Running a Facebook ad for your business for the first time can feel overwhelming, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to reach new customers and grow your company. In fact, Facebook ads have an average return on investment (ROI) of 152%, making them a very smart investment and marketing tool for your small business. If you're looking to increase brand awareness and sales, this is a viable option. But before you dive in full of excitement, there are a few key things you need to know to ensure your ad runs successfully.
If you're wondering, "How do I run a Facebook ad?" — this guide is for you. Here are five important things to know before you launch your first campaign.
One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is trying to market to everyone. Facebook’s power lies in its ability to target the right people, but you have to know who they are first. Be sure to ask yourself these questions: "Who is my ideal customer?" (Think about their age, gender, interests, location, and behaviors), "What problem does my product or service solve for them?" and "Where do they spend their time online?"
Facebook is great because it allows you to create highly specific audience segments using its targeting tools. You can choose people based on their demographics, interests, and even past interactions with your business. The more specific you can get with your audience, the better investment you'll make in your Facebook ad.
Throwing a huge amount of money into your first ad won't guarantee the results you want. Instead, start with a small daily budget (around $5–$10 per day) and test different elements to see what works best with your audience. You can test things, like different images or videos, various ad copy (the text in your ad), audience segments, and different call-to-action buttons (like “Shop Now” or “Learn More”)
By running small test campaigns, you can see what works for your audience before scaling up your budget. This prevents you from wasting money on ads that don’t perform well.
Facebook is a visual platform, so your ad needs to stop the scroll. If your image or video doesn’t grab attention within the first few seconds, people will keep scrolling. If you want people to stop scrolling, try using high-quality images or videos that showcase your product or service, keep text overlays minimal—Facebook prefers images with little to no text, write clear, engaging copy that speaks directly to your audience’s needs, and have a strong call to action (CTA) so people know what to do next (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Sign Up Today”).
A well-designed Facebook ad with a clear message will always perform better than a generic one.
The Facebook Pixel is a small piece of code that tracks what people do on your website after clicking on your ad. It’s one of the most powerful tools that can help you improve your Facebook ad results over time.
Why should you use it?
Even if you’re not tech-savvy, Facebook makes it easy to install the Pixel with step-by-step instructions. It’s worth setting up before you start running ads so you can collect valuable data from the beginning.
Facebook ads aren’t a one-and-done or magic button that instantly brings in customers. It takes time to test, optimize, and improve your ads. The key is to be patient and learn from your results. Be sure to track important metrics like, Click-through rate (CTR - Are people clicking on your ad?), Conversion rate (Are they taking the action you want), and Cost per result (Are you getting a good return on your ad spend?).
Facebook’s Ads Manager provides detailed insights into how your ads are performing. Use this data to tweak your targeting, visuals, or messaging until you find what works best.
Running Facebook ads doesn’t have to be complicated, but going in with a plan will save you time, money, and frustration. Have fun with facebook ads and you’ll be well on your way to running successful ads that help your business grow.
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