From learning to earning: how AI makes your ads work harder

AI is the powerhouse behind modern digital advertising, constantly learning and improving to help businesses reach the right customers. But how does it actually work?

At its core, AI in advertising learns from data and lots of it. Every click, scroll, and purchase feeds into machine learning models, helping platforms like Facebook and Instagram refine their ad targeting.

For advertisers, understanding how AI learns can make all the difference in running successful campaigns. The more relevant data you feed into AI, the smarter your ads become, leading to better engagement, more sales, and lower ad costs.

So, where does this data come from?

The two key ways AI learns.

1. On-platform engagement

Every action someone takes on Facebook or Instagram like watching a video, liking a post, and clicking on an ad is a signal to AI. The platform tracks things like:

• What type of content keeps users engaged (videos, carousels, static posts)
• How long they watch a video before scrolling away
• Whether they comment, share, or save a post
• What ads they click and how often they interact with a brand’s page

This data helps AI figure out what works and what doesn’t. If a user frequently engages with fitness content, for example, they’re more likely to see ads for gym gear or health supplements.

But AI doesn’t just look at one person—it analyzes trends across millions of users, continuously learning what content is engaging and what gets ignored.

2. Website and online behavior

While platform engagement is valuable, the real power of AI comes from what users do outside of social media. Meta tracks behavior across the web through Meta Pixel, a small piece of code businesses can add to their websites.

This allows AI to see:

• Which websites people visit
• How long they stay on a page
• Whether they add products to their cart
• If they complete a purchase, abandon checkout, or sign up for a newsletter

All of this data feeds into the algorithm, helping businesses retarget visitors with highly relevant ads. Ever browsed a pair of shoes online and then seen ads for them everywhere? That’s AI-powered retargeting in action.

But here’s the challenge: AI can only learn from online interactions. If a customer walks into a physical store and makes a purchase, AI doesn’t automatically know about it.

The missing piece: AI doesn’t see in-store customers, until now

While digital advertising has become incredibly advanced, there’s been a gap. What happens when someone shops in person?

That’s where Tonza Deals comes in.

We’ve developed a way to bring real-time, in-store customer interactions into AI’s learning process.

Here’s how it works:

1. A customer walks into your store and scans a Tonza Deals QR code.
2. AI now knows that this person is physically in your store.
3. The customer plays the spin-to-win game, generating a real engagement signal.
4. Their email address is captured and automatically sent to both Meta’s AI and your email database.

This changes the game. Instead of AI relying only on online behaviors, it now learns from actual in-store visits and interactions.

Why this matters for your ads

With this additional layer of data, your ads become smarter and more effective. Here’s what happens:

• More accurate ad targeting – AI can now differentiate between people who visit your website and those who actually visit your store.
• Higher ad performance – On average, our partners see up to 75% better ad results because AI is learning from real customer actions.
• Lower ad costs – Better data means your ads reach the right people, reducing wasted spend on low-intent audiences.
• Stronger email marketing – You’re capturing real, engaged customers, leading to better email open rates, fewer unsubscribes, and higher conversion rates.

And the numbers speak for themselves:

• Our spin-to-win system sees a 22% conversion rate. That’s 11x higher than typical industry averages.
• Businesses using Tonza Deals grow their customer database faster, leading to better long-term marketing results.

The future of AI-powered advertising starts in your store

AI is only as good as the data it’s fed. By combining online behavior with real-world, in-store interactions, you’re giving AI the full picture of your customers, something most businesses don’t have access to.

And the best part? You can start for as little as $3 a day.

Let’s chat and get Tonza Deals set up in your store today.