Running Paid Ads on Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Setup, Strategy, and Optimization

Module 2, Lesson 2 of the Social Media Management & Marketing Course

Introduction

Facebook and Instagram advertising (now under the Meta umbrella) represents one of the most powerful digital marketing channels available today. With over 3 billion monthly active users across Meta’s family of apps and advanced targeting capabilities, these platforms offer unparalleled opportunities to reach your ideal customers.

However, many businesses struggle with Meta ads due to the platform’s complexity, frequent changes, and the strategic approach required for success. Creating an ad is simple—creating a campaign that delivers consistent results is more challenging.

In this lesson, we’ll demystify Meta advertising by breaking down the campaign creation process into manageable steps and providing strategic frameworks that work regardless of platform updates.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

How to properly set up and organize your Meta advertising account
The strategic approach to audience targeting in today’s privacy-focused landscape
Step-by-step campaign creation with best practices for each element
Budget management strategies for testing and scaling
How to implement A/B testing to continuously improve performance

Meta Ads Account Setup and Organization

Before creating your first campaign, properly setting up your advertising account establishes a foundation for long-term success.

Business Manager Configuration

The Meta Business Manager centralizes your business assets and provides administrative control:

1. Business Manager Setup

If you haven’t already, create your Business Manager at business.facebook.com:

Use your business name as the Business Manager name
Add a business email that multiple team members can access
Verify your business through the available options
Set your business address and other details accurately

2. Asset Connection

Connect your essential business assets to your Business Manager:

Facebook Page(s)
Instagram Account(s)
Ad Account(s)
Product Catalog(s) (if applicable)
Pixels and Conversion Events

3. Team Member Access

Properly configure access permissions:

Admin: Full control over the Business Manager (limit to 2-3 key people)
Employee: Access to assigned assets without ownership (most team members)
Partner: External agencies or contractors with limited access

4. Payment Method Setup

Configure your payment settings:

Add a dedicated business credit card (not personal)
Set up backup payment methods if possible
Review threshold settings for automatic payments
Configure notification preferences for billing

Account Structure Best Practices

A well-organized account structure improves management efficiency and performance analysis:

1. Ad Account Organization

For businesses with multiple products/services or markets:

Create separate ad accounts for distinct business units
Maintain country-specific ad accounts for international advertising
Consider separate accounts for significantly different customer segments

2. Naming Conventions

Implement consistent naming for all campaign elements:

Campaign Level:

[Business Unit]_[Campaign Objective]_[Key Offer]_[Date]

Example: FitnessCoaching_Conversion_12WeekProgram_APR2023

Ad Set Level:

[Audience Type]_[Placement Group]_[Test Variable]

Example: InterestBased_AutoPlacements_CreativeTest1

Ad Level:

[Creative Theme]_[Format]_[Version]

Example: Testimonial_Video_V2

3. Campaign Budget Organization

Organize your budget allocation systematically:

Allocate at least 70% to proven performers (core campaigns)
Dedicate 20% to testing new approaches (testing campaigns)
Reserve 10% for experimental concepts (innovation campaigns)

4. Campaign Duplication Strategy

When creating new campaigns based on existing ones:

Duplicate the entire campaign for major changes
Duplicate ad sets for audience testing within the same objective
Duplicate ads for creative testing within the same audience

Pixel Implementation and Verification

The Meta Pixel is critical for tracking, optimization, and audience building:

1. Pixel Creation and Installation

If not already set up:

Create a Pixel in Events Manager
Install manually or via a partner integration
Implement the base code on all website pages
Verify installation using the Meta Pixel Helper browser extension

2. Conversion Event Configuration

Set up standard events for key actions:

Purchase for completed transactions
InitiateCheckout for cart actions
Lead for form submissions
CompleteRegistration for sign-ups
ViewContent for key page visits

3. Aggregated Event Measurement

Due to privacy changes, configure your prioritized events:

Verify your domain in Business Manager
Configure up to 8 events in order of priority
Understand that only the highest-priority event will be reported per visit

4. Conversions API Implementation

For more reliable tracking, implement the server-side Conversions API:

Work with your developer or use partner integrations
Set up redundant tracking alongside the browser Pixel
Ensure events are deduplicated properly
Test implementation thoroughly before scaling campaigns

Exercise: Account Setup Audit

Review your current Meta ads account setup:

Setup Element	Current Status	Action Items
Business Manager Configuration
Asset Connections
Team Access Settings
Payment Method Setup
Naming Conventions
Pixel Implementation
Conversion Events
Conversions API

Audience Targeting Strategy

Meta’s targeting capabilities have evolved significantly due to privacy changes. Success now requires a strategic approach that combines multiple targeting methods.

