Liam Walsh
Liam is a Co-Director at Intelligency and heads up the agency's Digital Intelligence & Paid Social activity. Over the last decade, he has worked with brands from the world of sports such as Premier League clubs to entertainment such as Channel 4 and Disney.
Running ads on Facebook and Instagram (via Meta) is one of the most accessible ways to grow your business online. But if you’re new to it—or you’ve tried before without much success—you might be wondering how actually to get the most from your ad budget.
The truth is that even small changes can make a big difference. This guide is designed to help you understand what’s going on inside your campaign and how to tweak things so your ads work harder, perform better, and cost less.
What’s the right objective for your Meta Ads campaign?
When you create a Meta campaign, one of the first questions you’ll be asked is: What’s your goal? This isn’t just a formality. The objective you choose tells Meta who to show your ads to—and how to optimise delivery.
Meta offers options like:
- Awareness: to get in front of new people
- Traffic: to send clicks to your website or landing page
- Leads: to collect contact details through a form
- Sales: for e-commerce or direct conversion goals
Choosing the wrong objective is one of the most common mistakes. For example, if you’re trying to get enquiries but choose “traffic,” Meta might optimise your ad for people who click—but don’t necessarily convert.
Start by asking yourself: What’s the one thing I want people to do after seeing this ad? Then choose the objective that supports that outcome.
Who should you be targeting with your Meta ads?
One of the most powerful features of Meta advertising is the targeting. You don’t have to advertise to everyone—you can be selective, which makes your budget go further.
You can target people by:
- Age, gender, location
- Interests and online behaviour
- Whether they’ve visited your site (custom audiences)
- People who are similar to your best customers (lookalike audiences)
When you’re starting, it’s smart to test a few different audiences. Look for patterns in performance and shift the budget towards the ones that bring in the best results. Over time, you’ll build a reliable picture of who responds to your ads and can adjust accordingly.
How do you create Meta ads that get clicks?
It doesn’t matter how well-targeted your ad is—if it doesn’t catch attention, people will scroll past it.
Good creative is clear, engaging, and to the point. Here’s what helps:
- Bright, eye-catching visuals or short videos
- A headline that speaks directly to your audience’s needs or pain points
- A simple, direct message—say what the offer is straight away
- A call to action (CTA), like “Book now,” “Sign up,” or “Get the offer”
Don’t be afraid to test a few different versions. Change the image, switch up the copy, or try different CTAs. Meta’s built-in testing tools make it easy to see what works best.
Why does your landing page matter so much?
Let’s say someone clicks on your ad—great! But what happens next?
If your landing page doesn’t match the promise of the ad, takes too long to load, or is hard to navigate on mobile, you’re likely to lose that lead.
Here’s how to improve the experience:
- Make sure your page loads quickly (ideally under 3 seconds)
- Match the message in the ad (keep the headline and offer consistent)
- Have one clear CTA—don’t overload the page
- Check it works smoothly on mobile (most traffic will come from phones)
If you’re using Meta’s built-in lead forms instead of a website, keep the form short and easy to complete—just ask for the essentials.
Which metrics should you be watching?
It’s easy to get distracted by “vanity metrics” like likes or reach—but those don’t always translate into results.
Instead, focus on numbers that show real performance:
- CTR (Click-through Rate): Are people clicking on your ad?
- CPL (Cost per Lead): How much are you paying to get a contact?
- Conversion Rate: What percentage of people take the desired action?
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): If you’re selling, are you making more than you’re spending?
These figures help you understand what’s working and what needs to be improved.
How often should you refresh your Meta ads?
Even the best ads stop working eventually. When the same people see your ad too many times, they stop engaging—and your performance drops. This is known as creative fatigue.
To stay ahead of this:
- Keep an eye on frequency (if it’s going above 3, it might be time to refresh)
- Introduce new creatives every 2–4 weeks
- Switch up your formats—try image, video, carousel or Reels
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel—sometimes a new image or headline is enough to keep things fresh.
How can you improve your results over time?
The key to Meta ads is simple: test, learn, improve, repeat.
Try different combinations of copy, creative, and audiences. Use Meta’s A/B testing tools to compare performance. And don’t be afraid to pause underperforming ads early—your budget is better spent on what’s working.
The more you experiment, the more confident you’ll become—and the better your results will be.
Final thoughts: What’s the best way to optimise your Meta Ads?
Meta advertising is powerful, but it’s not magic. Great results come from knowing your goal, understanding your audience, creating compelling ads, and reviewing your performance regularly.
If you treat your campaign like a living project—one you check in on, tweak, and improve—you’ll get better results without necessarily spending more.
And if you ever feel stuck or want expert support, we’re here to help. Whether it’s campaign setup, creative strategy, or full-scale management, we’ll help you turn clicks into conversions.
