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Plain answers about ads for small-business owners: the first ad, what to spend, who should run them, and what to check when no leads come in.
New comparisonGoogle Ads or Facebook ads: which should a small business start with?A Google search ad reaches people looking for what you sell; a Facebook or Instagram ad reaches people who are not. Which to start with depends on what you sell, where, and what you can pay per lead.8 min readRead the article
Before the first ad8 min readGoogle Ads or Facebook ads: which should a small business start with?A Google search ad reaches people looking for what you sell; a Facebook or Instagram ad reaches people who are not. Which to start with depends on what you sell, where, and what you can pay per lead.Read more
Before the first ad9 min readHow to set up your first Google Ads campaign yourselfEach step of a first Google Search campaign built by hand, in Google’s own order, with the settings Google switches on by default that a small business should change.Read more
What to spend8 min readWhat does Google Ads cost a small business?Google sets no minimum budget. In a 2026 US benchmark a typical search click cost $5.42 and a lead $66.69, while law firms paid about twice that for a lead and restaurants less than half.Read more
Before the first ad5 min readWhat you need for a first Facebook ad, and how to run itMeta asks for a Page, an ad account and a way to pay. From you it takes a few real photos, a place to send people and a daily amount. A website is optional.Read more
Before the first ad5 min readLead form, website or messages: where should a Facebook ad send people?A form inside Facebook is the easiest for people to send, while your website makes them read first. Choose by the job, and by how fast you can reply.Read more
Before the first ad4 min readHow to see what ads your competitors run on Facebook and GoogleMeta’s Ad Library and Google’s Ads Transparency Center show any competitor’s current ads for free. Neither shows what they spend or what the ads bring.Read more
Before the first ad5 min readFacebook ads words, explainedThe words Ads Manager and ad articles use, from ad set and Advantage+ to CPM and retargeting, each defined in a line or two.Read more
What to spend6 min readWhat do Facebook ads cost a small business?In a 2026 US benchmark a typical lead costs $27.39, and $12 to $62 by trade. UK guides quote about £8 to £40, before Meta’s 2% fee and VAT.Read more
Who runs your ads9 min readWhich AI ads tool fits a small business?Start with who a tool is built for and what it may change without asking you. Several speak to brands, agencies and media buyers, and only a few to a small business.Read more
When something goes wrong7 min readFacebook ads not working? How long to wait, then what to checkGive a new campaign a week, and closer to a month on $10 a day, before you judge what a lead costs. If it brings nothing even then, check delivery, clicks and the page first.Read more
When something goes wrong4 min readFacebook ad account disabled on your first ad? What to doOnly an admin of the ad account can ask Meta for a review, from Meta Business Support Home, and no outside tool can do it for you.Read more
By type of business10 min readFacebook and Instagram ads for a small online storeOne campaign for one product is enough to start. What an order costs in ads depends on what you sell, from about $9 for pet supplies to about $50 for furniture at 2026 averages.Read more
By type of business6 min readFacebook and Instagram ads for a local businessA local ad pays off when someone nearby asks for a quote or books a visit. Aim it only at the area you serve, and decide what counts as a lead before you spend.Read more
What to spend8 min readHow much should you spend on Facebook ads?Your budget follows from one number, what you would spend to win a new customer. It sets the most a lead may cost, and a month of ads shows whether you can buy leads below it.Read more
Who runs your ads7 min readWhat a Facebook ads agency costs, and when to do without oneUS agencies charged from about $500 a month in 2026 and UK ones from £300, with the ads on top. On a small budget that fee can be half of everything you spend.Read more
Who runs your ads8 min readMeta’s free ad tools, and when they are enoughMeta’s own tools cost nothing beyond the ads, and for many owners one of them is enough. Each still leaves you to decide what to advertise and to judge what came back.Read more
Who runs your ads5 min readIs it safe to let an AI tool into your Meta ad account?It can be safe. Check that you sign in on Meta’s own page, then find out what the tool may change without you and by how much.Read more
For the exact clicks in Madder, Meta and Google Ads, see the Docs.