How to Scale Facebook Ads with Automation

Sahil JainCEO, Co - founder

You’ll learn how to:Automate your most tedious & manual Facebook optimization tasks, freeing you up to think about strategy, audience refinement, and creative.

Create a set of rules to monitor and optimize your ad campaigns 24/7 based on the KPI metrics you care about.

Schedule your campaigns to be in better alignment the customer journey, showing the most relevant ad creative based on time or a sequence of actions.

About Me

Sahil Jain is the CEO of AdStage, a leading cross-channel online advertising platform. Previously he dropped out of High School to be an Engineer at Yahoo!, left UC Berkley to join Corp Dev at AOL and co-founded YC backed Trigger.io

About AdStage

AdStage is a powerful cross-channel advertising platform, helping digital marketers easily report, automate, and manage paid search & social campaigns all under one roof.

Why Automation

The Case for Automation

What Are Facebook Automated Rules?

Automated Rules allow marketers to turn previously manual and mundane optimization tasks into automated jobs that run in the background.

This allows for continual monitoring and optimization of ad accounts, campaigns, and ad creative without the need for manual action.

Full vs. Rule-Based Automation

Full AutomationAn advertiser opts into a black box algorithm that optimizes the campaign without input.

Rule-Based AutomationAdvertisers select the KPIs, conditions, and thresholds they care about over a certain time range; self-determining what should be optimized.

Facebook Automation Types

Automation Type #1:Alerts

Performance Alerts

Receive an email alert with a list of the affected campaigns, ad sets, or ad creative that are experiencing positive or negative performance trends.

Performance Alert Examples

Track Underpacing Ad Sets

Apply rule to: Ad set(s)Conditions: If lifetime spend is < $70

Time Range: 7 daysAction: Send notification only

Performance Alert Examples

Track Overpacing Ad Sets

Apply rule to: Ad set(s)Conditions: If lifetime spend is > $110

Time Range: 7 daysAction: Send notification only

 

Automation Type #2: Scheduling

Ad Set Scheduling

Schedule your ad sets to show at peak conversion rate or cost per conversion times.

Pulling Performance by Day of Week & Hour

Option A:

Create a Custom Report in Google Analytics

Pulling Performance by Hour

Option B: Select from the Breakdown data in FB Manager or Power Editor

Scheduling Your Ad Sets

In Facebook Manager:

1. Create a new ad set2. Select a lifetime budget3. Select “Run ads on a

schedule”4. Pick your scheduled time

ranges by day

*Scheduling is only available for lifetime budget ad sets.

Scheduling Your Campaigns & Ad Sets

Through the Ads API

1. Select your scheduling at the campaign or ad set level

2. Choose your account3. Choose your campaign(s) or ad

set(s)4. Select the day of the week, and

time range from the picker.

*Scheduling is available for any budget type – at both the campaign and ad set level. Even in bulk.

Automation Type #2: Rules

Optimization Rules

Make optimization edits to your campaigns, ad sets, or ad creative automatically by selecting the conditions when an action should happen.

Ex: Pause/play ad sets or ads, increase or decrease budgets or bids.

Rules to Try

Pause High CPA Ad Creative

Apply rule to: Active ads in 1 campaign

Conditions: IF Lifetime Spend is greater than $200.00 AND CTR (link

click) is < 1% AND Cost per Lead (Facebook Pixel) is greater $100

*Time range: Last 7 daysAction: Turn off ad

Note: Cost Per Lead can be replaced by any cost per website conversion metric you prefer

Rules to Try

Boost Low CPA Ad Set Budgets

Apply rule to: Active ad sets in 1 campaign

Conditions: IF lifetime spend is > $200.00 AND Results are > 5, AND Cost Per Lead (Facebook Pixel) is < $45.00Action: Increase daily budget by 5%

Maximum daily budget cap: $90

Note: Cost Per Lead can be replaced by any cost per website conversion metric you prefer

Automation Type #3: Ads & Audience Testing

Ad Creative Testing

Test different creative elements, performance triggers, and timing to reveal the right ad to your audience that generates the best desired result.

Ad Testing Types

I. Multivariate

II. Ad Rotation

III. Ad Flighting / Sequencing

Multivariate Testing

Testing different headlines, description copy, images, CTAs, and destination links against the same targeted audience.

With the end goal to increase your conversions or decrease your cost per conversion.

Elements of a Facebook Ad

Things you can test:

1. Post text2. Headline3. Link description4. Image or media5. Call-to-action button6. Display link7. Destination URL

Multivariate Ad Testing

Examining the Results

Conversion Rate Analysis:

The Ad Variation #1 ad has a better Conversion Rate than the Ad Variation #2 ad.

The Ad Variation #1 ad's Conversion Rate is 60% greater than the Ad Variation #2 ad.

Source: CardinalPath’s PPC Ad Testing Tool

Ensure your results are statistically significant.

Split Testing in Facebook Manager

When creating a new campaign, FB reveals the options to test different delivery strategies, audience targeting, and placements.

Automation Type #4: Ad Rotation & Sequencing / Flighting

Ad Rotation

Rotating ads by time duration or performance metrics with no set order as to which group is queued up next.

Ad Rotation

Ad Flighting / SequencingSchedule a group of ad creative to show in a logical series of steps, based on time.

Advertisers choose the exact order in which to show ad creative groups.

Sequencing / Flighting Example

Step #1: Sponsored posts featuring best fit blog content.

Step #2: Sponsored posts highlighting best fit, email gated whitepapers.

Step #3: Sponsored posts highlighting upcoming webinars.

Step #4: Dark sponsored posts that lead to a demo request page for your service.

Example: Show your targeted audience a group of ads by step.

Ad Sequencing in Power Editor

1. Create a new campaign with a Reach objective type.

2. Create a new ad set, and accompanied ad creative.• Ensure the new ad set and ad

creative are posted.3. Revisit the ad set and, if unlocked,

the delivery settings will reveal the option for “Sequencing.”

4. Select the order of your ads to show, then save and take it live!

 Note: In a closed beta with only select advertisers. Typically, non-US.

If unlocked, follow these steps to set up sequencing:

Ad & Ad Set Flighting Through the API

How to create a flight:

1. Choose your flighting at the ad or ad set level.

2. Select the ads and ad sets you’d like to create a sequence for.

3. Assign a step for each.4. Finally, create a schedule for

each step using the date picker.

Takeaways & TipsMove your spend pacing and high CPA monitoring to performance alerts. Prioritize optimization time from your daily curated emails.

Schedule your ad sets to run during the best performing times.

Test different ad creative elements to increase CTR and conversion rates against the same audience.

Build a sequence that will reveal cluster of ads in a series of steps that better compliments the buyer journey.

What you should be automating

Create automated optimization rules to pause underperforming ad creative or entire ad sets.

AnyQuestions?

Learn more:

www.adstage.io/automationblog.adstage.io

@sahilio