Amidst post-pandemic recovery on both economic and industry levels, this year is about reconnection. Every touchpoint may be a window to boundless opportunities for the brand. Meta organised the annual Meta Marketing Summit which attracted more than 300 industry elites. Event speakers not only shared new advertising trends, but they also demonstrated the changes brought by Meta Technology as well as how they could be used to reach out to target customers and achieve optimal business results.

Every connection is an opportunity

Patrick Pan, Head of Hong Kong & Taiwan, Meta, pointed out that every connection can be turned into an opportunity, adding that there are currently 3.8 billion monthly users on the Meta platform which includes Facebook, Instagram, Reels, WhatsApp and more¹. As well, video platform Reels has grown rapidly over the past six months, during which 2 billion videos were shared on the platform.

Patrick emphasised that the Meta service has been growing for 17 years; and according to a study by UC Berkeley, every US$1 invested from a user generates a US$3.31 return². He also noted that today's Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has transformed the Meta community and the way companies and brands reach out to their target audience. AI technology will be the cornerstone of Meta's solutions, as marketers have already managed to increase conversions by up to 20 per cent³ on the Meta platform thanks to AI.

Unlocking AI: Performance and possibility

James Tan, Product Marketing Director, APAC, Meta, said AI technology has not only had a significant impact on the strategy and procedure of online advertising, but its integration into our lives have also enabled users to create unique content with text, graphics and music. With the help of different AI tools, he added, companies can place ads with greater accuracy.

This once nascent technology has now entered its second generation, “AI 2.0”. Meta has been investing in the development of technology and even the open community, and believes that AI will become an important element of online social networking in the future. However, James believes that society should practise due diligence and responsibility when using AI technology. To address such issues, Meta has incorporated relevant technology and tools to protect user data privacy. The "Hasher-Matcher Actioner tool" is an example of an application that helps the Meta platform remove violating content.

Meta is committed to investing in AI infrastructure, including billions of dollars in data centres and supercomputers to support the computational power required for effective AI deployment. With the help of AI tools, Facebook has successfully removed up to 82% of undesirable content.⁴

For marketers, AI technology is a powerful tool for the present and the future. James cited the example of Meta’s data collection such as Views and Engagement, which enable marketers to develop more precise advertising strategies and personalised experiences in the long run. In addition to improving marketing effectiveness through the Meta Advantage suite, Meta has also launched the AI Sandbox tool, which allows platform users to produce text variations, generate background and image outcropping, to improve the efficiency of the production process.

Connect opportunities and boost commerce performance with Meta

Terry Iu, Head of Industry, Hong Kong & Taiwan, Meta, pointed out that AI has grown out of its infancy and is now ubiquitous in real-life applications. For example, popular coffee shop Starbucks, has built a personalised experience by using AI technology to enhance its food and beverage recommendations for its customers.

To communicate with a multi-faced customer base, Terry emphasised the need for companies to tailor their marketing campaigns to the zeitgeist. He added that Meta is applying AI technology at different stages of the customer journey, with tools such as Conversions API (CAPI) for performance enhancement; Meta Advantage+ for automation; and CTX (Click-to-X) and Lead Ads for personalised experience to enhance business performance.

Terry also referred to Conversions API, supplemented by Meta pixel, and its effectiveness in sharing the same marketing campaign event on the browser and server simultaneously. This can increase the performance of conversions by 13%⁵. As well, the automation of budgeting, targeting, creative projects and advertising with Meta Advantage suite can effectively increase on advertising return by 32%⁶; an improvement of performance of cost per action by 9%⁷; and 14%⁸more incremental purchases per dollar spent.

According to recent statistics, 68% of online shoppers prefer a more personalised shopping experience⁹. Terry revealed that the new generation of Meta Business Messaging CTX solutions include Click-to-Instagram, Click-to-Messenger, and the soon-to-be-launched Click-to-WhatsApp for lead generation function. These all serve to provide enterprises with a wide range of communication channels with their customers both old and new.

Research shows that the above Meta Business Messaging solutions can effectively increase the number of leads by 61%¹⁰ via a much more personalised approach, which substantially outperforms the legacy channels. Taiwan-based real estate agency Sinyi Realty, which has adopted Meta Business Messaging and Meta Advantage suite simultaneously, has successfully reduced its cost per 1,000 people reached by 77%.¹¹