Facebook might not be the newest social media platform, but it remains one of the most effective places to advertise your business. With over 3 billion monthly active users and the backing of Meta’s powerful ad network, Facebook gives brands of all sizes the tools to reach the right audience at the right time.
Whether you’re launching your first campaign or looking to improve your results, we’ll walk you through how to advertise on Facebook, from setting up your account to creating, running, and optimizing successful ads.
Why Facebook Advertising Still Matters in 2025
With so many new platforms entering the scene, some businesses wonder if Facebook is still worth the effort. The short answer? Yes. Despite shifting trends, Facebook still offers:
- Unmatched audience reach across age groups
- Precise targeting based on interests, behavior, and demographics
- Robust integration with Instagram and other Meta tools
- Cost flexibility for small and large budgets
When you advertise your business on Facebook, you’re targeting people with high intent, data-driven precision, and measurable results.
Your Step by Step Guide to Advertising on Facebook
Follow these sequential steps to set up, create, and launch a successful Facebook ad campaign from start to finish. This checklist covers everything from the foundational account setup to the ongoing process of optimizing your ads for the best results.
- Why You Should Still Advertise on Facebook
- The Step-by-Step Advertising Process
- How Much Does it Cost to Advertise on Facebook?
- Common Facebook Advertising Mistakes to Avoid
- Is Facebook Advertising Right for Your Business?
- Advanced Tips for Meta Ad Experts
Step 1: Set up your Facebook Business Manager
Before you can run ads, you’ll need to create and configure your Facebook Business Manager account. This free tool keeps your ad assets—like Pages, Pixels, and payment methods—in one place.
Here’s how to set it up:
- Visit business.facebook.com and click “Create Account.”
- Enter your business name, your name, and your email.
- Add your Facebook Page (or create one).
- Connect your Instagram account if applicable.
- Set up your ad account and assign roles to team members.
- Install the Meta Pixel on your website to track conversions.
Without Business Manager, it’s nearly impossible to organize your campaigns effectively or unlock the full potential of Facebook advertising.
Step 2: Choose Your Ad Objective
Every successful campaign starts with a clear goal. Facebook asks you to select an ad objective when you begin building your campaign. Choosing the wrong one can waste your budget, even if your ad looks great.
Here are the main objective categories:
- Awareness: Increase brand recognition
- Consideration: Drive traffic, engagement, video views, or leads
- Conversion: Prompt purchases, sign-ups, or other valuable actions
If you’re learning how to advertise your business on Facebook, start with a low-risk goal like engagement or traffic before moving into conversion-heavy campaigns.
Step 3: Define Your Target Audience
What enticing about Facebook is how deeply you can customize your audience. Meta’s targeting tools allow you to narrow in on the people who are most likely to care about what you’re offering.
Types of Targeting:
- Core Audiences: Target based on age, gender, interests, location, behavior
- Custom Audiences: Retarget people who’ve visited your site, used your app, or joined your email list
- Lookalike Audiences: Reach new people who resemble your existing customers
You can also set geo-fences, exclude certain groups, or layer filters for pinpoint accuracy. If you’re running a local service, targeting by ZIP code or city ensures you’re not wasting money on unqualified clicks.
Step 4: Choose the Right Ad Format
Facebook supports a wide range of ad formats, each serving a different purpose. Picking the right one depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
Popular Formats:
- Image Ads: Simple and effective for brand awareness
- Video Ads: Great for storytelling and engagement
- Carousel Ads: Showcase multiple products or benefits
- Lead Ads: Capture contact info directly within Facebook
- Collection Ads: Perfect for ecommerce stores with product catalogs
When you’re ready to run ads, don’t just pick the flashiest format. Think about what your audience needs to see to take the next step.
Step 5: Create & Launch Your Facebook Ad Campaign
Alright, let’s get into the Ads Manager and build your campaign.
- Open Ads Manager and click “+ Create.”
- Choose your campaign objective. (e.g., Traffic, Leads, Sales). This is the most critical step! Don’t pick “Awareness” if you need sales.
- Name your campaign. Use a clear naming convention so you can track it later (e.g., – – ).
- Set up your Ad Set. This is where the magic happens.
- Audience: Define who you want to see your ad.
- Placements: Where your ad will appear. Auto Placement is your best friend when starting out. Let Meta’s algorithm do the work.
- Budget & Schedule: Set your daily or lifetime budget.
- Design your Ad.
- Creative: Upload your eye-catching image or video.
- Copy: Write a clear headline and primary text that speaks directly to your audience’s pain points.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): Choose the button that matches your goal (e.g., “Learn More,” “Shop Now,” “Sign Up”).
- Review and hit Publish! Your ad will go to Meta for approval.
