If you’ve ever felt like you’re throwing money at ads with little to show for it, you’re not alone. It can be super frustrating to see your ad budget disappear without the results to match. But what if there was a smarter way to make your ads actually work—without the crazy costs and stress?

I recently sat down with Ashley Braswell, a wedding photographer turned Facebook Ads expert, who managed to book an entire season with just a $300 ad spend. Ashley is the founder of The Paid Ad Academy and knows exactly how to build an engaged audience with a simple intro ad, tap into the power of retargeting, and get your ads to work—no matter where you’re at in your business journey.

Keep reading to discover how to stretch your budget, reach the right people, and grow your business—without the hefty price tag!

Where to Start with Meta Ads (Even If You’re Brand New)

Thinking of adding Meta Ads (that’s Facebook and Instagram) to your marketing in 2025? You don’t need to dive in with a complicated strategy or a huge budget. In fact, the first thing Ashley recommends is zooming out and getting clear on your customer journey.

Ask yourself:

• How do people usually find you? (Think: social media, word of mouth, SEO)

• What do you want them to do once they find you? (Buy a product, book a call, join your list?)

From there, map out the ideal path you want them to follow—without worrying (yet) about the people who fall off along the way. Once that’s clear, you can start using Meta Ads to plug the gaps.

Think of Meta Ads as a “band-aid” that helps keep people moving through your funnel:

• Someone visits your site once and forgets about you? An ad can remind them.
• Someone follows you but doesn’t see your posts again? An ad can nudge them back.
• You want more people to find out about what you offer? An ad can put you in front of exactly the right people.

What makes Meta Ads so powerful is control. You can’t guarantee someone will see your Instagram post or open your email—but with ads, you can pay to show up in their feed. 

From Set-Up to Strategy: How to Get Started with Facebook Ads (Even If You’re Already Running Them)

Even if your ads are already performing, it’s worth reviewing things at least once a month or once a quarter. Because as the saying goes: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. So… why not aim for something better?

Step One: Check Your Setup

Facebook ads are constantly changing—the platform, the tools, the AI, the names of everything (which they like to switch up just for fun). That’s why it’s essential to start by making sure your ad account is set up correctly, even if you’ve already been running ads.

So often, things aren’t properly connected. Maybe the Facebook Page isn’t linked to Instagram. Or the Pixel (aka Meta’s tracking tool) isn’t the one installed on their site. These are simple fixes that make a big difference.

Step Two: Build Your Strategy

Now ask yourself: What’s your goal? Are you trying to…

• Grow your Instagram following?
• Build your email list?
• Get in front of new people?
• Sell your offer and make money?

Start by looking at your past content—what already resonated with your audience? You can put a little ad spend behind your strongest posts to get them in front of new eyes. Even if your current audience has already seen them, there’s a world of people who haven’t. This type of ad can be super effective—and affordable. Ashley usually recommends starting at just $5 a day.

Targeting Has Never Been Easier

Thanks to AI, Facebook’s targeting is more intuitive than ever. You can literally say, “I want to talk to moms in business,” click a couple buttons, and boom—it’s done.

So while ads might sound overwhelming, if you’ve got a simple step-by-step approach, it’s actually pretty straightforward.

Step Three: Craft Your Copy and Creative

This is where Facebook ads become… just marketing. You’re choosing your angle. Are you highlighting testimonials? Addressing a pain point? Positioning yourself as the solution?

No matter the direction, one thing’s non-negotiable: you need a strong hook. People have short attention spans. So whether it’s a video, photo, or graphic, your creative needs to stop the scroll. The first line of your copy has to hit hard.

And here’s the good news for anyone feeling like they need a fancy setup…

Lo-Fi Video Is King Right Now

We’re talking low production, filmed-on-your-phone, no-frills kind of content. People are craving real. In a world filled with perfectly polished, AI-generated everything, lo-fi videos feel authentic. And that authenticity builds trust.

Ashley shared how she once had a client—super stylish, based in NYC—who spent thousands on professional videos for her ad campaign. They flopped. But the simple video she shot overhead with her phone, flipping through her planner? That one crushed it. Every. Single. Time.

Bottom line: Let go of perfection. Be real. Connect. That’s what people respond to—and what turns strangers into customers.

What Kind of Ads Should You Run First? 

If you’re brand new to Facebook ads or just dipping a toe in, the answer is simple: start with something that introduces you to a cold audience.

For total beginners, that often means repurposing content you already have—think an introductory Instagram Reel or a relatable POV video that calls out exactly who you’re talking to. 

For example:
“POV: You’re a small business owner with three kids, juggling all the things, and you still need to grow your email list. That’s where Facebook ads come in.”

This kind of content isn’t about selling—yet. It’s about connection. And you can get it in front of the right people cheaply, because you’re keeping them on-platform (which Facebook loves).