The New Targeting Landscape

Recent privacy changes have impacted Meta targeting in several ways:

1. Targeting Limitation Overview

Key changes to be aware of:

Reduction in available detailed targeting options
Limited demographic targeting for sensitive categories
iOS tracking limitations reducing precision
Lookalike audience effectiveness variability
Shorter audience data retention periods

2. Adaptation Strategy

How to adapt your approach:

Rely more on first-party data collection
Leverage broad targeting with optimized creative
Build custom audiences through engagement
Use the advantage+ audience approach strategically
Focus on conversion optimization over narrow targeting

First-Party Data Strategy

Your own customer data remains the most valuable targeting asset:

1. Customer List Custom Audiences

Upload existing customer data to create audiences:

Email subscribers segmented by interest or behavior
Past customers segmented by purchase value or category
Leads segmented by qualification level or source
Include phone numbers and addresses when available

Best practices:

Use multiple identifiers for better matching
Update customer lists regularly
Create segment-specific campaigns
Include detailed customer value data when possible

2. Website Custom Audiences

Create audiences based on website behavior:

All website visitors (past 30, 60, 90, 180 days)
Specific page visitors (product categories, key content)
Event completers (add to cart, initiate checkout)
Visit frequency segments (1+ visits, 3+ visits)

Best practices:

Create audience segments based on recency
Build segments based on content topic affinity
Separate high-intent from low-intent behaviors
Layer time on site or page depth for engagement quality

3. Engagement Custom Audiences

Build audiences from platform engagement:

Page/profile engagers (past 90, 180, 365 days)
Video viewers (25%, 50%, 75%, 95% completion)
Lead form openers and submitters
Instagram profile interactions

Best practices:

Separate passive engagement from active engagement
Create sequential engagement campaigns
Use video view segments for awareness-to-conversion funnels
Test different engagement recency windows

Lookalike Audience Strategy

Expand beyond your current customer base effectively:

1. Source Audience Selection

Choose high-quality source audiences:

High-value customer segments (not all customers)
Qualified leads or email subscribers
Website visitors who completed specific actions
Engagement audiences with meaningful interactions

Best practices:

Use at least 1,000 matched profiles (preferably 5,000+)
Select sources based on quality over quantity
Create separate lookalikes for different value segments
Refresh source audiences regularly

2. Lookalike Expansion Approach

Implement a tiered lookalike strategy:

Start with 1% lookalikes for closest match
Test 1-3% for balanced reach and similarity
Use 3-5% for broader awareness campaigns
Test 5-10% for very broad reach when appropriate

Best practices:

Create separate ad sets for different percentage levels
Allocate budget based on funnel position (more to tighter match)
Compare performance between percentage levels
Consider geographic limitations for more precise matching

3. Lookalike Stacking Technique

For advanced targeting, try lookalike stacking:

Create multiple source audiences (purchasers, site visitors, engagers)
Generate 1% lookalikes from each source
Target the intersection of multiple lookalikes
Test various combinations to find optimal overlap

Interest and Behavior Targeting

Still valuable despite limitations, especially when strategically applied:

1. Broad Category Approach

Rather than highly specific interests:

Target broader interest categories
Combine related interests in the same ad set
Use behaviors alongside interests
Let campaign optimization find your audience within these parameters

2. Competitor and Complementary Brand Targeting

Reach audiences with relevant affinities:

Target followers of complementary brands
Include industry publications and influencers
Add relevant apps and digital products
Include industry events and organizations

3. Advantage+ Audience Testing

Evaluate Meta’s automated targeting option:

Start with detailed targeting as a baseline
Create parallel campaigns with Advantage+ audiences
Provide broad targeting guidance with a few key interests
Compare performance over at least 2-4 weeks

Exercise: Audience Strategy Development

Create your multi-layered audience targeting plan:

Audience Type	Specific Segments	Estimated Size	Funnel Position	Campaign Priority
First-Party
Lookalike
Interest-Based
Broad/Advantage+

Campaign Setup and Creation

With your account configured and audience strategy defined, it’s time to create campaigns that drive results.

