Learn How to Make a Facebook Ad in 8 Simple Steps

If you feel like you’re clowning around in your advertising efforts and shooting blanks, it’s time you got into Facebook ads. With over 3 billion monthly active users in 2024, Facebook is a goldmine for connecting with potential customers. If you’re new to Facebook advertising, this guide is what you need to step into it like a boss.

We'll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating your first Facebook ad, share some inspiring examples, and explain the costs involved in the ads. Let’s bring order to your circus—once and for all.

Benefits of Facebook ads

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of creating ads on Facebook, let's take a moment to appreciate why they're such a powerful marketing tool:

1. Precise targeting: Facebook's vast user data allows you to target your ads based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. That means you can reach the audience most likely interested in your product or service.
2. Cost-effective: Compared to traditional advertising methods, Facebook ads can be incredibly cost-effective, especially when you're targeting the right audience. The average cost per click (CPC) for Facebook ads across all industries is $1.68.
3. Measurable results: Facebook provides detailed analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your ads and make data-driven decisions to improve your campaigns.
4. Versatile ad formats: From simple image ads to engaging video content, Facebook offers a variety of ad formats to suit your marketing goals and creative vision.
5. Retargeting capabilities: You can create custom audiences based on website visitors or email lists, allowing you to re-engage people who have already shown interest in your brand.

Consider exploring social media advertising for a broader perspective on reaching audiences across multiple platforms.

How to make a Facebook ad

Now, let's get into the meat of the matter – creating your first Facebook ad. Follow these simple steps to launch your campaign:

1. Before you can start creating ads, you’ll need a Business Portfolio account (formerly known as Facebook Business Manager). Here, you'll manage your ad accounts, Pages, and other business assets. You will also find an in-depth guide on how to set up your Facebook Business Manager account. 

2. Create your ad account. Once you’ve set up your Business Manager, you'll need an ad account to create and manage your ads. You can access it via the settings button in your Business Manager. Our comprehensive guide walks you through creating a new ad account. 

3. Access Meta Ads Manager. With your ad account ready, it's time to dive into Meta Ads Manager. Ads Manager is the control center for your Facebook advertising efforts. To get there, go to business.facebook.com and click ‘Ads Manager’ in the tools menu.

4. Create a new campaign. In Ads Manager, click the green ‘Create campaign’ button to start a new campaign. 

5. Choose your marketing goal. You have 6 campaign objectives to choose from. This part is crucial because it tells Facebook what you want to achieve with your ads. For the sake of this demonstration, I will select ‘Awareness’ as my objective. Depending on what you choose, your setup will look slightly different.

6. Set up your ad set. After selecting your objective, you'll move on to the ad set level. Here, you'll define your target audience, budget, schedule, and placements. The ad set is where Facebook's robust targeting capabilities come into play. You can narrow your audience by location, age, gender, interests, and behaviors. Additionally, you can use Meta’s Advantage+ audience, which is a targeting feature where Meta uses AI to decide who sees your ads. It does this by continually learning from your Pixel data, conversion history, and the people who have interacted with your previous ads and content. When it comes to your ad budget, you have two options: daily budget (how much you're willing to spend each day) or lifetime budget (your total budget for the campaign's duration). You can also set a schedule for when you want your ads to run. For placements, Facebook now offers Advantage+ placements (formerly known as automatic placements). This option is recommended for most advertisers as it allows Facebook's algorithm to optimize your ad delivery across various placements to achieve the best results. However, you can still manually select where you want your ads to appear across Facebook's family of apps and services if you prefer more control. Click ‘Next’ when done.

7. Now for the fun part – creating your actual ad! Here, you'll select your ad format (single image, video, carousel, etc.) and upload your creative assets. Remember to follow Meta's ad design best practices for optimal results. Ensuring your visuals optimize for each placement is crucial, so pay attention to ad sizes. You'll also write your ad copy, including the headline, primary text, and description. Make sure your copy is engaging and aligned with your campaign objective. Remember to include a strong call to action to encourage users to take the desired action. 

Tip 🔔 For standout ad creative, use high-quality visuals and concise copy and ensure your message aligns with your landing page. Test different formats to find what resonates best with your audience. If your creative production feels overwhelming, explore strategies to streamline your workflow.

8. Review and publish. Before you hit that publish button, take a moment to review all the details of your campaign, ad set, and ad. Make sure everything is set up correctly and aligns with your marketing goals. Once you're satisfied, click ‘Publish’ to launch your ad 🥳

Remember, creating the ad is just the starting point. You still need to monitor your ad performance and make tweaks where necessary based on the data. Track metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and return on ad spend (ROAS) to measure your success.

How much does it cost to put an ad on Facebook?

The cost of advertising on Facebook can vary widely depending on various factors, including your target audience, industry, and campaign objectives. Facebook uses an auction system to determine ad costs, which it typically measures in two ways:

1. Cost per click (CPC) is the amount you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. As of July 2024, the average CPC for Facebook ads across all industries is $0.67.

2. Cost per mille (CPM) refers to the cost per 1,000 impressions. The average Facebook CPM as of July 2024 is $9.77.

It's important to note that these are just averages, and your actual costs may be higher or lower. Facebook allows you to set your budget, so you control how much you spend. You can start with as little as $1 per day, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.

