Launch Your First Facebook & Instagram Ad

From account setup to your first ad

Learn how to set up Facebook and Instagram ads by following a clear, practical walkthrough. Build your account setup, create a campaign, choose your audience and budget, design your advert and check what happens after publishing.

This guide is for beginners, creators, freelancers, job seekers, organisations and anyone who wants to promote an authorised offer, event, service or project. No previous advertising experience is required.

What you will do

• Prepare a Page, Instagram account and ad account.
• Create a campaign in Meta Ads Manager.
• Choose a goal, audience, budget and schedule.
• Build an ad and check Facebook and Instagram previews.
• Connect a website, messaging destination or enquiry form.
• Review and publish when ready, then read results and fix common problems.
• Compare a simple post boost with the full Ads Manager workflow.

Practical lessons, useful tasks

Ten written walkthroughs with numbered steps, examples, troubleshooting and a final launch-ready campaign draft. Learn at your own pace. Allow about 3–5 hours, depending on your account setup and practice time.

What you need

Basic Facebook navigation skills, internet access and preferably a computer. Use accounts and content you own or have permission to manage. Some features require account eligibility, verification or additional setup. You can complete the course with drafts; paying for a live advert is optional. Meta advertising spend is separate from the course.

Your final outcome

A complete advertising draft, a launch checklist and a simple results record you can use for your own project.

Keep your setup current

Updated 29 October 2026. Meta changes menu names and available controls, so follow the current options and help in your account. This independent Hovia guide is not a Meta certification and does not guarantee advertising results.

Official learning references

• Meta: campaign objectives
• Meta: placements, budget and schedule
• Meta: getting started with advertising

Continue learning with Hovia

Build a wider marketing plan with Digital Marketing Fundamentals. You can also explore Excel dashboards to develop your data presentation skills.