Your Guide to Meta Ads Manager

If you’re a marketer, you know that the ability to not only create but manage an effective ad campaign can make or break your success!

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And with billions of active Facebook and Instagram users all over the world, many marketers have found just how effective Meta Ads Manager has become in helping them reach their target audience.

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But becoming a Meta Ads master doesn’t happen overnight! As convenient as the platform is, its features and settings can be overwhelming, especially for marketers new to the game.

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But no worries, friend. We’re here to help.

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Today’s blog is here to walk you through the process and help you harness the full potential of Meta Ads Manager. Whether you’re aiming to boost your brand awareness, increase your web traffic, or crank up your conversions, we’ll walk you through each step to make sure your next ad campaign delivers the results you want.

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What is Meta Ads Manager?

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Meta Ads Manager (formerly known as Facebook Ads Manager) is a powerful advertising platform that allows businesses and marketers to create, manage, and analyze their ad campaigns across Meta’s social media platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and Audience Network, a service that allows advertisers to extend their reach across apps and mobile websites.

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This provides Meta Ads users with a central hub where they can control their advertising campaigns from set up to tracking performance.

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Meta Ads Manager: Key Features

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So, besides the central hub, what makes Meta Ads Manager such a valuable tool for marketers?

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Here are some key features that marketers enjoy:

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• Campaign Creation — Meta Ads Manager allows users to create different types of ad campaigns tailored to their specific marketing goals, whether that goal is increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or boosting conversions.
• Audience Targeting — One of the standout features of Meta Ads Manager is its many targeting options. Marketers can go in and define their audience based on things like demographics, interests, behaviors, and geographic locations. It supports Custom Audiences (e.g., targeting people who have visited your website) and Lookalike Audiences (targeting people who have similar behavior to your existing customers).
• Ad Formats — Meta Ads Manager can support a wide range of different ad formats, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, slideshow ads, and more. This versatility allows marketers to choose the best format for their specific message and audience.
• Budgeting and Bidding — Users can set daily or lifetime budgets for their campaigns and choose from a variety of bidding strategies, like cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-impression (CPM), or cost-per-action (CPA). This helps to optimize ad spend and maximize their return on investment (ROI).
• Performance Tracking — Meta Ads Manager provides detailed analytics and reporting tools that let users to track the performance of their campaigns in real-time. 
• A/B Testing — The platform makes A/B testing (also known as split testing) a breeze, allowing marketers to experiment with different ad creatives, audience segments, and bidding strategies to pinpoint the most effective combinations.
• Integration with Other Tools — Meta Ads Manager integrates easily with other Meta products and external tools, including Google Analytics and different CRM systems, to provide a comprehensive view of how your ad campaigns are performing and how they are contributing to overall marketing goals.

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How to Master Meta Ads Manager

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Ready to be a Meta Ads master yourself?

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Here are 5 steps you’ll need to take to use Meta Ads Manager to run successful ad campaigns that drive meaningful results for your business.

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1. Set Up Your Account and Campaigns

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Setting up your Meta Ads account is a fairly simple process. Just follow these steps:

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1. Create a Meta Business Manager Account — If you haven’t already, start by creating a Meta Business Manager account. This will be where you manage all of your ad accounts, business pages, and other assets.
2. Link Your Business Pages — Once your Business Manager account is set up, link your Facebook and Instagram business pages to make sure that your ads can be displayed across Meta’s platforms.
3. Set Up Payment Methods — Navigate over to the payment settings inside Meta Ads Manager and add the payment method you want to use. This could be a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a valid payment source and set it as the default option to avoid any interruptions in your ad campaigns. You might want to consider setting billing thresholds as well to control how often you’re billed, especially if you plan to ruin high-budget campaigns.
4. Define Your Campaign Objectives — Before you start creating ads, you need to decide what you want to achieve with this campaign. Meta Ads Manager offers a variety of different campaign objectives that line up with any marketing goal you might have. Select the one that best matches your goals, whether that’s increasing brand awareness, traffic, engagement, lead generation, conversions, app installs, etc. Whatever objective you choose will determine the ad formats and targeting options (more on this in a bit) that are available.
5. Organize Your Campaign — Start by setting up your campaign as the highest level in the structure. Within each campaign, you’ll create ad sets, and within each ad set, you’ll create individual ads. This allows for better organization and management of your campaigns.

