Facebook and Instagram Ads: How to Run Both from One Account
Instagram and Facebook ads are managed from the same place: Meta Ads Manager. When you create a campaign, you can run it on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Audience Network all at once. But running both platforms without a creative strategy for each wastes budget. Here is how to do it right.
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Facebook vs. Instagram: audience and format differences
| Factor | ||
|---|---|---|
| Primary age group | 30-65+ | 18-40 |
| Best content format | Link posts, carousels, video | Reels, Stories, image carousels |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 or 4:5 | 9:16 (Stories/Reels), 1:1 (feed) |
| Click behavior | More link clicks | More saves and profile visits |
| B2B performance | Strong | Weak |
Advantage+ placements vs. manual placements
Meta recommends Advantage+ placements (previously called automatic placements) for most campaigns. With this setting, Meta allocates your budget to whichever placement is performing best in real time. For most advertisers this outperforms manual selection. The exception: if your creative only looks good on Instagram feeds, manually exclude placements that would show a 9:16 creative in a 1:1 space.
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Always upload creatives in both 1:1 and 9:16 ratios for any campaign targeting both platforms. A vertical video will be cropped awkwardly in a Facebook feed. A square image will have black bars on Stories. One set of ads does not fit all placements.
Questions people ask
Should I run separate campaigns for Facebook and Instagram?
For testing, yes. Running a split test with one campaign per platform lets you see where your budget is more efficient. For scaling, combine them with Advantage+ placements and let Meta optimize. Separate campaigns reduce the data each algorithm has to learn from.
Does Instagram require a different creative style than Facebook?
Yes. Instagram audiences expect more visual, polished, or authentic-feeling content. UGC-style videos perform extremely well on Instagram Reels. The same talking-head video that converts on Facebook may feel out of place in an Instagram Story.
Can I advertise on Instagram without a Facebook Page?
No. Instagram ad accounts must be connected to a Facebook Page through Meta Business Suite. You need both pages active, but your Facebook Page does not need to be your primary promotional channel.