Automated bid strategies like Target CPA and Target ROAS are designed to adjust in response to performance, but marketers still have to make an important decision: when should you change the target, and how much should you change it? This article digs into those two questions, with a closer look at the supporting numbers and the practical takeaways for managing automated bid strategies based on our original research.

Automated bid strategies such as Target CPA and Target ROAS are typically managed through periodic adjustments to the target value. However, practitioners have limited empirical guidance on how the magnitude of those adjustments, whether Minor or Major, affects campaign performance. This study examines seven paid media campaigns using both Target CPA and Target ROAS strategies to assess how change magnitude affects short-term spend stability and longer-term conversion volume

High-value ecommerce rarely converts on the first touch. Longer sales cycles, larger purchase considerations, and varying deal sizes mean in-platform performance often underrepresents true business impact. To scale effectively, optimization must reflect expected value, not just immediate results.

The introduction of AI to mainstream marketing hasn’t raised the ceiling of what’s possible; it’s raised the floor. But the gap between the middle and the top? That still exists. And if anything, it’s becoming more important. The problem is that these tools lack the things that separate the bottom 50% from the top 20%. And if you’re not careful, over-relying on them can quietly move you from a top-tier marketer to a very average one.