{"id":111881,"date":"2019-10-25T13:17:25","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T13:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.wingify.com\/blog\/abtest-facebook-ads\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T14:38:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T09:08:28","slug":"abtest-facebook-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingify.com\/blog\/abtest-facebook-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"How to A\/B Test Your Facebook Ads and Skyrocket Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Facebook\u2019s Ads Manager is a marketing powerhouse. Even with a $5 daily budget, you could reach hundreds of thousands of people in your target audience. A report by Buffer<\/a> estimated that as many as 91% of marketers use Facebook ads. Facebook marketing continues to push full steam ahead.<\/p>\n

Although Facebook ads can be great for drumming up brand awareness, knowing how to A\/B test your ads is the secret to long term success. Without it, you\u2019re just guessing at what works instead of rigorously analyzing and improving your approach. Consistent A\/B testing<\/a> (also known as split testing) provides the analytics you need to improve your strategy, boost engagement, and increase your click-through rate.<\/p>\n

Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to A\/B test your Facebook ads. By the end, you\u2019ll know how to set up your own A\/B ads on Facebook, and the best presets to choose for each option along the way.<\/p>\n

But First, What is an A\/B Test?<\/h2>\n

A\/B testing your Facebook ads can teach you more about your audience\u2019s preferences.<\/p>\n

A and B refer to the versions of the ad. Your A version acts as the control. It\u2019s the ad version you\u2019ve seen work in the past or believe will work best. Your B ad version implements a variable. It\u2019s a variation of A and is meant to compete with your A version.<\/p>\n

If A beats out B, then you keep running the A ad and make a different change to B to try again.<\/p>\n

Once the B version performs better than A, B becomes your new control \u2013 your new A. Your original A is discarded or archived. The new A now acts as the baseline to beat when you split test again in the future.<\/p>\n

Split testing is meant to help identify which variables pull the most weight and altering the parts that don\u2019t support conversions.<\/p>\n

Before you begin A\/B testing, be sure you\u2019re following best practices to creating a Facebook Ad that converts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

First, Decide What You Want Your Ad to Accomplish<\/h2>\n

Before you begin split testing, be sure you\u2019re clear on what specific goal you have for that ad. Usually, you\u2019ll be looking for post engagement, such as a click-through to the website or increasing sign-ups.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to check that the click-through destination matches the promise of the ad. If you were offering a discount on a pair of sneakers, make sure that\u2019s precisely where your audience ends up.<\/p>\n

Three Options to Get Started in Facebook\u2019s Ad Manager<\/h2>\n

Facebook gives you three options to create a split test.<\/p>\n

Guided creation: <\/strong>Facebook will walk you through the process of creating a split test. Once you complete their questions, your ads will be ready to go. This method works best if you\u2019re new at Facebook advertising or prefer a step-by-step guide. The screenshots below show walkthrough this method.<\/p>\n

Quick creation: <\/strong>Facebook lets you design the structure for a split test. This structure can be saved and deployed at a later time. This can be helpful if you know what you plan to test, but your campaign doesn\u2019t start for another week.<\/p>\n

Duplication:<\/strong> If you\u2019ve run Facebook Ads before, the Duplication method allows you to add a new ad set or alter an existing campaign for your split test. We\u2019d recommend this if you want to test one variable in an ad you\u2019ve already run.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no wrong choice since it\u2019ll depend on your preference and history of running Facebook ads. For more detailed steps on each option, review their Help page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Select Your Ad\u2019s Objective & Variable<\/h2>\n

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Select the objective that you decided on earlier. Once you choose one of these options, a menu will appear. Select \u201cCreate Split Test\u201d, then select the variable you plan to change. The dropdown menu options are creative, delivery optimization, audience, and placement.<\/p>\n