What are Facebook ads?

Facebook ads are a form of online advertising that allows businesses to promote their products, services, or content on the Meta platform and its affiliated apps, like Instagram and Messenger. These ads might appear in users’ News Feeds, Stories, and in the right-hand column of the desktop version of Facebook. 

Here’s an example of a Facebook News Feed ad using a still image from Jade Leaf Matcha:

Brands like Seedtime prefer tapping into the power of video with its Facebook ad: 

You can reach a highly specific and relevant audience based on factors like demographics, interests, and online behavior with Facebook’s extensive user data and targeting options.

Advertisers can choose from various ad formats, including image and video ads, carousel ads, and more. To create and manage Facebook ads, advertisers typically use Facebook Ads Manager, set a budget, choose a target audience, and monitor ad performance. 

Facebook ads operate on a bidding system, where advertisers set their bids for ad placement and compete with others targeting the same audience. The platform then displays the winning ads to the intended audience.

4 benefits of advertising on Facebook

Though some advertisers feel the platform’s ad returns are diminishing, there are still many benefits of learning how to advertise on Facebook. 

Targeted advertising

One of the key benefits of advertising on Facebook is the ability to target people with a lot of detail. Facebook provides advertisers with a ton of user data, including demographics, interests, behaviors, and even offline activity. 

This level of granularity allows businesses to reach a highly specific audience and ensure their ads are seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in their products or services. This not only maximizes the chances of conversion but also optimizes ad spend by reducing waste on irrelevant audiences.

You can also tap into Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences, which help you advertise to groups of people who are similar to other audiences you’ve targeted in the past. 

Wide reach and engagement

There are more than 240 million Facebook users, and that doesn’t include active users on other Meta-owned platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. This is a huge and diverse audience of potential customers for your business. 

Furthermore, Facebook’s ad formats, including images, looping videos, and interactive elements, mean you can engage users in various ways, making it possible to convey your message effectively and capture user attention. The combination of reach and engagement opportunities makes Facebook an excellent platform for brand exposure and customer interaction.

A/B testing and optimization

Facebook Ads Manager has comprehensive tools for A/B testing to help optimize ad campaigns and learn more about your audience. You can experiment with different ad creatives, ad copy, targeting options, and ad placements to determine which combinations yield the best results. 

By analyzing performance metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and engagement data, you can make data-driven decisions to refine and improve ad campaigns over time. This iterative approach can lead to better ROI and more efficient advertising strategies on Facebook and other digital advertising platforms as well. 

Remarketing and customer loyalty

Facebook has effective retargeting capabilities to help you re-engage with users who have previously interacted with your brand or visited your website. This is particularly valuable for nurturing customer loyalty and driving conversions. 

You can create custom audiences based on past interactions and deliver tailored content or offers to users who have shown interest but may not have made a purchase. Remarketing helps keep your brand top of mind and encourages repeat business from existing customers, fostering long-term customer relationships.

How to run Facebook ads in 8 steps

Learn how to set up Facebook campaigns and ads to supplement your social media marketing strategy in this step-by-step guide: 

Step 1. Create a Facebook Ads Manager account

To get started, create your Meta Business Suite account. This is essentially your business manager account. Go to business.facebook.com and click “Create an account.”

Facebook will ask for your business name, your business’s Facebook page, your name, and your email address. Then you’ll need to create or add an existing advertising account by choosing Ads on the left menu. 

Follow the steps to create your ad account. 

Step 2. Define your goals

Before diving into how to create a Facebook ad, you’ll need to define your campaign objectives. Are you looking to boost website traffic, generate leads, increase sales, get more page likes, or raise brand awareness? 

Facebook will take you through the corresponding steps depending on your goal. In this example, we’ll choose “Get more website visitors.” 

Step 3. Create compelling ad content

Now it’s time to create a Facebook ad. There are many types of ads you can choose from on Facebook, but some universal best practices apply to them all. 

Design your ad creative using engaging visuals and attention-grabbing ad copy. In a creative rut? Facebook’s automated ad creation tools can help you create image and video ads. 

Regardless of whether you’re using Facebook’s automated tools, take advantage of each content area. Customize ad headlines, text, and call-to-action buttons. Make sure your ad aligns with your content and video marketing strategy, campaign goals, and your audience.

Here, you can upload a video or a photo to use as the visual part of your Facebook ads. Videos may stand out more in a sea of still images. 

In the example below from sustainable activewear brand Girlfriend Collective, you can see how the video captivates users and showcases the various ways the new color drop is available through its products. 

There are many different types of ads for Facebook, including but not limited to: 

• Collection ads
• Carousel ads
• Video ads
• Image ads
• Retargeting ads

The best type depends on your creative idea and overall ad strategy. You might also consider creating an ad set, which is essentially a collection of several ads. This allows you to target the same people with different creative so they don’t get message fatigue. 

Step 4. Identify your audience

Now it’s time to create your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), including demographics, interests, and behaviors. Facebook allows for a few targeting options, including people who like your Facebook business page, people who like your page and similar pages, people local to you, and a completely custom set of parameters.

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If you choose to customize your audience, you can adjust things like gender, age, and location.

You can also get into detailed targeting. This includes demographic information like education and relationship status, interests and hobbies, and online behaviors. 

Go as broad or as specific as you like. Having clear goals and a target audience is crucial for effective ad creation and targeting.

Step 5. Set a budget and schedule

With your ad account set up, head to your dashboard so you can adjust budget and schedule settings. Your ad budget can be either daily or lifetime, and you can also set the maximum amount you’re willing to spend. The schedule specifies when you want your ads to run. You can run ads continuously or select specific start and end dates.

