The blog outlines a streamlined six-step approach to launching new Facebook ads effectively, emphasizing efficiency and maximizing return on ad spend (ROAS). The primary focus is on using a prospecting Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) campaign as the foundation for the entire ad account.
- Step 1: Launch a Prospecting CBO Campaign
- The prospecting CBO campaign is described as the “gold mine” for the ad account.
- It drives competitiveness across the account by allowing the best-performing ads to rise and the worst to be weeded out, minimizing wasted spend.
- This campaign is the cornerstone for identifying winning creatives and ad sets.
- Step 2: Create a New Broad Ad Set in the CBO Campaign
- Each time new ads are launched, a new broad ad set is added within the prospecting CBO campaign.
- This broad targeting helps Facebook’s algorithm find the best audience for new ads without restrictive targeting.
- Step 3: Manage Budget Allocation with Ad Set Percentage Caps
- Budget controls are applied by setting either a maximum percentage for the top-performing ad set or a minimum dollar amount for the new prospecting ad set.
- This budget management ensures balanced spend distribution between established winners and new ads.
- Step 4: Limit Number of Ads per Ad Set
- A maximum of 6 to 8 ads are launched within each ad set.
- This keeps the ad variations manageable and reduces audience overlap or algorithm confusion.
- Step 5: Use Flexible Ad Units for Highly Similar Ads
- Ads that are nearly identical (e.g., 99% the same with minor wording changes) are grouped as flexible ad units.
- This tactic avoids redundancy and allows better optimization of similar creatives.
- Step 6: Let the Campaign Run Without Changes for 7–14 Days
- No adjustments should be made to the campaign for at least 7 days; ideally 14 days for more reliable data.
- This waiting period allows Facebook’s algorithm to properly attribute conversions and optimize delivery.
- Post-Analysis: Graduate Winning Ads to Scale Campaigns
- Using incremental attribution, winners from the prospecting campaign are identified.
- These winning ads are then moved into scaling campaigns to increase spend and drive growth.
- The process repeats continuously to generate new winners and maintain account momentum.
Key Insight:
The speaker stresses that over-optimizing too frequently leads to wasted ad spend, especially critical during high-stakes periods like Q4 and the start of a new year (2026). The six-step framework is presented as a simple but powerful method to optimize Facebook ads efficiently without constant tweaking.
Summary Table of the Six-Step Facebook Ads Launch Process
| Step No. | Action | Details/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Launch Prospecting CBO Campaign | Central campaign to find best ads, minimizes wasted spend |
| 2 | Create New Broad Ad Set | Broad targeting for new ads, allows algorithm freedom |
| 3 | Set Budget Caps on Ad Sets | Max % for top ad set or min $ amount for new ad set to manage spend balance |
| 4 | Limit Ads per Ad Set | 6 to 8 ads max per ad set |
| 5 | Use Flexible Ad Units for Similar Ads | Group nearly identical ads to avoid duplication |
| 6 | Wait 7-14 Days Before Optimizing | Allows algorithm to gather reliable data and optimize delivery |
| Post-Process | Graduate Winners to Scale Campaign | Use incremental attribution to identify winners and scale spend |
Additional Notes and Recommendations
- Prospecting CBO Campaign as Foundation:
This strategy relies heavily on the prospecting CBO campaign as the core testing ground, highlighting its importance in the ad account hierarchy. - Broad Targeting Preference:
The emphasis on broad ad sets suggests a trust in Facebook’s machine learning to optimize delivery rather than manual hyper-targeting. - Flexible Ad Units Concept:
This is a nuanced tactic to handle ad variants that differ very slightly, helping maintain clarity in performance data. - Patience in Optimization:
The recommendation to avoid making changes for at least a week (preferably two) counters common tendencies to over-optimize too soon. - Incremental Attribution:
The method of measuring incremental impact is key to accurately identifying winning creatives, avoiding false positives from premature data.