It’s wild, but 70% of marketers are still just dumping their Meta ad spend into the main Facebook and Instagram feeds. This approach completely ignores the Facebook Audience Network, missing out on major reach and cheaper placements. The fact is, a huge audience is out there on other apps and sites. Your customers are there. Are you going to go find them?
Key Takeaways
- Turning on Audience Network usually gets you a 15% bump in unique reach without spending a penny more.
- Rewarded videos on Audience Network have insane completion rates, over 85%, because users actually choose to watch them. Way better than skippable feed ads.
- If you make creatives *specifically* for Audience Network (think full-screen vertical video, playable ads), you can see engagement jump by up to 20%.
- A/B testing placements *within* the Audience Network is how you find gold, specific apps or sites that convert like crazy and that you’d otherwise miss.
- By targeting the right spots on Audience Network, you can often get a 10% lower cost-per-impression (CPI) because the competition is lower than in the main feeds.
| Feature | Facebook & Instagram Feeds | Facebook Audience Network | Audience Network with Dedicated Creatives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unique Reach Increase | Baseline | ✓ Adds ~15% for same budget | ✓ Adds ~15% for same budget |
| Cost-Per-Impression (CPI) | Standard/Higher | ✓ Can be ~10% lower | ✓ Can be ~10% lower |
| Video Ad Completion Rate | Low (skippable) | ✓ 85%+ (rewarded opt-in) | ✓ 85%+ (rewarded opt-in) |
| Engagement Rate Potential | Baseline | Standard | ✓ Up to 20% higher |
| Creative Strategy Required | Standard feed creative | Often just repurposed creative | ✓ Needs specific creative (vertical, playables) |
| A/B Testing Scope | Feeds & Stories only | ✓ Across thousands of apps/sites | ✓ Across thousands of apps/sites |
Audience Network Delivers 15% More Unique Reach
The easiest win from using the Facebook Audience Network is expanding your campaign’s reach without touching your budget. A 2025 IAB report showed that campaigns tapping into Audience Network placements saw a 15% average increase in unique reach over campaigns that only used Facebook and Instagram feeds. This gives you a way to find new pockets of your target audience, people who might not be glued to Meta’s platforms but are active on mobile apps and websites in the Network. For example, I’ve seen gaming clients find tons of new players with rewarded video ads in popular mobile games, a placement you can’t even get on Instagram. Since the demographic targeting from Ads Manager applies everywhere, you’re still reaching your ideal customer, just in a different place. It’s a matter of smart distribution.
Rewarded Video Ads Boast Over 85% Completion Rates
Ad formats perform differently everywhere, and the Audience Network has a clear winner: rewarded video. Specifically, rewarded video ads on the network hit completion rates over 85%, a stat I’ve seen confirmed in Meta’s own 2025 performance data. Those numbers are a world away from the low completion rates you see on skippable feed videos. Why does it work so well? Users choose to watch the full ad to get something in return, like an extra life in a game or access to a premium feature. This gets you a genuinely attentive audience. If you need to explain a complex product or tell a story, that guaranteed, focused view time is gold. You’re getting focused attention.
Dedicated Creatives Boost Engagement by 20%
I see so many advertisers just copy-pasting their Facebook feed creative over to the Audience Network. It’s a huge missed opportunity and, frankly, a waste of ad spend. Looking at hundreds of our campaigns, we’ve seen that making dedicated creative strategies for Audience Network can push engagement up by as much as 20%. This means designing assets for the specific placement, like a full-screen vertical video for an interstitial spot or a playable ad that lets someone try your game right there. The experience in a mobile app is completely different from a social feed. Your ads have to match the app or site they appear in. A static square image from your Instagram campaign will bomb as a banner ad on some random website. This requires thoughtful adaptation for each placement.
A/B Testing Reveals Untapped Performance Zones
People often think all Audience Network placements are the same. That’s completely wrong. Any good media buyer knows you have to run granular A/B tests on placement types and specific app categories within Audience Network, not just on your ad copy. By testing delivery across different app types (like gaming vs. utility vs. news), you find these “untapped performance zones.” I had a B2B SaaS client recently who found shockingly high conversion rates from a few niche business news apps on the Network, placements they almost skipped. You only find these wins by digging into the placement reports instead of just making assumptions. I always tell clients to run at least two different ad sets for Audience Network, one broad and one with specific app exclusions based on what the early data tells you. The only real rule here is to test everything.
Achieving 10% Lower Cost-Per-Impression
For performance marketers, the shot at a lower cost-per-impression (CPI) is a big draw for the Audience Network. According to a 2025 eMarketer report, smart targeting on the Audience Network can get you CPIs 10% lower than on the main Meta feeds. This cost saving happens because there’s less competition for some ad spots and you can catch users at a good time (like when they’re taking a break in a mobile game). The whole thing hinges on “strategic targeting.” If you just flip the Audience Network switch on without actively managing your placements and bids, you’ll probably waste money. I’ve boosted ROAS significantly just by cleaning up Audience Network placements, cutting the low-performing apps and focusing only on the ones that drive real conversions. It’s about making smart bids on that less competitive inventory that still drives results.
If you’re not using the Facebook Audience Network, you’re leaving audience on the table and you’re probably paying more to reach the people you do get. The data is clear: expanding beyond the main feeds gets you more reach, better engagement, and a more efficient spend. So stop sticking to the old playbook and start using all the tools Meta gives you to find your customers, wherever they are. And for more ideas on driving sales, check out how to optimize your Instagram Shopping setup.
What is the Facebook Audience Network?
It’s a network of outside mobile apps and websites where you can run your Meta ads, pushing your campaigns beyond just Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. It lets you use all of Meta’s powerful targeting on third-party properties.
How does Audience Network differ from Facebook/Instagram feeds?
The feeds are on Meta’s own property, but Audience Network puts your ads on third-party apps and sites. This means your ads show up in different contexts, like banners in news apps, videos between game levels, or native ads on blogs, so you need different creative for them.
What ad formats are available on Audience Network?
You get a bunch of formats: native, banner, and interstitial (full-screen) ads, plus rewarded videos. The right one depends on the placement and what you’re trying to achieve with your campaign.
Can I control where my ads appear on Audience Network?
Yep, you get a lot of control. In Ads Manager, you can create block lists to exclude specific apps or websites that aren’t working or don’t fit your brand. You can also target by app categories to be more precise.
Is Audience Network effective for all types of businesses?
It can work for almost anyone, but it’s especially good for businesses targeting people on mobile. I’ve seen it work really well for app install and lead gen campaigns because of the huge reach and ad formats. You have to test it to see how it works for your specific goals.
