Step-by-Step: Your First Facebook Ads Campaign

Maybe you have already tried Facebook ads for your local business, chances are it felt challenging and you did not get the results you hoped for. To really make Facebook ads work, you’ll need a strategy, ongoing research, and a bit of trial and error through A/B testing. Keeping an eye on the right metrics will also help you know what’s working and where you can improve.

With so many competitors and constant changes to the platform’s algorithms, it’s easy to feel like your efforts are not paying off. Before we dive in; if you don't want your business to generate more leads and make more money without any doubt and guesswork, then Roya is your answer. If you are curious what we can do for you business, then click here to book a demo.

Step 1: Set Up Your Facebook Business Account

Before we can run ads, we need to make sure we have a Facebook Business account. if you already have an account set up, you can skip this step and go to step 2.

If not; here’s how to set it up:

1. Go to business.facebook.com and create your Facebook Business Manager account.

2. Link your Facebook page and any other assets you want to manage, like your Instagram account.

3. Add the necessary people who will work on the account (e.g., marketing team members) and assign roles.

4. Set up your payment method, so you’re ready to launch your ads when the time comes.

Once your account is set up, we can start with actually creating the ads.

Step 2: Choose Your Campaign Objective

Once your business account is set up, the next step is to select the right campaign objective. This choice tells Facebook how to deliver your ad to your target audience.

Before I explain the different options, it is important to understand the consequence of choosing the wrong objective. Choosing the wrong Facebook ad objective for your campaign will lead to ineffective campaign; meaning you spend money without getting results. It does not necessarily mean your ad will not get clicks or views, but it means the leads you will generate are low-quality leads and thus will not convert.

Here are the different objectives you can choose from:

1. Awareness

The awareness objective helps get your brand in front of a broad local audience. This might be a good objective if you either have a new business or if you are entering a new market.

Example: A hair salon might use the awareness objective to let people know about a new hairstylist joining the team or to promote a limited-time offer on hair coloring services. The ad can target people within a 15-mile radius, ensuring the right local audience knows about these services.

If your goal is to drive website traffic or make sales, don't choose this objective because.

2. Traffic

If your goal is to drive visitors to your website, booking page, or even a WhatsApp chat for inquiries, the traffic objective is a great fit for service-based businesses. This objective works well for encouraging users to learn more about your offerings or make appointments.

Example: An HVAC company could run a traffic campaign promoting seasonal maintenance services, directing people to a landing page where they can schedule an inspection or consultation. This helps bring people to their website and encourages them to take action.

The traffic objective is a good option if you want to send people to your website for example to read a blog post or look at your menu. However, if you want more traffic, it is very important that your landing page is optimized. In this blog, you can exactly read how to do so.

3. Engagement

Use the engagement objective to increase interactions with your posts, gain likes, shares, comments, or boost attendance for events or webinars. This is great for service businesses wanting to build stronger community connections or increase awareness about specific offers or events.

If you choose engagment, you have the option between the following:

• Post Engagement: focused on increasing reactions, comments, shares, and all types of clicks on your post. This can add a lot of social proof. However, do not just promote any post. If there is no engagement on the original post (so without the ad), it might also not get any engagement when you boost this. The content probably does not resonate with your target audience.

• Page Likes: Use this if your primary goal is to grow your Facebook page followers. This option helps you reach people more likely to like your page and become part of your ongoing audience. Keep in mind, this option is only for growing your Facebook followers, not Instagram.

• Event Responses: If you’re hosting a Facebook event, you can use this type to encourage more RSVPs. While it’s useful for raising awareness about an event, remember that clicking “Going” doesn’t always mean someone will attend. For ticket sales or guaranteed attendance, you will see better results using the Conversions objective.

When to Use It: The Engagement objective is best if you’re looking to build social proof on your posts, increase followers for your Facebook page, or get more RSVPs for a Facebook event.

4. Lead Generation

The Lead Generation lets you connect with potential customers right within Facebook; so they don't need to leave the platform. It’s ideal for service-based businesses like hair salons, HVAC companies, or local course providers where appointments, inquiries, or consultations drive your business. This objective can also be a good choice if you don't have a landing page or if it is not optimized.

You will create a Lead Form—a simple, mobile-friendly form that pops up when someone clicks your ad. This form is pre-filled with the user’s information (like name, phone number, or email) from their Facebook profile, making it quick and easy for them to submit. You can also customize the form to ask for additional details relevant to your business, such as their preferred appointment time or service type. Once you receive a lead, you will follow up with those leads. It is important that you follow up as soon as possible, preferably within 2 hours.

When to Use It: Choose the Lead Generation objective if you want to easily collect leads for bookings, quotes, or consultations, especially when you want a seamless user experience without directing them away from Facebook or Instagram.

