Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) Guide

1. Introduction

Meta Ads allow you to reach people based on their interests, behavior, and demographics on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Audience Network. Unlike Search (intent-based), Social Ads are discovery-based.

2. Campaign Structure

The hierarchy is similar to Google Ads but with different terminology.

Campaign: Objective (What do you want to achieve?).
Ad Set: Targeting, Budget, Schedule, Placement (Who sees it and where?).
Ad: Creative and Copy (What do they see?).

3. Campaign Objectives (ODAX)

Meta streamlined objectives into 6 categories:

Awareness: Reach the maximum number of people/Brand recall.
Traffic: Send people to a destination (Website, App, Event).
Engagement: Get likes, comments, shares, or video views.
Leads: Collect info via Instant Forms, Messages, or Calls.
App Promotion: Get app installs.
Sales: Conversions (Purchases, Add to Cart).

4. Audience Targeting

This is Meta's superpower.

Core Audiences

Filter by:

Demographics: Age, Gender, Location, Language, Education, Job Title.
Interests: Hobbies, Pages they like (e.g., "Digital marketing", "Shoes").
Behaviors: Purchasing behavior, Device usage, Travel history.

Custom Audiences

Retargeting people who have already interacted with you:

Website Visitors (requires Pixel).
Customer List (email upload).
App Activity.
Engagement (watched video, opened form).

Lookalike Audiences

Finding new people who look like your best customers.

Source: A Custom Audience (e.g., "Purchasers").
Size: 1% (closest match) to 10% (broadest reach).

5. Ad Formats

Image Ads: Single image. Simple and effective.
Video Ads: Motion attracts attention.
Carousel Ads: Multiple scrollable cards (great for products).
Collection Ads: Instant storefront experience.
Stories/Reels: Full-screen vertical content (Immersive).

6. Meta Pixel & CAPI

Meta Pixel: A piece of code on your website that tracks user actions (Page View, Add to Cart, Purchase). Essential for optimization and retargeting.
Conversions API (CAPI): Server-side tracking (more reliable due to browser privacy changes/cookies blocking).