# Social media ads that stop the scroll > Social media ads for small businesses: Facebook and Instagram campaigns, with in-house creative production. Budget tested before scaling. URL: https://thenichesociety.ro/en/social-media-ads Good social media ads win or lose in the first 2 seconds of scroll. **We produce our own creative** — we don't recycle generic stock footage — and test variants before scaling the budget. ## The platform optimizes targeting; the creative makes the difference Meta Ads has gotten very good at automatic targeting — the algorithm finds the audience. The real difference between a campaign that performs and one that burns the budget is almost always the creative, not the technical settings. Facebook and Instagram ads for a business rarely win on targeting alone — the message and the first seconds of video make the real difference. ## In-house pipeline, not stock footage We use an in-house production pipeline (AI generation plus editing) to create brand-specific visuals — we do not recycle generic clips that have already shown up in hundreds of other ads. We produce Meta ads Bucharest with our own AI-generation-and-editing pipeline, adapted to each brand’s visual identity. For generating creative variants, the same rule applies as for the rest of our AI work: [why the AI model matters less than you think](https://thenichesociety.ro/en/blog-modelul-ai-conteaza-mai-putin) compared with how well we control the process. **We test, we don't guess** 2-3 creative variants per campaign, to see what really resonates. **Not recycled stock footage** Product visuals for your specific product/service. **Reels, Stories, feed — optimized per format** A video for the feed doesn't work the same as one for Reels. ## Not just the budget, but the message too We test hook variants (the first 2 seconds), message, and call-to-action — not just demographic targeting. A wrong message with perfect targeting still loses. ## Cost per result, not just 'reach' Reach and impressions are vanity metrics if they don't translate into conversions. We report cost per lead/sale/click to the site, depending on the campaign's real objective. ## We test small, scale what works Just like with Google Ads, the first stage is a test with a controlled budget, then we scale only the winning variants. Meta Ads Bucharest starts with a small test budget, enough to build up optimisation data, before any decision to scale. If you're just building your first plan, we've written separately about [what makes a social media campaign bring customers](https://thenichesociety.ro/en/blog-campanii-social-media-ce-aduce-clienti), from objectives to the testing budget. ## Mistakes that burn the ad budget The most common mistake is changing the creative too often, before the platform accumulates enough data to optimize delivery — we test variants, but give them time to prove the result. The second mistake is ignoring the algorithm's learning phase — a campaign that's constantly stopped and restarted loses the accumulated optimization progress, even if the budget stays the same. ## A fixed price, after a short discovery call. - A/B testing - end-of-test report - no long-term commitment - new content monthly - data-based optimization - monthly report Every project has a different context, workflows and infrastructure, so the price is set after a short, paid discovery and does not change along the way. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much do Facebook/Instagram ads cost? Management cost is separate from the media budget. It depends on the volume of creative produced and the complexity of the campaigns — we work out the specifics in discovery. Source: editorial ### Do you use AI-generated content in ads? Yes, as part of our production pipeline — combined with editing and real creative direction, not generated raw and published as-is. Source: editorial ### How long until we see if a campaign works? We usually have useful signals after 3-7 days of running, with a budget large enough for a few dozen test conversions. Source: editorial ### Do you also run TikTok campaigns? Yes, on separate request — TikTok has a different format and audience from Meta, and we discuss whether it makes sense for your product. Source: editorial ### What platforms do you cover besides Meta? Mainly Facebook/Instagram; TikTok or YouTube are discussed separately, on request, depending on your audience. Source: editorial ### Can I use my own photos/videos as a starting point for the creative? Yes — we combine your existing material with our own production, if it makes sense for the brand. Source: editorial ### What makes a social media campaign bring customers, not just likes? A single, measurable objective such as leads or sales, a few creative variants tested before scaling, a separate testing budget and an attribution window set in advance. Without them, a campaign can look good in the report and still bring no customers. ### Social media ads or Google Ads: which should you choose? It depends on demand. If people are already actively searching for what you sell, Google Ads captures that intent more cheaply. Social media advertising works better when you need to create demand, that is, show the product to people who aren't looking for it yet. ### Let's see what can be automated in your business. A free 30-minute session: we'll tell you what can be automated, how long it takes and what it costs, with a fixed price after discovery. We reply the same business day.