5. Conversions (Sales)

If your goal is to drive direct bookings, sign-ups, or appointments, the sales (or conversion) objective is ideal. This objective targets users who are likely to complete an action, such as scheduling a service, purchasing a package, or signing up for a membership.‍

How to Set It Up:

1. Install the Facebook Pixel:

• The Facebook Pixel is a small piece of code that you add to your website to track what users do, like buying a product or filling out a form.

• If you’re using platforms like Shopify or WordPress, installing the Pixel is easy. Just go to Facebook’s Events Manager, follow the steps, and use their integration guides to add the Pixel without needing to code.

• Once installed, the Pixel will automatically start tracking the actions users take on your website.

2. Configure Conversion Events:

• After the Pixel is installed, head to Facebook’s Events Manager. Here, you can set up the specific actions (called “events”) that you want to track. Examples of events include things like “Purchase,” “Add to Cart,” or “Sign-Up.”

• You can do this in Events Manager by selecting the pre-made events that match what you want to track.

3. Verify Your Domain:

• To ensure everything works smoothly, you’ll need to verify that you own your website’s domain. This is done within Facebook Business Manager and ensures that Facebook knows you’re the authorized owner of the site.

• You can follow the simple steps provided by Facebook, which usually involves adding a small bit of info to your website’s settings.

4. Optimize Your Ads for Conversions:

• Now that your Pixel and events are set up, you’re ready to run your Conversions Campaign. When creating your ad in Facebook Ads Manager, select “Conversions” as your objective.

• Choose the specific conversion event (like a purchase or booking) that you set up earlier, and Facebook will show your ad to people most likely to take that action.

6. App Promotion

For service businesses that have a mobile app, the app promotion objective helps you increase app installs or engage with users who have already downloaded your app. This is especially useful for businesses offering appointment scheduling, on-demand services, or in-app purchases.

Example: A tutoring business with an app for booking sessions could run an app promotion campaign encouraging parents to download the app and book tutoring sessions directly. They can offer a discount for the first in-app booking, driving both downloads and sales.

Step 3: Define Your Target Audience

Once you’ve selected your campaign objective, the next step is to define your target audience. Your ad will be shown to people who match the specific criteria of your target audience. The better you can define your target audience, the more qualified leads you will get.

How to Define Your Audience:

1. Location: You can narrow your audience by country, city, region, or even specific neighborhoods. This is especially useful for local businesses wanting to target customers within their service area.

• Example: A HVAC company might want to show their ads only to people living within a 20-mile radius of their location.

2. Demographics: Target people based on key demographics like age, gender, income, education, and job title.

• Example: A hair salon offering high-end services might target women aged 25-50 with a higher income level who are interested in beauty and wellness.

3. Interests & Behaviors: Facebook allows you to target users based on their interests (e.g., fitness, home improvement) or behaviors (e.g., frequent travelers, online shoppers).

• Example: A fitness trainer might target people interested in health, fitness, or local gyms, as well as those who have shown behavior indicating they’re actively looking to improve their fitness.

4. Custom Audiences: You can create custom audiences by uploading your customer lists, targeting website visitors, or people who have interacted with your Facebook or Instagram pages before.

• Example: A course promoter could upload a list of previous students and retarget them with ads for new classes.

5. Lookalike Audiences: If you want to reach new people who are similar to your existing customers, you can create a Lookalike Audience. Facebook will analyze your current customer data and find users with similar traits and interests.

• Example: A real estate agent might create a Lookalike Audience based on people who have already bought homes through them, targeting new potential clients with similar characteristics.

Step 4: Create Your Ad Content

Once your target audience is defined, it’s time to create the ad that will engage them. Your ad content—both the visuals and the copy—must grab attention quickly and clearly communicate your message. The goal is to align the content with your campaign objective, whether it’s to drive sales, gather leads, or build brand awareness. To speed up the process - and make your ad more effective - I recommend using AI to write the ad copy; in this blog I explain exactly how to do this.

How to Create Effective Ad Content:

1. Choose the Right Ad Format:

Facebook offers various ad formats to match your objective:

• Single Image or Video Ads: Great for simple, focused messages or promotions. Use a high-quality image or short video to showcase your product or service.

• Carousel Ads: Let you display multiple images or videos that users can scroll through, ideal for highlighting different products or features.

• Collection Ads: Perfect for mobile users, allowing them to browse several products or services in one ad.

2. Write Engaging Copy:

Your ad copy should be clear, concise, and focused on benefits. Explain why your audience should care about your offer. Whether it’s a special promotion or a unique service, make sure to communicate the value quickly.

• Headline: Keep it short and punchy—grab attention with the main point.

