How to Run Facebook Ads Without Ads Manager and Still Get Thousands of Followers

Have you been wondering how to grow your Facebook page, get more followers or likes, or drive traffic to your website without getting stuck in all the complicated Meta Ads Manager setup?

Good news. You don’t need to be a tech expert or spend hours trying to figure out Facebook’s ad tools. In this article, I’ll walk you through exactly how I grew my page to over 7,000 followers by running just one simple ad without using Meta Ads Manager at all.

Let’s get started.

Why I Prefer Running Ads Directly from Facebook

Many people get confused when they hear about Meta Ads Manager. They think they have to create campaigns, ad sets, and custom audiences and go through all those complicated steps.

But here’s the truth: You can run effective Facebook ads directly from your page without using Ads Manager. It’s easier, faster, and still gets great results.

In fact, I grew my Facebook page to 7,400 followers just by running one ad this way.

Step-by-Step: How to Run Facebook Ads Without Ads Manager

1. Open Your Facebook Page: Start by opening your Facebook page. You can use a computer (recommended for a bigger screen) or a phone or tablet. Either one works.
2. Go to Ad Center. On your page, you’ll see a menu with items like “Professional Dashboard” and “Ad Center.” Click on Ad Center. This is where you can view and create ads directly from your page.
3. Click “Advertise” to create a new ad inside Ad Center; you’ll see a button that says “Advertise.” Click on it. Facebook will give you three options:

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• Automated Ads: Facebook sets everything up for you. Not ideal if you want control.
• Create New Ad: You do everything yourself. This is the one I recommend.
• Boost a Post: Promotes one of your existing posts.

I personally prefer “Create New Ad” because it gives you full control over the setup.

4. Choose the Ad Goal. Next, Facebook will ask what you want the ad to do. You’ll see options like

• Automatic
• Get more calls
• Get more messages.
• Get more website visitors.
• Get more page likes.
• Grow customer base
• promote app (Limited to some people)

If your goal is to grow your page like I did, choose “Get more page likes.” This ad type works well for increasing followers. If you choose “Automatic,” it will let Facebook choose the best goal for your ad based on your content and audience. Or you choose “Get more calls or Get more messages.” This is better if you want people to call your business directly from the ad or message you from WhatsApp, Messenger, or Instagram.

“Get more website visitors.” This is good if you are running ads to generate traffic to your website. “Grow customer base.” Use this to find new potential customers who may be interested in your products or services. Promote app (limited to some people): This option is for promoting your mobile app to get more installs or users. May not be available to everyone.

5. Add an Engaging Title and Description Now it’s time to write something catchy. Your title and description should grab attention. Think about what would make someone stop and click.

Here’s a trick: Use emotional or curiosity-driven language. For example, a post I made that said, “Viktor Gyokeres can’t win the Golden Boot even after scoring 39 goals?” got over 2,000 likes and drove lots of traffic to my website.

6. Add a Picture or Video Visuals matter. You can upload a picture or video or choose one of your past posts to promote. Just make sure it’s eye-catching and relevant to your audience.
7. Leave “Advantage+ Creative” and “Special Ad Category” untouched. When you see settings like “Advantage+ Creative” or “Special Ad Category,” don’t worry about them. Just leave them the way they are.
8. Target the Right Audience This is a very important step. Many people make mistakes here and end up wasting money.

Choose your audience carefully. If you’re looking for more website traffic or followers, I recommend targeting countries like Nigeria, Oman, and Brazil. Avoid countries like the U.S. or U.K. for this type of ad; they may not engage as much.

Also choose:

• Age range: 18 to 65+ is good by default.
• Gender: You can select all genders, or just male or female, depending on your audience.

9. Set Your Budget and Duration Never leave your ad running “continuously.” This is a common mistake. If your ad stops performing but keeps running, Facebook will keep charging you, and you’ll get fewer results for more money.

Instead, set a daily budget (like ₦2000 per day) and choose a start and end date. This way, once the amount is used up, Facebook stops the ad.

Important: The better your ad performs (more likes or clicks), the less Facebook charges per action. So focus on making your ad engaging from the start.

10. Choose Where Your Ads Appear Another key mistake to avoid: selecting too many platforms.

If you’re running an ad to grow your Facebook page, only select Facebook. Do not choose Messenger or Instagram. Those platforms may show the ad, but they won’t bring you the page likes you want.

However, if you’re advertising a product or service, then Messenger or Instagram might be useful. Always match the placement to your goal.

11. Add Payment Method When you click “Add Funds,” Facebook gives you a few options:

• Debit/credit card
• Bank transfer
• Pay with Visa/MasterCard (through PayU)

I recommend using “Pay in Naira with Visa/MasterCard.” It’s easier for Nigerians and other users in Africa. Facebook uses PayU to convert naira to dollars automatically.

Just enter your card details, wait for the OTP, and once approved, your money will reflect in your ad account balance.

If your card doesn’t work after 3–4 tries, stop and try a different one. Don’t keep retrying the same card, or it might get blocked.

12. Publish Your Ad Once everything is set—budget, targeting, ad creative, and payment—click “Publish.” That’s it! Your ad is now live.

You don’t need to open Meta Ads Manager or deal with complex ad sets. This method is simple and works perfectly for beginners.

Bonus Tips

• Track your performance daily. Check if followers or likes are increasing.
• Stop the ad if it’s not performing well after 2–3 days.
• Always have a budget so you don’t overspend.
• Keep testing different titles, images, and targeting to improve results.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need expensive tools or advanced marketing skills to grow your Facebook page. By following this simple method, you can run effective ads directly from your Facebook page and get real results.

If it worked for me, with just one ad and over 7,000 followers, it can work for you too.

Try it today and watch your page grow.

Let me know in the comments how your ad performed!

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