How to run course ads on Facebook
With its massive user base and powerful targeting capabilities, Facebook has become an ideal platform for training centers, instructors, and course providers to reach potential learners. Mastering how to run course ads on Facebook not only helps you increase student enrollment but also builds brand awareness and optimizes your marketing costs. This article provides a detailed guide, from preparation to optimizing your course advertising campaign.
How to run Facebook courses ads effectively?
Running Facebook ads for online courses is no longer unfamiliar in the education and training sector. With millions of daily users, Facebook has become a powerful platform to reach potential learners quickly and accurately. However, to make your campaign truly effective, you need to clearly understand the platform’s policies and know how to optimize your ad content. Below is a detailed guide to help you deploy course advertising in a systematic and effective way.
Reach the right target students: Facebook allows you to target by age, occupation, interests, and behavior, helping you promote your course to the right group of truly interested people (for example: high school students, university students, working professionals looking to improve skills…).
Reasonable and controllable cost: Compared to traditional advertising, Facebook Ads budgets can be flexibly adjusted from just a few hundred thousand to millions of VND per day, allowing you to optimize spending for each campaign phase.
Increase brand awareness: Besides selling courses, running ads also helps your training center or company build brand recognition and establish a professional image in the eyes of potential learners.
Advertising in the education sector is similar to how to run recruitment ads because both are related to people. However, Facebook applies strict policies that you must follow. You are not allowed to promise results such as “guaranteed IELTS 7.5 in 2 months,” “study and pass,” or “100% job after graduation,” as Facebook considers this misleading content. Avoid using negative or discriminatory language like “are you bad at English?” or “unemployed due to lack of skills?” Refrain from using 18+ images or shocking visuals, even for attention-grabbing purposes.
Limit the use of words like “free” or “huge discount” too frequently, as this may lead to reduced ad delivery. Instead, write content in a neutral tone and focus on the actual value the course provides without overhyping.
Fanpage need updated regularly: It should have clear information, professional visuals, real student feedback, and consistent posts. An active page will be given more priority by Facebook. Your content should answer: Who is the course for? What will learners achieve? Are there any promotions? How to get in touch? Also, include open-ended questions to encourage comments and interaction.
Images and videos should be realistic and engaging: prioritize photos of your center, instructors, and real classes. Testimonial videos from former students or course reviews are “strong weapons” to boost conversions.
For training centers or well-established brands, ads should focus on direct conversions such as course registrations, consultation bookings, or information form submissions. Key elements to focus on include:
- Optimizing the sales funnel (professional landing pages, 24/7 chatbot support…)
- Running retargeting ads to people who have shown interest, interacted with the fanpage, or watched 50% of the video
- Setting a higher budget to expand lookalike audiences based on previous course buyers
For new centers without a strong brand reputation or a student community, the focus should be on building brand awareness through promotional programs such as:
- “First class free trial.”
- “50% discount for the first 20 registrants”
- “Free ebook when leaving a phone number.”
In addition, you should invest in building a series of valuable content on your fanpage, such as study tips, knowledge-sharing clips, etc., to build trust before promoting your course.
Preparation for running course ads on Facebook
To run course ads effectively on Facebook, you cannot rely solely on attractive ad creatives. The key lies in thorough preparation before launching the campaign. A professional advertising foundation sets the stage for faster ad approval, optimized costs, and higher conversion rates.
High-quality advertising platform
The fanpage is the first thing users see when they click on your ad. The page name should be clear, easy to remember, and related to the course or training center (e.g., “IELTS boost”, “Learn content online”…). The profile picture and cover photo should be appealing and professional, representing the field of education. The description must be clear and include the address, phone number, website, and business hours.
Regular content updates: there should be posts sharing study tips, student feedback, classroom review videos, course promotions, etc. Authentic user interaction (comments, reviews, shares…) is recommended. These are good signals that help improve your ad quality score. A well-built fanpage not only helps with ad approval but also serves as social proof to build trust and drive course registration decisions.
