Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have more options than ever when it comes to reaching potential customers. As the top social media platform, Facebook remains one of the best ways to reach consumers. However, organic reach has become challenging in recent years as Facebook has shifted to more of a pay-to-play model. However, as far as awareness and consideration stages go for your ideal targeted consumer, Facebook is one of the most affordable ways to reach a niche audience. This guide will help you get started on running and optimizing Facebook Ads.
5 Reasons SMBs Want to Advertise with Facebook Ads
1. Massive Audience Reach
While the younger people in your life may gravitate toward social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, there’s no denying Facebook’s reach. With more than 66% of the social media market, Facebook smokes Instagram, Pinterest, X, and YouTube.
“Facebook Ads is cost-effective and highly targeted,” says Sasha Berson, co-founder and chief growth officer at Grow Law Firm. “With over 2.9 billion active users, you can reach a massive audience without breaking the bank.
2. Opportunities for Engagement
Facebook isn’t just for pushing your products or services to a captive audience: The platform encourages engagement. By advertising on Facebook, you’re building a community you can then nurture as your brand grows.
“Let’s face it: Your community is on Facebook and Instagram,” Aycen Zambuto, founder at Artisans Edge, points out. “With an effective strategy, Meta advertising offers an opportunity to build a positive reputation within your community.”
3. Budget-Friendly Options
Ads can break the budget, especially for a small business in its earlier stages. Facebook has a low barrier to entry, allowing you to place an ad for as little as $1 a day. You can then scale as sales start coming in.
“In my experience, Meta does a better job at matching customer lists without a $50k ad spend, unlike Google Ads,” explains Domantė Gerdauske, digital advertising team lead at Omnisend. “As an SMB, you can start with modest budgets and increase as they achieve desired return on ad spend (ROAS).”
4. Advanced Targeting Options
Facebook allows you to refine your targeting to reach a niche audience. You can narrow your Facebook ad’s reach by:
- Location.
- Age.
- Gender.
- Interests.
“Facebook’s advanced targeting lets you reach the exact people who are likely to buy,” Berson advises. “For SMBs, this means less wasted spend and more efficient customer acquisition.”
5. Instagram Add-On
Since Meta owns both Facebook and Instagram, Instagram is built into its business tools. Not only can you schedule posts through Facebook’s scheduler, your Facebook Ads can be set to also run on Instagram — you simply check a box while choosing placements.
As Gerdauske points out, though, running Instagram Ads separately is sometimes a better option. “After researching my audience, I would either run Instagram Ads alongside Meta Ads or just choose Instagram if my product is aimed more at a visually driven, younger audience,” she recommends.
Getting to Know the Facebook Ads Manager
When you’re ready to place a Facebook Ad, the Ads Manager is the place to go. You can reach it by inputting Business.Facebook.com into your web browser. The ad dashboard is fairly easy to use, but it can help to take a look around since this is where you’ll create and monitor all your campaigns. In the sections below, I’ll cover everything you need to know about using it.
How to Run a Facebook Ad in 6 Steps
Getting started with a Facebook Ad is easy. Simply follow these steps to create your first ad.
1. Create an Ad
To get started, click on the +Create button in the Business Manager.
2. Choose Your Business Objective
You’ll be prompted to select a business objective. You can choose between:
- Awareness.
- Traffic.
- Engagement.
- Leads.
- App promotion.
- Sales.
3. Choose Between Automatic and Manual
You can go with Facebook’s recommended settings to make things easier, or manually set up your ad.
4. Add Your Creative
You can use videos or still images, as well as text. You can also add multiple creative options and monitor which ones get the best results.
5. Set Your Budget
You’ll need to set the maximum you want to spend each day. You can choose to start small and scale up as your ad starts getting results.
6. Monitor and Optimize
Placing the ad is only the beginning: You’ll need to continue to monitor it and use the information for future campaigns.
How to Create a Facebook Ad
Another great thing about Facebook Ads is that you’re in control of the creative. Here are some expert tips to make your Facebook Ads creative pop.
Add High-Quality Visuals
The majority of Facebook posts have imagery. Most of the time, that imagery comes in picture form, but videos and reels have gained considerable traction in recent years. Your first step in grabbing user attention is creating visuals that are both true to your brand and eye-catching.
Berson recommends the following:
- Keep graphics clean and bold.
- Use minimal text (Facebook penalizes text-heavy images) and contrasting colors to grab attention.
- Video is huge in 2025 — users spend 5x more time on video than static content. Short videos (15-30 seconds) with captions work best.
- With videos, focus on storytelling or product demonstrations to engage viewers quickly.
- User-generated content and testimonials feel authentic and are more trusted by consumers. Incorporate them for higher engagement.
- Writing Compelling Ad Copy
After Facebook users stop scrolling to take a look at your video or graphic, they’ll read the text that goes with it. Ivan Vislavskiy, CEO and co-founder of Comrade Digital Marketing Agency, has some tips for creating winning ad copy.
- Hook them fast: Start with a bold statement or question. You’ve got less than 3 seconds to grab attention!
- Be clear and direct: Don’t get cute with words. Tell people exactly what you’re offering and why it matters to them.
- Include a strong call to action: Tell users exactly what to do next, whether it’s “Shop Now” or “Learn More.” Clarity drives conversions.
Key Takeaways
Facebook Ads is a cost-effective way to get the word out about your business. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the dashboard and monitor results to inform future campaigns. Powerful ad creative is one of the best ways to grab attention and increase conversions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does it cost to run an ad on FB?
If you’re on a budget, Facebook is a great advertising option. You can get started for as little as $1 a day, although you’ll probably need to go higher to be competitive, depending on your niche.
“Facebook Ads are generally more cost-effective than Google Ads,” says Vislavskiy. “The average cost-per-click (CPC) on Facebook is around $0.97, compared to Google’s $2.69. Plus, Facebook’s advanced targeting reduces wasted spend. You reach highly relevant audiences without paying for irrelevant clicks, maximizing return on investment.”
However, costs for Facebook Ads are rising, making it more important than ever that brands find ways to complement their social media efforts with other forms of advertising.
Does Facebook have a creative tool for ads?
Facebook offers plenty of tools for setting up your ads, refining your target audience, and monitoring results. However, when it comes to creating graphics and videos, you’ll likely need a design tool like Photoshop or Canva. Vislavskiy also recommends a few third-party tools if you want to expand the platform’s testing and analytics.
“For deeper insights, consider using tools like AdEspresso for A/B testing and Hootsuite Ads for managing multiple campaigns,” Vislavskiy says. “Semrush is great for competitive analysis to see how your ads stack up against others.”
What are alternatives to FB to advertise your business?
You’ll find several good alternatives to Facebook, including Google Ads. Zambuto names one notable difference between the two platforms.
“Facebook Ads allows you to connect with your audience, which is great for building awareness and generating demand,” Zambuto explains. “Google Ads, on the other hand, put you directly in front of interested customers. While this typically incurs a higher cost-per-lead, the customers are generally much more qualified.”
You can also use specialized performance marketing tools that optimize your Facebook Ad results, which will help you make the most of each campaign. Those tools aren’t competitors to Facebook Ads -— rather, they’re designed to work alongside your campaigns.
