When you’re launching something new (first off, congratu-freaking-lations!), Facebook ads can be your biggest weapon. However, they can also feel like a big investment, which is why you might be asking:

“Can I start small and scale my ad campaigns during a launch?”

This is a question we’ve heard tons over here, and it’s also something that we strategize pretty heavily with our clients themselves. And, here’s your answer: in short, yes — but it’s a heck of a lot more difficult to scale as you go than to start with your max budget and scale down if you need to.

Let’s talk:

First up — Facebook ads take some time.

All of the tracking and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into Facebook ad campaigns also go hand-in-hand with the algorithm’s learning phase. The algorithm needs some time to get out of that learning phase, and if you’re pouring more money into an ad over a very short period of time, it’s a lot more difficult to see what’s actually working and what’s not.

Since launches are so time-sensitive — and since you usually don’t have months, but just a couple of weeks — this can be extra tricky. While it may feel riskier, it’s almost always a better idea to go all-in at the beginning of an ad campaign and then turn them off or lower the budget later. By doing it the opposite way, you’ll often increase your cost per lead anyways (which isn’t what you want). 

Next up? Budget, budget, budget.

Before you ever even design and start your launch, figure out your goals, your conversion rates, and your average cost per lead. Once you do that, you can give yourself a few budget options and decide what feels best. In fact, this is actually what we do for our clients!

Once you have a budget range, you can think of a few best- and worst-case scenarios based on your cost per lead. This is how you can find out what feels most comfortable, and it’s also how you can set realistic goals and expectations for your ad money itself.

And, remember — there’s more to it than just sales.

Launches are also about building your list and developing as many leads as you can — so no matter the number of leads and purchases you make, you’re still making some big-time moves in your business. Don’t discount the value of a great lead, and don’t get so caught up in numbers that you miss other benefits of your launch.

Plus, be willing to take a slight risk! If you do it right, it almost always pays off.

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You’ve got this, friends — don’t sell yourself short (literally). Instead, focus on the strategy and challenge yourself. We know you can do it.