How to Run Facebook and Instagram Ads in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide
A simple, up-to-date guide to Meta ads: the six campaign objectives, Advantage+, ads that click to WhatsApp, tracking, and the numbers to watch.
Facebook ads are now Meta ads. One campaign in Meta Ads Manager can show your business on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, and can open a chat with you on WhatsApp in one tap. If you last ran ads a couple of years ago, a lot has changed. This guide walks you through how to run Meta ads today, step by step.
What has changed since 2023
- Six simple campaign objectives. Meta replaced its long list of old objectives with six: Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App promotion and Sales.
- AI does more of the work. Meta’s automated Advantage+ settings are now the default for new campaigns. They choose placements, find audiences and share budget between ads automatically.
- Targeting is a suggestion. The interests you pick guide Meta’s system, but it may show ads to people outside them if it expects better results.
- Your creative matters most. With audience finding automated, the ad itself (the video, image and words) is now the biggest thing you control.
- WhatsApp is part of advertising. Ads that click to WhatsApp let customers start a chat with you straight from Facebook or Instagram.
- Tracking needs two parts. The Meta Pixel on your website works best together with the Conversions API, which sends results from your server and is not blocked by browsers.
Why Meta ads still work for small businesses
- Your customers are already there. Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are where people spend time on their phones every day.
- You control the spend. Set a daily budget you are comfortable with and pause any time. There is no minimum contract.
- Conversations, not just clicks. A WhatsApp or Messenger chat lets you answer questions and close the sale in your own words.
- Everything is measurable. You can see what each rupee bought: views, clicks, leads, chats or sales.
Before you start: a quick checklist
- A Facebook Page and an Instagram professional account, linked to each other.
- A business portfolio in Meta Business Suite, so your Page, ad account and people sit in one place.
- Your WhatsApp Business number connected, if you want chats from ads.
- A payment method added to your ad account.
- The Meta Pixel and Conversions API set up on your website, if you sell or collect enquiries there.
- One clear offer and a page or chat ready to receive the people who click.
How to run Meta ads: step by step
1. Open Ads Manager and click Create
Go to Meta Ads Manager from Meta Business Suite and click Create. Boosting a post from your Page is fine for quick reach, but Ads Manager gives you far more control over your goal, audience and reporting.
2. Choose your campaign objective
The objective tells Meta what result to look for. Choose carefully: it cannot be changed after the campaign is created.
| Objective | Choose it when you want |
|---|---|
| Awareness | Lots of local people to see and remember your business. |
| Traffic | Visits to your website, Instagram profile or a WhatsApp chat. |
| Engagement | Video views, post interactions or messages. |
| Leads | Enquiries through an instant form, calls or chats. |
| App promotion | Installs or actions in your mobile app. |
| Sales | Purchases or bookings on your website, app or in chat. |
A common mistake is choosing Traffic when you really want sales. Traffic finds people who like to click, not people who like to buy.
3. Start with Advantage+ settings
For most small businesses, Meta’s Advantage+ defaults for audience and placements are a good starting point. Keep the location tight if you serve a local area, and let the system learn.
4. Set your budget and schedule
Pick a daily budget you can keep running for at least a week. Every big edit restarts Meta’s learning phase, so avoid changing budgets, audiences or ads every day.
5. Guide your audience
Set the location, age range and language. Add a few interests as suggestions. Then build custom audiences: people who visited your website, engaged with your Page or Instagram, or are already your customers. These are often your best-performing audiences for follow-up ads.
6. Create ads people stop for
- Use vertical video (9:16) for Reels and Stories, and grab attention in the first few seconds.
- Show real people, your real place and your real work.
- Add captions, because many people watch with the sound off.
- Make two to four different versions so Meta can find the winner.
- Use a clear button: Send WhatsApp message, Call now, Book now or Learn more.
7. Choose where people land
Send people to a fast, mobile-friendly page, an instant form, or a chat. Ads that click to WhatsApp appear in Facebook and Instagram feeds, Stories and Marketplace, and open a WhatsApp chat with your business. You can create them from Ads Manager or directly from the WhatsApp Business app. If you use them, reply fast: a slow reply wastes a paid lead.
8. Publish, then watch and learn
Meta reviews your ad before it goes live. Once it runs, check results every few days, but give it about a week before making big changes.
Which numbers to watch
| Number | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Cost per result | What you pay for each lead, chat, sale or other result you chose. |
| Click-through rate (CTR) | How many people who saw the ad clicked it. Low CTR usually means the creative needs work. |
| Frequency | How many times the same person saw your ad. When it climbs high, refresh the creative. |
| Lead quality | How many enquiries turn into real customers. Track this yourself in your CRM or a simple sheet. |
| Return on ad spend (ROAS) | Sales value earned for every rupee spent, if you sell online. |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Picking the wrong objective for your goal.
- Editing the campaign every day and never letting it learn.
- Running a single ad and judging Meta ads on that one creative.
- Replying to WhatsApp or Messenger leads hours later.
- Running ads without the Pixel or Conversions API, so you cannot see what worked.
Final notes
Meta ads reward businesses that keep things simple: one clear goal, good creative, fast replies and patience during the learning phase. Start small, learn from the numbers, and grow what works.
Want help running your Meta ads? Xeventure IT Solutions plans, creates and manages Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp ad campaigns for small businesses, startups and hotels. Message us on WhatsApp or contact us.