Want to grow your business online? Facebook Ads can help! Facebook is one of the most popular platforms in the world, and with its advertising tools, you can reach the right people and grow your brand faster.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Facebook Ads. Let’s get started!
Facebook ads are a way for businesses to promote their products, services, or brand on Facebook and Instagram. These paid advertisements appear in different parts of the platforms, like in a user's news feed, stories, or even as sponsored content in their messages. Unlike waiting for people to discover your business organically, Facebook ads let you actively showcase your message to the audience you want to reach. They are designed to be visually engaging and often include images, videos, or catchy text to grab attention. By paying for these ads, businesses can make sure their content reaches more people than it would through regular posts alone.
Facebook offers one of the most powerful tools for audience targeting, thanks to its vast user data. This allows you to narrow down your audience with incredible precision.
When creating a Facebook ad, you can target users based on basic demographics such as age, gender, and location. But where Facebook stands apart from other platforms is in its ability to use lifestyle-based targeting. These options include:
If you want to take the guesswork out of your targeting, Facebook's Meta Advantage+ (released in 2023) uses AI to analyze your ad performance in real time. Meta claims this feature "maximizes the performance benefits of AI in your ad campaigns," ensuring you're getting the most value out of every impression.
Running Facebook ads is simple once you’re familiar with Facebook Ads Manager, and the results can be quick to follow.
According to a recent survey of U.S. retailers, 41% reported the highest return on ad spend (ROAS) from Facebook ads. This is significantly higher than the average conversion rate across all industries, which is just 8.25%.
With Meta owning both Facebook and Instagram, advertising across both platforms is seamless and easy to set up. This means your ads can run simultaneously on Facebook and Instagram, giving you access to an even broader audience. Even if you're not actively using Instagram, your ads can still reach Instagram users.
The reach potential here is unmatched. In fact, 90% of marketing agencies and 85% of small businesses found Facebook News Feed ads to be the most effective. Instagram Feed and Instagram Stories ranked second and third, respectively, as top-performing Meta channels for ads.
While Facebook discontinued its full Facebook Analytics platform in 2021, it still offers excellent tools for tracking ad performance. You can monitor key metrics like reach, engagement, conversions, and much more — all updated in real-time.
One of the standout features in Facebook’s current analytics suite is the Meta Pixel. By adding this small piece of code to your website, you can track the effectiveness of your Facebook ads and understand user behaviour on your site. This allows you to refine your campaigns and create specific audiences for future ads, ensuring your marketing efforts are always optimized.
By advertising on Facebook, you’re not only tapping into a vast user base but also gaining access to some of the most advanced targeting and performance-tracking tools available. Whether you’re a small business or a corporation, Facebook ads provide a scalable solution that can drive measurable results.
To effectively run Facebook Ads, it’s essential to understand the structure used in Facebook Ads Manager, which is organized into three distinct levels: Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad. This hierarchy allows for better organization and optimization of your advertising efforts.
This is where you select the ad objective or overall goal of your campaign. A campaign can contain one or more ad sets. The campaign defines the overall goal or objective of your advertising efforts. Think of it as the "big picture" strategy for your ads.
If you’re launching a new product, you might create a campaign with the objective of Conversions, focusing on driving sales.
The ad set sits under the campaign level and allows you to define the audience, placements, budget, and schedule for your ads. Ad sets help you organize different targeting strategies within the same campaign.
If your campaign is focused on conversions, you could create separate ad sets for different audiences, such as “Young Adults 18–25” and “Professionals 30–45.”
The ad is the final level of the hierarchy and is where you create the actual content people will see. This is where you design and craft your message to engage your audience.
For an ad set targeting “Young Adults 18–25,” you might create a video ad with an engaging demo of your product, paired with a headline like, “See Why Everyone Loves [Your Product]!”
Learn more about what's new with the ad creative section.
All of Facebook’s ad campaigns run through Facebook Ads Manager, which is the key tool for running and managing your ads. If you’re looking to dive into advertising on Facebook, then mastering Ads Manager is an absolute must. The good news is: it’s user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy to set up and manage your campaigns effectively.
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to navigate Ads Manager and get your ads up and running with confidence.
Make sure that you have a Facebook Business Page. If you don’t have a Page for your business yet, you can easily follow Facebook’s steps to set one up. Once created, your Page will automatically be assigned an ad account. Once you've created a Page, you'll automatically have an Ads Manager account.