Campaign Objective Selection

The first and most crucial decision in the campaign creation process:

1. Awareness Objectives

Brand Awareness:

When to use: Building initial recognition with new audiences
Best for: New businesses, new markets, new product categories
Key metrics: Reach, CPM, estimated ad recall lift
Budget approach: Broader reach to cold audiences

Reach:

When to use: Maximizing visibility to a defined audience
Best for: Announcements, time-sensitive promotions, local businesses
Key metrics: Reach, frequency, CPM
Budget approach: Consistent delivery with frequency caps

2. Consideration Objectives

Traffic:

When to use: Driving visitors to your website or app
Best for: Content marketing, blog promotion, app downloads
Key metrics: CTR, CPC, landing page views
Budget approach: Balanced reach with engagement quality

Engagement:

When to use: Increasing interactions with your content
Best for: Building social proof, content amplification, community growth
Key metrics: Engagement rate, cost per engagement, shares
Budget approach: Audience cultivation and remarketing

Video Views:

When to use: Maximizing viewership of video content
Best for: Brand storytelling, product demonstrations, educational content
Key metrics: Video view percentage, cost per video view, view duration
Budget approach: Quality audience development for remarketing

Lead Generation:

When to use: Collecting prospect information directly on platform
Best for: B2B offers, high-consideration products, service businesses
Key metrics: Cost per lead, lead quality score, conversion rate
Budget approach: Qualified audience targeting with conversion focus

3. Conversion Objectives

Conversions:

When to use: Driving specific website actions
Best for: Ecommerce, form submissions, free trial signups
Key metrics: Cost per acquisition, ROAS, conversion rate
Budget approach: Full-funnel with emphasis on bottom-funnel

Catalog Sales:

When to use: Promoting product catalogs dynamically
Best for: Ecommerce with multiple products, retailers, marketplaces
Key metrics: ROAS, CTR, average order value
Budget approach: Dynamic allocation based on product performance

Store Traffic:

When to use: Driving visits to physical locations
Best for: Retail stores, restaurants, local services
Key metrics: Store visits, cost per store visit, reach
Budget approach: Geographically focused with local targeting

Campaign Structure Strategy

How you organize your campaigns impacts both management efficiency and performance:

1. Funnel-Based Structure

Organize campaigns according to customer journey stage:

Top-Funnel: Awareness and initial engagement (broad audiences)
Mid-Funnel: Consideration and education (engaged audiences)
Bottom-Funnel: Conversion and purchase (high-intent audiences)

Best for:

Businesses with longer sales cycles
Content-driven marketing approaches
Products requiring education

2. Objective-Based Structure

Organize campaigns by primary marketing objective:

Brand Campaigns: Building awareness and recognition
Acquisition Campaigns: Generating new leads or customers
Retention Campaigns: Encouraging repeat purchases
Referral Campaigns: Promoting word-of-mouth growth

Best for:

Multiple product/service offerings
Businesses with diverse goals
Teams with objective-specific budgets

3. Product-Based Structure

Organize campaigns by product line or category:

Separate campaigns for each product category
Campaign budget allocation based on product priority
Custom audiences relevant to specific products
Creative specific to product benefits

Best for:

Ecommerce businesses
Companies with distinct product lines
Businesses with product-specific goals

4. Audience-Based Structure

Organize campaigns by audience segment:

Separate campaigns for new vs. existing customers
Demographic-specific campaigns
Campaigns targeting different interest groups
Geographically segmented campaigns

Best for:

Businesses with distinct audience segments
Location-dependent services
Age or demographic-specific offerings

Ad Set Configuration Best Practices

Ad sets define who sees your ads and how your budget is spent:

1. Audience Segmentation Strategy

How to divide your audiences across ad sets:

Separate high-value from general audiences
Divide remarketing audiences by engagement level
Separate mobile app audiences from web audiences
Create geographic segments for location-relevant offers

Rules of thumb:

Minimum audience size: 1M+ for broad targeting, 100K+ for specific
Avoid audience overlap between ad sets
Use exclusions to create clear audience segments
Allow at least 50 conversions per week per ad set for learning

2. Placement Strategy Options

Determine where your ads will appear:

Automatic Placements: Let Meta optimize across all placements
Manual Placements: Select specific placements for more control
Platform-Specific: Limit to either Facebook or Instagram
Placement-Specific: Target only Stories, Feed, or other placements

Strategic approaches:

Start with automatic placements for new campaigns
Use placement-specific campaigns for format-specialized content
Create separate ad sets for significantly different placements
Adjust creative to match placement specifications

3. Budget and Schedule Configuration

Options for controlling your ad spend:

Daily Budget: Set a consistent daily spending cap
Lifetime Budget: Set a total campaign budget with defined end date
Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO): Allocate budget across ad sets automatically
Ad Set Budget Optimization (ABO): Control budget at the ad set level

