How Long Should You Run Facebook Ads for Best Results?

Running Facebook ads can be a game-changer for your business if done strategically. Knowing the right duration for running ads can significantly impact your return on investment (ROI), engagement rates, and conversions. This guide offers data-backed insights to help you decide the optimal length for running Facebook ads, backed with FAQs and key metrics.

Why the Duration of Facebook Ads Matters

Determining how long to run Facebook ads can make a difference in how well they perform. A report from Wordstream found that, on average, Facebook ads reach their peak performance around day 3-4 of a campaign. However, optimal results can vary depending on factors such as audience engagement, ad frequency, and campaign objectives.

Studies show that:

• Ads with longer durations tend to have lower costs per result. When ads run continuously, Facebook’s algorithm has more time to learn and optimize.

• Short-term ads often yield quick, high engagement but can have higher costs due to the lack of algorithm optimization.

1. Why the Duration of Facebook Ads Matters

The duration of your Facebook ad campaign plays a crucial role in its overall effectiveness and performance. When ads run for a limited time, they create a sense of urgency, encouraging immediate action. However, running Facebook ads for too short a period may limit their potential to reach a wide enough audience, while long-term campaigns provide ongoing exposure and the opportunity to gather insights and optimize over time.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Campaigns:

• Short-Term Campaigns: These are typically used for time-sensitive offers or promotions. Running ads for a short period (e.g., 1-2 weeks) can create urgency and drive quick action, especially with a compelling offer like a "limited-time discount" or "seasonal promotion." Short-term campaigns can yield high conversion rates of 3-5%, especially if there’s a strong call-to-action (CTA) and targeted audience. However, if the duration is too short, Facebook's algorithm may not have enough time to optimize ad delivery effectively, potentially leading to a higher cost per acquisition (CPA).

• Long-Term Campaigns: Running ads for several months can help establish brand recognition, build trust, and continuously bring in new leads. For long-term campaigns, the average CTR can stabilize between 0.9% and 1.5% after the algorithm has optimized the ads for your target audience. Additionally, long-term campaigns allow for better budget allocation, as costs may average out. A study from Wordstream found that businesses running Facebook ads for longer durations (3+ months) experienced a 20-30% lower cost-per-click (CPC) and up to 50% higher return on ad spend (ROAS).

2. Short-Term vs. Long-Term Facebook Ads

Both short-term and long-term ad campaigns have distinct advantages, and understanding how long to run your ads can help you allocate your budget and resources more effectively.

Short-Term Campaigns:

• Advantages: Quick results, higher urgency, targeted offers, higher CTR with compelling promotions.

• Challenges: Limited time for Facebook’s algorithm to optimize, potential higher CPC, and a limited ability to gather data for future optimizations.

• Best for: Time-sensitive promotions like flash sales, seasonal discounts, or product launches.

Long-Term Campaigns:

• Advantages: Sustained brand visibility, better optimization opportunities, more data for analysis, higher consistency in ad performance.

• Challenges: Requires a larger budget, slower results in the short run, need for ongoing adjustments and creativity.

• Best for: Branding campaigns, lead generation, and continuous exposure over time.

3. Key Metrics to Monitor During a Facebook Ad Campaign

Monitoring the right metrics is essential to understanding the effectiveness of your Facebook ads, regardless of their duration. By tracking and optimizing these metrics, you can ensure your ad spend is delivering value.

Key Metrics to Track:

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): The CTR measures how many people click on your ad after seeing it. This metric is essential for evaluating the relevance and effectiveness of your ad. For Facebook ads in the self-storage industry, the average CTR is between 1% and 1.5%, but well-targeted ads and compelling creatives can achieve CTRs as high as 3%. If your CTR is below 1%, you may need to revisit your ad copy or targeting.

• Cost Per Click (CPC): CPC measures how much you pay for each click on your ad. The average CPC for self-storage businesses is typically between $1.50 and $3.00. However, optimizing your audience targeting and ad creatives can lower this cost by up to 20%. If CPC is high, it could indicate that your targeting needs refining or that your bids are too high.

• Conversion Rate: Conversion rate is the percentage of clicks that result in a desired action, such as filling out a contact form or booking a unit. The average conversion rate for Facebook ads in the self-storage sector is around 3%-6%. However, with optimized landing pages and well-tailored ads, conversion rates can reach 10% or higher. Increasing conversion rates can help you maximize your ad spend and achieve a lower cost per acquisition (CPA).

• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): CPA is the cost of acquiring one customer through your ads. The average CPA for self-storage businesses typically ranges from $20 to $50. If you are running a long-term campaign, you should monitor this metric regularly to ensure you are getting a reasonable return on investment (ROI). Optimizing your ad targeting, creatives, and landing pages can help reduce CPA by up to 30%, especially with retargeting and high-intent audience strategies.

• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): ROAS measures how much revenue you earn for every dollar spent on ads. The average ROAS for Facebook ads in various industries ranges from 200% to 400%. Self-storage businesses, with optimized campaigns, can achieve ROAS upwards of 500%. A higher ROAS indicates that your ads are generating more revenue than they cost, making your ad spend highly profitable.

• Ad Frequency: Frequency measures how often your target audience sees the same ad. A frequency of 1-2 is ideal, but anything above 3-4 may lead to ad fatigue. If your ad frequency is too high, your audience may start ignoring your ad, leading to a decrease in CTR and an increase in CPC. Monitoring ad frequency can help ensure that your audience remains engaged without experiencing too many impressions.

Why These Metrics Matter:

• CTR and CPC: Higher CTR indicates relevance and engagement, while a lower CPC helps you stretch your ad budget further.

• Conversion Rate and CPA: These metrics determine how effectively you’re turning clicks into leads or customers. Optimizing for higher conversion rates reduces your CPA.

• ROAS: Ultimately, ROAS measures the overall effectiveness of your ad spend in generating revenue.

• Ad Frequency: Keeping an eye on frequency ensures that your audience stays engaged without getting fatigued, which can help maintain the effectiveness of your ads over time.

By closely monitoring these metrics throughout your campaign, whether short-term or long-term, you can make informed decisions, optimize performance, and ensure that your Facebook ad campaign delivers maximum results for your self-storage business.

3. Optimal Facebook Ad Durations by Objective

Different campaign objectives require different timeframes to maximize effectiveness.

Awareness Campaigns

• Duration: 14 days or more

• Goal: Increase brand awareness and engagement.

• Best Practice: Use eye-catching visuals and concise messaging to establish a connection with your audience. Facebook suggests a minimum of 14 days for brand awareness campaigns to allow for optimal reach.

Consideration Campaigns

• Duration: 7-10 days

• Goal: Encourage users to consider your product or service.

• Best Practice: A/B test different ad copies and visuals within the first week to determine which resonates best with your audience.

Conversion Campaigns

• Duration: 5-14 days, depending on the promotion's urgency.

• Goal: Generate leads, sales, or other specific actions.

• Best Practice: Use remarketing ads for the last few days of the campaign to re-engage visitors.

Event-Based Campaigns

For events like sales, product launches, or webinars, shorter campaigns with high-frequency ads can be effective.

• Duration: 3-5 days

• Goal: Generate quick engagement and conversions.

• Best Practice: Increase budget and use a countdown timer in the ad to create urgency.

4. Cost Efficiency of Long-Running Ads

Long-running Facebook ads offer several benefits in terms of cost efficiency, especially when you leverage Facebook's optimization tools and adjust your targeting and creative strategies over time. With longer campaigns, your ad performance tends to stabilize, and your cost per result often decreases as Facebook's algorithm learns which audiences are most likely to convert.

Why Long-Running Ads Are More Cost-Effective:

• Better Ad Optimization: Facebook's algorithm improves over time as it gathers more data about your audience’s behavior, which leads to better-targeted ad delivery. With longer campaigns, the learning phase is extended, helping reduce your cost per click (CPC) by 10%-20%.

• Lower CPC Over Time: According to a study by Wordstream, Facebook ads that run for 30 days or more tend to experience a 15%-20% drop in CPC as the ad gets optimized. For example, an initial CPC of $2.50 can drop to around $2.00 after a few weeks of running, offering better returns for your budget.

• Cost-Effective Branding: Longer campaigns help build sustained brand awareness, which leads to a higher click-through rate (CTR). Studies suggest that brand recall can increase by up to 30% over 4-6 weeks of consistent ad exposure. This means you’ll likely see higher engagement rates over time, reducing the overall cost per result.

5. Tips for Running Facebook Ads for Extended Durations

Running Facebook ads for extended periods can lead to better results, but to ensure continued success, you need to adjust strategies, test regularly, and stay on top of optimization.