If you want to advertise on a Page that someone else has created, simply ask the Page admin to assign you an admin, editor, or advertiser role.Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating ads on Facebook using the latest version of Facebook Ads Manager.
To create an advertising campaign with Meta Ads Manager:
1. Go to Meta Ads Manager.
2. Click the green Create Ad button to get started with your first ad.
Facebook will direct you to a page where you’ll choose a buying type and set your campaign objective.
Meta offers two buying types for ads: Auction and Reservation (previously known as Reach and Frequency). Here’s a quick overview of how they work:
Auction: This option gives you more flexibility, efficiency, and choice but comes with less predictable results. Ads can appear across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Meta Audience Network.
Reservation: Ideal for planning campaigns in advance, Reservation provides predictable performance goals and greater control over how often your audience sees your ads. Ads created with this buying type can only appear on Facebook and Instagram. If you choose Reservation, just follow the steps provided to set up a reservation campaign.
The main differences between Auction and Reservation lie in how you set up your campaign and the objectives available. For example, Auction ads allow for a wide range of campaign objectives, while Reservation is limited to awareness and engagement.
To decide which buying type is right for you, check out Meta's detailed guidance here.
When creating your Facebook ad, Meta helps you focus on your ultimate goal by offering six campaign objectives. Each one is designed to match specific outcomes:
Use this objective to send people to a specific destination, such as:
This is perfect for driving link clicks, landing page views, and calls.
Want more likes, comments, and interactions? This ad type is designed to encourage:
Are you looking to collect information from potential customers? The Leads objective is ideal for generating:
If you have an app, use this objective to:
This goal helps you reach people most likely to buy your product or service. It’s especially effective for:
After selecting your marketing objective, you’ll need to name your campaign. Choose a name that’s clear and easy for everyone on your team to recognize.
Advertising rules vary by region, especially for categories like credit, employment, housing, social issues, elections, or politics. If your ad falls into one of these categories, be sure to declare it here. This step helps keep your ad compliant with Facebook’s guidelines and local advertising regulations.
If your ad doesn’t fit into any of these categories, you can simply skip this section.
If you pick the Auction option, you can turn on Advantage+ Campaign Budget. This feature helps Facebook automatically split your budget across your ad sets in real-time to get the best results. Advantage+ Campaign Budget (formerly known as Campaign Budget Optimization) works best for campaigns that include at least two ad sets.
When setting your budget, follow these tips to stay in control:
If you forget to set an end date, Facebook might keep running your ads nonstop and charge your payment method until it runs out of money in your Visa card.
Here, you’ll have the option to turn on A/B testing, which allows you to test different images, text, audiences, or placements to find what works best for your ad. Don’t worry about setting it up just yet—this step simply activates the feature for later in the process.
Click Next to move on to the ad set section.
Before refining your performance goal, make sure to fill in the Ad Set name. This helps keep your campaign organized and easy to track. Facebook lets you get very specific about what you want your ad to achieve. Each campaign objective from Step 3 includes its own set of focused targets. For example:
If you’re new to Facebook Ads, it’s a good idea to start with broader options. This allows you to get a sense of what works best for your goals and the content you’re sharing before narrowing in on more specific targets.
To explore all the available options, click Show More Options for a detailed list.
When setting your ad budget, it’s important to remember that this is the maximum amount you’re willing to spend. You can choose to set your budget as a daily limit or a total amount for the entire campaign.
A daily budget sets a spending limit for each day of your campaign. Facebook will use your criteria to decide the best times and places to show your ad to your target audience.
A lifetime budget is the total amount you want to spend for the duration of your campaign.
For better control and optimization, we recommend choosing a Lifetime Budget. This approach helps ensure your campaign stays aligned with your goals while keeping your spending on track.
Check out our How to Plan a Facebook Ads Budget blog. It help you plan a Facebook ads budget that works for your goals and makes the most of your money!
Meta recently updated its audience customization tools in Ads Manager, so if you’re a regular user, things might look a little different.
Previously, you could target audiences based on detailed factors like location, behavior, and interests. Now, the primary options include:
But don’t worry—Meta’s new Advantage+ Audience feature is here to help with advanced targeting.
Meta’s AI uses data like past conversions, Pixel information, and interactions with your previous ads to find the best audience for your campaign. The AI evolves as it learns, ensuring your targeting improves over time.
