When you run a job vacancy campaign on Meta, it doesn’t immediately deliver optimized results. Instead, the campaign goes through a Learning Phase before becoming Active. This is a crucial step where Meta’s system gathers data to determine how to best deliver your ad to achieve your objective—attracting the right job applicants.
What is the Learning Phase?
The Learning Phase is like a testing period for your campaign. Meta’s system tests different combinations of variables such as:
Audience targeting: Which group of job seekers is most responsive?
Ad placements: Does your ad perform better on Facebook News Feed or Instagram Stories?
Ad creatives: Are candidates responding more to a video showcasing the company culture, or a simple image with text about the role?
This phase ensures the system gathers enough data (usually around 50 conversions, like applications or clicks) to understand which settings deliver the best results. Once enough data is collected, the campaign exits the Learning Phase and transitions to Active mode, providing more consistent and optimized performance.
Why Does the Campaign Re-enter the Learning Phase After Changes?
If you make significant changes to your campaign—such as updating the location or adjusting interests—it usually re-enters the Learning Phase. This happens because these adjustments create a new target audience, and the system needs to relearn how to optimize for the new settings.
For instance:
Changing Location:
Suppose you initially targeted job seekers in Amsterdam but decide to focus on Rotterdam instead. The system has no prior data on how job seekers in Rotterdam respond to your ad, so it starts testing combinations again to gather insights.Adjusting Interests:
If you shift your focus from “marketing professionals” to “IT specialists,” the behavior and preferences of the audience change. Meta must learn how this new audience interacts with the ad, restarting the testing process.
The Learning Phase can be compared to the first week after posting a job vacancy.
When you post a job, you might initially receive applications from a broad range of candidates—some qualified, some not.
After observing the applications, you might refine the posting, clarify requirements, or even adjust the location of the job to attract more suitable candidates.
If you post the job in a new city or for a different industry, you essentially start fresh, gathering insights about the new pool of applicants.
Similarly, Meta’s Learning Phase ensures your campaign targets the right audience and gathers valuable insights for optimal delivery.