How to Tell If Your Facebook Ads Are Working: The Numbers That Matter
Your ads are working when they bring enquiries or bookings at a cost per enquiry you can afford, not when they get likes or cheap clicks. The other numbers help you work out what to fix. Naxern monitors these for you and suggests changes.
The numbers, in order of importance
- Cost per enquiry or booking: what you actually pay for a result.
- Click-through rate (CTR): how many people who saw the ad clicked. Low CTR usually means a weak hook or creative.
- Cost per click (CPC): what each click costs.
- CPM: the cost per thousand times your ad is shown. It reflects how competitive and expensive your audience is.
- Frequency: how often the same person sees the ad. High frequency means the audience is tired of it.
Diagnosing a problem
- Low CTR: change the hook or creative.
- Good CTR but few enquiries: the landing page or offer is the problem.
- High CPM: broaden the audience, reduce the number of competing ads in a small budget, or give Meta more conversion data.
- High frequency: add fresh creative.
Give it time
Judge results over several days, not hours. Early data is noisy while Meta learns who responds, and a few impressions can swing every number.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good click-through rate for Facebook ads?
It varies by industry and offer. Compare your own ads against each other and watch cost per enquiry, which matters more.
Why do I get clicks but no enquiries?
Usually the landing page or offer. If people click and leave, check that the page matches the ad and makes the next step obvious.
How soon can I judge my ads?
After several days of delivery, not after a few hours.