Facebook Reels is the underpriced attention opportunity in 2023

Executive overview

Most marketers have written off Facebook as a platform for older audiences. Meanwhile, organic reach on Facebook Reels is delivering real results — including selling premium-priced products to cold audiences today.

The opportunity is real because attention is there and competition is low. Facebook Reels is the forgotten channel with TikTok-level upside, without TikTok-level competition.

Why Facebook Reels works right now

• Attention on Facebook is higher than most marketers believe
• Low advertiser competition means organic reach is still cheap
• Proof: 80 cases of $90 Barolo wine sold via a single Facebook Reels execution
• Being a practitioner — not a theorist — is what makes the insight credible

The consumer segmentation framework

• Start with brand purpose and business objective
• Build 40–50 hyper-specific consumer cohorts (age, gender, location, income, interest)
• Map cohorts to platforms using PAC (Platforms and Culture)
• A post creative strategist (PCS) monitors qualitative feedback; analytics team handles quant
• Cut cohorts where creative isn't landing; double down on cohorts showing real affinity
• Follow consumer truth, not boardroom assumptions

On AI and slowing down

• Pausing AI development at one lab doesn't stop the 40,000 others building the same thing
• The technology is too open and distributed to slow meaningfully
• AI will be present in every person's life permanently — the question is how, not whether

On leadership and culture

• Good leaders understand the craft and care more about their team than their own advancement
• Motivate with love and optimism, not fear
• Long employee tenure is a business advantage — culture is the mechanism to achieve it
• Parental leave and family-supportive policies should not penalise career progression