Meta's Algorithm Update: New Rules for Growth in 2025

Hey everyone,

Welcome back for another bite to chew on.

It's been a wild start to 2025 for DTC brands. If you've been feeling the pain on Facebook lately, you're not alone.

In December, Meta rolled out a major algorithm update that's been reshaping the DTC ad landscape. Overnight, stuff that were crushing it suddenly tanked.

CPAs skyrocketed. ROAS plummeted.

And no one was sure why.

After talking with dozens of brands in our network (and completely rebuilding our own Meta strategy), we're uncovering the new rules of the game. 

Today, we're sharing what's working, what's failing, and how to adapt.

On the Menu:

• The New Meta Landscape: What Changed & Why

• Winning Creative Strategies for 2025

• Advanced Tactics: Audience Separation & Beyond

Want more on this topic? Check out the first episode of the new season of the Chew On This podcast!

You can also listen to this episode on:

• Spotify 🎧

• Apple 🍏

• Youtube ▶️

Please hit the subscribe button if you like what you hear!

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The New Meta Landscape: What Changed & Why

Meta didn't just tweak their algorithm in December – they fundamentally changed how ads are delivered to users.

First, let's be clear: Meta is becoming more like TikTok every day. They're prioritizing Reels, pushing for more native-feeling content, and leveraging AI to determine what gets seen.

Those "loud," direct-response style ads that worked so well in 2023-2024? They're getting crushed by the algorithm now. 

The typical obnoxious, attention-grabbing static ads with wild claims and bright colors are DOA. 

Meta is cleaning up their feed, and if your ads look like, well... ads, you're in trouble.

But here's the thing about algorithm changes → They don't JUST cause problems.

They create opportunities for brands willing to adapt quickly.

Your ads aren't the only thing that might need a refresh. We're finding that Meta's algorithm may be looking deeper into the funnel now, evaluating landing page quality and post-click experience.

When the algo changed, we started questioning everything:

• Are our landing pages too aggressive?

• Is there a quality score Meta is now using?

• Do we need to completely rethink our funnel structure?

Unfortunately, no one knows exactly what Meta is measuring. 

🔑 What we do know is that brands that have updated their landing pages to match their new creative approach are seeing better results.

Winning Creative Strategies for 2025

The biggest shift we're seeing is in creative strategy. Everything is moving toward more authentic-feeling content:

→ Content consumption is being dictated by TikTok. 

What works there is migrating to Meta. If it feels native on TikTok, it'll likely perform on Meta.

→ People aren't creating content specifically for Facebook or Instagram anymore. 

They're creating for TikTok and distributing across platforms.

→ The winning format: testimonial-focused content. 

Real people, in real environments, talking about real results.

🧪 Our winning formula (right now):

1. Find top-performing customer feedback (from reviews, surveys, emails)

2. Turn those exact stories into scripts for creators

3. Have creators film in authentic settings (their car, kitchen, bedroom)

4. Keep it raw and unpolished (but not sloppy)

5. Whitelist that content through your ad account

This is the opposite of those highly produced, perfectly scripted ads we were all running last year.

The key is: It doesn't look like an ad. As I (Ash) mentioned on our podcast:

Next up…some landing page elements we're testing → 

• More authentic testimonials (real people, not stock photos)

• Cleaner designs with less aggressive sales language

• Mobile-optimized experiences that feel like an extension of the platform

• More engaging post-click experiences that encourage browsing

Instead of the "hammer them with benefits and CTA buttons" approach, we're creating experiences that feel more like product discovery and less like a hard sell.

Another tactic that's helping combat rising acquisition costs is strategic product bundling.

We're seeing great results with our 3 step bundle approach: products for morning, afternoon, and evening that work together as a system.

Why we think systems style bundles work:

• Higher AOV helps offset acquisition costs

• Consumers are skeptical of single products that claim to do everything

• The “systems” framing feels more tailored and comprehensive

• They differentiate you from competitors running single-product ads

🏔️ The challenge → Explaining the complete system on a single landing page. 

We're still perfecting this, but looking to skincare brands for inspiration – they've been mastering the bundle approach for decades.

Advanced Tactics: Audience Separation & Beyond

Here's a tactical tip that's working wonders for us: completely separating your audiences when testing new funnels.

When we decided to shift away from our weight loss messaging to focus on other products like hydration and greens, we didn't only change the creative – we built completely separate marketing environments.

Why this matters…

Meta's AI has been trained on your historical data. If you've spent years (and millions) targeting a specific audience with specific messaging, the algorithm will keep pushing you in that direction.

The solution is to start fresh:

1. Create a new ad account with a new pixel

2. Use a different Facebook/Instagram page

3. Set up a separate domain or subdomain

4. Launch with completely fresh creative

Yes, it's more work. But the results speak for themselves.

The 4 benefits of starting fresh 🗒️

• Train Meta's AI with clean data 🤖

• Avoid audience overlap and message confusion 🤔

• Test new approaches without the baggage of our historical data 📊

• Build new customer segments without cannibalizing existing ones 🆕

This approach is especially powerful for brands looking to diversify their product offerings or expand beyond their core audience.

New Channels

While we're working to adapt to Meta's changes, we're also accelerating our channel diversification strategy.

The brands we've seen weather this storm best are those that weren't overly dependent on Meta to begin with. 

To reduce the impact of Meta dependency, consider:

→ TikTok Shop (not just for direct sales, but top-of-funnel awareness)

→ Amazon (which continues to grow despite economic headwinds)

→ Retail expansion (reducing dependence on direct acquisition)

→ Email and SMS (owned channels that still deliver incredible ROI)

🚨 Don’t Forget Our Upcoming Influencer Masterclass 🚨

Creator content and influencer management were valuable before Meta’s latest updates.

Now they’re VITAL. 

There’s no way we could have turned around our crashing Meta performance without our influencer program. It literally saved our Q1.

This Thursday (March 27), we’re joining Yash Chavan of SARAL to talk about how to build and grow a sustainable influencer community that will help you leverage the changes to the Meta algo and scale despite the headwinds facing most brands.

Get your free seat here.