Facebook ads cost different amounts depending on various bidding strategies. You can opt for cost per click (CPC), cost per mille (CPM), or value optimization, among others. Choose the strategy that aligns with your goals, whether it’s getting clicks, impressions, or maximizing the value of your campaigns.

Step 6. Select ad placements

Facebook offers multiple ad placement options, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. Determine where you want your ads to appear based on where your target audience is most active. You can also select automatic placements to let Facebook optimize ad delivery across different platforms.

Once you’re ready, hit the “Publish” button in the lower right corner, or schedule it for a future date.

And that’s essentially how to post an ad on Facebook. But the job’s not finished yet! You’ll still want to edit and optimize for optimal performance. 

Step 7. Edit and optimize your ads

Regularly review your ad performance in the Facebook Ads Manager. If an ad isn’t performing well, consider making adjustments. You can edit ad copy, change images, or tweak targeting options. A/B testing is a valuable tool to test different elements and refine your ads for better results.

Step 8. Analyze your campaign’s performance

Use Facebook's analytics to assess the performance of your ad campaign. Monitor metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Identify what's working and what isn't, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns over time.

How to create Facebook ads: 4 tips and best practices

Use high-quality visuals

In a crowded space, eye-catching visuals are crucial. Choose images or videos that are visually appealing, relevant to your message, and properly sized for the ad format you're using. Clear, sharp, and visually striking visuals can create an instant connection with viewers and convey the essence of your brand or product. 

Remember to comply with Facebook’s ad guidelines and ensure your visuals aren’t cluttered or text-heavy, as Facebook tends to penalize ads with excessive copy.

Craft a compelling headline and ad copy

Your headline and ad copy should communicate your value proposition and key message. Craft a compelling headline that’s concise but attention-grabbing. It should entice users to continue reading and engage with your ad.

In the slideshow ad from Vrbo below, you can see how the brand uses multiple headlines to change it up for each image. It uses consistent graphic design and photography.

The rest of the ad copy should provide essential information, address pain points, or highlight benefits while maintaining a conversational and relatable tone. Use persuasive language that encourages users to take action. Be clear, concise, and focused on what sets your product or service apart.

Incorporate a clear call to action (CTA)

Every effective Facebook ad should have a clear and action-oriented CTA. Think about whether you’re driving sales, app installs, follows, signups, lead generation, or something else. The CTA tells users what you want them to do next, whether it’s to “Shop now,” “Learn more,” “Sign up,” or “Contact us.” The CTA should create a sense of urgency or convey the value of taking the desired action in order to motivate users to click through and engage with your content or landing page.

Choose a CTA that aligns with the objective of your ad campaign. Make it stand out visually by positioning it prominently within the ad. The below Facebook ad from Seedsheet uses “Shop now” to encourage users to buy its product.

Keep mobile users in mind

More than 98% of Facebook users access the platform via mobile phone, so it’s important to make sure your ads are optimized for a mobile audience. Ensure your visuals and ad formats are mobile-friendly, and that the ad loads quickly on mobile connections. 

Test how your ad appears on various mobile devices and screen sizes to guarantee it’s user-friendly and visually appealing. Additionally, consider the on-the-go mobile user’s context, so keep your message concise and to the point.

The best tool for creating engaging Facebook ads

Descript is an all-in-one video tool that makes editing a video as easy as editing a Word document. You can upload videos or record directly in Descript to instantly transcribe your file into text, then edit your video clips by editing that text—cut, copy, paste, and replace the text, and the tool will make those same changes to your video. Plus, it’s collaborative: Busy marketing teams can invite multiple users to the video ad project to collaborate and share feedback before going live. 

Descript also comes packed with powerful AI features. For example, you can create ultra-realistic AI voice clones, remove background noise with Studio Sound, and even apply a green screen effect. Whether you’re promoting a new product or capturing down-funnel leads, Descript can help you stitch together a compelling video to make your brand shine. 

Take a free tour today and see why thousands of marketers rely on Descript to create world-class marketing videos. 

How to run Facebook ads FAQs

How much does it cost to run an ad on Facebook?

Running ads on Facebook involves setting your own campaign budget. The cost of your Facebook ad campaigns can vary widely based on factors like your target audience, ad objectives, and competition. You can choose between a daily budget or a lifetime budget for your campaigns. Facebook operates on a bidding system, so you'll need to bid for ad placement in auctions. You have control over how much you’re willing to pay per click (CPC) or per thousand impressions (CPM), allowing you to tailor your budget to your specific goals.

How can I run FB ads for free?

You can run Facebook ads for free if you receive a credit or promotional deal, but otherwise, you’ll have to pay to run Facebook ads. You can also use free organic tactics, like regularly posting engaging content, using Facebook Live, and interacting with your followers. Remember that while these methods don't incur ad costs, they may require significant time and effort to achieve results.

Are Facebook ads worth it?

Whether Facebook ads are worth it depends on your specific goals and how well you plan and execute your campaigns. Facebook offers powerful targeting options and a vast user base, making it a valuable advertising platform for many businesses. To determine if it’s worth it, consider factors such as your return on ad spend (ROAS), customer acquisition costs, and the value of your conversions. Regularly analyze your ad performance and adjust your strategy to improve results. Many businesses find that when done right, Facebook ads can provide a positive ROI.

What’s the best way to create Facebook ads?

The best way to create Facebook ads is to start by defining your campaign objectives and target audience. Use high-quality visuals and compelling ad copy that resonate with your audience’s needs and preferences. Implement clear CTAs and optimize your ads for mobile users. Regularly monitor and optimize your ad performance through Facebook Ads Manager.