Hi everyone! I have a question about setting up Ad Audiences in Data 360, specifically Meta Custom Audiences.
Based on my understanding, the flow should be:
Data 360 → Segment → Activation → Meta Custom Audiences → Meta Ads Manager
So, first we configure a Meta Custom Audiences Activation Target, connecting the Meta Business Manager/portfolio. Then, we create a segment in Data 360 and create an Activation associated with that target. Once the activation is published, the audience should become available in Meta as a Custom Audience, which can then be selected and used for an advertising campaign.
Is my understanding correct?
I also want to confirm whether this is the functional replacement for Marketing Cloud Advertising / Advertising Audiences (Advertising Studio). From Salesforce's current documentation, it seems that Data 360 Ad Audiences is the recommended approach for activating first-party audiences to platforms such as Meta.
For anyone who has already implemented this migration: is the flow really Segment → Activation → Activation Target → Custom Audience in Meta?
And are there any important differences or considerations compared with the previous Advertising Audiences functionality in Marketing Cloud Engagement?
Thanks in advance!
@* Marketing Cloud Growth & Advanced *
Hello Brayan,
Yes, that’s basically the right understanding. The typical flow is Data 360 Segment → Activation → Activation Target → Meta Custom Audience, and once the activation is published and the data is successfully sent, the audience should show up in Meta as a Custom Audience that you can use in your campaigns. It does make sense to look at Data 360 Ad Audiences as the newer approach for activating first-party audiences to platforms like Meta, rather than the older Marketing Cloud Advertising/Advertising Audiences setup. The main thing to watch during migration is that the setup and terminology are different, and there can be differences around identity resolution, data mapping, refresh frequency, consent, and activation behavior. So I’d definitely validate the exact Meta activation configuration and required identifiers rather than assuming it works exactly like the old Advertising Studio flow. Hope this helps!
