The Ad Lab - FAQ Vault
Have questions about the course content? Here you can find some answers to common questions I get asked by students during the course.
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How do I add captions to my video?
I do recommend captions (subtitles) on your videos if you're speaking. I find that if you wait about an hour before publishing your ad, you'll be able to select "Automatically Generated" captions. Click here to get instructions to add captions.
What can I do to increase my Ad’s performance? It’s going okay, but not as great as I wanted.
Some easy ideas for getting twice the results for your ads:
✅ 85% of Facebook videos is watched without sound — include captions! (search "captions" in this group for my video where I show you how)
✅ Include the name of your city in the first line of text and in the headline
✅ Respond back to messages/inquiries quickly
✅ Near the end of your promotion, reach back out to leads to tell them you only have a few spots left
✅ Target a wider demographic/audience
✅ Share your Facebook Ad in local groups (if allowed to and appropriate)
✅ Share the same post on your Facebook page, and include a link in your email that you send to your list
✅ Make a version of your ad just for Instagram (same campaign, new ad set)
Instead, here are some common mistakes to avoid that can hurt your ad performance:
❌ Video is long and starts slow with lots of talking
❌ Target audience too small
❌ No clear communication of what the promo is and where the salon is located at a glance
❌ Your Facebook page gives a bad impression
❌ We can’t hear you talking (too quiet or music too load)
❌ You give up if your ad doesn’t work right away. Don't do this! If you don't get the results you want, it's time to experiment! (Watch Module 5 for ideas!)
How can I edit my video to make it look great?
I recommend using the Splice app to edit your video.
People are clicking the link on my ad to go to my website, but they’re not booking an appointment. How do I fix this?
I actually recommend that you try using Messaging ads instead of website traffic ads. I show you how to do this in Module 4 Lesson 3.
If you do decide to use a "Traffic" ad and bring people to your website, make sure that you bring them to a webpage made specifically for your promotion or service that you're advertising. Also make sure your website works well from a mobile device (phone).
What’s the Facebook Pixel? What’s it for and how do I use it?
The Facebook Pixel is a way to track your website visitors so that you can "retarget" them and show ads to them - I highly recommend using it!
For instructions for using the Pixel, go to Module 6 Lesson 6.
It’s been 24 hours and my ad hasn’t been approved. Is that normal?
Usually ads will get approved within 6 - 24 hours, but sometimes they can take up to 2 days. If your ad still hasn't been approved in 2 days, contact Facebook ads help here.
Can I create and manage my ads from my phone or tablet?
You absolutely can, by downloading the "Facebook Ads" app. However in this course I show you how to create them on a computer, because you have many more options than using the app.
Can I make Instagram ads through the Ads Manager? Or is it better to do it through Instagram?
You can create ads through the Instagram app, just like you can create Facebook ads directly on your page by "boosting" them. However, you have many more options, and you will usually have stronger results by using the Ads Manager. Plus with the Ads Manager you can test ads, and see your performance much better.
Once my ad finishes, what do I do next? Do I keep running the same ad, or make a new promotion and ad?
If you're happy with the performance of your ad, feel free to keep it running until you've hit your goals. Otherwise, you might want to try out new ads and promotions each month. Go to Module 6 Lesson 1 for ideas and themes to do each month.
How much money should I budget for my Facebook ads? How do I edit my budget?
I recommend starting with $5 a day for a budget, and increasing from there if you want to. To edit your ad budget, hover over your budget number in the Ads Manager, and click the Pencil "Edit" button.
How can I track who has booked for my promo from Facebook ads?
If you're running a Messaging ad, you'll need to go into your Inbox on your Facebook page, and keep track of who is messaging you from your ad (you'll be able to see that they're responding to the ad in your conversation). I also recommend you get in the habit of asking each new client "How did you find me?" during their appointment.
What lighting do you recommend I use for my video?
Lighting is so important for a good video that looks professional and eye-catching. Make sure to film during the day if possible, with the light on your face, instead of behind you. If you don't have much light, try bringing over some lights and lamps, or even use a ring light. I personally like Neewer ring lights off Amazon, because they're affordable but very bright.
How do I get emojis in my ad?
Emojis in ads bring a pop of personality and draw the eye in. Don't go overboard, but definitely put some in if they fit your brand. I like to copy/paste from www.getemoji.com.
Why does my ad show up weird on Instagram?
Instagram ads do show up differently than Facebook ads. They don't have a headline first of all, but the text is also quite different. Any paragraph spaces you add in the Ads Manager, won't show up on Instagram. I recommend you either separate your paragraphs with a period "." instead of a space, or use this fantastic app to create spaces that actually show up on Instagram.
