Getting Started with Meta Ads

Before You Start: What You'll Need

• A Facebook Business Manager account (free at business.facebook.com)
• A Facebook Page for your business
• An Instagram account (optional but recommended)
• A payment method added to your ad account

Note: Never run ads from a personal Facebook account. Always use Business Manager.

Step 1: Set Up Your Meta Business Manager

1. Go to business.facebook.com and click Create Account
2. Enter your business name and details
3. Go to Business Settings → Accounts → Ad Accounts → Add to create your ad account
4. Go to Business Settings → Accounts → Pages and connect your Facebook Page
5. If you have an Instagram account, connect it under Business Settings → Accounts → Instagram Accounts

Step 2: Choose the Right Objective

When creating a campaign, Meta asks what you want to achieve. For most businesses starting out — especially those without a website — we recommend one of these two objectives:

Leads

Collect contact information directly inside Facebook or Instagram using Instant Forms. When someone clicks your ad, a pre-filled form opens without leaving the app. No website needed.

Best for: Service businesses, local businesses, anyone collecting inquiries or bookings.

Messages

Send interested people directly to a conversation in Messenger or Instagram DMs. Great for businesses that close sales through direct conversations.

Best for: Consultants, coaches, agencies, local services, anyone who sells through chat.

Why start here? Both objectives keep the experience inside Meta, which means higher completion rates, faster results, and no need for a landing page. They also give Meta's algorithm clean, high-quality signals to optimize from day one.

Step 3: Build a Simple Campaign Structure

Keep it simple to start. Here's a structure that works:

Campaign 1 — Prospecting

• 1 campaign
• 1–2 ad sets
• 3–5 ads per ad set (different creative angles)

That's it. Don't create multiple campaigns chasing different audiences right away. Let Meta's algorithm learn from a focused setup first.

Step 4: Set Up Your Audience

Meta's algorithm is extremely good at finding the right people. The more you restrict it, the worse it performs.

Start with broad targeting:

• Location (your target area)
• Age range (only restrict if it's genuinely relevant — e.g. 18+ for legal reasons)
• Language

No need to layer on interests or behaviors. Meta will figure out who responds to your ad.

Once you have data from real leads or conversations, you can build Custom Audiences (people who engaged with your page, filled a form, messaged you) and use those to find more people like them.

Step 5: Set Your Budget

Daily budget: A good starting point is $10–$30/day. Meta needs enough spend to exit the learning phase and start optimizing.

Tip: Leave your campaign running for at least 7 days before making changes. The first few days are the algorithm learning — don't panic and turn things off early.

Step 6: Create Your Ad

You don't need a big production budget. What you do need is creative that stops someone mid-scroll.

What works:

• A clear, direct hook in the first line or first frame ("Looking for a plumber in Austin?")
• An image or short video that shows your product, service, or a real result
• A simple call to action: "Get a free quote," "Send us a message," "Book a call"

Format tips:

• Design for mobile (vertical or square: 4:5 or 1:1)
• Add text overlays to videos — most people scroll with sound off
• Use a real photo over a stock photo when possible

For Leads campaigns: Set up your Instant Form under the Ad level. Keep it short — name, phone/email, and one qualifying question max. Every extra field loses leads.

For Messages campaigns: Write a short opening message that gets sent automatically when someone clicks. Make it feel personal, not automated.

Step 7: Launch and Wait

Once your campaign is live:

• Days 1–3: Don't touch anything. Meta is in the learning phase. Let it run.
• Day 4–7: Check your cost per lead or cost per conversation. Are results coming in at a price that makes sense for your business?
• Week 2: If results are good, keep running. If not, try new creative before changing audiences or budget.

Basic Metrics to Watch

Ready to Go Further?

If you have a website and want to track what happens after someone clicks your ad — purchases, form submissions, retargeting — head to Meta Ads with Conversion Tracking.

If you're ready to level up your creative strategy and start testing properly, check out Creating & Testing Meta Ads.