How do meta ads really work?

Ken Gibson
Jul 8
2 min read

…and why "promoting a post" is usually a waste of money

Many people simply click "Promote Post" on Instagram or Facebook and hope for increased reach. But that's not really how meta ads work. If you want leads, visibility, or sales , you need a clear strategy. Here's how meta ads really work and what you should keep in mind.

What are meta ads anyway?

Meta Ads are paid advertisements on Facebook, Instagram & Co. With them you can:

Build more visibility
Gain qualified leads
Increase conversions (e.g. bookings, sales, donations)

But: Only if goal, target group & content fit together.

The 3 most important elements of every meta campaign

1. Goal

First, choose what you want to achieve: Reach, leads, website clicks or salesMeta shows your ad only to the people who match your goal.

2. Target group

Meta knows its users well. You can display your ad based on:

Interests & Behavior
Location, age, language
Similar target groups (lookalikes) If you target imprecisely, you waste your budget.

3. The ad itself

Creative decides: Will someone click – or scroll past? Your image, video, or text must stand out, arouse interest, and clearly state what to do.

Why “promote post” is not enough

The Boost button is like handing out flyers in the dark:

It is made quickly but you have

❌ hardly any control

❌ little control

❌ no real goals (like leads or conversions)

If you want to advertise seriously, use the Meta Ads Manager with strategy, tests and reporting.

✅ Conclusion: Meta Ads need more than budget

Real results are only available with:

Clear goal
Suitable target group
Good design & content
Ongoing optimization

Do you want your ads to produce results?

I support companies, NGOs and associations in achieving targeted leads, visibility and conversions with meta ads, from concept to the finished ad.

…and why "promoting a post" is usually a waste of money

Many people simply click "Promote Post" on Instagram or Facebook and hope for increased reach. But that's not really how meta ads work. If you want leads, visibility, or sales , you need a clear strategy. Here's how meta ads really work and what you should keep in mind.

What are meta ads anyway?

Meta Ads are paid advertisements on Facebook, Instagram & Co. With them you can:

Build more visibility

Gain qualified leads

Increase conversions (e.g. bookings, sales, donations)

But: Only if goal, target group & content fit together.

The 3 most important elements of every meta campaign

1. Goal

First, choose what you want to achieve: Reach, leads, website clicks or salesMeta shows your ad only to the people who match your goal.

2. Target group

Meta knows its users well. You can display your ad based on:

Interests & Behavior

Location, age, language

Similar target groups (lookalikes) If you target imprecisely, you waste your budget.

3. The ad itself

Creative decides: Will someone click – or scroll past? Your image, video, or text must stand out, arouse interest, and clearly state what to do.

Why “promote post” is not enough

The Boost button is like handing out flyers in the dark:

It is made quickly but you have

❌ hardly any control

❌ little control

❌ no real goals (like leads or conversions)

If you want to advertise seriously, use the Meta Ads Manager with strategy, tests and reporting.

✅ Conclusion: Meta Ads need more than budget

Real results are only available with:

Clear goal

Suitable target group

Good design & content

Ongoing optimization

Do you want your ads to produce results?

I support companies, NGOs and associations in achieving targeted leads, visibility and conversions with meta ads, from concept to the finished ad.