A step-by-step guide to Facebook advertising that generates real leads — without wasting your budget.
Facebook Ads can be one of the most powerful tools in a small business's marketing arsenal — or a black hole for your budget. The difference is knowing what you're doing. Here's a practical guide to getting started.
Before you spend a penny, you need a Facebook Business Manager account (business.facebook.com). This is separate from your personal Facebook and gives you access to Ads Manager, your Facebook Page, and your Pixel — all in one place.
The Pixel is a small piece of code you add to your website. It tracks what visitors do after clicking your ad — so you can measure conversions, build custom audiences, and retarget people who've already visited your site. Set this up before you run a single ad.
Facebook asks what you want to achieve before you build your campaign. Common objectives include: Awareness (get seen), Traffic (send people to your website), Leads (collect enquiries), and Conversions (drive sales). Choose the one that matches your actual business goal.
This is where most small businesses go wrong — they target too broadly. Instead, build a specific audience based on location (e.g. within 10 miles of Manchester), age, interests, and behaviours that match your ideal customer. Start narrow and expand once you have data.
Your ad needs to stop the scroll. Use a clear, attention-grabbing image or video. Write a headline that speaks directly to your customer's problem. Keep your copy short — people are scrolling fast. End with a clear call to action: "Get a Free Quote", "Book Now", "Shop Today".
Start with £5–10 per day. Run two versions of your ad (A/B test) — same audience, different creative or headline. After 7 days, turn off the underperformer and put your budget behind the winner. Never scale an untested ad.
Check your results every few days. Key metrics to watch: Cost Per Click (CPC), Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Cost Per Result. If your CPC is too high, try different creative. If your CTR is low, try a different headline or audience.
Running Facebook Ads well takes time and experience. If you'd rather let specialists handle it, get in touch with our Manchester PPC team. We manage Facebook and Google Ads for businesses across Manchester and we'd love to help.