Several factors can influence your Facebook ad costs:

• Ad relevance - Ads that are more relevant to your target audience cost less
• Industry - Some industries are more competitive, leading to higher ad costs
• Time of year - Ad costs can fluctuate during peak shopping seasons like Black Friday and Valentine’s Day or holidays
• Ad placement - Different placements (e.g., News Feed vs. Right Column) have varying costs
• Ad objective - Some objectives, like conversions, may cost more than others, like brand awareness

Inspiring Facebook ad examples

Now that you know how to create a Facebook ad and understand the costs involved, let's look at 6 inspiring examples to get those creative juices flowing:

1. Lemme

When I first clicked play on this ad by Lemme, I thought it was an NSFW ad with its super sultry opening scene. Turns out, it’s about pills that burn belly fat. The alluring visuals are almost unrelated to the product, but you know what? They managed to take an unsexy subject and make it sexy because sex still sells, and it’s one way to grab our attention. 

As a marketer or business owner, you must find creative ways to stop the scroll—by any means necessary. This is especially true if you operate in "boring" and "unsexy" industries, such as real estate.

2. Cash App

Cash App ditches the typical studio shoot for a fully animated text ad that’s anything but ordinary. How do they make text more than just text? By injecting dynamic movement and playing with different text sizes to nail the messaging hierarchy. And to grab our attention, they swap their signature green for a bold mix of acidic green and purple. 

Don't be fooled, though—animation isn't always budget-friendly. It can be pretty expensive due to the time and effort required to achieve this level of polish.

How can you achieve this? Try using GIFs. They can be a more straightforward and cost-effective way to add dynamic movement to your text. However, they won’t be relatively as smooth.

3. Tropicfeel

"I’m tired of seamless transitions," said no one ever. If your brand boasts an extensive collection of items, mastering video transitions is a great way to feature numerous products in one engaging video. Plus, your product catalog won’t overwhelm your viewers because transitions are so subtle.

4. Huel

Take note if your brand boasts numerous USPs like Huel's meal replacement powder. This static ad is a masterclass in grabbing attention. The stark black background and bold white text immediately draw the eye. While video or GIF formats are the best for conveying lots of information, this static ad nails it. 

It uses concise callouts and iconography to highlight all the USPs without bombarding the viewer with lengthy text. The icons add visual interest and break up what would otherwise be plain text, making the ad both informative and engaging.

5. Rhode

Rhode nails it with Hailey Bieber’s personal touch. Instead of pushing the launch onto a random model or actress, she personally connects with the customer by introducing the new product. This kind of involvement shows that she genuinely cares about the brand and has time for her customers. If you're willing to show your face, create ads where you speak about your brand. People love putting a face to the name.

6. BRUNA The Label

Did you know that the usage fee is often lower if the model’s face isn’t visible (e.g., back view, obscured face)? This hack can help you trim down your creative production costs. In addition, if you choose to show faces, you’re usually limited to a short period of usage rights before paying royalties for reusing the content. 

For brands selling clothing, jewelry, accessories, health supplements, and more, you can avoid these costs by finding aesthetically pleasing ways to showcase your models and products without relying on costly face shots.

Want more Facebook ad ideas like these? You’ll love this curated board in the Madgicx Ad Library. Our Ad Library is an invaluable resource for discovering winning ad concepts and staying up-to-date with the latest trends in Facebook advertising. 

You can easily search for ads by industry, format, or specific advertisers. You can even save your favorite ads to custom boards for future reference. When you’re ready to create your Meta ads, you simply brief our talented designers directly through the platform. They’ll have high-quality ads prepared in just 48 hours. 

After approval, they’re automatically loaded into Meta Ads Manager and ready for launch. You can try the Ad Library for FREE—no strings attached, promise 🤞

See more advertisement examples in our guide or check out the Facebook Ad Library.

Best practices for Facebook ad success

To ensure that your Facebook ads pack a punch, keep these best practices in mind:

1. Know your audience: Use Facebook's insights to understand your target audience better and create more relevant ads.
2. Test different ad formats: Experiment with various formats to see which resonates best with your audience. Don't be afraid to try video ads, collection ads, carousel ads, or even instant experiences.
3. Use eye-catching visuals: Your ad's visual elements are crucial in stopping the scroll. Use high-quality images or videos that align with your brand and message.
4. Write compelling ad copy: Your ad copy should be clear, concise, and persuasive. Focus on the benefits of your product or service and include a strong call to action.
5. Implement A/B testing: Regularly test different elements of your ads, such as images, headlines, or call-to-action buttons, to optimize performance.
6. Monitor and optimize: Monitor your ad performance closely and make data-driven decisions to improve your Facebook ad campaigns over time.
7. Leverage retargeting: Use custom audiences to retarget website visitors or previous customers with tailored ads.
8. Maintain ad relevance: Ensure your ads are relevant to your target audience to improve ad performance and reduce costs.
9. Use social proof: Incorporate customer testimonials, reviews, or user-generated content in your ads to build trust and credibility.
10. Stay compliant: Always adhere to Meta’s advertising policies to avoid ad rejections or issues such as having your Facebook account disabled.
11. Implement creative testing: Regularly test different ad creatives to identify top performers and optimize your campaigns.

Conclusion

Creating effective Facebook ads doesn't have to be a daunting task. By following the steps outlined in this guide and drawing inspiration from successful examples, you'll be well on your way to serving engaging ads that hit a bullseye with your target audience.

Remember, the key to successful Facebook advertising is continuous testing and optimization. Feel free to experiment with different ad formats, copy, and targeting options.

Here’s to your first Facebook ad! 🥂

P.S. We also have a guide that explains how to make an ad in general -not only on Facebook ;)