Running Facebook Ads but not seeing results? You're not alone. Many businesses struggle with high costs, low engagement and poor conversions. The problem isn't Facebook - it's how campaigns are set up. This guide breaks down the most common Facebook Ads mistakes and shows you exactly how to fix them.

Likes and comments from users who won’t convert.

Irrelevant Engagement

People click but don’t
take action.

Poor Conversions

You're paying too much
for each click.

High CPC (Cost-Per-Click)

Low CTR (Click-Through Rate)

People are seeing your ad but not clicking.

If your campaign is experiencing any of these issues, the problem is probably in your targeting settings, ad creatives, budget or tracking. Let's dive into how to fix them.

A failing Facebook ad campaign will usually have one or more of these red flags:

Then make sure your Facebook Pixel is installed properly so it can track user interactions on your website. This will enable better targeting, retargeting and performance insights. If this is not set up correctly, your ads will not reach their full potential.

The campaign type you choose (Traffic, Conversions or Awareness) directly impacts how your ads are optimised. Traffic campaigns drive clicks, while Conversion campaigns focus on actions such as purchases or sign-ups.

Wrong Lookalike audiences

If the base audience isn’t high-quality, neither is the lookalike.

Ads show to irrelevant users, like past customers. Ads are shown to irrelevant users, such as past customers. This can lead to your misdirected, frequent advertising becoming intrusive and old customers simply not coming back.

No exclusions

Too narrow

You’re limiting reach and missing potential clients. Oh yes, it's
a double problem.

Your message doesn’t resonate with a specific group. People don't see themselves in your offer, they don't understand exactly how you can solve their specific problems.

Too broad

One of the most common reasons for poor performance is incorrect audience targeting. What does it look like?

Ad creatives should balance visuals and copy. High-quality visuals tend to perform best. Your headline should clearly communicate the value proposition, the ad copy should address user pain points and offer a solution, and the call-to-action (CTA) should be action-oriented. To find the best-performing combination, run A/B tests with different headlines, images and CTAs to see what resonates with your audience. Don't be afraid to experiment — the more you explore, the faster you'll find the gem that delivers meaningful results.

Allocate a sufficient daily budget to Facebook's algorithm for ad sets, at least $10 per set: the better the ad set, the better Facebook will be able to optimise it. Experiment with bidding strategies to get the best bang for your buck, using Campaign Budget Optimisation (CBO) for best results.

Although there are many problems, the most popular is spending too fast — uncontrolled scaling leads to inefficiency.

Use retargeting

Show ads to users who engaged but didn’t convert. Sometimes it's not love at first sight, but that's just an argument to create love forever.

Monitor & adjust weekly

Regular optimisations improve performance — the eternal rule
of good advertising.

Update lookalike and interest-based targeting.

Refine audience regularly

Optimise landing pages

Remember that when a user clicks on an ad, they are taken to your website - can they quickly buy a product or leave an enquiry?

Try video, carousel, and slideshow ads. Try different CTAs, different techniques that will grab attention immediately and make you stand out from your competitors. Remember that a user sees dozens of ads and may simply not respond to them. The job of your ads is to change that.

Test different Ad formats

Want expert help?
Contact us for a Facebook Ads audit today!