What’s the difference between a campaign, ad set, and ad?
A Campaign is the overall promotion and goal (for example, receiving Messages) you have for your ad. The Ad Set is the group of people you'll be targeting (for example, local women aged 20 -35) and the Ad itself is the creative visual part (the video, caption, etc). You can find more info in Module 4 Lesson 1.
What do all the different numbers mean in the Ads Manager? I don’t understand what “reach”, “frequency” etc mean.
I explain what all these terms mean in Module 5 Lesson 1 and Lesson 2.
What kind of results should I expect after the first week?
Sometimes it can take a week or even a bit longer to get the results you want from your ads. If you're spending $5 a day, I would expect you to be getting at least 1 or 2 inquiries, Messages, or leads a day. It depends a lot based on your ad, location, and target audience however.
How much do I need to spend in order to get results?
Like I mentioned, I recommend you start of with $5 a day in ads budget. It's difficult to give exact numbers for what your expected results will be, but I do recommend that you check in with your ad daily to make sure that you're making money, getting a positive return on investment, and booking clients.
What is the Business Manager? How is it different from the Ads Manager? Do I need to use it?
For more details about the Business Manager, check this article from Facebook. You don't need to have a Business Manager account in order to use the Ads Manager, but if you have multiple team members, or want to do more complex things, I recommend you set up your Business Manager account.
I have a technical problem/issue with my Facebook page or my ads? How can I get help?
You can get help with Facebook Ads by clicking this link. You'll be brought to the Help Center. Scroll down and click the "Get Started" button, follow the prompts and questions, and then you'll be able to chat with someone from Facebook ads help.
My ad isn’t showing to anyone - I don’t have barely any reach! What do I do?
First thing to check is to see if you have warnings from Facebook about your ad. Does it have too much text in it? Has it violated ad policies or been rejected instead of approved? When you log into your Ads Manager account, you can see warnings at the top of the page or in your notifications. This could be one reason for zero or low reach.
Next thing you’ll want to do is make sure that the correct calendar dates are selected in the top right of the Ads Manager.
Once you’ve double checked that your calendar dates are correct, you want to make sure that you’ve chosen the correct “Objective type” for your campaign. If your goal is to get messages, for example, your objective should be “Messages”.
On the front page of your Ads Manager account, hover over your campaign, click the edit button, and double check that you’ve chosen the correct objective:
Next thing to check is that your Ad Set (your audience) is large enough and is set up correctly. Click into your campaign and you’ll see your ad set. Click the edit button on your Ad Set and you can view how big your audience is and your estimated daily reach:
The potential reach for your audience should be large - a minimum of 20,000 is best, up to 200,000 people.
Your estimated daily results will change depending on your budget and audience, but you should be getting several hundred to several thousand per day.
Double check who you’ve targeted to make sure the right city, area, and age group as well.
After this, check your ad itself. Low reach could be caused by getting negative feedback on your ad. Click into your Ad Set and you’ll get to your ad. Select the checkbox to the left of your ad and select “Preview” to view a preview of your ad:
Double check that you don’t have any spelling mistakes, broken images, weird formatting or anything else that could be causing an issue and leading to negative feedback.
If you’ve checked all of those things and everything seems to be okay, you might want to try experimenting with different versions of your ad. Sometimes low reach is a product of poor ad performance. But don’t worry! You’ll get lots of ideas for different ads to try out in this course!
My ad doesn’t show up on my Facebook page. How can I find it?
When you publish Facebook ads with the Ads Manager, they don’t get published to your page, so this is completely normal.
To see a preview of your ad, go to the Ads Manager, click on your Campaign, then click on your Ad Set. Here you’ll see your Ad title. Click the checkbox beside your ad title and then select “Preview” above.
Here you’ll see a preview of your ad. If you click the square + arrow icon in the top left you’ll see options for viewing your ad or sharing a link to it.
When you get comments and likes on your ad, Facebook will send you a notification so that you can respond to comments directly on the ad.
How do I turn my ads off or pause them?
You can turn off Campaigns, Ad Sets, and Ads by pressing the blue button to the right of their name.
My ads aren’t working! What do I do?
First of all, don't panic! Ads can take some time and experimentation to work. I recommend you check out Module 5 for some ideas to run ad experiments and try.
My ad was rejected by Facebook! Why? What can I do?
My ads get rejected sometimes, too. It's normal to have some rejections and you can always try again. First of all, go into your Ads Manager account and look at your notifications where Facebook will tell you why it was rejected. Then, go into Module 4 Lesson 4 to see what the problem could be and ideas to fix it. When you know what to change, go into the Ads Manager, change your ad, and resubmit it.