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2. Target the Right Audience

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After you set up your account and campaign, the next step in setting up your campaigns is to make sure that your ads are reaching the right people.

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Meta Ads Manager provides plenty of tools for audience targeting, which make it easier for you to fine-tune who sees your ads based on different criteria.

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We’ll break it down now:

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Audience Segmentation

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• Demographics — Start by defining your audience based on demographics like age, gender, education level, relationship status, etc. This helps you narrow down your audience to those who are most likely to be interested in your products or services.
• Interests and Behaviors — Take targeting a step further by segmenting your audience by their interests and behaviors. Meta Ads Manager lets you target users based on things like their hobbies, favorite activities, purchase behaviors, and more. Doing this will make sure that your ads are reaching those in your target audience who are more likely to engage with your content.
• Advanced Segmentation — Use Meta’s advanced segmentation features to refine your audience even more. For example, you can target users based on life events (like moving to a new city) or job titles, making your campaigns even more relevant.

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Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences

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• Custom Audiences — One of Meta Ads Manager’s standout features is the ability to create Custom Audiences. This option lets you target people who have already interacted with your brand, like those who have visited your website, engaged with your app, or are on your email list. By targeting users who are already familiar with your brand, you can increase the chances of conversions and build stronger customer relationships.
• Lookalike Audiences — To expand your reach even further, Meta Ads Manager also lets you create Lookalike Audiences based on your existing customers or Custom Audiences. Lookalike Audiences allow you to target new users who share similar characteristics with your best customers, making it easier to attract the high-quality leads that are most likely to convert.

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Advanced Targeting Options

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• Geographic Location — To further target your audience, tailor your ads based on geographic locations, like countries, regions, cities, or even specific zip codes. This is particularly useful if you have brick-and-mortar locations that operate in specific areas or if you’re running localized campaigns.
• Device Type — Optimize your ads by targeting users based on the device they’re using, whether it’s mobile, desktop, or tablet. This can help you create more relevant and effective ads that are designed to perform well on those specific devices.
• Retargeting Strategies — Use retargeting strategies to re-engage users who have previously interacted with your brand but haven’t yet converted. By showing these users tailored ads, you can remind them about your offerings and coax them to take action, which can get potential customers off the fence and improve your conversion rates.

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Combining Targeting Options

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• Meta Ads Manager allows you to combine multiple targeting options to create highly specific audience segments. For example, you can target users who are within a certain age range, live in a specific area, and have shown interest in your industry. This level of precision ensures that your ads are shown to the most relevant audiences, maximizing the effectiveness of your campaigns. Play around with options to see what works best!

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3. Create Eye-Catching Content

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If you want your ads to do their job, then they’ve got to be click-worthy — well-designed, eye-catching, with persuasive copy and irresistible CTAs.

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No matter what your product or service, here are some tips for creating click-worthy ads that appeal to your audience and drive conversions:

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Ad Creative Tips

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• Use High-Quality Images and Videos — Make sure that all of the visual elements in your ads, whether they’re animated GIFs, photos, or graphics, are high-resolution and professional looking. Blurry or pixelated images can quickly turn off potential customers. 
• Use Hierarchy — Organize your ad elements (images, text, CTA buttons, etc.) in a way that naturally guides the viewer’s eye. Use contrast, color, and spacing to highlight the most important information first.
• Incorporate Your Branding — Keep your ads consistent with your brand’s visual identity. Use your brand’s colors, fonts, and logo to create a cohesive look across all your ads and help build brand recognition.

