How to run ads on Facebook: step by step

There are two ways to run ads on Facebook: boost a post right from your Page, or use Ads Manager. The second is a bit more involved, but it gives you tighter control over who sees your ad and where the money goes. Below are the steps you’ll need for your first launch.

1 / 4Before you start

1. 01
   Your Facebook Page

   Ads run under your Page’s name, so fill it out first: description, contact info, cover photo.

2. 02
   A payment method

   In Ads Manager, add a card in the billing section. If it’s declined, check in your bank’s app that online and international payments are turned on.

3. 03
   One clear goal

   Decide what you want: messages, new followers, website visits or calls. One ad should have one goal.

2 / 4Campaign and objective

1. 04
   New campaign

   In Ads Manager, click Create and choose a campaign objective.

2. 05
   Which objective to pick

   If you want people to message you or follow your Page — Engagement; if you have a website — Traffic; if you want as many people as possible to see it — Awareness.

3. 06
   Campaign name

   Name it so you’ll still know what it was a month from now — for example, “November — Tbilisi — Messages.”

3 / 4Audience and budget

1. 07
   Location

   If you work in one place, pick the city and a radius people will realistically come from. If you serve the whole country, choose Georgia.

2. 08
   Age and interests

   Don’t make the audience too narrow: Facebook finds the people who respond best on its own. To start, a city, an age range and one or two interests are enough.

3. 09
   Daily budget

   Start with a small daily budget and change nothing for 5–7 days: Facebook needs time to learn. Ads Manager shows you the minimum amount itself — it depends on your currency.

4. 10
   Placements

   Automatic placements (Advantage+) show your ad on both Facebook and Instagram. If your audience is only on one of them, keep just that one manually.

4 / 4The ad itself

1. 11
   Photo or video

   A real photo or short video from your Page works better than an image pulled from the internet.

2. 12
   Text

   In the first sentence, say what you’re offering and who it’s for. If you have a special offer, put it right at the start.

3. 13
   Button

   Send message, Call now or Learn more — pick the one that matches your campaign objective.

✓After launch

Your ad goes through review first, usually within a few hours. For the first week, don’t change anything day to day: watch how many messages or follows come in and what each one costs. After a week, compare two versions — say, two different photos — and shift the money to the better one.

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