In 2024, Facebook Ads remains one of the most powerful tools for digital marketers. But with the constant evolution of Meta’s platform and algorithm, businesses must stay ahead of the curve to ensure their advertising dollars are maximized. As competition intensifies, the structure of Facebook ad campaigns plays a critical role in how efficiently brands can scale their reach, drive conversions, and lower costs.

In this in-depth look at the best Facebook Ads campaign structure for 2024, we break down the key strategies that successful businesses are using to stay competitive. From audience consolidation to Advantage+ targeting, we explore the tactics that will help marketers navigate the ever-changing landscape of paid social.

The Shift in Campaign Structure: Consolidation Is Key

One of the most significant shifts for Facebook advertisers in 2024 is the move toward consolidation. Meta has been advocating for fewer ad sets and a more streamlined approach to targeting, and the data backs up the benefits of this strategy.

“Meta has long been concerned with audience fragmentation,” explains Ben Heath, founder of Heath Media. “For years, advertisers were advised to create multiple ad sets with distinct targeting options, allowing them to test which segments performed best. But in 2024, this approach has become outdated. The rise of open targeting and tools like Advantage+ means that the traditional method of segmenting audiences across multiple ad sets is no longer necessary.”

With Meta’s algorithms becoming increasingly sophisticated, the manual effort of fine-tuning targeting is largely being replaced by machine learning. “Open targeting and Advantage+ allow Facebook to do the heavy lifting when it comes to finding the right people,” Heath notes. “You’re now better off consolidating your audience into one or two ad sets per campaign, letting the AI optimize delivery based on real-time data.”

This shift offers several advantages:

• Faster Learning: “When you split your budget across multiple ad sets, each set takes longer to exit the learning phase,” says Heath. “By consolidating your ad spend into fewer ad sets, Meta’s machine learning can gather data more quickly, which improves performance faster.”
• Reduced Auction Overlap: Audience overlap between ad sets can negatively impact performance. “If multiple ad sets are competing in the same auction, it drives up costs,” Heath explains. “Consolidating your ad sets minimizes this overlap, ensuring that your budget is used more efficiently.”
• Better Budget Utilization: “A $100 daily budget split across four ad sets gives each set only $25 to work with, which can dilute your results. By focusing that $100 on a single ad set, you’ll see better performance across the board,” Heath adds.

Cold vs. Warm Audiences: Structuring Campaigns for Direct Offers

While the trend is toward fewer ad sets, that doesn’t mean you should only have one campaign. Heath’s recommended structure for most advertisers is to split their efforts into two distinct campaigns: one for cold audiences and one for warm audiences.

Cold Audience Campaign:
For cold audiences—those who have not interacted with your brand—Heath recommends using open or hybrid targeting options. “We’re seeing the most success with either completely open targeting or using tools like Advantage+ Audience, which combine broad targeting with machine learning to find new potential customers,” Heath says.

This cold audience campaign typically consists of a single ad set, with Facebook’s algorithm handling the task of optimizing delivery. “By consolidating the targeting, you avoid audience fragmentation and let Facebook’s AI determine the best segments to target,” Heath advises.

Warm Audience Campaign:
For warm audiences—those who have previously engaged with your brand, such as past website visitors, email subscribers, or social media followers—Heath suggests a single ad set that encompasses all warm audiences. “You don’t need multiple ad sets to target different segments of your warm audience anymore. One well-structured ad set will suffice, and the algorithm will work to show your ads to the most relevant users,” Heath explains.

These two campaigns—cold and warm—provide the foundation for a simple yet highly effective Facebook Ads structure in 2024.

The Power of Omnipresent Content: Long-Term Relationship Building

While the two-campaign structure works for direct offers, Heath points out that there are other strategies that require a more complex setup. One such strategy is his Omnipresent Content Strategy, which is focused on building relationships with potential customers over an extended period of time.

“With the Omnipresent Content Strategy, you’re not just trying to get a single conversion,” Heath says. “You’re delivering multiple touchpoints, demonstrating value, sharing testimonials, and slowly moving prospects closer to making a purchase.”

This type of campaign structure may include eight to twelve ad sets, with each ad set targeting a slightly different group or using different content variations to keep the audience engaged. “You’ll get warnings from Meta about audience fragmentation, but in this case, it’s a strategic choice. You’re not trying to optimize for immediate conversions; you’re nurturing relationships over time,” Heath explains.

Testing New Creatives: Using Separate Campaigns for Better Results

A common frustration among Facebook advertisers is testing new creatives within a campaign that already has a winning ad. “Many advertisers add new ads to their existing campaigns, only to find that Meta won’t allocate any budget to the new ads,” Heath notes. “The algorithm prioritizes the winning ad and ignores the new creative.”

The solution? Set up a separate testing campaign. “By creating a new campaign specifically for testing new creative assets, you ensure that they get the budget and attention they deserve,” Heath says. “Once you’ve identified a new winner, you can move it into your main campaign.”

This approach allows advertisers to iterate more effectively and avoid the frustration of new ads being overlooked. “Testing is critical to long-term success on Facebook, but you have to structure your campaigns in a way that gives new creative room to breathe,” Heath adds.

How Many Ads Should Be in Each Ad Set?

In addition to streamlining ad sets, Meta has also updated its recommendations around the number of ads per ad set. “Meta now advises using six or fewer creatives per ad set,” Heath explains. “The goal is to avoid spreading your budget too thin across too many ads. By focusing on fewer ads, you give each one more data to optimize against.”

Heath agrees with Meta’s recommendation but adds a caveat: “The six-ad rule is budget-dependent. If you’re working with a smaller budget—say $20 per day—then even six ads might be too many. In those cases, I recommend starting with two or three ads and gradually testing more once you’ve identified top performers.”

For larger budgets, Heath suggests following Meta’s guidelines more closely. “If you’re spending thousands per day, six ads are perfectly fine. But for smaller advertisers, start small and focus on giving each ad enough data to succeed.”

Dynamic Creative and Advantage+ Shopping

Dynamic Creative ads, where you upload multiple creative assets and let Facebook dynamically serve different combinations, offer another layer of flexibility. “Dynamic Creative allows you to test up to 10 creative variations in a single ad, and the algorithm will automatically find the best-performing combination,” Heath explains.

Heath also emphasizes that the six-ad recommendation does not apply to Advantage+ Shopping campaigns, which often have far more variations due to the sheer number of products being advertised. “With Advantage+ Shopping, you may be advertising dozens or hundreds of products, so don’t feel constrained by the six-ad rule in that case,” Heath advises.

Optimizing for Success in 2024

The Facebook Ads space is evolving, and in 2024, the winning strategy is all about consolidation, smarter targeting, and efficient use of budget. “The days of splitting your budget across dozens of ad sets are over,” Heath concludes. “With Meta’s algorithm becoming more sophisticated, advertisers who embrace audience consolidation, optimize for faster learning, and use strategic testing campaigns will see the best results.”

By following these structural guidelines, retail executives and digital marketers can stay ahead of the competition, maximize their ROI, and ensure their ad spend is working as effectively as possible in 2024.