• Body Text: Focus on how your service/product helps the audience. Be specific about what you’re offering (e.g., a discount, free consultation).

• Call-to-Action (CTA): Your CTA should be direct and clear. Use phrases like “Book Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Shop Now” to encourage the desired action.

3. Use Eye-Catching Visuals:

Whether you’re using images or videos, visuals play a huge role in getting people to stop and engage with your ad. Make sure your images are high-quality, relevant, and attention-grabbing.

• Images: Use clear, professional images that represent your business. This could be product shots, service in action, or people using your product.

• Videos: If you use video, keep it short (ideally under 15 seconds) and get to the point quickly. The first few seconds should capture attention.

4. Align with Your Objective:

Make sure your ad content aligns with the objective of your campaign. For example, if your goal is lead generation, emphasize the offer (e.g., “Get a Free Consultation”) and make it easy for the audience to take action by clicking on a form directly from the ad.

Example: If you own a hair salon running a lead generation campaign, your ad might include a high-quality image of a stylist in action, a headline like “Get 20% Off Your First Appointment,” and a CTA such as “Book Now.” The copy could briefly mention the benefits of booking early, while the image attracts attention.

Step 5: Set Your Budget and Schedule

Congrats for making it this far! Just the few last steps. In this step, you have to decide how much you want to spend on your ads. Facebook gives you flexible options to control your spending and ensure your ads are seen by your audience at the best times.

How to Set Your Budget:

1. Daily Budget:

Set a maximum amount Facebook can spend each day. This is a good choice if you want your ads to run consistently every day.

• Example: You set a $10 daily budget, so Facebook will not spend more than that per day.

2. Lifetime Budget:

Set a total budget for the entire campaign. Facebook will automatically spread your spending evenly over the time you choose.

• Example: You set a $200 budget for 10 days, and Facebook spends it across those 10 days.

How to Schedule Your Ads:

1. Run Continuously:

Your ad will run all the time based on your budget. Facebook will show it to people in your target audience whenever they are active.

2. Schedule Specific Times:

You can choose to show your ads only at certain times, such as during business hours or peak activity times for your audience.

• Example: If your customers are most active in the evening, you could set your ad to run from 5 PM to 9 PM every day.

Facebook Estimates: As you set your budget and schedule, Facebook will show you an estimate of how many people you can reach. This helps you see if your budget will meet your goals.

Step 6: Launch and Monitor Your Campaign

It’s time to launch your campaign! After your ad is live, it’s important to monitor its performance to make sure it’s delivering the results you expect. Monitoring allows you to adjust your ads if necessary to optimize performance.

How to Launch Your Campaign:

1. Review Everything:

Double-check your targeting, budget, schedule, and ad content. Make sure all details are correct and align with your campaign goals.

2. Click “Publish”:

Once you’re confident everything is set up correctly, click the Publish button to launch your ad. Your ad will start running based on the budget and schedule you’ve chosen.

Monitor Your Campaign:

1. Use Facebook Ads Manager or use Roya

Ads Manager is the tool you’ll use to track how well your ad is performing. You’ll be able to see important data like:

• Impressions: How many times your ad has been shown.

• Reach: The number of unique people who have seen your ad.

• Clicks: How many people clicked on your ad.

• Conversions: The number of people who completed an action, like making a purchase or signing up.

We get that the dashboard can be confusing and overwhelming - if you are using Roya, you don't have to use the Facebook dashbaord anymore, all the key metrics are available inside Roya.

2. Watch Key Metrics:

Pay attention to metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR), Cost Per Click (CPC), and Cost Per Conversion (CPC) to see if your ad is performing well. If results are lower than expected, it may be time to make adjustments.

3. A/B Testing:

A/B tests are very important to identify which elements of your ads are resonating well with your target audience. This involves creating multiple versions of your ad with small variations—such as different headlines, images, or CTAs—and seeing which one performs best. If you use Roya, Roya will automatically A/B test different variations of your ad. Want to see how? Click here to book a demo.

4. Increase Budget for Top Performers:

If certain ads are performing better than others, shift more of your budget to the top-performing ads to maximize results.

Make Adjustments If Needed:

• Adjust Targeting: If your ad isn’t reaching the right people, you can adjust your audience to improve performance.

• Change Ad Content: If your ad isn’t engaging enough, try changing the visuals or text.

• Increase Budget: If your ad is performing well, consider increasing the budget to reach more people.

If your ad is active, but not running, this guide will help you solving the problem.

Conclusion

Running a successful Facebook ad campaign for your local business requires some planning, an effectivestrategy, and ongoing optimization. By following the steps in this guide you can improve your chances of generating high-quality leads and achieving your business goals. With the right approach and tools like Roya, you can simplify the process and generate more leads, thus money, for your business.