February 19, 2026
Running Facebook ads on Instagram is simpler than most advertisers realize. Since Meta owns both platforms, you manage all your ads through a single interface: Meta Ads Manager. This allows you to run the same campaign across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Audience Network with unified targeting, budgeting, and reporting.
This guide walks you through how to run ads on Facebook and Instagram simultaneously, the placement options available, and best practices for maximizing results across both platforms.
Setting up cross-platform campaigns in Meta Ads Manager takes just a few steps.
Go to business.facebook.com or use the Meta Business Suite app. Both Facebook and Instagram ads are created and managed from this single dashboard.
Click "Create" and choose your campaign objective. All objectives support both Facebook and Instagram placements, including:
At the ad set level, you will set your:
This is where you decide whether to run on Facebook only, Instagram only, or both. You have two options:
Advantage+ Placements (Recommended): Meta automatically distributes your budget across all placements where your ads are likely to perform best. According to Meta's best practices, this option typically delivers the best cost efficiency.
Manual Placements: You select exactly which platforms and positions your ads appear in. Use this when you have specific creative designed for certain placements or when testing performance differences.
Upload your creative, write your copy, and add your call-to-action. If running across multiple placements, you can customize creative for each placement using asset customization.
When running ads across Facebook and Instagram, you can choose from multiple placement types on each platform.
Placement | Best For | Notes |
Facebook Feed | Brand awareness, conversions | Highest reach, highest CPM (~$16) |
Facebook Stories | Quick engagement | Lower cost than Feed |
Facebook Reels | Video content | Growing placement |
Right Column | Retargeting | Desktop only, lower engagement |
Marketplace | Product sales | Purchase-intent audiences |
Video Feeds | Video views | In-stream video placements |
Placement | Best For | Notes |
Instagram Feed | Visual products, brand building | High engagement |
Instagram Stories | Time-sensitive offers | Full-screen vertical format |
Instagram Reels | Short-form video | Younger audiences |
Instagram Explore | Discovery | Reaches users browsing content |
According to Facebook ads statistics, Feed placements have the highest CPM at around $16, while Stories and Reels placements are more cost-efficient at $10-12 CPM.
The Audience Network extends your reach to apps and websites outside Facebook and Instagram. It typically offers the lowest CPM but may have lower engagement quality. Use it for awareness campaigns where reach matters more than engagement depth.
Follow these guidelines to maximize results when running Facebook and Instagram ads together.
Unless you have a specific reason to restrict placements, let Meta's AI optimize your budget distribution. Industry data shows that campaigns using Advantage+ placements typically achieve better cost efficiency because the algorithm finds the best-performing placements for your specific audience. Whether you're just learning Facebook ads for beginners or managing campaigns for clients, this automated approach consistently outperforms manual placement selection.
Different placements have different specifications and user expectations:
According to Meta ad specs for 2026, leave roughly 14% (250 px) of the top and bottom of Stories and Reels ads free from text or logos to avoid covering CTAs.
Within a single ad, you can upload different creative for different placements. This lets you run one campaign while showing optimized creative to each placement. Access this through the "Edit Placement" option when creating your ad.
In Ads Manager, break down your results by placement to see which platforms and positions deliver the best results. Navigate to: Ads Manager > Columns > Customize Columns > Breakdown > By Delivery > Placement. Understanding these metrics is essential for achieving what is good ROI Facebook ads performance across both platforms.
Instagram audiences tend to respond better to:
Facebook audiences often respond better to:
Understanding how Facebook and Instagram compare helps you set realistic expectations.
According to industry statistics, adding Facebook to an Instagram-only campaign typically yields incremental reach of 8-18%, depending on audience overlap. The inverse is also true: adding Instagram extends your Facebook campaign reach.
While costs vary by industry and targeting:
Many businesses wonder do Facebook ads cost money compared to Instagram. The reality is that both platforms share the same pricing model through Meta Ads Manager, with placement performance varying more by creative quality and audience fit than by platform.
Instagram typically sees higher engagement rates for visual and lifestyle brands, while Facebook often performs better for:
For agencies managing client campaigns, understanding these nuances is crucial. A specialized Instagram ads agency can help navigate platform-specific strategies while leveraging cross-platform efficiencies.
Yes, you need an Instagram business account connected to your Facebook Page. You can create one for free and link it through Meta Business Suite. Once connected, you can run Instagram ads even without posting organic content.
Yes, and this is the default behavior when using Advantage+ placements. However, you can customize your creative for each platform if you want different messaging or visuals on Facebook versus Instagram.
Performance depends on your audience, industry, and creative. Rather than choosing one platform, most advertisers see the best results running across both and letting Meta's algorithm optimize delivery. Test with Advantage+ placements first, then refine based on your data.
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