Landing page tốt sẽ tăng khả năng chuyển đổi, giúp bạn không “đốt tiền” vào lượt click vô nghĩa. A good landing page will increase conversions, helping you avoid wasting money on meaningless clicks. Depending on the model, you can direct ads to a main website if the training center offers multiple courses, or to a dedicated landing page if you want to promote a specific course.
The landing page should ensure:
- Fast loading speed and compatibility with both mobile devices and computers.
- Simple and easy-to-read design, with a clear and prominent CTA (Register, Book a consultation, Call now…).
- Clear course information: schedule, tuition, instructors, promotions…
- Trust-building elements: certificates, student feedback, classroom photos, social media links…
- Integration with Facebook pixel and Google Analytics for measurement and retargeting.
A stable advertising account (ad account) helps prevent interruptions during campaign delivery. It is recommended to use a Business Manager (BM) ad account to manage fan pages, pixels, payment accounts, and assign roles to your team easily. Choose a reliable international payment card or use Meta Wallet if running ads in Vietnam. The account should have a clean history with no policy violations or previous suspensions due to “policy evasion” content.
Have a backup plan with a second ad account or another BM in case of unexpected restrictions from Facebook. If you are a beginner, start with a low budget to “nurture” the account, and increase gradually once you have data and Facebook has “trusted” your account.
Identify your target customers and define their personas
Don’t rush into running ads before you truly understand who your learners are. Identifying the demographics, behaviors, interests, and especially the “pain points” of your potential students is the foundation for selecting suitable content, targeting the right audience, increasing conversion rates, and reducing advertising costs.
Demographics
These are the basic background and social characteristics of your learners, including:
Education level / current occupation: Typically, students seek to gain more skills before graduation, working professionals want to switch careers or get promoted, and freelancers aim to stay updated and improve their expertise. This data is essential for accurate audience targeting in Ads Manager.
Age: Each type of course suits a different age group. IELTS or English communication courses → ages 14–28 (students or young professionals). Advanced digital marketing courses → ages 25–35 (working professionals aiming for career growth). Online cooking or wellness courses → ages 25–45 (homemakers or remote workers).
Gender: Some courses tend to attract a specific gender. For example, programming courses often attract more men, while skincare or online yoga classes are more appealing to women.
Location: You can select specific provinces or major cities (like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City) for offline classes, and for online courses, you can expand your reach nationwide.
Behavior and interests
People who are interested in marketing often follow pages such as Vinalink, Brands Vietnam, Tomorrow Marketers, and join large groups like Digital Marketing Community, Marketing Jobs, etc. They tend to engage, explore, and learn from others.
When running ads, you can target these behaviors to increase the chance of reaching the right audience. User behavior can indicate who is likely to make a purchase (hot traffic). Key behaviors to watch for include:
- Frequently searching for online courses or signing up for free trials
- Having interacted with pages about training, education centers, or free courses
- Often clicking on ads with titles like “Free course,” “Change your life with course X,” “Top skills to learn in 2025”
- Watching lecture videos, following instructor fanpages, or online learning centers
- Regularly using Facebook during peak hours (7–9 a.m., 12–2 p.m., 8–10 p.m)
When building a lookalike audience or retargeting, you can rely on pixel data, click behavior, or video views to narrow down the right group.
This is the most important part to craft the right message and speak directly to the learner’s mindset. Ask yourself:
“What pain point does your course solve for them?”
