This tutorial shows you how to run Facebook ads when you have a low daily budget. By low, we mean under $30 a day or even up to $150 a day. With small budgets, you must keep things simple. You must focus on one campaign, one ad set, and a few ads. By doing this, you help Facebook learn faster. You reduce inefficiency. You give the algorithm fewer decisions to make. As a result, you get better results from limited funds.
Why Structure Matters at Low Spend
At low spend, you have limited data. Every extra test divides that data. Each split weakens your signal. Facebook learns from clear signals. Too many splits confuse the algorithm. It struggles to find patterns. Your results slow down.
Keep your structure simple. Use one campaign. Use one ad set. Add only a few ads. This tight setup strengthens your data. One strong data stream beats many weak ones. By staying focused, you help Facebook learn fast and use your budget well.
Basic Structure for Very Low Budgets
Start with one simple campaign. Inside this campaign, have just one ad set. Then include three ads if you spend about $30 or less per day. If you spend closer to $100 a day, you can test up to six ads. Avoid going beyond six on a low budget. Keep testing within your limit. More ads mean more decisions for Facebook. On a low budget, that leads to inefficiency.
No Need for a Complex Funnel
At low spend, you do not need multiple funnel stages. You do not need separate top-of-funnel, middle-of-funnel, and bottom-of-funnel campaigns. That approach fragments your data. Each split forces Facebook to allocate a small fraction of your budget to each stage. With low spend, this kills efficiency. Instead, put all targeting and testing into one place. Make Facebook’s job easy. Let the algorithm find results without juggling many segments.
CBO vs ABO
You might wonder: Should I use Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) or Ad Set Budget Optimization (ABO)? With one ad set, it does not matter. If you use CBO, 100% of your budget flows to that single ad set. If you use ABO, you also put 100% at the ad set level. The outcome is the same. If you plan to add more ad sets later, CBO might help. It lets Facebook allocate funds between multiple ad sets in the future. For now, either works fine.
Choosing Your Audience
Your audience matters, but not as much as before. Creative choices often outweigh audience segments now. If you have past data, choose your best-performing audience. If you lack data, start broad. Add a few interests or demographics to nudge Facebook. Avoid too many splits. Each new audience divides your budget and weakens signals. Keep it simple. Use one main audience. Let the algorithm learn. Over time, watch the results. If you see patterns, adjust your audience slightly. This careful approach helps you spend less time guessing and more time growing. By starting with one audience and clear guidance, you give the system a strong signal. It moves faster, finds good prospects, and turns your limited spend into better outcomes.
Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns for E-commerce
Advantage+ shopping campaigns combine steps. They merge campaign and ad set levels. This setup keeps data together. It follows the principle of no unnecessary splits. With Advantage+, you can test more ads. You might start with 6 ads on a low budget. You can add up to 15 when budget grows.
These campaigns let the algorithm learn faster. They work well for e-commerce because they blend product data with flexible ads. They often find winning products quickly. Still, be cautious. More ads mean more decisions for the algorithm. Too many options may slow learning. Begin lean. Add more ads only when results allow.
If Advantage+ works well, run two campaigns: one for regular ads and one for catalog ads. Keep them separate. This control stops your catalog from dominating spend. Adjust budgets each week. Find the best balance. Over time, refine your setup. Let the algorithm focus on what sells, without distraction
Catalog Ads vs Regular Ads
Catalog ads use product data. They dynamically show multiple products to users. Regular ads use static images, videos, or carousels. They display specific products or messages. Mixing catalog and regular ads in one campaign causes budget issues.
When combined, catalog ads take most of the budget. For example, catalog ads might receive 90% of the spend. Regular ads then get only 10%. This uneven split starves regular ads. Your creative tests receive insufficient funds. They cannot perform well or gather meaningful data.
To solve this, keep catalog ads separate. Create one campaign for catalog ads. Create another campaign for regular ads. This separation controls budget allocation. Catalogs have their own dedicated budget. Regular ads receive their own funds. You prevent catalog ads from dominating your spend.
Separate campaigns ensure fair funding for each ad type. Regular ads can test different creatives effectively. They get enough budget to perform and gather data. Catalog ads operate independently. They focus on showcasing multiple products without interference.
Tracking performance becomes clearer. You can see how catalog ads perform on their own. Regular ads can be optimized without budget competition. This clarity helps in making informed decisions. Adjust budgets based on each campaign’s results. If catalogs perform well, increase their budget. If regular ads excel, allocate more funds to them.
This approach maintains balance. It ensures both catalog and regular ads perform effectively. You avoid competition for limited budget resources. Each ad type receives the attention it needs. This enhances overall campaign efficiency and results.
Ideal Setup at Low Spend
- If Using Regular Campaigns (Non-Advantage+):
- One main campaign for your regular ads.
- One ad set with a stable audience.
- About three ads if under $30/day, up to six ads if closer to $100/day.
- If you use catalogs, create another separate campaign with one ad set and one catalog ad.
- This keeps each channel simple and allows fair spending on your best creative tests.
- If Using Advantage+ for E-commerce:
- One Advantage+ shopping campaign for regular ads (6 to 15 ads if budget allows).
- One Advantage+ shopping campaign for catalogs, just one catalog ad.
- Start both campaigns at a 50/50 budget split.
- After a week, adjust the budget split based on performance. Maybe 60/40 or 75/25, depending on which works better.
Testing and Iteration
As you run your ads, watch the spend distribution. One ad may get 80% of the spend. If that ad performs well, great! You can scale it. If it fails, turn it off and rotate in a new ad. This cycle of turning off losers and introducing new tests keeps your performance stable. On low budgets, each test must count. Do not try too many tests at once. Slow and steady wins.
When to Expand Your Setup
As you increase your daily budget, you gain flexibility. Once you have more than $150/day, consider adding another campaign or another ad set for more advanced testing. But do not rush. Early on, simple is better. Only expand when you have stable, profitable results and more budget to work with.
Conclusion
At low spend, simplicity is key. One campaign, one ad set, and a small set of ads allow the algorithm to learn quickly. Avoid splitting your budget into many pieces. Limit your number of ads, skip complex funnels, and keep catalogs separate if you use them. Test consistently, track results closely, and refine over time. As your budget grows, you can introduce complexity. Until then, trust a lean, focused structure for maximum efficiency