Making Optimizations and Changes to Meta Ads: The Beginner's Guide

Fine-tuning and evolving your ad campaigns over time is key for driving better performance. This guide will explore optimization best practices for beginners.

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make with Meta ads is setting up campaigns and then never adapting or optimizing them. But campaigns require ongoing refinements and updates to reach their full potential.

In this guide, we'll cover proven strategies for optimizing existing Facebook and Instagram campaigns to improve results. You'll learn how to diagnose underperformers, shift budget to winners, update targeting, refresh creatives, expand efforts strategically, and correct issues.

Follow these best practices to get the most from your ad investments by continually optimizing.

Regularly Review Performance

Check analytics at least weekly to spot trends and identify areas needing optimization. Look at both high-level metrics and segment-level detail.

Diagnose the Root of Underperformers

Determine the likely factors causing poor ad set or campaign performance using available data. Is it the audience, placement, creative, landing page?

Pause Consistent Underperformers

Don't waste budget on ad sets or campaigns that perpetually underperform. Pause them and shift funds to better options.

Increase Investment in Top Performers

Scale up budget for ad sets, campaigns, and target audiences driving the highest return on investment.

Evolve Targeting Over Time

Refine audiences, add more detailed targeting layers, and expand reach with lookalikes once proven out.

Refresh Creatives and Offers

Update ad copy, images, videos, and promoted offers to keep campaigns fresh and engaging.

Expand Campaigns Methodically

Add new ad sets, creatives, and audiences gradually to minimize risk as you scale efforts.

Correct Any Errors Promptly

Address issues like policy violations, billing problems, targeting mistakes quickly to minimize impacts.

With an optimization mindset and systematic approach to improving campaigns, you will maximize the value of your ad investment on an ongoing basis.

Facebook advertising is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience and achieve their marketing goals. But with so many options and features available, it can be tough to know where to start.

We have managed hundreds of Facebook and Instagram campaigns for businesses of all sizes, and we know what it takes to achieve success.

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Frequently asked questions

How often should I optimize existing campaigns? Check performance weekly and implement incremental optimizations frequently.

What metrics indicate an underperforming ad set? Low CTR, high CPC, poor engagement rate, missed conversion targets etc.

How much should I increase budget for top performers? 10-20% increments allow enough growth while minimizing risk.

When should I pause an underperforming campaign? Pause ad sets consistently missing targets for 2+ weeks despite optimization attempts.

Should I refresh creatives every week? Starting out, testing new creatives every 2-3 weeks helps keep campaigns fresh.

How often can I change an ad campaign's targeting? You can edit targeting as needed - daily if helpful. But avoid constant drastic overhauls.

Is it better to pause or delete poor performers? Pausing keeps data for future analysis. Delete if efforts won't be revisited.

How quickly should I scale new campaigns? Add budget, audiences etc gradually over weeks as data validates performance.

Can I duplicate well-performing campaigns? Yes, duplicating successful efforts can expedite scaling.

Should I optimize for ROAS or CPA? ROAS is better overall. But set CPA targets based on margins.

How narrow should new audience targeting be? Start focused then gradually layer interests, behaviors for precision.

What's the value of turn off/on tests for elements? Toggling components isolates impact to inform optimization decisions.

How often should I check for targeting expansion opportunities? Review additional suggested interests monthly.

Is it better to have one larger ad set vs. many smaller ones? For optimization, smaller tightly themed ad sets typically work best.

Can I schedule campaign optimizations in Ads Manager? Yes, you can schedule targeting expansions, budget changes, and new creatives.

Should I create new ad sets or edit existing ones when iterating? Try both - edit existing sets and create new ones to test improvements.

How often should I review new optimization opportunities? Check for new recommendations weekly within the Opportunities tab.

How much should I customize campaigns per placement? Tailor creatives, captions, etc. to each placement. But use consistent offers.

How can I improve landing page experience? Faster loading, clear messaging, easy calls-to-action help.

What are signs my campaigns need more dramatic changes? Consistently missing KPIs over extended periods indicates need for overhaul.