Strategic approaches:

Use daily budgets for ongoing campaigns
Use lifetime budgets for time-bound promotions
Start with ABO for testing, then consolidate to CBO
Implement dayparting for time-sensitive offers

4. Optimization and Delivery Settings

How to configure the delivery of your ads:

Optimization Event: What you want Meta to optimize for
Bid Strategy: How you want to control costs
Conversion Window: Attribution timeframe
Delivery Type: Standard or accelerated delivery

Strategic approaches:

Match optimization event to campaign objective
Use lowest cost bidding for most campaigns
Set cost caps only after establishing baseline performance
Choose 7-day click for most conversion campaigns

Ad Creation Excellence

Your ad creative and copy ultimately determine campaign success:

1. Creative Format Selection

Choose the right format for your message:

Single Image: Simple, clear messages with strong visuals
Single Video: Demonstrative or emotional storytelling
Carousel: Multiple products, features, or sequential stories
Collection: Immersive mobile shopping experiences
Instant Experience: Full-screen mobile interactions

Format selection factors:

Complexity of your message
Visual nature of your product
Amount of information to convey
Platform usage patterns of your audience

2. Creative Best Practices

Design principles for high-performing ads:

Mobile-First Design: Optimize for vertical viewing
Brand Recognition: Place branding in first 3 seconds
Visual Contrast: Use colors that stop the scroll
Text Overlay: Keep text clear, minimal, and high-contrast
Call-to-Action: Make desired action obvious
Image Quality: Use high-resolution, well-lit images

3. Copy Structure Framework

Effective ad copy follows this structure:

Headline (Primary): Clear value proposition (5-7 words)
Headline (Secondary): Supporting benefit or urgency element
Primary Text: Problem, solution, proof format
Description: Additional details or specifications
Call-to-Action Button: Action-specific selection

Copy principles:

Address the audience directly (“you/your”)
Focus on benefits over features
Include social proof where possible
Create urgency with time or quantity limitations
Use numbers and specifics for credibility

4. Creative Testing Approach

Methodology for improving creative performance:

Test one variable at a time for clear insights
Create variations with significant differences
Maintain consistency in non-test elements
Run tests long enough for statistical significance
Document learnings for future campaigns

Exercise: Campaign Creation Worksheet

Plan your first or next Meta campaign:

Campaign Element	Decision	Rationale
Campaign Objective
Campaign Structure
Primary Audience
Placement Strategy
Budget Approach
Primary Ad Format
Core Message
Success Metrics

Budget Management and Scaling

Strategic budget management determines your campaign’s ultimate return on investment.

Initial Testing Budgets

Proper testing budgets ensure meaningful data without excessive spending:

1. Minimum Viable Budget Formula

Calculate your testing budget with this approach:

Daily Minimum: (2-3x target cost per result) x (20 conversions)
Test Duration: Minimum 3-7 days per test
Total Test Budget: Daily minimum x test duration

Example: If your target cost per lead is $10, your minimum daily testing budget should be: $10 x 3 x 20 ÷ 7 = ~$85 per day for a 7-day test

2. Budget Allocation By Testing Phase

How to distribute your testing budget:

Phase 1 (Audience Testing): 40% of test budget
Phase 2 (Creative Testing): 40% of test budget
Phase 3 (Optimization Testing): 20% of test budget

Testing phase sequence:

Test different audience segments first
Test creative variations with winning audiences
Test optimization settings with winning combinations

3. Testing Budget Timeline

Typical testing periods before scaling:

New accounts: 30-60 days of testing before scaling
Established accounts: 14-30 days of testing for new campaigns
Seasonal campaigns: 7-14 days of testing before key periods
High-budget campaigns: Longer testing with smaller percentages

Performance Analysis Framework

Systematically evaluate campaign performance to make data-driven decisions:

1. Key Performance Indicators

Essential metrics for different campaign types:

Awareness Campaigns:

Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM)
Reach and frequency
Video view percentage
Engagement rate

Consideration Campaigns:

Click-through rate (CTR)
Cost per click (CPC)
Landing page view rate
Average engagement time

Conversion Campaigns:

Cost per acquisition (CPA)
Return on ad spend (ROAS)
Conversion rate
Add-to-cart rate

2. Performance Benchmarking

Compare your results against meaningful standards:

Industry benchmarks (research current standards)
Your historical performance (month-over-month, year-over-year)
Platform average performance (available in Meta Insights)
Competitor estimated performance (from Meta Ad Library)

