FAQ: Should I optimize ad campaigns for ‘view contents’, ‘add to carts’, ‘landing page views’ objectives?

Let me ask you one question first. What is your end goal? Is your end goal getting ‘add to carts’ or ‘landing page views’? Or is your end goal getting a sale?

When it comes to machine learning, you now get exactly what you ask for. If you ask for landing page views, you get landing page views. If you ask for add to carts, you get add to carts. But do not expect something else as a result.

So if you are optimizing campaigns for landing page views, do not expect the users to also convert after landing on your page.

You asked for landing page views, so your ad platform targeted those people who are most likely to click on an ad and land on a page.

You did not ask for sales. So your ad platform won’t target those people who are most likely to purchase after landing on a page...

Similarly, If you are optimizing campaigns for ‘add to carts’, do not expect the users to also purchase after adding items to cart.

You asked for ‘add to carts’, so your ad platform targeted those people who are most likely to add items to cart. You did not ask for sales.

So your ad platform won’t target those people who are most likely to purchase after adding items to their carts..

The people who are likely to purchase after adding items to their carts are going to cost you a lot more to target.

So unless you are willing to pay more by optimizing your campaigns for the ‘purchase’ event’, you don’t get to target the people who are most likely to buy.

Such target audiences are reserved for those advertisers who are willing to pay more than you to acquire customers.

That’s why buying ‘purchases’ is more expensive than buying ‘add to carts’ or ‘landing pageviews’.

Many marketers try to reduce their CPA, by optimizing campaigns for a cheaper objective. But this strategy often backfires.

Optimize your campaigns only for your end goal whenever possible.