How to Create Facebook Ads from Scratch: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Facebook Ads have become one of the most powerful tools for businesses to reach targeted audiences, generate leads, and drive conversions. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your digital marketing skills, understanding the basics of Facebook Ads can provide a significant boost to your marketing efforts.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up your first Facebook ad campaign, from accessing the Ads Manager to optimizing your ads for conversions. By the end of this step-by-step tutorial, you'll be ready to create ads that engage, convert, and help your business grow online.

Let’s dive in and get started with your first Facebook ad!

1. Getting Started

• First, visit the Facebook Ads Manager by navigating to Facebook Ads Manager.
• Once inside, click the Create button to begin setting up your ad campaign.

2. Choose Your Objective

• Facebook provides several ad objectives based on your goals: Awareness (Brand exposure) Traffic (Directing users to a site) Engagement (Likes, comments, shares) Leads (Form submissions) App Promotion (Drive app installs) Sales (Drive conversions and purchases)
• Select one and click "Continue."

3. Select Campaign Type

• Choose a Manual Sales Campaign for greater control over your ad targeting and performance.

4. Understanding the Structure

Each Facebook campaign includes:

• Campaign: Overall objective
• Ad Sets: Targeting and budget settings
• Ads: The creative elements (image, video, text)

5. Name Your Campaign

• Give your campaign a clear name to avoid confusion and click "Next." Leave other settings unchanged.

6. Set Conversion Location

• Choose where you want to drive sales. If you're sending users to a landing page, set the conversion location to Website. Use this option when advertising digital products.

7. Optimization for Conversions

• Set your goal to Maximize Conversions to ensure your ads are focused on driving as many conversions as possible.

8. Add Facebook Pixel

• Include the Facebook Pixel in your campaign to track ad performance and enable retargeting.
• Learn more about Facebook Pixel and Custom Conversions for deeper insights.

9. Budgeting

• Choose Daily Budget over lifetime budget to ensure consistent spending.
• Your daily budget depends on how much traffic you want. For example, $1/day may drive 1-5 leads, while $1000/day drives significantly more.
• Tip: Always set a start date, but avoid using an end date. This allows you to stop underperforming ads manually.

10. Targeting Audience

• Under the Audience Control section, expand "Show More Options" and switch to Original Audience settings.

• You can target specific countries, regions, or custom areas (e.g., within 1 mile of a restaurant).
• Adjust targeting by age, gender, and Advantage Detailed Targeting based on your ideal customer persona.
• Tip: Aim for a large audience size for better ad performance. You can save the audience for future use.

• You can save the audience for future use.

11. Ad Placement

• For beginners, it's recommended to use Facebook’s Automatic Placement. This option shows your ads on platforms where they perform best.
• If desired, use Manual Placement to select specific platforms or locations.

12. Completing the Ad Set

• Once you've set your audience and placement, click Next.

13. Page Admin Access

• Ensure you are an Admin of your business page. You cannot run ads without admin rights.

14. Ad Creative

• Choose between an Image Ad or a Video Ad. Video ads tend to perform better and attract higher engagement.
• Click Add Media to upload your creative elements.

• Click on >>Add Media >>Next >>Done

15. Add Copy & Call to Action

• Write compelling Primary Text, a catchy Headline, and a clear Call to Action.
• Add your destination URL or choose to include features like a Call Now or WhatsApp button to make it easier for customers to contact you.

16. Publish Your Ad

• After finalizing your ad, click Publish to launch it.

Pro Tip:

• Use only one Ads Manager Account per business to ensure smooth management and avoid confusion.

Now you're ready to run your first Facebook ad! Follow these steps to create and optimize ads that drive traffic, leads, and sales.