Why Instagram ads are built inside Facebook's ad account
Both networks are managed from one platform, Meta Ads Manager. Even if you only want to appear on Instagram, a full campaign is created there, not inside the app. The Boost button in Instagram is simpler, but it gives you limited control over the goal, placements and the events the system learns from.
Every working tool is tied to your Meta business account: the Facebook Page, the Instagram account, the ad account, the pixel and the product catalog. That is why access gets sorted out first and ads second. A common trap in Tashkent and the regions: the Page was once created from a former employee's or contractor's personal profile, and the owner cannot manage it.
Facebook ads setup: the steps in order
Order matters because each step shapes the next one, and a mistake at the start is the most expensive to fix later.
- Business Manager: Page, Instagram and ad account in one place, with the owner holding the main admin rights.
- Campaign objective: leads, messages, sales or traffic. It decides which settings are available and what action the algorithm learns to find.
- Ad sets: location, age, audiences, placements and budget.
- Creatives and copy: video, photos or carousels with a clear offer.
- Event check: confirm that a lead or purchase is actually being recorded.
- Review and launch.
Pixel, Conversions API and where your leads actually land
The pixel is a piece of code on your website that tells the ad account what a person did after clicking: opened a page, added an item to the cart, submitted a form. The algorithm uses those signals to find similar people. The Conversions API sends events straight from your server, which helps when browsers withhold data. That matters in Uzbekistan, where most traffic comes from phones.
Many local businesses take enquiries in Telegram, Instagram Direct or by phone rather than on a website. In that case the pixel sees very little, and the setup has to be different: click-to-message ads, lead forms, or a Telegram bot that passes the event back. For an online shop that accepts Click or Payme, the useful event is the payment, not just a page visit.
Audiences and creatives to prepare before launch
You cannot launch a campaign without ads, so creatives come before the setup, not after. Prepare several versions: different openings for a video, different offers, a static image next to the clip. A simple offer such as same-day delivery in Tashkent or a trial lesson can outperform a complicated video.
Split your audiences too: cold (interests and location), warm (followers, site visitors, people who already messaged you) and lookalikes of existing customers. One message for every segment is a frequent reason for expensive leads. It is also worth testing Russian and Uzbek versions separately, because the response can differ noticeably.
Launch and the first tests
The first days of a campaign are for collecting data, not for judging the final result. The system is still learning, so cost per lead is unstable at the start. If you change settings every day, the learning keeps resetting and you never find out what works.
Once statistics build up, weak combinations are switched off and budget moves to the strong ones. Placements are compared as well: feed, stories and reels differ in cost per impression and in audience response. Creatives should be refreshed regularly, otherwise people get used to them and results slowly decline.
Common mistakes during setup
Most problems come not from a bad algorithm but from basics that nobody checked before launch.
- The pixel is installed incorrectly or the events were never tested.
- There is no lead tracking, so you cannot tell which campaign brought a customer.
- One creative is shown to every segment.
- Several ad accounts inside one Business Manager produce duplicated or lost data.
- A personal profile is confused with the business Page, and access takes weeks to sort out.
- Results are judged on the first impressions, before learning finishes.
- Leads arrive but nobody answers them quickly.
What the cost depends on and where to start
The price of the work depends on the number of products or directions, the volume of creatives, how deep the technical setup goes and how many tests are run. The ad budget is paid to Meta itself and is not part of a contractor's fee, so make sure the contract says so. Ask for reports on cost per lead and real sales, not only reach and clicks.
If you would rather hand the task to specialists, the markdev team sets up and manages Meta Ads in Uzbekistan, from Business Manager and pixel to creatives and testing. Tell us what you sell and where your leads go today, and we will talk through where to begin.
FAQ
Why are Instagram ads set up through Facebook?
Both networks are managed from one Meta Ads Manager account. The Page, Instagram account, pixel and audiences are linked at the business account level, so the full setup is done there.
Do I need a pixel if leads come through Telegram or Direct?
A website pixel will show little in that case. Use click-to-message ads or lead forms, and agree separately how you will track which conversations turn into sales.
Can I set up Facebook ads myself?
You can create a basic campaign on your own. The difficulty starts with events, audiences and testing, which is where budgets are usually lost, so many owners bring in a specialist at least for the start.
When should I judge the results of a campaign?
Not in the first days, because the system needs time to learn. The timing depends on budget and competition in your niche, so decide in advance which metrics you will use to judge the outcome.
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