Meta Business Manager is packed with powerful tools to help you optimise your ads as effectively as possible – including Meta’s automated rules.
This abundance of tools can sometimes be confusing, and it is not always clear which ones to use. Yes, it can be tricky to navigate, and some features may end up being left unused simply because they are hard to grasp.
You may already have come across Meta’s automated rules. But if you have not started using them properly yet, here are some practical tips to get you up and running.
If you have never tried Meta’s automated rules before, just keep reading. It is straightforward, and it can save you both time and worries!
Show me the 3 (possibly) most relevant rules
How Meta’s automated rules work
In simple terms, you define an action that Meta will take when a specific event occurs. In other words, when X happens, Meta does Y.
You can apply rules at any level of your setup – at campaign level, ad set level, or ad level. If you are working with CBO (campaign budget optimisation), you have several actions to choose from at this level when you set up a new rule. If you are working with budgets at the ad set level, you will find these options there instead.
How do I get started with Meta’s automated rules?
1. Start by opening your Ads Manager in Meta Business Manager
2. Choose where you want to apply your rule (in this example, at ad set level)
First, tick the box to the left of the ad set you want to create a rule for, then click on ‘Rules’ in the toolbar and select ‘Create a new rule’.
3. Select ‘Custom rule’ and click ‘Next’
4. Now set up your new rule
The first important step is to choose which action Meta should take when the conditions are met. At ad set level, you have 12 different options here.
1. Turn ad set off
2. Turn ad set on
3. Send notification only
4. Increase daily budget by
5. Decrease daily budget by
6. Increase lifetime budget by
7. Decrease lifetime budget by
8. Scale daily budget by metric
9. Scale lifetime budget by metric
10. Increase bid by
11. Decrease bid by
12. Scale bid by metric
Next, choose the condition(s) that must be met before the selected action is performed.
For example, if you run an online shop selling products, cost per purchase may be an important parameter for you. If you know how much you are willing to pay for a new customer, you can set a condition for when the cost per purchase is greater than X (the amount you are willing to pay). Facebook will then turn off the ad set as soon as you start paying too much.
The 3 (possibly) most relevant rules
1. Turn off your ad set when the cost exceeds the amount you are willing to pay
If you know exactly what you are willing to pay per purchase, lead, or click, you will likely want to ensure your ads never exceed this cost.
It is therefore a good idea to set up an automated rule so Meta turns off your campaign as soon as the price reaches this limit.
You will receive a notification when the rule is triggered, and you can of course restart the campaign if you wish. However, remember to remove or adjust the rule first, otherwise the campaign will be turned off again.
2. Get a notification when your frequency exceeds a certain threshold
You may notice that your ad performance drops when your target audience has seen your creatives a certain number of times.
Here, it is useful to set up a rule that notifies you when the frequency on your ad set exceeds a specified goal. Your ads will not stop running, but Meta will send you an email when the frequency you entered is reached.
Get a notification when your frequency exceeds a certain threshold
3. Turn good campaigns back on if they are performing well
If you mainly run one-off campaigns, this rule can be especially beneficial to maximise the value you get from them.
Ask Meta to turn your campaign back on if it performs better than your set threshold.
Example: You are happy with a cost per purchase of £100, and you have set a campaign to end in 14 days. During this time, the campaign achieves purchases at £50, but it is automatically turned off on day 14. In this scenario, Meta will reactivate the campaign.
You can also combine this with the first rule, so your ads keep running as long as the cost is below £100, but are turned off if the cost exceeds, for example, £101.
Why you still need to stay alert when using Meta’s automated rules
When you use Meta’s automated rules, Meta only considers your performance within Meta Business Manager. In many cases, this is beneficial.
However, if you are a B2C business that also has physical shops or resellers, the visibility of your Facebook ads may generate positive impact elsewhere too.
Therefore, remember to analyse how your overall marketing activities are performing while your Facebook campaigns are running.
You may be able to accept a higher cost per purchase from Meta if the exposure also drives sales in your physical shops.
Need help setting up rules for your ads?
If you need help getting started with automated rules for your campaigns in Meta Business Manager, feel free to contact us!
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