How to Set Up Facebook Ads in MailChimp

At Shero, we’re big fans of MailChimp. This marketing automation platform is known for its simple yet powerful email marketing tools. But did you know you can also use it to create and publish ads on Facebook and Instagram? There are some real benefits to using MailChimp instead of the standard Facebook and Instagram Ad Manager. Let’s walk through the process, from planning to publishing, and then take a look at some of those benefits so you can decide whether to give it a try yourself.

Campaign Setup

Gather Your Necessities

Before creating your campaign, take the time to gather everything you’ll need:

1. Visual content, like photos or graphics
   Tip: Check out Facebook’s guidelines to make sure your ad elements are optimized for Facebook or Instagram.
2. Final ad copy
   Tip: Don’t forget to grab a word nerd and have them proofread it!
3. Budget for the campaign
4. Target audience demographics, like age or location

Create the Campaign

1. In your MailChimp account, click Create Campaign.
2. Select Create an Ad.
3. Name your campaign and click Begin.

Connect Your Facebook Account

1. In MailChimp’s campaign creator, click Connect Facebook.
2. Choose the Facebook Page you would like to advertise through.
3. Toggle the Facebook Newsfeed option to the On position.
4. To advertise on Instagram, your Instagram Page will need to be linked to your Facebook Page. If you haven’t linked them yet, follow these instructions to do that now.
5. In MailChimp, toggle the Advertise on Instagram option to On.
6. Save the Ad Channel section.

Select Your Audience and Budget

1. In the Audience section, select the type of people you would like to see your ad and then Save the Audience section.
2. In the Budget section, set the duration and budget for the campaign.

Ad Copy and Images

1. Fill in the Content section with the appropriate copy and imagery for your campaign.
2. Save the Content section and preview your ad for accuracy. Again, don’t forget to proofread.

Payment and Submission

1. If you haven’t added a payment method to your MailChimp account yet, you’ll need to do that. MailChimp will prompt you to do so when you submit the ad.
2. Submit your ad! After submission it may take a few hours for the ad to be approved and begin to run.

Watch Your Analytics

1. You’ll be able to monitor your ad campaign’s performance within MailChimp, just like you’d monitor an email marketing campaign. Take a good look at your metrics and see how you can make your next Facebook or Instagram campaign even better!

MailChimp vs. Native Ad Managers

Facebook and Instagram have a native Ad Manager, so why add MailChimp to the mix? Each tool has its own set of benefits.

Native Ad Manager offers:

• More settings and targeting options. The native Ad Manager lets you fine-tune an extensive list of options.
• Easier ad editing. After publishing your campaign, it’s easier to tweak and edit the content using native ad manager.

MailChimp offers:

• List retargeting & better Audience Match. Leverage the marketing data you already have to reach your existing fans in a new way.
• Easy setup. MailChimp is all about making marketing simple and accessible. Getting everything synced and set up takes only a few minutes.
• Revenue Reporting. We love this feature. MailChimp’s impressive reporting functionality lets you track your ROI and revenue the same way you track your email marketing campaigns. No learning curve means faster insights and improvements. Who wouldn’t want that?
• An Email Signup Tab. Bring your Facebook audience into the fold by enabling this feature in Account > Integrations.

Overall, the stripped down options make the MailChimp Facebook and Instagram campaign creator easier to use than the native Ad Manager. We highly recommend giving MailChimp a shot for your next social media ad campaign!