For example:
| Khóa học | Nỗi đau (Pain Point) | Nhu cầu học viên |
| IELTS | Mất gốc tiếng Anh, không đủ điểm du học/ra trường | Cần 6.5+ IELTS cấp tốc trong 3–6 tháng |
| Digital Marketing | Không biết bắt đầu từ đâu, loay hoay học lan man | Muốn học đúng trọng tâm để đi làm ngay |
| Thiết kế Canva | Không biết thiết kế, không dùng được Photoshop | Muốn tự làm ấn phẩm truyền thông đẹp, nhanh, miễn phí |
| Lập trình | Nghề hiện tại bấp bênh, khó kiếm việc tốt | Muốn chuyển nghề sang IT, lương cao, ít bị ảnh hưởng kinh tế |
| Chăm sóc da | Da xấu, nhiều mụn, thử nhiều cách không hiệu quả | Muốn học cách chăm sóc da bài bản, an toàn tại nhà |
Create compelling content
A successful advertising campaign cannot lack engaging and professional content. The content should attract attention and persuade users to sign up for the course. To achieve this, you need to invest in various elements such as images, videos, headlines, descriptions, and call-to-action (CTA).
Images and videos are key factors that determine whether users will stop and watch your ad. Give priority to visuals showing real classes, instructors, students, learning spaces, or simulations of online course interfaces. This helps viewers visualize the course and feel more confident.
Dynamic videos with concise content: these could be short video introductions about the course (30 seconds to 1 minute), instructor insights, or testimonials and success stories from former students. These original, authentic contents build strong trust and improve conversion rates.
Headlines should be short (preferably under 50 characters), easy to understand, and address a key pain point or urgent desire of your target audience. For example: “upgrade your marketing skills in 3 months” or “switch to coding with just one course.” The more specific, clear, and commitment-oriented the headline, the more likely it is to drive clicks.
The course description is where you “sell” the course, so it’s important to highlight the key benefits learners will gain. What skills will they develop? What knowledge will they acquire? How can it be applied in real-life situations?
Provide clear and concise course details: duration, format (offline/online), and who the course is suitable for. Introduce the instructor: what is their expertise? How many learners have they trained?
Call-to-action (CTA): guide the viewer on what to do next (sign up, leave contact info, inbox, etc.).
The CTA button plays a vital role in directing user behavior. Here are some effective CTAs for course advertising:
- “Sign up now”: best for users ready to take action.
- “Learn more”: great for those who are uncertain and want more details.
- “View start dates”: ideal for recurring or scheduled courses.
- “Get free consultation”: encourages action from users who need more guidance.
In addition, you should include a phone number, Messenger link, or registration form directly below the ad to shorten the conversion process.
Step-by-step guide to running Facebook course ads
Step 1: Set up your campaign in Facebook Ads Manager
Once you’re ready, go to Facebook Ads Manager and start creating your campaign. At this stage, you should select the right campaign objective, usually “leads” to collect potential customers, “traffic” to drive users to your website, or “messages” if you want users to message you directly. Then, give your campaign a clear name for easy management, such as “ads_khoahocIELTS_t7_2025”, and set a budget that matches your goal, either a daily or lifetime budget.
Step 2: Set up the ad set
In this section, define your target audience, ad placements, and schedule. Use the detailed targeting options to specify age, gender, location, interests, and behaviors related to your course. For placements, you can choose “automatic” for Facebook to optimize delivery or “manual” to show your ads only in specific areas such as News Feed, Instagram Feed, or Messenger. Also, schedule your ads to run during peak engagement times like 7–9 a.m., 12–2 p.m., or 8–10 p.m. to improve reach and performance.
Step 3: Create your ad
This is the step where you enter your prepared ad content into the system. Choose a format that fits your content: single image, video, or carousel (multiple images). Then upload the image/video, add the headline, description, and select a call-to-action (CTA) button such as “Sign up,” “Send message,” or “Learn more.” If you have a website or registration form, insert the link to make it easy for users to take action. Make sure all information is clear and complies with Facebook’s advertising policies.
Step 4: Review and launch
After completing the setup, click the “Publish” button to submit your campaign for review. The review process typically takes from 10 minutes to a few hours. Ensure your content does not include sensitive words, exaggerated claims (like “100% guaranteed pass” or “guaranteed success”), or inappropriate images to avoid ad rejection. Once approved, your ad will begin running according to the schedule you’ve set.
