You need an ad account with a payment method, then in Ads Manager you click + Create, pick an objective, set a budget and audience, build the ad and publish it. Do not judge results until the ad set has had time to learn, which Meta says usually takes about 50 results.
TL;DR
- First you need an ad account and a payment method.
- Create the campaign with + Create, then choose an objective that matches the result you want.
- Pick a budget level: one budget for the campaign or one for each ad set.
- Set audience, placements and schedule at the ad set level.
- Meta reviews each ad against its policies, usually within 24 hours.
- Wait for about 50 results before you change things.
What do you need before you start?
Meta says you need an ad account in Ads Manager and a payment method added to it before you publish your first ad. Prepare these too:
- A Facebook Page for the ad to run from.
- Your website or shop link, with tracking in place so results can be counted.
- One clear goal, such as sales, leads or traffic.
- Two or three images or videos and the text that goes with them.
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Try for Free ($0 Trial)How do you choose the campaign objective?
Start the campaign with + Create in the top-left area of Ads Manager. Most advertisers choose the Auction buying type. Then you choose an objective, such as driving traffic to a website, getting video views or generating leads. Meta notes that the objective affects which optimization options are available later, so choose the one that matches the result you want to pay for.
| If you want | Pick the objective for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Online sales | Sales | Delivery aims at people likely to buy |
| Contact details | Leads | Delivery aims at people likely to fill a form |
| Visits to a page | Traffic | Delivery aims at clicks, not purchases |
| Video watching | Video views | Delivery aims at views |
Our blog post on Facebook campaign objectives compares them in more depth. If your ad is about housing, employment, financial products and services, social issues, elections or politics, you choose a Special Ad Category, which adds restrictions on audience targeting.
How do you set audience, budget and schedule?
Clicking Next takes you to the ad set level, where you define the audience, placements and schedule. Start with the budget level, because it changes where you set the number.
- Campaign budget lets Meta distribute one budget across your ad sets. Our glossary entry on one budget across ad sets explains it.
- Ad set budget gives you control of each ad set's spend.
You can then pick a daily budget, where Meta spends up to the amount each day, or a lifetime budget, where Meta spreads the total over the schedule.
A starting budget rule. Because ad sets usually exit learning after about 50 results in a week, work backward from what a result costs you. If a purchase is worth paying $20 for, 50 results is $1,000 a week, or about $143 a day. A budget far below that rarely gets enough results to leave learning.
How do you build the ad?
Choose the Page, then the image or video, the text, the headline and the link. Preview the ad in each placement before you publish. Keep the first version simple: one image, one headline that states the offer, and one button.
If you would like to compare two versions, turn on the A/B test option while creating the campaign. Meta says the test itself is configured after you publish, and recommends using the same budget for both versions for a fair comparison.
What happens after you publish?
Each ad is reviewed against Meta's policies when you place the order, and the review is typically completed within 24 hours. After that, the ad set goes into the learning phase. Our glossary entry on how the learning phase works lists the terms to watch.
- Check the Delivery column. It shows "Learning" while delivery is being explored.
- Leave it alone. Meta says editing during the learning phase resets learning and delays optimization.
- Review at about 50 results. Meta says ad sets usually exit learning after about 50 results in the week after the last significant edit.
- Compare with your store. Match Meta's purchases against your own orders for the same dates.
What first-campaign mistakes are common?
- Choosing the wrong objective, so Meta finds clicks when you wanted sales.
- Setting a budget too small to reach about 50 results.
- Changing things every day, which keeps the ad set in learning.
- Launching too many ads at once. Meta notes that the system learns less about each ad when you create many.
- Skipping the policy check. Advertisers are responsible for complying with Meta's Advertising Standards.
Where Madgicx fits
Copilot in Madgicx creates campaigns, ad sets and ads in chat, with every ad created paused, and writes the copy for you. AI Marketer audits your Facebook and Instagram ad accounts and recommends actions for you to approve. In beta: Ads Manager 3.0 and Creation Studio to launch from the table, and a bulk launcher that builds many ads from a sheet or CSV. It's in beta; contact our support team to get beta access.
FAQ
How much does it cost to start a Facebook ad campaign?
Meta lets you set your own daily or lifetime budget, so you choose the amount. Use the 50 results rule to size it.
How long does it take for a Facebook ad to be approved?
Meta says ad review is typically completed within 24 hours, although it may take longer in some cases.
How long should I wait before judging a new campaign?
Wait until the ad set exits the learning phase, which usually takes about 50 results in a week. Judging earlier compares unstable numbers.
Should I use a campaign budget or an ad set budget?
Use a campaign budget when you want Meta to spread money across ad sets, and an ad set budget when you want to control each ad set's spend yourself.
Do I need a pixel before I launch?
You need a way to count results, because the campaign aims at conversions you can see. Set up tracking before you spend.
Related
- Answers: Campaigns, ad sets and ads explained
- Answers: How to optimize Facebook ads for conversions
- Glossary: Setting the budget at campaign level
- Glossary: Learning phase terms
Go deeper
Our post on choosing the right campaign objective goes through each objective and when to use it.
Sources
- How do I create a campaign in Meta Ads Manager?, Meta Business Help Center
- About the learning phase, Meta Business Help Center
- Introduction to the Advertising Standards, Meta Transparency Center