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Copy Tips

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• Keep It Concise — Your ad copy should be clear, concise, and to the point. Aim to communicate your message in as few words as possible,so that your audience quickly understands your value proposition.
• Action-Oriented Language — Encourage your audience to take action by using strong verbs and clear calls to action. Phrases like “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Sign Up Today” prompt engagement better than less action-oriented language.
• Highlight Benefits, Not Just Features — Focus on how your product or service can solve a pain point or fulfill a need for your audience. Instead of simply listing out your product or service’s features, explain the benefits your audience can expect to experience by taking a chance on your brand!
• Personalize When Possible — Tailor your messaging to speak directly to your target audience’s needs and interests. Personalized ad copy can significantly boost your engagement and conversion rates.

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Choose the Right Format

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• Carousel Ads — Carousel ads allow you to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad, each with its own link. This format is perfect for highlighting multiple products, features, or benefits in a single campaign. It’s particularly effective for eCommerce brands looking to display multiple items in one ad.
• Video Ads — Video ads are dynamic and engaging and can capture attention much more quickly than static images or text. Use video to tell a story, demonstrate a product in use, or share customer testimonials. Just be sure to keep your videos short and to the point, focusing on delivering your message within the first few seconds to grab your viewer’s attention.
• Slideshow Ads — Slideshow ads are a great alternative to video ads if you want to create motion-based content but don’t have video footage to use. These ads combine multiple images into a looping slideshow, offering a lightweight format that’s easy to create and consumes less data, making it accessible even on slower internet connections.
• Collection Ads — Collection ads combine images and videos with product listings, and let users browse a range of items within the ad itself. This format is ideal for retail brands looking to showcase their product catalog and drive sales directly from the ad.
• Instant Experience (Canvas) Ads — Instant Experience Ads are full-screen, interactive ads that load instantly when clicked. They allow you to create immersive experiences with images, videos, carousels, and more, making them perfect for storytelling or detailed product showcases.

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Whatever kind of ad and format you use, be sure to experiment with different visuals, copy, CTAs, and formats to see what works best for your audience. Running A/B tests periodically to compare can help you determine what combination drives the highest engagements and conversions.

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4. Develop a Budgeting and Bidding Strategy

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Developing a well-thought-out budgeting and bidding strategy can really maximize the effectiveness of your Meta Ad campaigns and give your campaign more of a chance of a positive ROI.

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There are several ways to do it, so let's dive right in:

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Daily and Lifetime Budgets

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First, start by deciding between a daily or lifetime budget. If you’re not quite sure the difference, we’ll go over that now:

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• Daily Budget — Controls how much you spend each day. Idea for day-to-day management.
• Lifetime Budget — Spreads your spend across the entire campaign duration. Ideal for fixed-time campaigns where you want to set a total budget and let Meta distribute it for you throughout your campaign.

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Once you decide which works best for you, then you’ll need to determine your ad spend based on your goals and your resources.

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Bidding Strategies

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Next, consider the different bidding strategies that are available to you in Meta Ads Manager to see which best aligns with your campaign and your goals. They are as follows:

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• Cost-Per-Click (CPC) —  You pay each time someone clicks on your ad. This bidding strategy is ideal for campaigns that are focused on driving traffic or specific actions, like sign-ups or purchases.
• Cost-Per-Impression (CPI) — You pay based on the number of times your ad is shown (per 1,000 impressions). This type of strategy is best suited for brand awareness campaigns aimed at boosting visibility.
• Cost-Per-Action (CPA) — You set a target cost for a specific action (purchase, lead generation form submission). This is ideal for performance-driven campaigns where your ROI is closely tied to these specific actions.
• Automated Bidding Strategies — Let Meta bid for you. You can choose to have Meta automatically optimize your bids to get the lowest possible cost for your desired outcome or achieve your desired cost per result by adjusting bids to keep costs consistent over time. This is best for advertisers who want to focus on overall campaign performance without needing to manually deal with bidding.

