5 Common Facebook™ & Instagram™ Ad Mistakes

If you’ve ever felt like your Facebook™ or Instagram™ ads aren’t doing what they should, you’re not alone. Whether you’re running your own campaigns or working with an expert, there are a few mistakes I keep seeing pop up, over and over again.

These aren’t just minor slip-ups. These are costly errors that can chew through your ad budget and leave you wondering, “Why isn’t this working?”

So in this blog post, I’m breaking down 5 of the most common ad mistakes I’m seeing right now from both my done-for-you ad clients and the amazing women inside Abundant Ads Academy. And, more importantly, how to fix them using my Webonize Marketing Framework.

Let’s dive in.

1. Mixing Up Primary Text & Description

Here’s one I see far too often, especially from newer advertisers.

Inside Ads Manager, there’s a field called “Primary Text” and another called “Description.” And they do very different things.

The Primary Text is the main content of your ad. It appears above the image or video in the Facebook feed, and below it on Instagram. This is where you should be putting the heart of your message, the hook, the value, the call to action.

The Description appears under your headline if Facebook chooses to show it. Most of the time, it doesn’t even display.

What’s the mistake? Many people write all their best messaging in the description field thinking it will show front and centre. But then it’s invisible. Result? Their ad falls flat.

Fix it: Always put your strongest copy in the Primary Text section. Use the Description sparingly, just in case it shows up.

2. Choosing the Wrong Campaign Objective

Let me say this as clearly as possible: The objective you choose in Ads Manager tells Meta exactly what kind of result to go after.

If you’re trying to get leads and email subscribers… don’t choose the Traffic objective.

The Traffic objective tells Facebook to find people who are more likely to click but not necessarily people who opt-in.

That’s why I always recommend the Leads objective for lead magnet campaigns. It helps you reach the people who are more likely to give you their details.

And yes, I know Meta reps might suggest otherwise. But trust me, after 13+ years of managing ad campaigns, I’ve seen it all. The Lead objective consistently delivers better results for growing your email list and generating actual leads.

3. Expecting Instant Profit From Day One

This one’s a mindset shift.

Many new advertisers launch their first campaign expecting it to be profitable right out of the gate.

I wish I could say it works that way. But the reality? Ads need time, testing and tweaking before they become profitable.

Even I, with all my years of experience, never run a single version of an ad and hope for the best. I test:

• Multiple headlines
  
• Multiple images and videos
  
• Several versions of ad copy
  
• Different audience targeting
  

Webonize Tip: Think of your first ad campaign as a learning phase. Use it to gather data. Then, optimise based on that data to reduce your costs and increase your results.

4. Relying On Ads To Do All The Work

Your ad is just one part of a bigger marketing ecosystem.

If your funnel is broken – if your landing page doesn’t convert, your emails don’t get opened, or your audience drops off before they reach your offer, your ad performance will suffer.

That’s why the Webonize Framework takes a holistic approach. We don’t treat ads in isolation. They’re part of a journey.

Here’s what you should be tracking alongside your ad performance:

• Landing page conversion rates
  
• Email open and click-through rates
  
• Lead-to-sale conversion ratios
  

These numbers matter just as much, if not more, than your cost per click or cost per lead.

5. Treating Ads Like a Standalone Strategy

This might be the biggest mindset shift of all.

Your ads aren’t meant to replace the rest of your marketing. They’re meant to support it.

When you run ads in isolation, without integrating them into your content plan, your launches, your emails, then you’re leaving results on the table.

Ads should amplify everything else you’re doing. That’s what makes the Webonize Marketing Framework so powerful. We align your ads with your funnel, your nurture sequences, and your audience-building efforts.

The Takeaway

Running Facebook™ and Instagram™ ads doesn’t need to feel confusing or expensive, but it does need a strategy.

When you avoid these five mistakes, you’re giving your ad campaigns the best chance to succeed. And when you layer that into a bigger-picture strategy using the Webonize Marketing Framework? That’s when you start seeing consistent, scalable results.

So before you spend another cent on ads, take a moment to review your approach. Are you:

✅ Using the right campaign objective?
✅ Writing strong messaging in the Primary Text field?
✅ Committed to testing instead of chasing instant results?
✅ Tracking your funnel, not just your ads?
✅ Aligning your ads with your broader marketing strategy?

If not, now’s the perfect time to fix it.

And if you’re ready for expert support, I’d love to guide and support you inside Abundant Ads Academy where I help businesses just like you run profitable ads with confidence.