5.1. Refresh Your Ad Creatives

Creative fatigue is a real issue when running long-term campaigns. Over time, your audience may become less responsive to the same ad. To avoid this, regularly refreshing your creatives is essential.

• How Often Should You Refresh Your Creatives?: A good rule of thumb is to refresh your ad creatives every 4-6 weeks. This keeps the campaign fresh and helps avoid ad fatigue. Studies show that campaigns with regularly updated creatives achieve up to 40% higher CTRs compared to those that don’t refresh.

• Refresh Content Based on Performance: If an ad isn’t performing well after 2-3 weeks, consider tweaking the headline, imagery, or call-to-action. A/B testing various creative elements can help you identify the best-performing combination.

• Creative Refresh Strategy: Focus on altering visuals and messaging to align with current trends or seasonal offers. Research by Hootsuite shows that creatives tailored to specific audience segments (e.g., targeting seasonal or location-based offers) can increase conversions by 15%-20%.

5.2. Adjust Your Budget as You Go

Flexibility with your budget is crucial for long-term Facebook ads. In the early stages of a campaign, you may need to allocate more budget to test different ad formats or audience segments. Once you identify which ones are working, you can adjust your spending accordingly.

• Start with a Small Budget: Start with a daily budget of $5-$10 per ad set to test your audience and creatives. Once you identify the best-performing combination, increase your budget by 20%-30% each week.

• Monitor and Adjust Based on Results: For example, if you’re getting a cost per lead (CPL) of $15 from one audience segment and $30 from another, allocate more budget to the lower CPL segment. This can improve your return on ad spend (ROAS) by up to 25%.

• Budget Adjustments for Seasonal Promotions: Adjusting the budget to coincide with peak times, like holidays or end-of-year promotions, can lead to a significant increase in conversions. For example, a self-storage campaign during the summer months can see up to 40% more inquiries, and increasing your budget during this time can optimize ad performance.

5.3. Utilize Facebook's Optimization Tools

Facebook’s built-in optimization tools are crucial for improving the performance of long-running ads. By using these tools effectively, you can maximize your budget and improve your ad results without constant manual monitoring.

• Automatic Placement: Facebook’s automatic placement feature helps optimize where your ads appear, including Feed, Stories, and Instagram, based on your audience’s behavior. Campaigns using automatic placements see up to 30% higher conversion rates compared to those with manual placements.

• Conversion Optimization: Facebook’s conversion optimization tool helps show your ads to people most likely to take the desired action, such as booking a self-storage unit. This can reduce your cost per acquisition (CPA) by up to 15%, especially if you’re targeting high-intent users.

• Budget Optimization: Facebook’s Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) tool automatically allocates your budget to the best-performing ad sets. When you use CBO, you can see up to 20% better ROAS by ensuring your budget is spent on the highest-converting segments.

5.4. A/B Test Ads Early On

Running A/B tests early in your campaign allows you to gather valuable insights and adjust your strategy quickly. Testing different elements, such as headlines, visuals, and audience targeting, can help you find the most effective combination for your self-storage business.

• What to Test in A/B Ads: Test variations in:

  • Headline: For example, test "Affordable Self-Storage Near You" versus "Get 1 Month Free Storage."

  • Creative: Use different images or video formats to see which resonates more with your audience.

  • Call-to-Action (CTA): Test CTAs like "Book Now" versus "Reserve Today" to determine which gets the most engagement.

• How Much Should You Budget for A/B Testing?: Allocate about 20%-30% of your ad spend to A/B testing, especially in the first 1-2 weeks. According to HubSpot, businesses that A/B test their ads see 40% higher conversion rates and up to 25% better ROI.

• Duration of A/B Tests: Run tests for at least 5-7 days to gather enough data for reliable conclusions. Testing for shorter periods may lead to inconclusive results.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your Facebook ads remain effective and cost-efficient throughout an extended campaign. Refreshed creatives, flexible budget management, optimization tools, and continuous testing will help you achieve your advertising goals while maximizing your return on investment (ROI).

The optimal duration of your Facebook ad campaign largely depends on your objective, budget, and target audience. While short-term ads work well for event-based promotions, long-term campaigns allow Facebook’s algorithm to optimize, resulting in better cost efficiency and higher conversion rates. By following the insights shared in this guide, you can develop effective ad strategies that are tailored to your specific business needs and audience.