Molly Pittman Facebook ad: “These photos are from 2016…I was 25 years…”

About this ad

Meta Ad Library ID

923200480124025

Platforms

Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network, Messenger and Threads

Relaunches

12

How we count

Ad text

These photos are from 2016…I was 25 years old, the VP of Marketing at DigitalMarketer and living in Austin, Texas… My career was accelerating fast… speaking on stages, hosting the Perpetual Traffic podcast, teaching courses and workshops on Facebook ads and spending most of my time thinking about paid traffic. Now it’s 2026, I’m 35, I’ve moved back to my hometown in Kentucky. I own 3 businesses, run a dog rescue on my farm, and guess what… I’m still obsessed with meta ads and paid traffic! Who was running Facebook ads back in 2016?! You will giggle at this (even if you weren’t running ads back then).... 2016 —-> 2026 Facebook Ad Edition ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Back then, we called them Facebook ads. Now they’re Meta ads. In 2016, Facebook moved from the two-pixel setup to one pixel, and it completely changed how we thought about tracking, optimization, and retargeting — everyone FREAKED out about this change and called it “The one pixel to rule them all” 😂😂😂 In 2026, the conversation is less about pixels and more about how the platform’s AI is making decisions on your behalf. In 2016, we used massive campaign structures. One of the most popular approaches at the time (The Michigan Method) could mean 270 ad sets and 810 ads. In 2026, we run far more consolidated structures and let the system do the work. In 2016, I created the Ad Grid to help people think through avatars, hooks, and messaging. And honestly… we still use it today. Fundamentals haven't changed. In 2016, Facebook enforced a 20% text rule on creatives and it was a constant headache. That rule doesn’t exist anymore (THANK GOODNESS)! In 2016, mobile traffic was becoming a big deal and everyone was trying to figure out what it meant for digital marketing. In 2026, almost everything is mobile by default. Back then, the big product rollouts were Facebook Live, video ads, Instagram advertising, and Messenger. Today, those are still core parts of the ecosystem — they’ve just matured (can you imagine a world without video ads or IG ads?!). A lot has changed since 2016. But a surprising amount has stayed the same. The tools evolve. The platform changes names. The mechanics get more automated. But the fundamentals of understanding people, communicating value clearly, and knowing how to work with the platform instead of fighting it still matters just as much. I’ve been doing this for 13+ years now, and I’m excited to teach what’s actually working in 2026 in our free Meta Ads class. If you’ve been in this game for a while or you’re trying to find success or scale with Meta ads, this is for you 👉 https://smartmarketer.com/meta-ads-mini-class/ -

Where the ad sends people

smartmarketer.com

Molly Pittman