Ready to run ads on Instagram or Facebook? You’ll need a Meta Ads account first. The good news is that setting it up only takes a few minutes.
Before you dive in, run through these 2 quick checks
Make sure you've got the following sorted out:
A Facebook account, since Meta uses it to log you in
A Facebook Page for your business, or admin access to one you can tap into
Set up a Facebook Business Page if you don't already have one
Before you can run ads, your brand needs a Facebook Business Page to back it. This Page serves as the public face of your business on Meta, and your ads will run from it, with people able to drop by to learn more about you.
If you've already got a Page set up, feel free to skip ahead past this section.
Here’s how to create one:
Log in to your personal Facebook account.
Open the menu and select Pages.
Click Create Page.
Enter your business details:
Page Name: Use your business or brand name.
Category: Add one to three categories that describe what you do.
Bio: Write a short description of your business.
Click Create Page.
Complete your Page setup
Add the essential details:
Contact information: Website, phone number, email, and location (if applicable).
Business hours: Set your operating hours or mark as available 24/7.
Click Next.
Customize your Page
Now make it look like your brand:
Upload a profile picture (usually your logo).
Add a cover photo that represents your business.
Click Add Action button to choose a call-to-action such as Book Now, Call Now, or Send Message.
Click Next.
Optional steps
Meta may suggest a few additional actions. You can complete them now or skip them:
Connect WhatsApp to your Page
Invite friends to follow your Page
Turn on Page notifications (recommended so you don’t miss messages or updates)
Click Done when finished.
Here’s how to set up your ad account:
The easiest way to create an ad account is through Ads Manager.
Go to Facebook Ads Manager page at https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/ads-manager
Click Go to Ads Manager.
Log in with your Facebook account. If you don’t have one yet, click Create new account and follow the prompts.
If this is your first time using Ads Manager, Meta will ask you to review and accept the Non-discrimination Policy. Take a moment to read it, then click Accept.
You’ll see a short confirmation message: “Thanks for accepting our Non-discrimination Policy.” Click Done.
Your account is ready. Now there’s just one more thing to take care of before you launch ads — setting up your payment method.
Add a payment method (so your ads can run)
Head over to the left sidebar and click the arrow pointing to it. This will pop the panel open, and from there you can go ahead and select Billing & payments.
Scroll to Payment methods section and click Add payment method.
In the little Add payment information modal, choose the appropriate card type and click Next.
Add Card details and click Save.
Meta checks: the “something looks off” moment
Meta tends to clam up when something changes too quickly, and this shows up in a couple of common situations:
You jump from a small budget to a much bigger one overnight, and Meta reads it as a red flag.
You launch a campaign right after setting up a brand new ad account, and Meta clamps down with restrictions because it looks like unusual activity.
Both of these options could trigger restrictions, as Meta might view them as unusual activity.
So what can you do to smooth things over?
Hold off on launching right away, since giving it about 24 hours before you dive in is usually enough.
Keep in mind that your account is building up a kind of "trust level" behind the scenes, and this trust grows the longer the account has been around and the more its campaign history holds up over time.
You can think of reputation points as quietly stacking up in the background, even when you're not paying attention.
Sometimes, though, what looks like a glitch turns out to be a security check that Meta is carrying out, and you might get asked to verify something, like confirming your identity through an SMS code. It can feel like it's coming out of nowhere, but it's a pretty standard step.
This doesn't mean your account has been shut down. Meta simply wants to make sure you're a real person and not a bot or a scammer trying to sneak through, and once you've verified everything, you're free to carry on as normal.
You’re all set
Once your ad account is up and running, your Page is hooked up, and billing is squared away, you can start rolling out campaigns and putting your product or service in front of the people who'll love it.
Want to show off your ad or need a hand from our team? Just drop us a message at [email protected] — we love seeing what you create.