Facebook Marketing for Beginners

By Anne Felicitas

Updated on Mar 12, 2025 | 9 min read | 6.29K+ views

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This is a Guest Blog by Anne Felicitas, from AdvertiseMint, a Facebook marketing agency. This is the fourth and final of a four-part series. 

Facebook marketing can be confusing. Believe, me. I’ve been there. I didn’t know a thing about creating ads. I didn’t even know how to navigate through Ads Manager and Power Editor! However, mastering Facebook marketing gets easier with practice (and some intense reading), and the work you put into mastering the platform is worth the results.

Why Advertise on Facebook?

Working for an advertising agency, the most common question I receive from my curious peers is this: does Facebook advertising work? Of course, I answer with a yes – because of two reasons.
My first reason comes from eMarketer, a market research company that illustrated Facebook’s popularity among advertisers. It recently predicted that Facebook will have a 32.1% increase in U.S. display revenue in 2017, capturing 39.1% of the U.S. display market – a 35.4% increase from last year. EMarketer also predicts that this growth will reach 43.7% by 2019.

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Evidently, more and more advertisers are flocking to Facebook. Why? Here, I point to my second reason: Facebook’s capabilities. If you advertise on Facebook, you will…

  1. Have access to its 1.23 billion daily active users
  2. Have access to its targeting tools that allow you to target ads to almost everyone
  3. Save more money
  4. Advertise on multiple platforms.
  5. Collect users’ information with Lead Ads.

As illustrated above, there are numerous reasons why you should advertise on Facebook. However, it would be unwise to jump into Facebook marketing without knowing how it works. If you don’t know anything about objectives, ad formats, targeting options, and charges, then I encourage you to read below. Otherwise, you’d be going through Facebook marketing like a person stumbling through a dark room – no real good can come out of that!

Objectives

Before you begin advertising on Facebook, it’s imperative that you understand its objectives. Knowing your Facebook objectives (A.K.A your advertising goals) allows you to better optimize your ads. If you don’t know your advertising goals, then your Facebook ads will likely fail.

For example, if you wanted to gain more customer leads but chose the brand awareness objective, your ad will optimize for brand awareness rather than leads. This means you’ll be paying for results you didn’t want!
Here are the objectives Facebook offers and the different goals they help you achieve:
1. Brand awareness– Increases awareness for your brand.
2. Local awareness– Promotes your business to people who are nearby
3. Reach– Shows your ad to the maximum number of people
4. Traffic– Sends more people to a destination on or off Facebook
5. Engagement– Gets more people to engage with your post or page
6. App installs– Gets people to download/buy your app
7. Video views– Promotes your videos
8. Lead generation– Collects lead information from people interested in your business
9. Conversions– Gets people to take valuable actions on your website or app, such as adding payment information or making a purchase
10. Product catalog sales– Automatically shows products from your product catalog based on your target audience
11. Store visits– Promotes multiple business locations to people who are nearby
Here’s another reason why you should know your objectives – different objectives qualify for different ad formats.

Types of Ads

If you understand the objectives Facebook offers, then you’re off to a great start. However, the work doesn’t end there. You will also need to understand the five types of ad formats available to you.
You have, at your disposal, the single image, single video, carousel, canvas, and slideshow ads. Note that often, as earlier mentioned, your objective limits the types of formats you can use.

1. Single Image

Eligible for the following objectives: App Installs, Engagement, Clicks-to-Website, Leads, Offers, Event Responses, Brand Awareness, Local Awareness, Reach, Traffic, Conversions, and Likes.
Single image ads, the most basic of all ad formats, require the least amount of time and resources to create.

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2. Single Video

Eligible for the following objectives: Video Views, Brand Awareness, Local Awareness, Reach, Traffic, Engagement, Likes, Event Responses, Offer Claims, App Installs, Leads, and Conversions.
Video ads are a step above single image ads. They help you easily tell your brand’s story. However, they require more money and resources to create.

3. Carousel

Eligible for the following objectives: Brand Awareness, Local Awareness, Reach, Engagement, App Installs, Video Views, and Lead Generation.
Carousel ads can feature up to 10 photos or videos. Also great for storytelling, Carousel ads allow you to swipe through its content.

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4. Canvas

Eligible for the following objectives: Brand Awareness, Reach, Traffic, Engagement, Conversions, and Video Views.
Canvas ads, the most expensive and time-consuming ad format to create. It presents your brand in a very immersive way. Canvas ads open in full-screen on people’s phones and desktops. You can swipe through the content, click links, and play videos.

5. Slideshow

Eligible for the following objectives: Brand Awareness, Local Awareness, Reach, Traffic, Engagement, App Installs, Leads, Conversions, and Video Views.
Slideshow ads, a cheaper alternative to video ads, allow you to harness the power of video without using the video format. This format plays a series of images (as a slideshow would) while background music plays (if you choose to add music).

Targeting Options

Objectives and ad formats are the easiest concepts to grasp in Facebook marketing. Things like targeting options, on the other hand, are a little harder to comprehend.
I don’t mean to overwhelm you, but Facebook has 850 targeting options. The four main targeting categories are demographics, location, interests, and behaviors. Within these main categories are subcategories that add detail to your target audience. Examine the example below.
Demographics >> women >> 30-50 >> upper-middle class >> married
Location >> United States >> California >> Santa Monica >> 5 mile radius
Interests >> cooking, Tastemade, Williams Sonoma, Gordon Ramsey, restaurants
Behaviors >> homeowner >> car owner >> credit card holder >> has children or is pregnant
That’s only a glimpse of Facebook’s targeting options. There are hundreds more that allow you to target an audience that is likely to be interested in your business.

