After a lot of thinking and testing, I've changed my recommended Facebook ad campaign structure, and I want to share it with you.

The Number of Ad Sets

Meta's Recommendations

When it comes to Facebook ad campaign structure, one key question is how many ad sets should be in your campaign. Meta has expressed concerns about audience fragmentation, preferring that advertisers consolidate ad sets into just one per campaign.

The Logic Behind Multiple Ad Sets

For a long time, I recommended ignoring this advice. Having different ad sets with various targeting options allowed advertisers to see which targeting produced better results. However, with the rise of open targeting and options like Advantage Plus audience, the need for separate data has decreased.

Benefits of Fewer Ad Sets

Faster Learning and Better Performance

By consolidating your budget into one ad set, you allow Facebook’s machine learning systems to learn more quickly. This leads to faster results and better overall campaign performance.

Avoiding Audience Overlap

Open targeting means there’s often massive overlap between audiences. Multiple ad sets can lead to auction overlap, where competing ad sets negatively impact each other's delivery.

Recommended Campaign Structure

Cold and Warm Audience Campaigns

I now recommend having one cold audience campaign and one warm audience campaign, each with one ad set. The warm audience campaign should include all your warm audiences, while the cold audience campaign can use open targeting or a hybrid targeting option.

Other Strategies

For different strategies, like the omnipresent content strategy, you may want multiple ad sets. This approach aims to put multiple ads in front of users repeatedly over an extended period to build relationships and demonstrate expertise.

Testing New Ad Creative

When testing new ad creative, it's often better to create a separate testing campaign. This allows you to manage budget allocation better and see how new ads perform without interference from existing winners.

The Number of Ads per Ad Set

Meta's Updated Recommendations

Meta has also updated recommendations for the number of ads per ad set. They now suggest using six or fewer creatives per ad set. While I've previously recommended not exceeding five, this aligns with the current guidance.

Best Practices for Ad Testing

If you have more than six ads to test, do it in rounds. Start with six, keep the best performers, and then test the next batch.

Conclusion

Ad sets and ad numbers play crucial roles in your Facebook ad campaign structure. By adapting to Meta’s recommendations and understanding the dynamics of audience targeting and ad testing, you can optimize your campaigns for better results.