10 Common Facebook Ads Mistakes That Are Costing You Money
You've heard Facebook ads can feel like opening the gate to endless business opportunities—until you tried it.
You spent money without bringing in a single customer.
You're not alone.
Facebook ads can be magical, yes. But without a strategy, plan, and knowing current changes, you could be wasting money.
Let’s break down 10 costly errors and how to avoid them.
Table of Contents
Still Using Outdated Strategies
If you’re still using ad strategies from 2018 or 2019, it’s time for a refresh. With Facebook constantly evolving, relying on outdated tactics results in Facebook Ads wasting money.
Things changed drastically in 2021 when Apple launched the IOS 14.5 update, forcing Apple users to “opt-in” to being tracked. A lot of businesses cut back on their Facebook ad budget thinking tracking capabilities were over.
As with every new change, we learn new ways and adjust accordingly. Unfortunately, I still see some businesses running ads the way they learned before this huge change.
The Apple update was eons ago, compared to all of the other changes running Facebook ads, including the name change to Meta in 2021.
The platform’s algorithm is much improved, Meta has implemented the use of AI, and there's been huge changes to targeting options.
Spending money on ads like you did even a few years ago, could be a big waste of your money.
Try this instead
Test fresh strategies. Marketing isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it game. Experiment, learn, adjust, and keep up with the latest updates.
Targeting Everyone
Got a niche product? Then don't send your ad out to the entire universe.
What sets Facebook ads apart from other platforms, is the targeting capabilities. Even with the Apple privacy update, Facebook ads shine above the rest in finding your ideal customers.
If you're selling car products, you shouldn't spend your money showing your ad to all the people who don't even have a car.
Maybe you have a product that is only for women. Stop throwing money at ads shown to men!
Of course there are exceptions. If your product or service caters to everyone, you don't need to have specific targeting, and can trust Facebook to find your buyers.
Sending ads to everyone will take longer to find your buyers, wastes your money, and leaves you wondering why no one’s converting.
Try this instead
Be precise. Define your ideal customer and tailor your targeting. Find an audience that is converting well? Make a Look a like audience and try that too!
Landing Pages That Don’t Convert
Your ad’s job is to drive clicks, but what happens afterward depends on your landing page. If visitors aren’t converting into buyers, the problem might not be your ad.
I talk to a lot of businesses that are disappointed because “their ads” didn't work. Once we start talking about the campaign details, it's clear the ad itself wasn't the issue.
If people are clicking on your ad, but you're not seeing any conversions or sales, it's time to take a look at where you're sending them after leaving Facebook.
Do you know what your landing page conversion rate is?
If people don’t buy from it organically, paid traffic won't fix that. If you're getting a lot of clicks, and no purchases your ad is doing okay.
Your landing page is designed to make the sale.
Try this instead
Test your landing page, refine it, and make sure it’s optimized to convert. Is it optimized for mobile?
Advertising an Unproven Offer
Promoting a product or service no one’s ever bought? I'm guilty of this one too. You poured your heart and soul into creating it and you just know that everyone is going to LOVE IT!
You're ready to start using ads to make sales and watch the dough roll in.
Unfortunately, ads aren't the best way to prove or validate your offer. They will amplify what's already working, and help to scale your sales!
Dumping money into ads to test an unproven concept, can be an expensive way to realize no one loves it as much as you thought. 🥹🥹
Try this instead
Test your offer organically first. Use focus groups, poll your audience, or make some sales without ads.
Choosing the Wrong Objective
Not all ad objectives are created equal. Facebook Ads Manager gives you six options: each one is used for a specific purpose. lead generation, traffic, engagement, sales, and more.
Facebook is asking “hey, once you hit submit on this ad what do you want to happen?” The algorithm is super genius robot smart and if you don't tell it you want sales- you won't get sales.
When you start creating a campaign, you'll be directed to this screen as shown below. And it It can be hard to know what objective you're supposed to choose.
If your goal is sales, and you’re running ads with a traffic or engagement objective, you’ll miss the mark, because you're essentially telling Facebook to find people who will engage with your ad, but not buy anything.
Sure, you might see impressive numbers, like lots of clicks or likes, but if no one’s buying, those metrics aren't making you any money.
Try this instead
Know your goal before creating your campaign and choose the objective that aligns with it.
Selling Too Soon to a Cold Audience
Think about meeting someone for the first time. Would you immediately ask them for a huge favor? Probably not, right?
The same logic applies to Facebook ads. It takes time to build trust with potential clients or buyers.
Lately, people trying to have some peaceful scrolling to unwind, are being bombarded with a cluttered feed of “buy my stuff” and with that much noise, getting a click or purchase from a stranger is more challenging.
Because sales ads require people to stop what they're doing, click, leave Facebook, get out a credit card and disrupt their mindless scrolling, it's a big ask. Now, If you’re targeting existing customers or your email list, that’s different. Go ahead and pitch directly to people who already know and trust you.
I broke down the steps of a conversion through the customer perspective in the table below.
Behind the scenes of a successful sale from an ad
|
aCTION NEEDED |
POTENTIAL OBSTACLES |
|---|---|
|
Catch their attention with ad |
they're watching funny reels and relaxing |
|
Decide to click which usually involves leaving Facebook or Instagram |
short on time, not worth interruption of new website |
|
Remain interested once they land on your website |
page doesn't look right on their phone, website looks like it not the same thing they clicked on |
|
Get payment information |
it might be in another room and they're comfy |
|
Think about value, cost, and necessity |
as inputing visa number they start overthinking and feeling like they don't need it |
Try this instead
Build trust first. Share value, educate, or introduce your brand before going for the sale.
