Meta is about to pass Google in this key metric

Today’s Social Media advertising rates are springing back to life:

↗️ META: $8.39 | ↘️ TIKTOK: $3.09 | ↗️ SNAPCHAT: $11.21

In this week’s edition: 

• ✴️ Meta just super-simplified the pixel

• AI Max is eating Dynamic Search Ads 🔎

• 👽 Reddit’s reminders are now global

But first…

👑 Is this the year Meta takes Google’s crown?

In the Goliath-versus-Goliath battle for social media advertising supremacy, the following news is unlikely to impact your ad spend this year. But make no mistake: a changing of the guard is afoot. 

The analysts at eMarketer have seen enough: they’re projecting that for the first time in history, Meta will surpass Google in digital ad revenue in 2026, with somewhere around $243 billion to Google’s $239 billion. 

Before you ask what’s a few billion between friends, the bigger significance is that many industry experts expected Meta’s revenue to plateau by now, given its scale. Instead, it’s Google that’s seeing a flattening in growth rate, holding steady at 11.9% — while Meta’s growth rate accelerated from 22% to 24%, according to the Wall Street Journal.

What’s Meta getting right? Reels watch time is up 30% in the most recent quarter. AI is “fundamentally changing” how brands create and target their ads. Meanwhile, Google is losing some market share to rivals like Amazon, “partly because many consumers now begin their product searches directly” on retail platforms, according to WSJ. 

The takeaway? Meta’s big bet — ”that scale, network effects, and habits are more important that anything else,” according to eMarketer — is paying off.

The Inside Scoop🍦: Now trending in performance media

♾️ Meta has announced AI-powered updates to the Pixel and a simplified "one-click" setup for the Conversions API (CAPI) to make high-quality tracking accessible without technical expertise. The updated Pixel uses AI to automatically identify website details like product prices, while the new Conversions API setup bypasses browser privacy restrictions to recover data lost to ad blockers.

🔎 Google is retiring Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) and other Search automation tools in favor of AI Max, with voluntary upgrades available now and automatic migrations beginning in September. Advertisers are encouraged to transition early to maintain control. According to Google, AI Max leverages real-time intent signals and has shown “an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA/ROAS for non-retail."

🧠 Speaking of Google’s AI Max, as of yesterday, it has moved out of beta. AI Max adoption has become increasingly unavoidable as Google continues to push AI-driven campaign types and reduce manual optimization. 

According to Digiday’s interviews with several marketers, some are reporting improved performance, while others are wary of the limited transparency into how AI-driven decisions are being made across campaigns. Additional concerns include reduced visibility into underlying data signals and fewer manual controls. 

Quick refresher on how AI Max works:

• Uses advertiser inputs, such as website content and existing ads.

• Expands reach to additional relevant search queries.

• Dynamically customizes ad copy and landing page destinations.

• Adds more controls for advertisers, including brand, location, and text guidance settings.

📺 YouTube has introduced new livestreaming updates focused on increasing engagement, improving the ad experience, and expanding monetization opportunities. Key features include:

• Ad Experience: Ad-free windows for engaged users and optimized ad delivery to avoid disrupting peak chat activity.

• Streaming Flexibility: The ability to stream simultaneously in both vertical and horizontal formats, featuring shared chat and customizable feeds.

🚨 Buyer Beware: Advertisers are reporting waves of “unexplained ad disapprovals” on Google, as they see DNS errors, HTTP 500 errors, and repeated disapprovals across multiple accounts. This comes even when internal IT teams find that landing pages load normally and there are no website issues. It’s likely that the automated crawlers that test landing pages encounter temporary issues and automatically disapprove ads.

• 👉 This serves as a reminder to check on Google campaign status and monitor disapproval reasons, as platform glitches can derail campaign performance.

⏰ TikTok has enhanced Symphony, its ad creation toolkit, by integrating Dreamina Seedance 2.0, ByteDance’s most advanced video generation system. The core creative process remains the same: advertisers can input text, images, or reference clips to generate “polished video with audio that’s perfectly in sync.”

🎧 Spotify has introduced split testing within Ads Manager, allowing advertisers to test up to four creative variations and measure performance against metrics like completion rate, CTR, and CPA. Delivery is evenly split across mutually exclusive audiences, with a winning creative declared at 65% confidence.

• Subject to minimum spends

• Supports audio, video, display formats, with testing across elements like scripts, CTAs, visuals, and formats

• Compatible with Spotify Pixel and supported 3rd-party measurement partners for performance tracking.

🎯 Amazon’s Prime Video Interactive Video Ads now allow for automatic location-based customization within a single creative, helping brands deliver more relevant, targeted messaging at scale.

1. Automatic customization by zip code and state

2. Location-specific CTAs (including for brands that don’t sell on Amazon)

3. Zero additional production costs

4. Seamless integration via managed-service or self-service

5. Ideal for: auto dealers, insurance providers, and home improvement brands targeting local markets

👻 Snap Inc. is positioning Snapchat as a “conversational commerce” platform, where smart brands can show up, integrate themselves in the discourse with a subtle video, and grab a new sale. They advise that ads on Snap shouldn’t “interrupt the conversation” by showing a high-quality 30 second video ad. Instead, they advise brands to “switch gears by going low-fi.” 

They also want advertisers to remember that 40% of U.S. users on Snapchat aren’t showing up on TikTok and 80% aren’t showing up on Pinterest.

👽 Reddit has expanded its Reminder Ads globally, available across brand awareness and traffic campaigns.

• Reminder Ads Reminder: These use a “Remind Me” CTA that enables users to opt into notifications for upcoming events, launches, or announcements (see below). 

• Users who engage receive two push notifications (24 hours before and at launch) and an inbox reminder, while advertisers can also include a “Learn More” link to drive traffic to external sites.

Thanks for reading! We’ll be back next week to fill your inbox with more tips, tricks, and treats from the addressable universe.

In the meantime, stay up to date with the latest performance marketing intelligence by following us on Linkedin, Instagram, and X.

This week’s edition of the Thread was created by Jess Dashner, Anoushka Madan, Sabina Saktaganova, Mariya Samardzhieva, Kiara Quigley, Lara Spijkerman, Kayleigh McDonald, and Carly Carioli.