3. Learning Phase Management

Understand and navigate the critical learning phase:

Recognize the 50 conversions rule for algorithm learning
Avoid major changes during the learning phase
Allow 3-7 days minimum for learning completion
Budget for learning inefficiency in new campaigns

4. Data Analysis Timeframes

When to evaluate performance at different levels:

Daily monitoring: Check for major issues only
3-day analysis: Early trend identification
7-day analysis: Initial performance assessment
14-day analysis: Optimization decisions
30-day analysis: Scaling decisions

Optimization Techniques

Fine-tune campaigns for improved performance:

1. Budget Optimization Approaches

Methods for improving budget efficiency:

Dayparting (scheduling ads during high-performance hours)
Weekday vs. weekend budget allocation
Shifting budget to highest-performing ad sets
Implementing campaign budget optimization

2. Audience Refinement Strategies

Techniques for improving audience targeting:

Expanding successful lookalike audiences
Narrowing underperforming broad audiences
Refreshing remarketing audiences with new data
Testing demographic refinements within successful segments

3. Creative Rotation and Fatigue Management

Prevent diminishing returns from creative fatigue:

Monitor frequency metrics to identify potential fatigue
Implement systematic creative rotation schedules
Develop variations of successful concepts
Test completely new approaches alongside optimizations

4. Conversion Optimization Tactics

Improve conversion rates beyond the ad:

Test landing page variations
Optimize form length and fields
Implement exit-intent offers
Add social proof elements at conversion points

Scaling Methodology

Strategic approaches to increasing results while maintaining efficiency:

1. Vertical Scaling

Increasing budget on existing successful campaigns:

Implement 20% budget increases every 3-7 days
Monitor performance metrics during budget increases
Expect temporary performance fluctuations
Return to previous budget if performance declines significantly

2. Horizontal Scaling

Expanding to new audiences, placements, or creative approaches:

Duplicate successful ad sets with new audience segments
Expand to additional placements with adapted creative
Create new creative variations based on successful elements
Test adjacent offers or messaging approaches

3. Funnel Expansion Scaling

Building complete funnel campaigns around successful elements:

Add top-funnel campaigns to feed successful conversion campaigns
Implement bottom-funnel retargeting for awareness campaign viewers
Create middle-funnel education campaigns between awareness and conversion
Develop post-purchase campaigns for customer retention

4. Platform Expansion Scaling

Leveraging success on Meta to expand to other platforms:

Use learnings from Meta to inform other platform strategies
Export successful audiences to other platforms
Adapt winning creative concepts to new platform requirements
Implement cross-platform attribution to understand full customer journey

Exercise: Budget and Scaling Plan

Create your budget management and scaling strategy:

Testing Budget Calculation:

Target cost per result: $___________
Testing formula calculation: ___________
Daily testing budget: $___________
Testing duration: ___________ days
Total testing budget: $___________

Performance Thresholds for Scaling:

ROAS/CPA target to begin scaling: ___________
Minimum conversion volume before scaling: ___________
Audience scale potential: ___________

Scaling Approach:

Initial scaling method: ___________
Budget increase increments: ___________
Scaling frequency: ___________
Maximum budget target: $___________

A/B Testing Strategy

Systematic testing is the key to continuous improvement in Meta advertising performance.

A/B Testing Fundamentals

Essential principles for effective split testing:

1. Testing Methodology Basics

Foundational concepts for accurate testing:

Test only one variable at a time
Create significant (not subtle) differences between variants
Ensure sufficient sample size for statistical significance
Maintain all other elements as constants
Document all test parameters and results

2. Testing Prioritization Framework

Determine what to test first based on impact:

High Impact: Audience targeting, offer, primary message
Medium Impact: Ad format, creative approach, landing page
Refinement: Headlines, images, colors, button text

Rule of thumb: Start with high-impact tests, then refine based on learnings

3. Statistical Significance Requirements

How to determine when test results are valid:

Minimum 95% confidence level for decision-making
At least 100 conversions per variation
Minimum 50% of learning phase completed
Results consistent for at least 3 consecutive days
Clear winner with at least 10% performance difference

4. Test Duration Determination

How long to run tests before making decisions:

3-7 days minimum regardless of budget
Full weekly cycle to account for day-of-week variations
Longer periods for seasonal businesses
Extended testing for high-value, high-budget campaigns

Audience Testing Strategy

Methodically determine which audiences perform best:

1. Audience Type Testing

Compare different audience creation methods:

Interests vs. Lookalikes vs. Custom Audiences
Broad vs. Specific Targeting
Cold vs. Warm vs. Hot Audiences
Advantage+ vs. Manual Audience Building

Test design example: Create identical ad sets varying only the audience type, with consistent budget, creative, and placement settings.

