How do beginners get Facebook ads?

Getting started with Facebook ads can seem daunting for beginners. With a little guidance and the right tools, anyone can create effective Facebook ad campaigns. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start running successful Facebook ads.

Why Run Facebook Ads?

With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook provides an enormous opportunity to connect with target audiences. Facebook ads allow you to get your content, products or services in front of people who are likely to be interested. Here are some of the key benefits of Facebook ads for beginners:

Targeted reach – Facebook has tons of detailed user data and advanced targeting options to help you reach specific demographics, interests, behaviors and more.

Cost-effective – Facebook ads can cost much less than other forms of paid advertising when you factor in the targeting capabilities.
Flexible budget – You can spend as much or as little as you want on Facebook ads to fit your budget.
Measurable results – The Facebook Ads Manager provides detailed analytics on ad performance and conversions so you can optimize efforts.

Retargeting – Remarket to people who have already engaged with your brand by visiting your website with Facebook pixel and custom audiences.

Step 1: Create a Facebook Page

To run any kind of Facebook ad, you first need to have a Facebook Page for your brand, product, service, app, event, etc. Your Facebook Page is what people will see and engage with when they click on your ads. Here’s how to create one:

Go to facebook.com and click “Create a Page” in the footer.

Select the category that best describes what your Page will represent.
Choose a Page name and add your business details.
Customize your Page with a profile and cover photo, description, call-to-action buttons and more.

Click the “Publish Page” button to make your Page live on Facebook.

Take the time to completely fill out your Page’s details, images, contact information and content. A polished Page establishes credibility and gives people more reason to engage.

Step 2: Set Up a Facebook Ad Account

To create and manage Facebook ads, you need to set up a Facebook ad account. Here’s how to get started:

Go to the Facebook Business Manager at business.facebook.com.
Click “Create Account” then “Get Started.”
Enter your business details and accept Facebook’s terms to create the account.

To confirm your identity, you will need to submit your business documents like business registration, articles of incorporation, etc.
Once your account is approved, click the “+” button to create your first ad account.
Select the currency, time zone and account name. Make sure to check the box for “I only want to use this ad account for Facebook ads.”

Add payment information like a credit card to fund your ad account.

It can take up to 5 business days for Facebook to verify and approve a new ad account. Once approved, you can start setting up campaigns and ads through the Facebook Ads Manager.

Step 3: Choose Your Campaign Objective

Facebook ad campaigns are centered around specific objectives based on the results you want. As a beginner, these objectives are a good place to start:

Brand awareness – Get more people familiar with your brand, product or service.
Reach – Show your ads to the maximum number of relevant people.
Traffic – Drive visits to your website, online store or other link.

Engagement – Get more reactions, comments, shares and engagement on your Facebook content.
Conversions – Optimize for actions like email signups, purchases, app installs and more.

Consider what you want your Facebook ads to achieve. This will inform your bidding, budgeting, targeting and measurement.

Step 4: Set Your Campaign Targeting

One of Facebook’s biggest advantages is its powerful ad targeting capabilities. You can target your ads using demographics, interests, behaviors and more. Here are some targeting options to consider:

Location – Target specific countries, states, cities or custom locations.
Age – Target specific age ranges.

Gender – Target men, women or all.
Interests – Target people who are interested in relevant topics, hobbies and more.
Behaviors – Target people who have engaged with your website or similar sites.

Connections – Reach the friends of people who like your Facebook Page.
Custom audiences – Target existing customers and email lists via the Facebook pixel or by uploading contacts.

Start with broader targeting, then narrow it down based on performance data. You can save audiences to easily re-use them later.

Step 5: Choose Your Placements

Facebook ads can appear in the following placements:

News Feed – Appears in the main news feed on desktop and mobile.
Instagram Feed – Appears in feeds on Instagram.

Stories – Appears in Facebook and Instagram stories.
Marketplace – Appears on Facebook Marketplace.
Right column – Appears on the right side of Facebook on desktop.

Audience Network – Appears on third-party apps and sites in the Audience Network.

For beginners, start with the News Feed and Instagram Feed then expand to additional placements as you optimize your ads.

Step 6: Choose Your Ad Format

Facebook offers a variety of ad formats to match different campaign objectives:

Single image/video – Show a single image or video ad. Good for brand awareness.
Carousel – Show multiple rotating images or videos. Good for showcasing products.
Stories – Show skippable images or video ads in Stories. Good for reach and engagement.

Collection – Showcase multiple products in an interactive catalog-style format. Good for ecommerce.
Playables – Show mini-games people can play right in the ad. Good for engagement.

Test different ad formats to see what resonates best with your target audience. Simple image/video ads are a good starting point.

Step 7: Create Your Ad

Once you’ve set up your campaign shell, it’s time to create your actual ad. Within the Facebook Ads Manager, click the “+ Create Ad” button to get started. You will need to provide the following components:

Ad text – Include a compelling headline and description for your ad. Usually best to keep both short.
Ad media – Upload the images or video you want to use in the ad. Facebook recommends square 1:1 images and vertical 4:5 video.

Ad link – Choose where you want people to go when they click the ad – your website, Facebook Page or app.
Call-to-action button – Select a button like “Learn More” or “Shop Now” to prompt the desired click.

Facebook will show you a preview of your ad as you build it. Make sure everything looks and works as intended before publishing.

Step 8: Set Your Bid and Budget

With your campaign and ad set up, it’s time to set your bid and budget to start running. Here’s how bidding works with Facebook ads:

You choose a bid amount which is the maximum you’ll pay for each ad click or impression.
Facebook runs an auction behind the scenes each time your ad is eligible to be shown.

You’ll pay one penny more than the next lowest bidder if you don’t win the auction.

Typical bid amounts to start testing are:

Traffic objective: $0.50 – $1 per click

Engagement objective: $0.25 – $0.75 per click or per 1,000 impressions
Conversions objective: $1 – $2+ per click

Set an overall campaign budget based on your business goals and resources. Low budgets ($5-$10 per day) are good for initial testing. Monitor spending and adjust bids and budgets as you optimize performance.

Step 9: Measure and Optimize Your Ads

Facebook provides detailed analytics in Ads Manager so you can monitor performance and continuously improve your campaigns and ads. Key metrics to track include:

Reach – The number of unique people who saw your ads.
Frequency – How often people saw your ads on average.

Impressions – Total number of times your ads were shown.
Clicks – Number of clicks on your ads.
CTR – Click-through rate, or clicks divided by impressions.

CPC – Cost per click for your ads.
CPM – Cost per 1,000 impressions.
Conversions – Number of desired actions from your ads like sales, signups, etc.

Analyze this data to see which ads, audiences and placements are performing best. Make changes to underperforming elements to improve results over time.

Conclusion

Launching your first Facebook ad campaign follows a simple step-by-step process. Start by setting up your Facebook Page and ad account, choosing a campaign objective and dialing in your targeting. Design effective ad creative and set an initial bid and budget to get your ads running. Use the powerful analytics tools to measure and refine your efforts for better results over time.

With these fundamentals, anyone can get started with Facebook ads and connect with their ideal audiences. The key is to consistently track performance and double down on what’s working. Don’t be afraid to run small tests and build on your successes. With a strategic, data-driven approach, Facebook ads can become a powerful channel for growing any business or brand.