You can:
Advantage+ Audience starts with the broadest possible audience, giving Meta’s AI more flexibility to find people who are most likely to engage with your ad. If you add specific details, Meta prioritizes those first before expanding the audience to improve results.
If you already know your target audience well, here’s the good news:
This means you can still fine-tune your targeting and reach the people you know will respond to your ads. Meta’s updates are designed to give you more flexibility while still allowing for precise control when needed.
Ad placements determine where your ad will appear for your audience. Meta has recently updated its placement tools, introducing the AI-powered Advantage+ Placements to help maximize your ad’s reach and effectiveness.
If you prefer more control, you can opt for Manual Placements instead. By choosing this option, you’ll unlock several specific placement options across Meta’s platforms, including:
For a deeper dive into each placement option, check out Facebook’s Guide to Ad Placement.
By choosing the right placements, you can ensure your ads appear where they’re most likely to engage your target audience!
Click Next to move on to the ad section.
In this step, you can select which Meta social media profiles your ads will run on —such as your Facebook Page and Instagram account. Before proceeding, be sure to fill in the ad name to keep everything organized.
Under Ad Setup, you can decide how to structure your ad. Choose to:
Next, select the format that best fits your campaign:
This step sets the foundation for how your audience will experience your ad.
Now it’s time to upload your creative assets and craft compelling ad copy. Ads Manager may automatically pull content from your existing Facebook Page posts, but you can change this by clicking the Edit drop-down in the Ad Creative section. (Or, if no content exists, you can click Set Up Creative to add an image or video.)
Here’s what you can do:
This is where your creative ideas come to life, so make your ad scroll-stopping and impactful!
The destination determines where users are sent after they click your ad. Meta provides plenty of options, giving you flexibility to match your campaign goals:
With these tools, you can customize the journey your audience takes after engaging with your ad, whether that’s exploring your website, filling out a form, or starting a conversation with your team.
Many advertisers overlook this step, but it’s a crucial part of creating a professional and engaging ad. If left unchecked, your ad may display a default or irrelevant reply when users interact with it, potentially harming your brand image.
In this section, you can set up conversation prompts to encourage meaningful interactions and guide users toward the information they need. Here’s how:
Select how you want to handle conversations:
Create a welcoming message that aligns with your brand tone, such as:
“Hi [First Name]! Let us know how we can help you.”
Add common questions users might ask and provide automated replies. For example:
Use the Preview in Messenger option to see how your conversation flows. Adjust as needed to ensure the responses are relevant and helpful.
By setting up this section, you’ll ensure every interaction is polished and on-brand, leaving a positive impression on users who engage with your ad.
To submit your ad, simply click the Publish button in the bottom-right corner of the page.
After submission, Facebook will review your ad to ensure it meets their specifications and community guidelines. This process typically takes up to 24 hours. Once your ad is approved and live, you’ll receive a confirmation email from Facebook.
The short answer: you’ll only pay what you’re willing to spend. The budget you set (as outlined in Step 9) is the maximum amount you’ll spend on your ad. However, the value you get from that budget—like clicks, views, or conversions—can vary based on several factors.
According to Wordstream, the average cost per click (CPC) for Facebook ads across all industries is $0.83. For comparison, the average CPC on Google Ads is $4.22.
But costs can differ significantly depending on the industry:
Highest CPC industries:
Lowest CPC industries:
Now that you’ve mastered the basics of creating a Facebook ad, it’s time to experiment and fine-tune your approach to discover what works best for your audience.
Here are some tips to help you maximize your ad performance:
Facebook ads are all about experimenting, learning, and optimizing, so don’t be afraid to get creative and try new strategies!
Creating a great ad is about more than just putting it out there—it’s about making sure it grabs attention, connects with your audience, and motivates them to act. Here are some detailed tips to make your ads more effective:
Visuals are the first thing people notice when they scroll through Facebook or Instagram. To stand out, you need visuals that grab attention right away.
Example: If you sell fitness gear, a quick video showing someone using your product during a workout is far more engaging than a plain photo of the product.
Your ad’s text should feel like it’s speaking directly to your audience. Use language that’s easy to understand and feels personal.
Example: Instead of saying, “Our product is the best on the market,” try, “Ready for a simpler, better way to [solve a problem]? Check this out!”
