The Meta Ads Playbook
Feed the algorithm. Bank the profit.
Meta stopped being a targeting platform and became a creative-and-signal platform. This 2026 Edition playbook is the system Hotseat runs for DTC and ecommerce brands scaling past first traction: the signal foundation that makes optimisation possible, the consolidated account structure that scales, the creative engine now doing the heavy lifting, how to feed Advantage+ without losing the account, and the measurement chapter that retires platform ROAS in favour of MER and contribution margin. Ends with a 90-day rollout and a 30-second account audit.
- 01Pick Your Objective: Prospect, Scale, or Full-Funnel
- 02The Signal Foundation: Pixel, CAPI & Match Quality
- 03Account Structure That Actually Scales
- 04Creative Is the New Targeting
- 05Advantage+ and Feeding Meta's AI
- 06Testing and Scaling Without Resetting Learning
- 07Why ROAS Lies: MER, Margin & Incrementality
- 08The 90-Day Rollout Plan
- 09Common Mistakes & Quick Reference
Hotseat is a strategy-led digital agency across Cape Town, London and Amsterdam. The team has run campaigns for Under Armour, ASICS, Knight Frank, Hey Dude and more — the guides package the systems they use every day.
