If you’re an artist or arts presenter, chances are you’ve dabbled in Facebook and Instagram ads—maybe even hit that tempting “Boost Post” button. But if you’re only boosting posts, you’re probably not getting the best return on your ad spend.

Following Facebook & Instagram ad best practices will make your ad dollars work smarter, so you’ll get better results. This guide will show you how to use Meta Ads for musicians and performers to find new fans, grow your audience, and sell more tickets.

The key to running successful social media ads is knowing which ad type to use based on your goal. Whether you’re looking to find new fans, sell tickets, or convert engaged audiences, here’s how to do it right.

Why Ads Manager beats boosted posts

Many artists and presenters default to boosting posts because it’s so quick and easy, but here’s why Ads Manager is a better option:

🚀 Better Targeting – Reach the right audience with Custom & Lookalike Audiences.
🚀 Optimized Placements – Choose where your ad appears instead of letting Facebook decide.
🚀 Budget Control – Allocate your budget to the best-performing ads.

Even a $5-$10/day ad campaign using these strategies will outperform a basic boosted post.

Know your audience: Cold, Warm, and Hot

When I was a kid, I liked to play a seek-and-find game with friends. One person would hide an object and the seeker would look for it. The others in the game knew where the object was and as the seeker got closer they would say, “You’re getting warmer … warmer … warmer ….” If the seeker turned in the wrong direction, they’d say, “Oh, now you’re getting colder … colder … freezing cold!” When the seeker got really close, we’d get excited and say, “Now you’re getting hot! Hotter! Burning up!”

You can use a similar system to guide you when deciding how to target your ads:

🔹 Cold Audiences are people who haven’t heard of you yet. They might have similar interests to your current fans but haven’t engaged with your content before. You’re not on their radar, and they haven’t considered buying something from you. Your goal should be to introduce yourself and build awareness of what you offer. If they like what they see, they will warm up and want to know more.

🔹 Warm Audiences – These people know about you and may have engaged with your posts, watched your videos, or visited your website, but they haven’t made a commitment yet. They may know what you have to offer, but aren’t strongly motivated yet to buy what you’re offering. Your goal should be to nurture their interest and encourage them to take action.

🔹 Hot Audiences – These are the people closest to buying. They know they want what you offer, and have already shown intent, like RSVPing to an event or visiting your ticket page — yet they haven’t completed their purchase. Your goal should be to help them overcome barriers to purchase and convert them into ticket buyers or subscribers.

Different ad strategies work best for each type of audience.

Cold audiences: How to use Meta ads to find new fans

If you’re trying to reach new people who have never heard of you, engagement-based ads work best to build awareness.

✅ Use These Ad Types:

• 🎥 Video Ads – Show event highlights, teaser trailers, behind-the-scenes content.
• 📸 Engagement Ads – Optimize for likes, comments, and shares to warm up new audiences.
• 📹 Video Views Objective – Get new eyes on your content with short videos.

Refine targeting by:

• Interests: Folk music, live theatre, local arts, festival goers.
• Behaviors: Frequent event attendees, online buyers.
• Geographic targeting: Keep within drivable distance for events.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t ask for ticket sales yet—focus on building engagement and recognition first.

📌 Best Practices:

• Keep videos under 15 seconds for Stories/Reels.
• Use text overlays & captions (many watch without sound).
• Add a clear call-to-action (CTA): “Get Tickets,” “RSVP Now,” “Sign Up.”

🚀 Pro Tip: Run multiple ads within an ad set and let Meta optimize spend based on performance. This ensures budget is directed towards the best-performing creatives.

Warm audiences: Turn them into ticket buyers

People who already know you are more likely to buy tickets than cold audiences.

✅ Create a Custom Audience of people who have:

• Visited your website (requires Facebook Pixel setup).
• Engaged with your Instagram or Facebook in the past 90 days.
• Signed up to your email list
• RSVPed to past events.

📌 How to Set Up a Custom Audience:

1. Go to Meta Ads Manager → Audiences → Create Audience.
2. Select Custom Audience → Choose Website Traffic, Page Engagement, or Event Engagement.
3. Set the timeframe (e.g., past 90 days) and save the audience.

✅ Use These Ad Types:

• 🔗 Website Traffic Ads – Send interested fans to your ticketing page.
• 🎫 Event Ads – Directly promote a Facebook event to drive RSVPs.
• 📸 Carousel Ads – Feature multiple tour dates, upcoming events, or album releases.

💡 Pro Tip: Keep users inside Facebook if you can. Meta often prioritizes in-platform actions like RSVPs, messages, or lead forms, which can result in lower costs—but always test to see what works best for your audience.

Create Lookalike Audiences

You can also target Lookalike Audiences. This directs Meta to find new people who resemble your past ticket buyers or most engaged fans.

📌 How to Set Up a Lookalike Audience:

1. Upload a list of past buyers (if available) OR select an existing Custom Audience.
2. Choose Lookalike Audience → Set the match percentage (1% is most similar; 2-3% broadens reach).
3. Apply geographic targeting (e.g., “Canada,” “Toronto + 50 miles”).

Hot audiences: Re-engage and close the sale

Have you ever visited a ticketing page but didn’t buy? A well-timed retargeting ad can remind fans and nudge them to complete their purchase.

✅ Use These Ad Types:

• 💳 Conversions Objective – Target people who previously visited your ticket page (using Meta Pixel). Note: Conversions work best when the audience is large enough (at least a few thousand people who’ve taken an action). If the audience is too small, Website Traffic or Lead Generation might perform better.
• 📩 Lead Generation Objective – Capture emails for long-term marketing.
• 📲 Messenger Ads – Start a direct conversation to close sales.

💡 Pro Tip: Set up retargeting ads to remind people who visited your ticket page but didn’t complete their purchase.

Final Takeaway: Be Strategic with Your Ad Spend

Instead of throwing money at boosted posts, use a smart ad strategy that aligns with your audience’s journey:

🔹 New Fans → Engagement Ads
🔹 Interested Fans → Ticket Sales Ads
🔹 Engaged Fans → Retargeting Ads

Monitor ad performance daily and adjust based on results.

✅ Key Metrics to Track:
📊 Click-Through Rate (CTR): Aim for 1% or higher.
🎟️ Cost Per Click (CPC): Aim for a CPC under $1.50 when possible, but monitor performance—some competitive audiences may cost more.
🔄 Conversion Rate: Track how many clicks turn into ticket sales.

Optimization Tips:

• If CTR is low, test new visuals or copy.
• If CPC is high, refine targeting to warmer audiences.
• If conversion rate is low, check if the ticketing page is user-friendly.

📌 Tip: Run ads for at least 7 days to gather enough data before making adjustments.