Why New Brands Should Focus on Top-of-Funnel Campaigns on Meta

When new brands start running paid ads on Meta they often jump right into BOF (bottom-of-funnel) campaigns in hopes of driving quick sales. But, before diving into bottom-of-funnel campaigns, we must focus on top-of-funnel (TOF) campaigns first for long-term success. TOF campaigns are not only going to gain exposure for your brand to a large audience but also will prepare the Meta tracking pixel for more effective targeting. By running TOF campaigns, you allow the algorithm to gather meaningful data, helping it identify and engage the right audiences over time. A well-trained pixel ensures more precise ad delivery, improved efficiency, and reduced acquisition costs when transitioning to lower-funnel strategies.

Here’s what makes this approach work:

Avoiding Learning Limited

Meta’s ad optimization requires at least 50 conversions within a 7-day window—a benchmark challenging for emerging brands targeting smaller audiences. Fail to meet this, and your ads risk falling into the “learning limited” phase, which tends to increase costs. Here’s where TOF campaigns come to the rescue. By focusing on objectives like traffic, landing page views, or video views, TOF campaigns enable you to reach a broader audience. This approach not only accelerates data collection but also ensures a more efficient path to optimization.

Building Awareness and Trust

It’s unrealistic to expect sales the moment your brand goes live if no one knows your brand yet! TOF campaigns are where you introduce your brand to people and pique their interest. This increases engagement as well as increases Meta’s quality score for your ads, which reduces costs for your future campaigns. When looking to use the Meta ads platform, it is best to begin with traffic, video views, or landing page view campaigns – to get maximum exposure and increased engagement build a database of interested users. When you have enough data, re-target these audiences and use goals like leads or add to cart to start progressing users down the funnel toward conversion.

Setting the Table for Conversions

TOF campaigns create another funnel of potential customers. Once someone becomes aware of your brand, it’s easier to convert them later. Move your campaign objectives more gradually from lead generation to add to cart then conversion. Pivot to optimize by an event like “initiate checkout,” add to wishlist, or catalog sales to drive steady direct results. You want to eventually start with lead generation or engagement to pool interested users followed up with a purchase, add to cart, or check-out optimization. This gradual transition helps you guide potential customers closer to making a purchase.

Smart Budgeting

Starting with a limited budget can hinder your campaign’s performance by restricting its ability to optimize effectively. To achieve meaningful results, allocate enough resources to drive at least 50 optimization events within seven days. If you notice slower progress or underwhelming outcomes, consider increasing the budget slightly to help the campaign regain momentum and deliver stronger results.

This approach isn’t just about data collection—it’s about creating meaningful connections with your audience, building trust, and ensuring your ads perform efficiently at every stage of the funnel. For marketers, the message is clear: a well-structured TOF strategy is your powerhouse for maximizing ROI and turning first impressions into lasting customer relationships.

TOF campaigns are vital for new brands aiming to establish awareness and lay the groundwork for success. By strategically leveraging TOF campaigns, you lay a solid foundation for scalable success on Meta’s ad platform. Start by focusing on objectives like driving traffic, increasing video views, or boosting landing page visits—this helps “warm up” your pixel and gather actionable data. Once you’ve built a solid awareness base, you can transition to conversion-driven campaigns, such as encouraging add-to-cart actions or purchases. This strategy not only minimizes common challenges but also sets the stage for sustainable growth, ensuring stronger, more consistent results over time.

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