Charges

If you want to advertise on Facebook, there’s one question that you’re probably itching to ask,

How much does Facebook advertising cost?

Facebook marketing can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you want it to be. Let me explain. When you create a Facebook ad, Facebook will ask you to provide your budget or the amount of money you’re willing to pay over the period of time your ads run. For example, if you have a $20 daily budget, you’ll spend a maximum of $20 each day.
When setting a budget, you can choose between a daily budget and a lifetime budget.
Daily budget: the average amount you’re willing to spend each day.
Lifetime budget: the amount you’re willing to spend over the duration of your ad set.
Once you’ve chosen your budget, you must choose how Facebook will charge you. You can choose between two ways – per 1,000 impressions or per click. If you choose per 1,000 impressions, Facebook will charge you every time your ad appears on your audience’s screen. If you choose link clicks, Facebook will charge you every time someone clicks on any part of your ad.

Facebook marketing can be confusing to beginners. You knit your eyebrows in frustration as you read blogs after blogs about how it works. You throw your hands up in exasperation as you maneuver through Business Manager. From someone who used to know nothing about Facebook ads, let me assure you: it definitely gets easier!

Conclusion

Mastering Facebook marketing is essential for businesses looking to expand their reach and engage with their audience effectively. By leveraging strategies like organic content, paid advertising, and community engagement, you can build a strong online presence. Whether you're just starting with Facebook digital marketing or looking to refine your approach, staying updated with platform changes and analytics is key to success.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is Facebook marketing?

Facebook marketing is a digital marketing strategy that uses Facebook to promote businesses, brands, or products. It includes both organic and paid approaches, such as creating engaging posts, sharing videos, running Facebook Ads, hosting live sessions, and interacting with customers. With over 2.9 billion active users, Facebook offers businesses a powerful platform to connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive conversions.

2. How do I start marketing on Facebook?

To start Facebook digital marketing, follow these steps:

  1. Create a Facebook Business Page – Set up a professional page with complete details, including a business description, contact information, and profile/cover images.
  2. Post Engaging Content – Share valuable content such as images, videos, blog posts, and infographics to attract and engage your audience.
  3. Leverage Facebook Ads – Use Facebook’s ad platform to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors to reach potential customers effectively.
  4. Engage with Your Audience – Respond to comments, messages, and reviews to build trust and improve customer relationships.
  5. Use Facebook Insights – Analyze your page performance, track engagement metrics, and refine your marketing strategies accordingly.

3. What is the primary goal of Facebook marketing?

The primary goal of Facebook marketing is to help businesses connect with their target audience, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. Businesses use Facebook to:

  • Build brand visibility by regularly posting content and engaging with followers.
  • Generate leads and conversions through targeted advertising and lead generation forms.
  • Enhance customer engagement by interacting with customers via comments, messages, and groups.
  • Increase website traffic by sharing blog posts, product pages, and promotions that direct users to their websites.

4. How do businesses use Facebook for marketing?

Businesses utilize Facebook digital marketing in various ways to achieve their marketing objectives:

  • Content Marketing: They post engaging content, such as images, videos, and blog articles, to inform and entertain their audience.
  • Paid Advertising: Facebook Ads allow businesses to create highly targeted ad campaigns based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
  • Community Building: Many brands create Facebook Groups to foster discussions, share exclusive offers, and build a loyal customer base.
  • Customer Support: Businesses use Messenger and Facebook comments to interact with customers, answer queries, and resolve concerns efficiently.
  • Retargeting and Remarketing: Using Facebook Pixel, businesses can track website visitors and retarget them with relevant ads, increasing conversion rates.
     

5. Is Facebook marketing free or paid?

Facebook marketing includes both free (organic) and paid strategies. Businesses can create a Facebook Business Page, post content, and engage with their audience for free. However, to reach a broader audience and generate leads faster, businesses often use Facebook Ads, which require a budget.

6. How long does it take to see results from Facebook marketing?

The time required to see results depends on the strategy. Organic Facebook marketing can take weeks or months to build engagement, while paid ads can generate immediate results. Consistency, audience targeting, and content quality play key roles in success.

7. Do I need a Facebook Business Page to run ads?

Yes, you must have a Facebook Business Page to run Facebook Ads. Ads cannot be run from a personal profile, as Facebook requires businesses to have a dedicated page to promote their products or services.

8. What type of content works best for Facebook marketing?

The best-performing content includes short videos, engaging images, live sessions, user-generated content, and interactive posts like polls and quizzes. Content that encourages audience interaction generally performs better on Facebook’s algorithm.

9. How does Facebook’s algorithm impact marketing?

Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes relevant and engaging content in users’ feeds. Posts that receive high engagement (likes, shares, and comments) get more visibility. Marketers must focus on creating valuable content and interacting with followers to improve organic reach.

10. Can I sell products directly on Facebook?

Yes, Facebook offers Facebook Shops, where businesses can create an online storefront and sell products directly through the platform. It also supports integrations with eCommerce platforms like Shopify.

11. What are the common mistakes to avoid in Facebook marketing?

Some common mistakes include not defining a clear target audience, inconsistent posting, ignoring engagement, over-relying on paid ads, and failing to track performance metrics. Successful marketing requires a balanced approach between organic and paid strategies.

References:

https://www.advertisemint.com/

Anne Felicitas

4 articles published

Anne Felicitas is a seasoned branded content writer and social media strategist with over 4 years of expertise crafting SEO-optimized, educationally driven digital content. She holds a Bachelor’s in E...

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