The goal here? Build what Ashley calls a “ghost list”—an audience of people who’ve engaged with your content that Facebook can track, even if you don’t have their email yet. Later, when you do launch a sales campaign, you can target just those people—and run ads for a fraction of the cost.

While engagement ads are super cheap, they often come with a catch: they tend to attract the wrong crowd—people who might like or comment on your post, but aren’t truly aligned with your brand or ever going to become paying clients.

That’s why Ashley recommends switching to traffic campaigns, which could be designed to send people to your Instagram (or wherever you want them to go). These ads tend to reach a more curious, intentional audience—people who actually want to check you out, not just double-tap and scroll on. And across the board, she’s seen this simple switch lead to higher-quality engagement, more ideal clients, and stronger results in the long run.

What Comes After Your Intro Campaign?

So, you’ve run your intro campaign and started building your ghost list… what’s next? It depends on your priorities—but whether you’re just starting out or already have an offer in place, you don’t need to run everything at once.

If you’ve got a lead magnet (like a checklist, guide, or freebie), a webinar (live or on-demand), or even a discovery call funnel, here’s what Ashley suggests:

Run a leads campaign.
This campaign is designed to collect names and emails—whether it’s for a downloadable freebie, a webinar sign-up, or a challenge registration.

But be aware:
All leads aren’t priced the same. Even though they’re technically “free” for your audience, what you’re asking of them makes a big difference.

• Simple freebie (like a checklist): Low-effort for the user = super cheap leads.
• Webinar (especially live): Higher time commitment = more expensive leads. A live webinar typically costs more than evergreen because you’re asking people to block off time and show up live.
• Discovery calls: Higher ask = even more costly. They require 1:1 time, and people may be wary if they think it’ll be a sales pitch.
• Challenges: Asking for multi-day or multi-week commitment drives the cost up further.

Start by choosing one focus at a time depending on your goals and budget—like running a leads campaign for your webinar first, then retargeting those leads later with a sales campaign.

What is Retargeting (and Why You Should Absolutely Be Using It)

Retargeting is a powerful way to show ads specifically to people who’ve already interacted with your content—whether that’s on Instagram, Facebook, or even your website. It’s like saying, “Hey, remember me?”—but in a way that actually helps your audience follow through on something they already showed interest in.

When someone watches your video, likes a post, visits a landing page, or signs up for a webinar but doesn’t take the next step, retargeting lets you gently nudge them back into your funnel. And it’s way cheaper than trying to find new cold leads. Why? Because Facebook already knows who these people are, and you’re not asking the algorithm to guess—it’s simply serving ads to the warm crowd you’ve already built.

You can get super specific too:

• Show an ad only to people who watched 50% of a video.
• Retarget website visitors who landed on your sales page but didn’t buy.
• Follow up with webinar registrants who didn’t show up.

And contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a big budget. Since your retargeting audience is small and warm, you might only spend a few dollars a day and still see real results. Whether you’re running a live challenge, a signature offer, or just growing your list—retargeting keeps you top of mind and closes the gaps in your funnel.

If you’re *not* using retargeting, you’re likely leaving money—and impact—on the table.

Budget: How Much Do You Really Need to Start?

Before diving into Facebook ads, you might have a few questions running through your mind…  Do I have the resources? Am I just throwing my money away? How do I know if it’s worth it?

But here’s the good news: You don’t need a huge budget to get started.

Ashley recommends keeping it simple with these starting points:

• Top of Funnel (Engagement Ads): $5/day
• Lead Magnet Campaign: $5–$10/day
• Retargeting Ads: $2/day

So that’s about $15–$17/day, which comes out to roughly $710/month. That’s it! You don’t need a massive investment to start seeing results.

You can begin small, build your audience, and get your feet wet without risking a fortune.

The key here is consistency. Even if you’re not launching a big product until later down the road, running these small campaigns will help you build your list and nurture a warm audience.

Taking It to the Next Level

If you’ve already been running ads and you’re ready to take it up a notch, here’s how you can think about scaling.

Let’s say you have a bigger budget in mind—maybe $2,000/month. You’ll need to calculate how many leads or sales that budget can bring in based on your past numbers. If your cost per lead is $10, you can expect around 200 leads for that budget.

It’s all about being realistic with your goals and understanding how your numbers add up. So if you’re looking for 100 sales, but you know it costs $15 to get a sale, you’ll need to budget accordingly.

If you’re still feeling anxious or uncertain about ads, don’t worry — you’re not alone. Facebook ads aren’t the only way to grow your business, and they’re definitely not the end-all-be-all. But if you want to give yourself more freedom and visibility in your business, they can work wonders.

It’s all about giving yourself the tools, the knowledge, and the confidence to make the right decision for your business. Start small, track your results, and adjust as you go!

Ready to take the leap with Facebook ads? Connect with Ashley to get started!

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