Once approved, your ad goes live and you officially know how to run ads on Facebook.
Budgeting and Bidding Strategies
One of the best things about Facebook advertising is that you don’t need a massive budget to start. However, how you set up your budget and bidding will impact your performance.
Budget Types:
- Daily Budget: The average amount you’ll spend per day
- Lifetime Budget: The total you’re willing to spend over the campaign’s duration
Bidding Options:
- Automatic Bidding: Let Facebook get the best results at the best price
- Manual Bidding: Set your own bid cap for tighter cost control
If you’re a small business just learning how to advertise on Facebook, start with $5–$10/day and scale up once you see results.
Step 7: Monitor, Analyze & Optimize
Once your ads are live, your job isn’t over. The difference between an okay campaign and a high-performing one comes down to testing and optimization.
Key Metrics to Track:
- CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- CPC (Cost Per Click)
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
- Frequency (how often your ad is shown to the same person)
Optimization Tips:
- Test different headlines, creatives, and CTAs
- Swap out tired creative to combat ad fatigue
- Use A/B testing (Meta calls this “A/B Test” in Ads Manager)
- Set up retargeting for users who’ve engaged but not converted
Running Facebook ads isn’t a “set it and forget it” game. The best advertisers constantly refine their campaigns based on performance data.
Common Facebook Advertising Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced marketers make mistakes when running Facebook ads. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid:
- Using too broad or too narrow of an audience
- Failing to test different creative or messaging
- Ignoring mobile optimization
- Overlapping audiences that compete with each other
- Violating Meta’s ad policies, which can lead to rejected ads or account flags
Understanding how to advertise your business on Facebook is also about knowing what not to do.
Is Facebook Advertising Right for Your Business?
Facebook isn’t a one-size-fits-all platform. How you run ads should reflect your business model and goals.
For Local Businesses:
- Use location targeting and promote limited-time offers
- Drive foot traffic or phone calls with “Call Now” CTAs
For Ecommerce Brands:
- Use Collection or Catalog ads
- Retarget abandoned cart users
- Highlight product benefits in carousel or video formats
For Service Providers:
- Lead ads are perfect for capturing contact info
- Use case studies or testimonials to build trust
For B2B Companies:
- Promote whitepapers, guides, or webinars
- Target decision-makers by job title, company size, and industry
Understanding your audience and goal is key to choosing the right ad strategy.
Advanced Tips to Become a Meta Ad Experts
Once you’ve mastered the basics of Meta Ads, the next step is tapping into advanced strategies that give you a competitive edge. Three of the most impactful tools are CAPI, Advantage+ campaigns, and dynamic creative testing.
Use Conversions API (CAPI) for better tracking
Pixel tracking alone isn’t enough anymore. By implementing Meta’s Conversions API, you can pass server-side data directly to Meta, reducing reliance on browser tracking and ensuring more accurate measurement of conversions—even with privacy updates limiting cookies.
Leverage Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns
Meta’s AI-driven Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns simplify campaign setup while optimizing delivery across placements, audiences, and creative. This automation can uncover new pockets of performance you might not find manually, often lowering cost per conversion while scaling results.
Run dynamic creative testing
Instead of guessing which headline, image, or CTA will resonate, dynamic creative testing lets you upload multiple variations. Meta then automatically serves different combinations to identify the highest-performing assets, giving you actionable insights while improving ad efficiency.
When combined, these strategies move you from simply running ads to building a system that’s adaptive, scalable, and smarter with every campaign.
Turning Clicks into Customers
Learning how to advertise on Facebook may feel overwhelming at first, but once you break it down into steps—setting up your account, choosing an objective, targeting the right audience, and testing your creative—it becomes manageable and repeatable.
Whether you’re a local business owner, ecommerce entrepreneur, or service provider, you have the tools to run ads that get results. Start small, stay curious, and use data to guide your growth.
Ready to advertise your business on Facebook? Get started with your first campaign today and see what’s possible.
How FACEBOOK ADS COMPLEMENT YOUR B2b strategy on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn is unmatched for reaching professionals based on job titles, industries, and company size, its targeting often narrows the scope of your audience. This is where Facebook Ads step in as the perfect complement.
With advanced interest-based targeting and lookalike audiences, Facebook helps you extend your message beyond professional parameters, capturing decision-makers in a more casual environment where they’re still open to business-related content.
Together, the two platforms create a powerful one-two punch. LinkedIn builds authority and sparks initial engagement, while Facebook reinforces the message through repetition, broader reach, and cost-efficient impressions. This synergy not only increases brand visibility but also nurtures prospects across multiple touchpoints, ensuring your campaigns drive stronger awareness and conversions.
