven technique that I personally have scaled at Masterclass and Lyft, and then dozens of other brands through my agency Growthops.

As an example, By using unique Facebook and Instagram handles that are more content-focused (e.g., @BestOnlineEducationStreamingServices instead of @Masterclass, or @bestoutdoortips instead of @OutdoorGearCompany), Advertisers can position their ads as part of a broader content marketing strategy. This approach makes ads feel less like direct sales pitches and more like valuable content, which Meta's algorithm tends to favor due to the higher CTRs and Engagement rates.

The organic feel of these ads leads to higher engagement rates, such as likes, shares, and comments, which in turn signals higher relevance to the platform. This increased relevance leads to better ad placements higher in the waterfall, lower bid costs, and ultimately reduced CPCs. This strategy works well in content niches where users are more likely to engage with educational, inspirational, or entertaining content rather than straightforward product ads. By diversifying the handles used, Advertisers can take advantage of a more content-focused approach that resonates better with their target audience, driving engagement and lowering CPCs as well as increasing CVR for the high-intent audience.

Nearly every Brand we have worked with has seen this technique prove to be extremely effective. I am only able to share one brand’s results because I am an equity partner at this company while every other client is under an NDA. And, not surprisingly, Advertisers don’t want me telling their competitors about this effective content marketing system.

Brand: Friended

Category: Dating / Friending app

Brand Handle: @friended

Growthops Handle: @Journey Into Intimacy

Results:

• 21% Reduction in Cost Per Link Click
• 50% increase in Spend
• 30% Reduction in Cost Per App Purchase

Note: In this example the Growthops handles “Journey into Intimacy” and “Mom’s Exploring Intimacy” have a substantial amount more likes and comments than the branded advertiser handle “Friended”.