Ad Manager — StudioM Platform Guide¶
Who this guide is for: Anyone running Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns who wants leads to flow directly into their CRM. Time to read: Approximately 9 minutes
What Is the Ad Manager?¶
The Ad Manager lets you create, manage, and track Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns from within the platform. When someone fills in a lead form on your ad, their details flow straight into your CRM as a new contact — no manual data transfer, no spreadsheets. Automated follow-up can begin immediately.
This is particularly powerful for Facebook Lead Ads, where a prospective client can submit their details without leaving Facebook or Instagram.
Need StudioM Support for This? Connecting your Facebook Ad Account, setting up Meta Pixel, and initial campaign configuration requires setup by StudioM. Contact us when you're ready to launch your first campaign or connect a new ad account.
How to Get There¶
Navigate to: Marketing (left sidebar) → Ad Manager
Prerequisites¶
Before running ads through the platform, you'll need: - A Facebook Business Page - A Facebook Ad Account - These must be connected to your StudioM account (StudioM handles this setup)
Campaign Structure¶
Every Facebook/Instagram ad campaign follows a three-level structure:
Campaign → Ad Set → Ad
| Level | What You Configure |
|---|---|
| Campaign | Advertising objective + overall budget |
| Ad Set | Audience, placements, schedule, and budget |
| Ad | The creative — image/video, headline, and copy |
Campaign Objectives¶
Choose the objective that matches your goal:
| Objective | Best For |
|---|---|
| Lead Generation | Collecting contact details directly within Facebook/Instagram |
| Traffic | Sending people to your website or landing page |
| Conversions | Driving specific actions on your website (form submissions, purchases) |
| Reach | Maximising how many people see your ad |
| Engagement | Getting likes, comments, shares, and page follows |
| Messages | Starting conversations via Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp |
For most small businesses, Lead Generation campaigns with Facebook Lead Ads give the best results — contacts submit their details without leaving the app, and those details flow straight into your CRM.
Creating a Campaign¶
Step 1 — Campaign Settings¶
- Click + New Campaign
- Choose your objective
- Name the campaign using a clear convention (e.g., "May 2026 — Free Consultation — Lead Gen")
- Set your campaign budget (daily or lifetime)
Step 2 — Ad Set Configuration¶
Audience:
| Audience Type | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Saved Audience | Demographics, interests, and behaviours you define |
| Custom Audience | Uploaded contact lists, website visitors, video viewers |
| Lookalike Audience | People similar to your existing customers |
| Advantage+ Audience | AI-driven targeting where Meta finds the best audience |
Targeting parameters: - Location — target specific cities, regions, or a radius around your business - Age range - Gender (where relevant) - Interests and behaviours
Placements: - Automatic Placements — Meta decides where to show your ad (feeds, stories, reels, etc.) - Manual Placements — you choose (Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels, etc.)
For most campaigns, Automatic Placements gives better results at lower cost.
Step 3 — Ad Creative¶
Choose your ad format:
| Format | Best For |
|---|---|
| Single Image | Clean, focused message |
| Carousel | Multiple products or multiple benefits |
| Single Video | Demonstrations, testimonials, storytelling |
| Slideshow | Lightweight video-like format from static images |
Ad copy components: - Primary Text — the main caption (aim for 1–3 sentences; longer copy can work for warmer audiences) - Headline — displayed below the image (keep it under 40 characters) - Description — optional secondary line - Call to Action button — Learn More, Book Now, Sign Up, Get Quote, etc.
Facebook Lead Ads¶
Lead Ads are Facebook's format where the contact form is built directly into the ad — no website visit required. When someone clicks your ad, an instant form pops up with their details (name, email, phone) pre-filled from their Facebook profile. They just confirm and submit.
Why use Lead Ads: - Higher form completion rates (pre-filled, no load time) - Works on mobile (where most Facebook users are) - Leads flow straight into your CRM automatically
Creating a Lead Ad Form¶
When setting up a Lead Generation campaign: 1. In the Ad level, choose Instant Form as the ad format 2. Click + New Form 3. Add the fields you want to collect (name, email, phone are standard) 4. Write a brief headline and description for the form 5. Add a Privacy Policy link (required) 6. Set a thank-you message shown after submission 7. Click Finish
The form is linked to your ad. When the campaign goes live, submitted leads automatically appear in your Contacts as new contacts.