Focus on what your product or service can do for the customer. People don’t just want to know what you’re selling—they want to know how it will make their lives better.
Example: If you’re selling a skincare product, don’t just say “Get glowing skin.” Instead, say “See smoother, brighter skin in just two weeks!”
No ad is perfect right away. To find what works best, you need to experiment and keep improving.
By following these tips and continually refining your approach, you’ll create ads that not only grab attention but also deliver real results for your business.
Even well-designed ads can fall flat if you make some common missteps. Avoiding these mistakes ensures your ads stay effective and deliver the results you want.
One of the biggest mistakes is sticking with the same ad without experimenting. What works for one audience or campaign might not work for another. Testing helps you understand what resonates with your audience.
Example: If your original ad uses a photo, test a video version to see if it gets more clicks.
Most Facebook users access the platform on their phones, so designing ads for mobile devices is critical. Ads that don’t display well on small screens are likely to be ignored.
Example: A vertical video ad for Instagram Stories is more likely to perform well than a horizontal video originally made for desktop users.
Running an ad without monitoring its performance is like flying blind. If you’re not paying attention to the data, you won’t know if your money is being spent wisely.
Example: If your CTR is low, it might mean your ad isn’t grabbing attention, and you may need to try a more engaging image or headline.
To make your ads work, test different ideas regularly, focus on mobile-friendly designs, and track your results closely. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll improve your chances of running successful campaigns that get noticed and drive results.
Facebook provides plenty of tools to help you track and understand how well your ad is performing. By monitoring the right numbers, you can get a clear picture of what’s working—and what might need adjustment.
Here are the top performance indicators to focus on:
Reach:
This tells you how many people have seen your ad. A higher reach means your ad is being delivered to more people, increasing the chances of engagement.
Clicks:
This shows how many people clicked on your ad. Whether they clicked on a link, button, or image, this is a strong indicator of whether your ad’s content is engaging your audience.
Click-Through Rate (CTR):
This percentage measures how many people clicked your ad compared to how many saw it. A high CTR means your ad is resonating with your audience and encouraging them to take action.
Conversions (Sales):
This is the number of people who completed a specific action after seeing your ad, like making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading an app. Conversions directly tie your ad’s performance to your business goals.
Cost Per Result:
This metric shows how much you’re paying for each conversion, click, or impression. A lower cost per result means your ad is performing efficiently and giving you a better return on your investment.
Don’t worry if your ad isn’t performing as expected—it’s all part of the learning process. Facebook Ads are highly flexible, allowing you to make adjustments on the fly. Here’s what you can do:
Tweak Your Audience:
If your ad isn’t getting clicks or conversions, it might not be reaching the right people. Try narrowing your audience with specific demographics or interests, or use the Advantage+ Audience feature for broader targeting.
Change the Creative:
Update your ad’s visuals, headline, or copy to make it more engaging. Sometimes, even small changes—like a brighter image or a stronger call to action—can make a big difference.
Reassess Your Objective:
Make sure your campaign goal aligns with what you want to achieve. For example, if you’re looking for purchases, focus on the Sales objective instead of Traffic.
Test Different Variations:
Use Facebook’s A/B testing tools to try out different versions of your ad. Compare performance across images, videos, headlines, and CTAs to see what resonates best with your audience.
Check Your Budget:
If your ad isn’t getting enough reach or impressions, consider increasing your budget slightly to give it more visibility.
Facebook’s Ads Manager is packed with tools to help you monitor your ad in real-time. Use these insights to continuously optimize your campaign and make data-driven decisions.
With Facebook Ads, it’s not about getting it perfect the first time—it’s about experimenting, learning, and improving over time. So, stay creative, keep testing, and watch your results grow!
Success with Facebook Ads isn’t about getting everything perfect on the first try—it’s about experimenting, learning, and improving. By leveraging the insights and strategies shared in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to create ads that resonate with your audience and align with your business goals.
So, what’s next? Jump into Facebook Ads Manager, get creative, and start building campaigns that make an impact. Remember to monitor your results, refine your strategy, and keep testing to maximize your success.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out Facebook’s Success Stories to see how other businesses have used Facebook Ads to achieve incredible results.
Need help planning your budget? Learn how to set your Facebook Ads budget for maximum impact!
Ready to take your Facebook Ads to the next level? Contact Orange Ideas today, and we’ll help you create ads that people will love!