Skimping on Budget
It will take some money to have a successful Facebook ads campaign.
Facebook’s algorithm takes time to optimize and identify people ready to buy, and you need to have enough money for that to happen.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a huge advocate for small budget advertising, and I know first hand, that ads can work even if you're not one of the big guys. 🥳🥳 You can grab my free resource below if you'd like to try!
I want you to have the proper expectations going in, and I think that's where a lot of businesses are not fully understanding the different factors that go into ad cost.
There are formulas to help create a budget depending on the objective, and it's common to choose your ad budget based on how much you want to spend rather than what's necessary for success.
It won't take as much money to get someone to opt-in for a free product as it will to purchase something, and the cost can be relative to how much the product is.
For example, if you’re selling a $50 product and spending $2/day, you’re wasting $2 every day.
Running a conversion campaign will cost more than an awareness or traffic campaign, and it's important you expect that when planning your budget.
Try this instead
If you're on a tight budget, start with running brand awareness ads that keep people on Facebook. Retarget people that have engaged in your low cost ads.
Focusing Only on Cost Per Lead
Chasing the lowest cost-per-lead can be an expensive lesson.
I know there's a lot of sensational videos online promoting “cheap leads” which can be misleading, because most likely you're not seeing the whole story.
Spending $0.50 per lead feels like a win—until those leads don’t convert into paying customers.
Would you rather pay $25 for a lead that becomes a lifelong customer or $0.50 for someone who never buys?
Spending money in your business can sometimes require a change in mindset, especially if we're used to being frugal or struggle financially.
Quality beats quantity every time. Judge your ad performance by the value your leads bring, not just how cheap they are.
Try this instead
Do the research on your customers and client base. How much do they spend with you. It changes the perspective if their average value is $2000. Maybe you'd be okay spending $30 per lead knowing the cost of their purchase.
Not Tracking Your Data
Data is gold, but so many business owners treat it like an afterthought.
Without the right tracking in place, you won't know if your ad performed well or not. If you're getting sales, you might think there's no reason to track your metrics.
But, there's a lot that happens before they input their Visa. You could use the data of the non-sales traffic to improve your campaigns.
If you're not tracking, that's a wasted opportunity and not making the most of your ad spend.
Try this instead
Have the proper tracking set up on all your landing pages, lead magnets, and website. Facebook ads allows you to create custom audiences using this data.
Ensure your Facebook pixel is installed and firing properly. Conversion API should be set up as well, though this can be a bit. more complicated if you struggle with tech
This allows you to see what’s working, what’s not, and make informed decisions.
Think of data as the foundation for smarter campaigns, that will save you money!
Giving Up Too Early
Patience is key with Facebook ads. While you might want instant results, campaigns require time to optimize.
Turning off an ad after 24 or 48 hours doesn’t give Facebook’s algorithm enough time to work its magic.
This is a common mistake people make if they're doing things like it's still 2020.
With all of the new updates. Facebook is brilliant finding the right people, but it does take time.
I know how difficult it can be to watch Meta spend your money, and not have any financial return, but until it's fully optimized you won't have an accurate story.
Too often I talk to people that spend hundreds of dollars and give up in 24 hours!
Try this instead
Go into your ads with a different mindset, like “i'm willing to spend $100 to see who is resonating with my product” it's also just as valuable to know who's NOT resonating. Let your campaign run for 3-5 days before making significant changes. Even if your early results aren’t stellar, the data you collect will help you refine and improve future ads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren’t my Facebook ads converting?
Common issues include targeting the wrong audience, unclear messaging, or an unproven offer. Ensure your offer resonates with the audience and analyze metrics like click-through rate.
What happens if I don’t use Facebook’s pixel?
Without the Facebook pixel, you can’t track conversions, optimize for events, or create retargeting campaigns. Adding the pixel is critical for accurate performance data.
What’s wrong with boosting posts instead of running ad campaigns?
Boosting posts is simple but lacks advanced targeting and optimization options. Use Ads Manager for better control and results.
How do I know if I’m targeting the right audience?
Check your CTR. If you're not getting any clicks, it could be a few things, but one could be the audience. Are you checking to make sure it's at least 1 million people? Are you going too narrow? Try testing Facebook's A+ Audience for one of your ad sets and see how it does.
Is my ad budget too small to be effective?
Facebook ads can work with any budget, but very small budgets limit impressions and data for optimization. If you're going for conversion ads, your budget needs to be higher than traffic or awareness. Start with a reasonable amount and adjust based on results.
Should I focus on video or static image ads?
It depends on your audience and goals. Video usually gets higher engagement, but static images can work well for specific offers or audiences. Test both to find what resonates. It's always a good practice if your budget allows, to have multiple creative types. Carousel ads can do well if you have a lot of products, or want to tell a story.
How can I improve landing page performance for ads?
Make sure the copy speaks to your ideal customer, and that it's cohesive with your ad. If people click on your landing page and it's got different branding and messaging, you'll confuse or annoy your audience. Also- it should be optimized for mobile.
Final Thoughts
Facebook ads have incredible potential, but costly mistakes can sabotage your efforts, and make you want to throw in the towel thinking Meta ads don't work for your business.
By avoiding these common mis-steps, you’ll get closer to creating campaigns that drive results without wasting money and make you happy. 💃💃
Test your strategies, stay patient, and prioritize data over assumptions. When you align your goals, audience, and budget, Facebook ads can become one of the smartest investments for your business.
Want to work with an ads strategist? Let’s make your ads work smarter, not harder!
