When explaining media plans to various clients and teammates, the number one question I’m always asked is “Wait, can you explain the ad campaign structure again?”
The structure of your Facebook campaign essentially follows a three-layered system, which can be difficult to follow if you’re having trouble understanding the rationale behind it. Let me explain.
While you build out the layers top to bottom during campaign launches (campaigns down to ads), it’s more digestible to explain them bottom to top.
The Ad Level
The deepest layer is the ad layer. Here, you design your ad, complete with ad copy and creatives as necessary.
If you were selling expensive home appliances, your ad might say something like “Quality Toaster Ovens For Sale. Don’t Miss Out!”
Your video might explain all the features of an immaculately clean toaster oven. When using video in Facebook, be sure to analyze and key in on your important benchmark metrics.
You write a few more toaster oven ads to a/b test, and then do the same with your microwaves and your refrigerators.
Because these ads are logically grouped, you would separate them into different parcels for delivery to various audiences. In this case, your ad groups are toaster ovens, microwaves and refrigerators.
The Ad Set Level
Other groupings could also be appropriate. If you’re working for a tire company and want to sell different tires based on their durability, you’d create ad groups for highly durable tires, moderately durable tires and non-durable tires.
In this second layer, the ad group or ad set layer, you’d make decisions based on audience targeting, because these ad groups are created to appeal to groups of people. Decisions like geography, household income, age and maximum costs per click are made at this level.
The Campaign Level
Finally, the top layer is the campaign. At the campaign level, you decide things like budget and schedule.
You can also decide which campaign objective fits well with your specific campaign structure for maximum profit in your business. Check out these best practices to learn more.
For our home appliances company, we may decide that we only want to spend $1,000 over the next two months, and only show within a 10-mile radius of the store location. We’d handle this at the campaign level.
Why Does Facebook Structure This Way?
As you run more campaigns, the reasoning behind this structure becomes more and more clear. With each of the three layers, you target your audience more and more (geography > demographics > individual reactions to specific ads).
This allows you to be very accurate in your tests for what performs well and what doesn’t so you can compete with business giants that constantly test paid marketing.
In Facebook Ads Manager, your structure is clearly defined along the top of your screen (left to right: campaigns, ad sets, ads). You can also change geography at the ad set level, which is a huge advantage over other platforms like Google Ads!
These three layers repeat themselves constantly in the realm of digital marketing. This three-tiered system is also present in Google Ads, Google Analytics, multiple DSPs and countless other places.
Keep your eyes sharp and remember not only what you’re adjusting, but where. Let these three layers steer your ship, or they’ll destroy you before the campaign gets a single impression.
Resources:
https://www.facebook.com/business/help/613846972027099
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-video-metrics/
https://revealbot.com/blog/facebook-campaign-structure/
https://adespresso.com/blog/testing-paid-marketing/