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Overall, you’ll want to make sure that your budgeting and budgeting strategies are aligned with your goals and the audience targeting you established previously to get the most out of your efforts and make sure you walk away with a positive ROI!

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5. Monitor and Optimize Your Campaign Performance

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Finally, to make sure that your new Meta Ad campaign is delivering, it’s important to continuously monitor its performance and adjust as needed.

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Luckily, Meta Ads Manager offers a variety of analytics tools and strategies to help you track crucial key performance indicators (KPIS), like cost-per-click, cost-per-conversion, and return on ad spend to get you the best possible ROI.

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Again, don’t be afraid to A/B test and experience with your ad creative and strategies to optimize your campaigns. By testing out different images and copy, audience segments, and bidding strategies, you can identify what works best for your audience and what’s more worth more of your budget and time.

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Common Meta Ads Manager Mistakes to Avoid

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Once you get the hang of it, Meta Ads Manager becomes a powerful tool in your arsenal to help you run effective campaigns and reach your audience!

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But there are common pitfalls that marketers fall into, and knowing about these mistakes early on can save you time, money, and frustration!

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Here they are now:

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• Overlooking Audience Targeting — One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not refining your audience targeting. Without careful segmentation, your ads might be shown to people who aren’t interested in your products or services, leading to wasted ad spend and subpar results. Always take the time to define and narrow down your target audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and other relevant criteria. This will help you reach the right people and improve your campaign’s effectiveness.
• Ignoring Ad Fatigue — Another common issue is ad fatigue, which happens when your audience sees the same ad too many times. So, don’t beat a dead horse! This can lead to decreased engagement, higher costs, and even negative perceptions of your brand as your audience becomes annoyed and detached. To avoid this, regularly refresh your ads by updating images, tweaking copy, or experimenting with new formats. Keeping your content fresh will help keep your audience’s interest and give you better results.
• Failing to Monitor and Adjust — Finally, even the best-planned campaigns can go awry if you don’t monitor and adjust them regularly. Digital advertising is constantly evolving, and what works today might not work tomorrow. Regularly reviewing your campaign performance will let you make informed decisions about what to optimize, whether it’s shifting your budget, tweaking your targeting, or adjusting your bids. By staying proactive and making data-driven adjustments, you can keep your campaign successful and avoid stagnating!

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Looking for a Partner to Help You Master Meta Ads Manager?

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If you’ve read through this guide and come away thinking that Meta Ads Manager is trickier than you initially anticipated, then…well, you’re not wrong, friend.

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But, while we don’t doubt that you can manage it just fine on your own, sometimes it’s better to leave it to the experts!

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And that’s where Designity comes in.

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Designity is an innovative Creative as a Service platform that has a creative community made up of the best of the best (only the top 3% who apply each year!) in fields like graphic design, digital marketing, social media management, copywriting, video production and more, giving you instant access to all of the professionals you need to create effective campaigns that look amazing, grab attention, and help you reach your marketing goals.

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And with each account providing you with a dedicated Creative Director, a design and social media expert, to take the campaign burden off your shoulders. They’ll manage your creative team, plan and schedule your content, and keep your campaigns running smoothly. And best of all, you can get it all done without losing focus on where your business needs you most.

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Why struggle with constantly tweaking your ads and spending hours with your Meta Ads Manager account when you can partner with a team that lives and breathes social media marketing and can help you turn your ad spend into meaningful results?

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If that sounds like a plan to you, then we invite you to check out our social media marketing page and portfolio and see how Designity has been the answer for brands just like yours.

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If you like what you see (and why wouldn’t you?) then go ahead and take the next step. Book your demo call today to get started with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test drive Designity’s design and marketing services and see firsthand why we’re the one-stop social media shop your brand needs for effective digital ad campaigns!

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Are you ready to take your social media marketing efforts to the next level?

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