Facebook Ads Success with Low Budgets & Limited Daily Spend

I'm going to share with you a case study that not only surprised the client but also me, and my team, as well.

We were asked to create a Black Friday campaign, with a brand new Facebook Page, Ad Account, and a website that never had paid advertising traffic, and no Tracking Pixel.

Challenge was on.

We added a GTM (Google Tag Manager) to the website and set up a brand new Pixel, with only browser-side tracking based on URL and click tracking. Being a custom site, we didn't have time for server-side Conversions API setup.

We created the Facebook Page, and added it to an Ad Account that was new. As it was new, Meta automatically limits daily spend.

(Side note: The ad account was used for the same client, but for a different website, different Pixel similar products.)

Setting the Stage

Couple of things you need to know, to understand why these campaigns were successful:

1. Product Market Fit

The products advertised were in full season, and we know there is hot market. The products were alcohol distilling machines and accessories.

2. Price

The price of the main products are high, starting at ~€500. This is also important because of the ROAS we ended up.

3. Audience

We knew the audience. Farmer living in rural area, aged 35+, who likes to "cook tuica".

(Tuica is a Romanian "homemade brandy").

4. Promotion

It was Black Friday period, so people are on buyer mode. Plus, there was a discount slapped on the products.

The timing was key as we got the Black Friday, plus full season for "tuica cooking".

Campaign Execution

So, we got to work and planned a 3-day Black Friday Sale.

We used the MVAC framework to start testing and hopefully scaling this 3-day Black Friday Sale.

If you don't know the MVAC system, then go and read DAS #04, but here is the

TL;DR - MVAC - Minimum Viable Ad Campaign:

Step 1: Simple Structuring

Step 2: Message

Step 3: Testing and Analysis

Step 4: Scaling winners

Step 5: Rinse and Repeat

Let me take you through the steps and show the ad campaigns.

Step 1: Simple Structuring

1 Campaign

1 Advantage+ Ad Set (age 35+) - we let Facebook find the customers

3 Ads: 1 image, 1 video slideshow, 1 carousel

Ad creatives:

Simple product showcase, with minimal text.

Headline: Black Friday

Offer: showcasing discounts

Scarcity: Sales period

Step 2: Messaging

We use simple messaging: Black Friday Sale Discount

Headline:  1-3 variations

Body text: 1-3 variations

1 Call to Action

Ad copy:

Hook - Black Friday Started

Text: up to 30% discount

Scarcity: 3 day sale

CTA: Shop Now

That's more than enough, as Black Friday is the only time of the year when you can ask people to BUY NOW without shame.

You can see the exact 3 ads we created below:

Step 3: Testing and Analysis

As time was short, we didn't need adjust the ad creatives or copy after 4-5 days. We let it run for the full 3 days. 

Step 4: Scaling winners

We set a lifetime budget for the initial cold campaign, as we knew the ad accoutn had limited daily spend.

Step 5: Rinse and Repeat

Nothing to adjust because of the short period for the campaign.

Let's see the results:

Day 1:

Launched the Advantage+ Campaign with lifetime budget of €300 for the 3-day sales period.

Spend: ~€60 (because of daily spending limit)

ROAS: 4.33

Best performing ad: Carousel

Day 2:

As we saw results already, we quickly created a remarketing camapaign, with 2 separate ad sets targeting Website Visitors and Facebook Page Engagers, with a lifetime budget of €200 for two days.

We used the same ads as for the Advantage+ Campaign.

The ad account was still limited, so the full budget was not spent.

Advantage+ Campaign:

Spend: ~€38

ROAS: 30.28

Best performing ad: Video

Remarketing Campaign:

Spend: ~€38

ROAS: 17.14

Best performing ad in both ad sets: Carousel

Better performing ad set: Facebook Engagement

The re-marketing audiences were small, as this page never received traffic from Facebook.

Still, the results were astonishing.

Day 3:

We got lucky!

With the lifting of the daily spend limit by Facebook, the campaigns were able to reach their full potential.

Advantage+ Campaign:

Spend: ~€195

ROAS: 23.27

Best performing ad: Carousel

To my surprise, carousel outperformed video.

Remarketing Campaign:

Spend: ~€157

ROAS: 7.35

Best performing ad in both ad sets: Carousel

Better performing ad set: Web visitors

The ad sets flipped and the FB Page engagers became the under performer.

This campaign needed more to optimize.

3 Day Overall Results:

Spend: ~€426

ROAS: 14.86

Conversions Value: ~€7820

In the end, success!

And a success we didn't expect.

The carousel ad format continued to outperform, further solidifying its effectiveness in driving conversions.

Key Takeaways

Black Friday as a Sales Driver

Capitalizing on seasonal events like Black Friday cannot be overstated, particularly for products with strong market demand.

Facebook's Machine Learning Targeting is powerful

Despite spending limitations, Facebook's targeting capabilities proved extremely valuable in reaching the desired audience segments effectively.

Success on a Small Budget and short time scale

Significant results can be achieved even with limited resources and tight timelines, if you do the bare minimum.

The Power of Demand, Timing, and Offer

Aligning product offerings with market demand and seasonal trends is critical for maximizing campaign effectiveness.

Let me know what you think of this case study by replying via email. Do you want to more case studies?

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Disclaimer: The results presented in this case study are not typical and may vary depending on various factors. The intent is to share insights and learnings rather than brag about extraordinary achievements. We are not Facebook Ad gurus who are better than everyone.