Facebook and Instagram ads for Adelaide businesses
Facebook ads have a reputation problem, and honestly, a lot of it’s earned. Boosted posts that reach nobody useful. Targeting so broad it might as well be a billboard. Reports full of “reach” and “engagement” that don’t translate into a single phone call.
Done properly, it’s a genuinely good way to get in front of people who don’t know they need you yet — which search ads can’t really do, since search only catches people already looking.
What’s different about how I run it
- Targeting built around who actually buys from you, not just broad demographics and hope
- Creative that stops the scroll — a boring product photo with “Contact us today!” underneath doesn’t work anymore, if it ever did
- Landing pages built specifically for the campaign, not a generic homepage that makes people hunt for what they clicked on
- Real reporting on cost per lead, not vanity metrics dressed up to look like progress
What makes a good Instagram ad
Instagram isn’t just Facebook with nicer photos. People use it differently, so the ads have to be built differently.
- It’s full-screen and on a phone. A lot of Instagram ads show in Stories and Reels, which fill the screen top to bottom. An ad made for a Facebook feed, squashed into that space, looks like an afterthought.
- People flick past fast. The first moment has to show the thing: the finished job, the before and after, the problem you fix. Not a logo.
- Real work beats polish. A steady phone video of a job you’re proud of usually does better than stock footage, because it looks like you and not like every other ad.
- Make it easy to act without leaving. People don’t like leaving the app. A short enquiry form inside Instagram, or a fast page built for that one ad, loses fewer of them on the way.
I run Facebook and Instagram from the same account, so you don’t pay for two setups. I watch which one is bringing in enquiries more cheaply for your business and put more of the budget there.
A campaign that actually worked
I ran a focused Facebook campaign taking a client cold into a completely new market — no existing customer base there, no brand recognition. It pulled in 3,316 enquiries at around $34 each. That’s the full case study, numbers and all, not a cherry-picked stat — have a look at it here.
Is this actually right for your business?
Not every business should be running Facebook and Instagram ads. If what you sell is a considered, expensive purchase people research carefully, Google Ads probably does more of the heavy lifting. If it’s something visual, something people buy on impulse, or something they didn’t know existed until they saw it — that’s where social ads earn their keep. I’ll tell you honestly which side of that line your business sits on, even if the honest answer is “not yet.”
Common questions
How is this different from just boosting a post?
Boosting a post is Facebook’s easiest, least effective option — it’s designed to get you spending money quickly, not to get you results efficiently. Real campaign management means proper targeting, testing different creative, and adjusting based on what’s actually converting.
Do I need professional photos or video?
Helps, but isn’t required to start. Plenty of well-performing ads use decent phone photos and honest, specific copy over polished stock imagery that looks like every other ad in the feed.
What’s the minimum budget?
I’ll give you a real number once I understand your industry and goals — not a generic figure pulled from a rate card.
Do you run Instagram ads separately from Facebook?
Usually not. Both run through the same Meta ad account, so one campaign can show on both, and the results show which one is bringing in cheaper enquiries. If Instagram is doing better for your business, more of the budget goes there. If there’s a good reason to run Instagram on its own, I can do that too.
What kind of content works best on Instagram?
Short vertical video and clear photos of real work: a finished job, a before and after, or you on site explaining something. Phone footage is fine if it’s steady and well lit. Glossy stock images tend to look like every other ad in the feed.
Want to see if Facebook and Instagram ads make sense for your business?
— I’ll tell you straight if it’s not the right fit yet. Or read the questions people usually ask first. Not ready to chat? Get a free website check.