Maximising Facebook Ads for Your Small Business
If you’ve ever opened Facebook Ads Manager, stared at the buttons, and thought, “Nope,” you’re not alone. The good news: once you know the moving parts, Facebook ads stop feeling like a mysterious black box and start looking like a very handy growth lever.
Here’s how I approach it, step by step.
Why I even bother with Facebook ads
Simple: the audience is huge and the targeting is brilliant. My small-business brain likes the combo of big reach and small, precise filters. When I’m careful with targeting and creative, I can nudge exactly the right people—without torching my budget.
Step 1: Set a goal before you click anything
In Ads Manager, I hit Create and pick an objective that matches what I actually want: awareness (hello, new eyeballs), traffic (get them to my site), or conversions (leads or sales). If I can’t describe success in one sentence—“I want 50 sign-ups at £X each”—I’m not ready to run the ad yet.
Step 2: Build the audience like you mean it
This is where the magic happens. I start with demographics, interests, and behaviors, then get smarter with:
Custom Audiences to retarget folks who already know me (site visitors, past customers).
Lookalike Audiences to find more people who act like my best buyers.
Tip: I keep audiences tight early on, then widen as the winners emerge.
Step 3: Pick a format that does the heavy lifting
Single image if I’ve got one hero offer.
Carousel when I want to show multiple products or steps.
Video for demos, founder face-to-camera, or quick stories (thumb-stopping matters).
Collection when I want that smooth product-browsing experience right inside Facebook.
Step 4: Write copy that talks like a human
Short, clear, benefit-first. I lead with the outcome (“Save 20 minutes a day…”) and follow with the proof or the how. Then I add a bossy but friendly CTA: “Shop Now,” “Get the Guide,” “Book a Demo.” If my landing page doesn’t match the promise in the ad, I fix that first.
Step 5: Budget without guesswork
I start small, test multiple audiences/creatives, and only scale what’s working. If conversions are the goal, I optimize for conversions (not just clicks) and give the algorithm enough daily budget to learn.
Step 6: Optimise like a scientist
Every few days, I check reach, CTR, CPC, conversions, and ROAS. If something’s off, I look at relevance diagnostics and test one thing at a time: new image, punchier headline, tighter audience, different placement, or a fresh CTA. When frequency climbs and results dip, I refresh creative before fatigue sets in.
Step 7: Measure what matters (and ignore the rest)
Awareness? CPM and reach. Traffic? CTR and CPC. Sales or leads? CPA and ROAS. I compare ad sets and creatives, shift budget to the winners, and pause the pretty-but-underperforming stuff (we all have it).
A quick word on inspiration
When I’m stuck, I browse success stories for ideas. I’m not copying; I’m borrowing the structure—problem/solution, before/after, or social proof—and dressing it in my brand’s voice.
Wrapping up
Facebook ads don’t need to be perfect to be profitable. Start with a clear goal, talk like a person, match your format to the job, and test your way forward. Keep it friendly, keep it useful, and keep iterating. Your future self (and your sales) will thank you.