Facebook Ad Optimization: A Manual Approach.

[SpyLead]

Manual optimization of Facebook advertising campaigns can enhance their effectiveness and reduce costs. This guide will cover key steps: budget allocation, placement selection, and performance analysis.

Setting Up Your Ad Campaign​

Initial Budget​

The first step in setting up a campaign is determining the initial budget. You can choose one of two options: allocate it manually among ad sets or set a global budget at the campaign level for automatic distribution.

Ad Set Budget​

Typically, it’s set at 25–35% of the daily limit of your ad account, with the exact percentage depending on the number of ad sets you plan to use.
Example: If your daily limit is $50, and you want to launch 3 ad sets, allocate $15–$17 to each.

Campaign Budget​

Instead of specifying amounts for each ad set, you can set a single budget at the campaign level, and Facebook will redistribute funds in favor of ad sets that show better results.
Example: With a daily limit of $50, you create a campaign with 3 ad sets inside and set the Campaign Budget to $50. The algorithm will automatically determine how to effectively divide the $50 between the ad sets based on your goals (leads, purchases, traffic, etc.).

Placements​

Often, we leave only mobile devices enabled and disable the Audience Network and Messenger. If we use Advantage+ Placements, we examine the results during the optimization phase and disable platforms that are clearly underperforming.

Creatives​

Ideally, prepare creatives in two formats: 1:1 and 9:16, then upload each format for the corresponding placement. If there is only one creative format, always check how it looks in the preview.
Example: In the Crop section when adding a creative, click Replace and upload the appropriate version for the corresponding placement.

Disabling Ad Sets​

One of the main methods of manual optimization is to disable ineffective (expensive) ad sets and launch new ones.
Secondary disabling occurs based on the spent budget. The following methods are used to determine the budget at which an ad set should be disabled:

• Primary Disabling:

Focus on metrics like CPM, CPC, and CTR. If they are too high or the CTR is too low, the ad set is disabled immediately.

• Secondary Disabling:

Based on the spent budget. To determine the “disabling threshold,” use one of these options:

• Method #1: Maximum Cost Per Lead (CPL) × 3.

For example, if the target CPL = $10, spend at least $30 on an ad set before disabling it.

• Method #2: Payout for an Approved Lead.

For example, if the offer payout is $28, then a minimum of $28 should be spent on an ad set before making a decision about its effectiveness.

Post-Launch Optimization​

By Age​

Collect initial data and break down statistics by age. To do this, select the campaign, click and choose “Breakdown → Age”.

Example: If you see that, for example, the 55+ audience delivers leads that are twice as cheap as the 25-55 age group, focus on 55+ in future campaigns.

By Placement​

Select the campaign, click, and choose “Breakdown → Placement”.

Example: In this example, it makes sense to consider which placements should be disabled. These are Facebook Reels, Right column, and Facebook In-stream video.

Overall, these manual optimization steps constitute a significant part of the work when running traffic on Facebook. Part of this routine can be automated using Facebook’s auto-rules.

 

[sambiz7]

Great stuff.
I heard in some say that there are AI tools you can use to automate all Ads, Never used them myself but I wonder if anyone has used them.

 

[Nikolaos]

Manual optimization of Facebook advertising campaigns can enhance their effectiveness and reduce costs. This guide will cover key steps: budget allocation, placement selection, and performance analysis.

Setting Up Your Ad Campaign​

Initial Budget​

The first step in setting up a campaign is determining the initial budget. You can choose one of two options: allocate it manually among ad sets or set a global budget at the campaign level for automatic distribution.

Ad Set Budget​

Typically, it’s set at 25–35% of the daily limit of your ad account, with the exact percentage depending on the number of ad sets you plan to use.
Example: If your daily limit is $50, and you want to launch 3 ad sets, allocate $15–$17 to each.

Campaign Budget​

Instead of specifying amounts for each ad set, you can set a single budget at the campaign level, and Facebook will redistribute funds in favor of ad sets that show better results.
Example: With a daily limit of $50, you create a campaign with 3 ad sets inside and set the Campaign Budget to $50. The algorithm will automatically determine how to effectively divide the $50 between the ad sets based on your goals (leads, purchases, traffic, etc.).

Placements​

Often, we leave only mobile devices enabled and disable the Audience Network and Messenger. If we use Advantage+ Placements, we examine the results during the optimization phase and disable platforms that are clearly underperforming.

Creatives​

Ideally, prepare creatives in two formats: 1:1 and 9:16, then upload each format for the corresponding placement. If there is only one creative format, always check how it looks in the preview.
Example: In the Crop section when adding a creative, click Replace and upload the appropriate version for the corresponding placement.

Disabling Ad Sets​

One of the main methods of manual optimization is to disable ineffective (expensive) ad sets and launch new ones.
Secondary disabling occurs based on the spent budget. The following methods are used to determine the budget at which an ad set should be disabled:

• Primary Disabling:

Focus on metrics like CPM, CPC, and CTR. If they are too high or the CTR is too low, the ad set is disabled immediately.

• Secondary Disabling:

Based on the spent budget. To determine the “disabling threshold,” use one of these options:

• Method #1: Maximum Cost Per Lead (CPL) × 3.

For example, if the target CPL = $10, spend at least $30 on an ad set before disabling it.

• Method #2: Payout for an Approved Lead.

For example, if the offer payout is $28, then a minimum of $28 should be spent on an ad set before making a decision about its effectiveness.

Post-Launch Optimization​

By Age​

Collect initial data and break down statistics by age. To do this, select the campaign, click and choose “Breakdown → Age”.

Example: If you see that, for example, the 55+ audience delivers leads that are twice as cheap as the 25-55 age group, focus on 55+ in future campaigns.

By Placement​

Select the campaign, click, and choose “Breakdown → Placement”.

Example: In this example, it makes sense to consider which placements should be disabled. These are Facebook Reels, Right column, and Facebook In-stream video.

Overall, these manual optimization steps constitute a significant part of the work when running traffic on Facebook. Part of this routine can be automated using Facebook’s auto-rules.

Great guide! Thank you for this!

 

[SpyLead]

Great guide! Thank you for this!

Great stuff.
I heard in some say that there are AI tools you can use to automate all Ads, Never used them myself but I wonder if anyone has used them.

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