2. Audience Segment Testing

Within a successful audience type, test segments:

Different lookalike percentages
Various interest combinations
Engagement recency windows
Geographic or demographic segments

Test design example: Within lookalike audiences, test 1%, 1-3%, and 3-5% segments to determine optimal expansion level.

3. Exclusion Strategy Testing

Test the impact of different audience exclusions:

Existing customers vs. including them
Previous converters vs. retargeting them
Recent website visitors vs. including them
Engagement recency exclusions

Test design example: Test performance difference between excluding all previous purchasers vs. targeting them with different messaging.

4. Layered Audience Testing

Evaluate the performance of combined targeting methods:

Interest targeting layered with behaviors
Lookalikes narrowed by interests
Custom audiences combined with demographic refinements
Multiple custom audience combinations

Test design example: Compare broad lookalike audience against lookalike audience narrowed by relevant interests.

Creative Testing Approaches

Systematically improve your creative performance:

1. Format Testing

Compare performance between different ad formats:

Single Image vs. Carousel
Video vs. Static Image
Long-form vs. Short-form Video
Collection vs. Standard Formats

Test design example: Create identical messages delivered through different formats to determine optimal format for your offer.

2. Creative Element Testing

Test specific visual components:

Different images or video styles
Person vs. Product focus
Text overlay vs. Clean images
Animation vs. Live action

Test design example: Test lifestyle-oriented images against product-focused images while keeping all copy elements identical.

3. Copy Element Testing

Evaluate different messaging approaches:

Different value propositions
Feature-focused vs. Benefit-focused
Problem-solution vs. Aspiration
Different headline structures

Test design example: Test problem-agitation-solution copy structure against benefit-driven structure while keeping visuals consistent.

4. Call-to-Action Testing

Determine optimal action prompts:

Button text variations
Placement of CTA elements
Direct vs. Indirect CTAs
Urgency-focused vs. Value-focused

Test design example: Test “Buy Now” against “Get Yours” with identical creative to measure click-through and conversion impact.

Campaign Optimization Testing

Fine-tune campaign settings for optimal performance:

1. Objective Testing

Compare performance with different campaign objectives:

Conversions vs. Traffic objectives
Lead Generation vs. Conversions
Video Views vs. Engagement
Different conversion events within Conversions objective

Test design example: Test identical creative optimized for Purchases vs. Add to Cart to determine volume/quality tradeoff.

2. Placement Testing

Evaluate performance across different placements:

Automatic vs. Manual Placements
Facebook-only vs. Instagram-only
Feed vs. Stories vs. Reels
Audience Network inclusion vs. exclusion

Test design example: Compare performance between automatic placements and manually selected feed-only placements.

3. Bidding Strategy Testing

Test different approaches to auction bidding:

Lowest Cost vs. Cost Cap
Different Cost Cap thresholds
Bid Cap vs. Target Cost
Campaign Budget Optimization vs. Ad Set Budget

Test design example: Test lowest cost bidding against a cost cap set at 120% of target CPA.

4. Delivery Optimization Testing

Fine-tune how your campaign delivery is optimized:

Different conversion events for optimization
1-day vs. 7-day attribution windows
Value optimization vs. Conversion optimization
Standard vs. Accelerated delivery

Test design example: Compare optimization for Purchase event vs. Add to Cart event in an ecommerce campaign.

Exercise: A/B Testing Plan Development

Create a structured testing plan for your next campaign:

Test Category	Specific Test	Variations	Success Metric	Test Duration
Audience Test
Creative Test
Copy Test
Campaign Setting Test

Action Items

Before moving on to Lesson 3, complete these tasks:

Set up or audit your Meta Business Manager using the guidelines provided
Implement or verify your Meta Pixel and conversion event configuration
Develop your audience targeting strategy with primary and testing audiences
Create a campaign structure plan aligned with your business objectives
Design your initial A/B testing plan for methodical performance improvement

What’s Next

In our next lesson, we’ll explore TikTok and LinkedIn growth strategies. We’ll examine how to leverage these platforms’ unique characteristics for specific business goals, diving into TikTok’s powerful algorithm and LinkedIn’s professional targeting capabilities.

Did you find this lesson helpful? What questions do you have about running Meta ads? Share in the comments below!

Spread the love