Solved: Broad Targeting or Interest-Based for Wedding Invites?

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out!

Thank you for your enquiry about running Meta ads for your video wedding invites. I'd be happy to share some initial thoughts. It's a great niche, but you're right to think carefully about the strategy, especially with the longer buying cycle. The consensus you've heard about going 'broad' is one of those bits of advice that sounds good on the surface but can be a complete waste of money if you don't have a massive amount of data already. To be honest, for a new venture like yours, you need to do the exact opposite.

I'm happy to give you some guidance on how I'd approach this. It's a bit different from the standard advice, but in my experience, it's what actually works.

You'll need to forget the 'go broad' myth... for now

First things first, let's tackle this idea of going broad versus using interest targeting. The advice to 'let the Meta algorithm do its thing' is incredibly dangerous for new accounts. When you tell Meta to find you customers with a broad, undefined audience, and you have no sales history, you're essentially asking it to find the cheapest possible people to show your ads to. And who are the cheapest people? The ones who never click, never engage, and certainly never buy anything. They're cheap because no other advertiser wants them. You're effectively paying Facebook to find you the worst possible audience for your product.

I've seen this burn through budgets time and time again. The algorithm needs data – lots of it – to learn who your ideal customer is. Without it, 'going broad' is like shouting into a hurricane and hoping the right person hears you. It only starts to work once your pixel has tracked hundreds, preferably thousands, of conversions and has a crystal-clear picture of what your buyer looks like.

So, what's the alternative? You have to be specific. You need to do the work the algorithm can't do for you yet. You're targeting recently engaged couples, which is a fantastic start because Meta actually has a 'Newly engaged' demographic targeting option. That's your ground zero. You should definately start there.

But we can get much more specific. Don't just think about their relationship status; think about their problem state. What is the nightmare they're living through? Wedding planning is stressful. They're overwhelmed with choices, managing a budget, and trying to create a unique experience. Your ICP isn't just "engaged couple"; it's a couple terrified of their wedding being generic, stressed about chasing RSVPs, and looking for modern, elegant solutions that simplify their lives. Your ads need to speak to that nightmare.

This means layering interests on top of that 'Newly engaged' demographic. Think about their behaviour. What pages do they follow? What magazines do they read (both online and off)? What tools are they already using?

I'd start by testing ad sets targeting people who are newly engaged AND are interested in things like:

-> Wedding planning websites: The Knot, Zola, WeddingWire.
-> Bridal magazines: Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings.
-> Competitors (indirect): Paperless Post, Minted, Greenvelope (people looking for invites, but maybe haven't considered video).
-> Wedding-related interests: 'Wedding reception', 'Wedding dress', 'Wedding photography'.

You need to build a picture of your customer based on the specific, niche things they are actively looking at during their planning phase. This is the blueprint for your targeting. Do this work first, or you have no business spending a single pound on ads. Forget broad, get specific. That's how you feed the algorithm high-quality signals from day one.

This kind of structured testing will quickly tell you which pocket of your audience is most responsive, and you can start allocating more budget there. It's methodical, not a shot in the dark.

I'd say you need to rethink your offer and objective

Your instinct about the long buying window and tracking lead form submissions is absolutley spot on. Trying to get a direct sale for a considered purchase like this from a cold ad is incredibly difficult and expensive. You'd be asking for a big commitment from someone who has just met you.

This brings me to one of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make: the offer itself. Too many ask for the sale, or for a 'booking', or a 'consultation'. It's high-friction and low-value for the potential customer. Your idea of a 'free mock-up' is genius. It completely flips the script.

You're not asking them to buy; you're offering to *give* them something of value for free. You're solving a small, real problem for them right now: "What would *my* wedding invite look like as a video?" This is the equivalent of a SaaS company's free trial. I remember one client, a software company, who struggled with high costs per acquisition until we switched their offer from a 'book a demo' model to a 'free trial' model. Their signups skyrocketed and the cost per trial dropped to just $7. The principle is exactly the same for you.

So, yes, your campaign objective should 100% be set to 'Leads'. You want to optimise for people filling out that lead form to claim their free mock-up. This achieves two things:

1. It gives the Meta algorithm a clear, low-friction conversion event to optimise for. It's much easier (and cheaper) to find people willing to submit a form for something free than it is to find people willing to buy on the spot. This will get you volume and data much faster.
2. It gets you their email address. This is the real prize. Once you have their email, you're no longer at the mercy of the ad platform. You own the relationship. You can nurture them over the long buying cycle with an automated email sequence that shows off different styles, shares testimonials, and answers common questions.

