Why do your ads bring likes instead of customers?
Most owners start with the Boost button on their page. It is quick, but it usually tells the system to find engagement: likes, comments, views. Meta's delivery system is very good at doing exactly what you ask, so it shows your post to people who like tapping "Like", not to people who will call you.
The rule that matters most: the objective you pick is what the system will hunt for. Want messages? Ask for messages. Want purchases? Ask for purchases.
Which objective should you choose in Ads Manager?
Ads Manager currently offers six campaign objectives:
| Objective | What the system optimises for | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Reach and recall | Launches and brand building, once sales are running |
| Traffic | Clicks to a site or page | Rarely for direct sales: a click is not a customer |
| Engagement | Interactions, video views, or conversations when you choose messaging apps | Shops and services that sell on WhatsApp or Messenger |
| Leads | Forms, calls or conversations | Clinics, real estate, contractors, education |
| App promotion | Installs and in-app events | If you have an app |
| Sales | Purchases on your site or store | E-commerce with the pixel set up properly |
The objective is locked when you create the campaign. Changing it means a new campaign and a fresh learning phase.
How do click-to-WhatsApp ads work?
In Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, most sales happen in a WhatsApp chat, so this format is often the best fit for service businesses. The ad runs on Facebook or Instagram; a tap opens a WhatsApp chat with you and a pre-filled message.
- Connect a WhatsApp Business number to your Page or business portfolio. Personal numbers don't work.
- Choose Engagement or Leads, then set the conversion location to messaging apps and pick WhatsApp.
- Add a greeting and a few starter questions ("What's the price?", "When is the next slot?").
- Make sure someone replies fast. A great ad with a five-hour reply time is a customer handed to your competitor.
If the volume is too much to answer by hand, a WhatsApp bot for business can reply instantly, collect the request and book the appointment.
Audience and creative: what actually moves results?
- Location first. A shop in Amman doesn't need all of Jordan. Target the city or a radius, and people who live in or are in the area.
- Let the system work. Meta now leans heavily on automatic targeting (Advantage+ audience). Very narrow interests usually raise costs without better results; the creative chooses its audience.
- Retarget people who engaged with your page, visited your site or messaged you before.
- Vertical short video (Reels, Stories), the offer in the first second, real photos of your work, and one clear call to action. Run three to five variations in the same ad set.
- Check Meta's advertising policies before you publish: exaggerated claims, before/after images in sensitive categories and other brands' logos are common reasons for rejection.
How do you know it's working?
On a website, install the Meta Pixel, ideally with the Conversions API, and track the events that matter: lead, purchase, contact. For WhatsApp, the number is cost per conversation, then how many conversations became sales; log it yourself in the first month. Change one thing at a time.
Meta and Google are not rivals. Google catches people searching for you right now (see Google Ads for beginners); Meta creates demand among people who haven't searched yet. Visual products such as furniture, food and fashion often start best on Meta.
At Hook Marketing in Amman we run Meta ads for businesses in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, built around conversations and orders rather than likes. If you're targeting the Saudi market, read how to choose a digital marketing company in Saudi Arabia. See our Facebook & Instagram ads service, or get in touch for a review of your current campaigns.
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