Step 5: Monitor, optimize, and measure performance
To ensure a successful campaign, you need to regularly track its performance through Ads Manager. Key metrics include: number of impressions, click-through rate (CTR), number of sign-ups or messages, and cost per lead (CPL). If any ad performs poorly, you should turn it off to save budget and increase spending on better-performing ones. Additionally, try A/B testing with different headlines, images, and audiences to find the most effective combination.
Pay attention to the following to run successful course ads on Facebook
To ensure your Facebook course advertising campaign delivers high results, you need to optimize several key elements—not just basic ad setup. First, focus on optimizing visuals such as images and videos, which are the first impression that determines whether users will stop and engage with your ad. Use clear, high-quality images that match your target audience and inspire learning. Videos should be short, dynamic, and highlight key strengths or learning outcomes of the course.
In addition, retargeting is a highly effective strategy. You can re-engage users who have previously interacted with your fan page, watched a video, visited your website, or abandoned the registration form. These are users who have already shown initial interest, so the conversion rate will be higher if you continue nurturing them with relevant content.
Another golden rule is to continuously perform A/B testing – you should experiment with different versions of your ads (images, headlines, content, audiences…) to compare performance and optimize your budget. Don’t rely on a single version from the beginning.
Additionally, instead of just listing the modules or topics covered in the course, you should focus on the benefits students will gain after completing it. For example, highlighting that learners can increase their income, apply for new positions, or start a business thanks to hands-on skills is much more compelling than simply stating “10 classes + 2 tests”.
One way to expand your organic reach is to collaborate with relevant partners such as niche fanpages, Facebook groups, or influencers in the training industry. They have the right audience base and can help deliver information about your course to the right target audience more quickly and effectively.
Finally, don’t stop at advertising; build a learning community by creating a dedicated Facebook group for students or those interested in your training field. This is a space to share knowledge, answer questions, and nurture long-term relationships, which helps increase the return rate of students and encourages referrals.
Facebook course advertising account rental service
Running effective course ads on Facebook requires time, effort, and professional knowledge. To help you optimize your campaign and achieve the best results, BlackHatWorld Agency offers comprehensive solutions:
- In-depth advertising strategy consultation: Our expert team will analyze your market, target audience, and course details to build an effective and tailored advertising strategy.
- Providing reputable ad accounts: We offer reliable, policy-compliant ad accounts with high trust, large and stable budgets, and super-fast campaign approval.
- Professional ad campaign design and deployment: We will create engaging ad creatives, precisely target your audience, and systematically deploy the campaign via Facebook Ads Manager.
- Continuous campaign management and optimization: We will monitor campaign performance daily, conduct A/B testing, and make necessary adjustments to help you achieve the highest conversion rate at the lowest cost.
- Transparent performance reporting: We provide detailed reports on campaign effectiveness, helping you easily assess and track results.
- Technical support and issue resolution: We handle all technical problems that may arise during the campaign, so you can focus on developing course content and taking care of your learners.
With extensive experience and deep understanding of Facebook Ads, BlackHatWorld Agency is confident in being a trusted partner to help you run successful course advertising campaigns and attract a large number of potential students. Contact us today for a free consultation!
Facebook advertising account rental price list?
| BUDGET/DAY | FEE |
|---|---|
| 200 usd – 2000 usd | 6% |
| 2001 usd – 5000 usd | 5% |
| 5001 usd – 10000 usd | 4% |
| 10001 usd – 20000 usd | 3% |
| >200001 | 2% |
Please note: The pricing table above applies to white-hat (WH) advertising categories only. For insurance (BH) and shipping (GH) categories, an additional 1% will be charged.
💬 Free Consultation!
- Telegram: @bhw_agency
- Whatsapp: +84819001811
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- Email: [email protected]
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We will refund 100% of the unused advertising budget if you stop using the service within 30 minutes, with no additional charges.
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