Audience Targeting — Custom and Lookalike Audiences¶
Custom Audiences from Your CRM¶
Upload your existing contact list to create a custom audience — useful for running retargeting ads to people who've already shown interest:
- Navigate to Ad Manager → Audiences
- Click + Create Audience → Custom Audience
- Choose Customer List
- Upload a CSV of your contacts (with email or phone)
- Meta matches the list to Facebook profiles
Common uses: - Retarget contacts who haven't converted - Exclude current customers from prospecting campaigns - Run a special offer campaign to past enquiries
Lookalike Audiences¶
Create an audience of new people who are statistically similar to your best customers: 1. Create a Custom Audience from your top customers first 2. Then create a Lookalike Audience based on that custom audience 3. Set the similarity percentage (1% = closest match, 10% = broader reach)
How Leads Flow Into Your CRM¶
When someone submits a Lead Ad form:
- Meta sends the lead data to the platform
- A new contact is automatically created in your CRM
- A workflow can fire immediately (e.g., send a confirmation SMS, notify a team member, create an opportunity)
- You can view the new contact in Contacts with source = "Facebook Lead Ad"
This real-time lead flow is the key advantage of running ads through the platform rather than a standalone ad account.
Monitoring Campaign Performance¶
Navigate to Marketing → Ad Manager to see your live campaign metrics:
| Metric | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Impressions | How many times your ad was shown |
| Reach | How many unique people saw it |
| Clicks | Total link clicks |
| CTR (Click-Through Rate) | Clicks ÷ Impressions — ad relevance indicator |
| CPM | Cost per 1,000 impressions |
| CPC | Cost per click |
| CPL | Cost per lead — key metric for lead gen campaigns |
| Leads | Number of form submissions |
| ROAS | Return on Ad Spend (revenue ÷ spend) |
What Good Numbers Look Like¶
Benchmarks vary by industry, but generally: - CPL under $20–50 is considered healthy for most service businesses (varies significantly by industry and ad quality) - CTR above 1% suggests your ad creative is resonating - CPM spiking = your audience is saturated — time to refresh the creative or expand the audience
The Learning Phase¶
When a new campaign or ad set first goes live, Meta's algorithm goes through a learning phase (typically the first 50 conversion events). During this period: - Performance may be inconsistent - Avoid making significant changes — they reset the learning phase - Give campaigns at least 7 days before judging results
Ad Creative Best Practices¶
- Use real images of your business, team, or clients (with permission) — stock photos underperform
- Keep video intros under 3 seconds — viewers decide immediately whether to keep watching
- Put the key message in the first line of text — most people don't click "see more"
- Test multiple creatives — run 2–3 variations and see which performs best
- Match your landing page or lead form to the ad — the offer and visual should be consistent
- Use social proof — reviews, client counts, or results in your ad copy build credibility
Troubleshooting¶
| Issue | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Leads not appearing in CRM | Contact StudioM Support — the Meta/StudioM connection may need re-authentication |
| Ad not approved by Meta | Review against Meta's ad policies (no misleading claims, before/after images, etc.) |
| Campaign in "Learning Phase" a long time | Check that conversions are being recorded; lower cost per result if budget is too small |
| High CPL | Try a new audience, refresh creative, or test a different offer |
| Pixel not firing | Contact StudioM Support — pixel installation needs to be verified |
Common Questions¶
Q: Do I need a Facebook ad account before StudioM can run ads for me? Yes — you need an existing Facebook Business Page and Ad Account. StudioM connects them to the platform. We can guide you through creating these if you don't have them yet.
Q: What's the minimum budget for Facebook ads? Facebook allows budgets as low as $1/day, but to get meaningful data and results you typically need at least $10–30/day, depending on your audience size and objectives.
Q: Can I run ads on Instagram through the same interface? Yes — when you select placements, you can include Instagram Feed, Instagram Stories, and Instagram Reels alongside Facebook placements.
Q: What happens to leads generated while I'm not at my computer? The lead flows into your CRM immediately and any automated workflows fire straight away — so your follow-up begins even if you're not online.
Q: Can I track which ad a lead came from? Yes — each lead's contact record shows the source (including which campaign, ad set, and ad they converted on).
Need Help?¶
Contact StudioM Support any time.
- Email: support@makoa.us
- Live Chat: Available inside the platform
Related guides: Contacts and CRM · Workflows (Automations) · Reporting and Analytics