The 7-day attribution window becomes much less of a concern. The ad's job is to generate the lead. Your email marketing's job is to close the sale. The ad gets credit for the lead, and you can track the eventual sale back to the lead source internally. Don't worry about optimising for sales on Meta at this stage; optimise for what you can realistically acheive: getting a highly qualified person to raise their hand and say "I'm interested".

You probably should build a proper funnel structure

Okay, so we've established we're using specific interest targeting to generate leads for a free mock-up. The next step is to structure your campaigns properly. Don't just lump everything into one campaign. You need to think like a marketer and build a funnel.

I always structure accounts using a ToFu/MoFu/BoFu approach (Top, Middle, Bottom of Funnel). It allows you to speak to people differently depending on how familiar they are with you.

ToFu (Top of Funnel) - The Introduction
This is your cold traffic campaign. It's where you'll use all the interest-based ad sets we discussed earlier. The goal here is singular: get lead form submissions for the free mock-up. The messaging is all about grabbing the attention of engaged couples who have never heard of you and presenting a compelling new idea.

MoFu (Middle of Funnel) - The Nurture
This is for people who have shown interest but haven't converted yet. This audience is made up of people who have visited your website, watched a percentage of your video ads, or engaged with your Facebook/Instagram page, but *haven't* submitted the lead form. They know who you are, but they need another nudge. Your ads here should be different. You could show them testimonials from happy couples, a behind-the-scenes of how the videos are made, or a carousel of your most popular designs. The goal is to build trust and get them back to the site to claim their mock-up.

BoFu (Bottom of Funnel) - The Close
This is your warmest audience. It includes people who have visited your checkout page (if you have one) or, most importantly, have submitted the lead form but haven't purchased yet. While your email marketing will do a lot of the heavy lifting here, you can support it with retargeting ads. These ads can create urgency ("Your custom mock-up is ready! Claim your design now with a 10% discount") or handle final objections. This audience is small but highly valuable, so it's worth spending a little to stay top of mind.

Here's how I'd set up the campaign structure. Seperate campaigns are essential for control and clarity.

If your budget is small to start, you can combine the MoFu and BoFu audiences into a single retargeting campaign. But keeping ToFu seperate is non-negotiable.

We'll need to look at your ad copy and creative

Having the right targeting and structure is half the battle. The other half is what you actually say in your ads. Your ad copy needs to be a message your ideal customer can't ignore. It needs to speak directly to their pain points.

I always use the Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS) framework for ad copy. It's brutally effective.

Problem: State the problem they're currently facing. "Tired of boring paper invites and chasing RSVPs?"

Agitate: Poke the bruise. Make the problem feel more real and urgent. "Imagine your guests losing the details, the extra cost of postage, and the hassle of tracking everything on a spreadsheet. Your wedding should be elegant, not an admin nightmare."

Solve: Introduce your video invites as the perfect solution. "Set the tone for a modern celebration with a stunning, animated video invite. All your details, RSVP tracking, and a beautiful keepsake in one place. See exactly what yours could look like."

The call-to-action is then, of course, "Get Your Free Mock-Up".

Here’s how that might look in a few different ads. Your creative should be video-first, showing off the product beautifully.

For creative, you absolutely must use video. Show off different styles. Use carousels to showcase 3-4 different design themes. The ad itself needs to be as visually compelling as the product you're selling.

This is the main advice I have for you:

I know this is a lot of information to take in. Running paid ads effectively has a lot of moving parts. It's not just about boosting a post and hoping for the best. It's about a methodical, data-driven process of targeting, messaging, and optimisation. I remember one eCommerce client selling subscription boxes who came to us with failing ads. By implementing a similar funnel structure and refining their messaging, we were able to get them to a 1000% return on ad spend. The principles are the same, even if the product is different.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below in a table to give you a clear, actionable plan.

Executing this strategy correctly takes time, expertise, and constant monitoring. You need to watch the numbers, turn off underperforming ad sets, test new creative, and continually refine your approach.

That's where a professional consultancy like us can make a huge difference. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the advertising landscape, we can help you identify the best strategies and take over the implementation of the entire process for you, ensuring that every pound you spend is working to grow your business.

If you'd like to discuss this further, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can go through your specific goals and map out a more detailed plan. Feel free to get in touch if that sounds helpful.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh