The short answer
To advertise your business on Facebook in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania or Rwanda, make a Facebook page, a business account and an ad account. Then run your ad in Ads Manager, which is Meta's full advertising tool. Pick a goal that matches what you want: WhatsApp messages, phone calls or website visits, not page likes. Put the price in the ad, aim it at people in your town and age group, and spend a small fixed amount each day for 7 days before you judge it.
A boosted post is fine when you only want more people to see something. It is the wrong tool when you want conversations or sales. On a small budget, Facebook suits shops, food, salons and services that sell by WhatsApp, while Google suits people who are already searching, and our Google Ads versus Facebook Ads comparison helps you choose. If you would rather have someone run it for you, see our managed Facebook and Instagram ads.
Set up first: page, business account, ad account
Most failed first ads fail before the ad starts, because the set up was rushed. Do these in order. It takes about an hour, and it is free.
- Facebook page. Use your business name, logo, phone and WhatsApp number, town, opening hours and three real photos of your work or products. A page is not your personal profile.
- Business account. Open it in Meta Business Suite. It keeps your page and ads in one place, so you do not lose them if a staff member leaves. Make yourself the owner.
- Ad account. Create it inside the business account. Choose your country, your currency (KES, UGX, TZS or RWF if Meta offers it) and your time zone. Check these before you save, because they are hard to change later.
- WhatsApp link. Connect your WhatsApp Business number to the page, so an ad can open a chat with one tap.
- Payment method. Add it last. See the payment section below.
How do I run Facebook ads from my phone?
You can. The Facebook app has the Boost button, and the Meta Ads Manager and Meta Business Suite apps let you build a full ad and read the results. Many owners do the whole first test from a phone. A laptop is easier for choosing the audience and reading numbers, and app menus change often, so follow the names on your screen.
You do not need a website to start. A WhatsApp chat can be your shop. If you already sell on Jiji or Jumia, a Facebook ad can bring people to your own WhatsApp, where you keep their number and can follow up. If you sell many items or take bookings, read do you need a website before you decide.
Boost post or Ads Manager?
What is the difference between boost post and Ads Manager?
Boosting is the blue button under one of your posts. You pick a place, an age range and a budget, and Facebook shows that post to more people. Ads Manager is the full tool where you build an ad from the start and control much more.
- Boost is fine for reach. Reach means how many people see your post. A new shop opening, a weekend offer or an event photo can be seen by many people in your town for little money.
- Boost gives you less control. You get fewer choices on the goal, the buttons and where the ad shows, it is harder to test two versions side by side, and the results are thinner.
- Ads Manager is for conversations and sales. If you want WhatsApp messages, calls or orders, and you want to learn what works, build the ad there.
Boosting is not useless. It is just easy to spend money on views that never become customers. If your goal is a customer you can call back, use Ads Manager.
Pick the goal, the audience and the ad
Choose a goal that matches how you get paid
Ask where your sale really happens. If customers chat on WhatsApp and then pay by Mobile Money or M-Pesa, pick messages. If a clinic or salon takes bookings by phone, pick calls. If you have a website that takes orders, pick website visits. Likes feel good, but they do not pay rent. Meta renames its goals from time to time, so look for the wording about messages, calls or website visits.
Choose people by place and age
Pick your town and a distance around it, such as Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam or Kigali. Think about where you can really deliver, for example by boda boda. Pick the age range of your usual customer, but keep it wide enough to be useful. Start with place and age only and add little else. A very small audience makes ads cost more and gives you slow, thin results. Write the ad in the language your customers use, for example Swahili in Nairobi or Dar es Salaam, simple English in Kampala, or Kinyarwanda in Kigali.
Make a simple ad that shows the price
Use one clear photo of your real product or a 15 second phone video. Say what it is, what it costs, where you are and what to do next. For example:
Leather sandals, [your price]. Try them at our Nairobi shop or get them by boda boda today. Tap to chat on WhatsApp.
A price in the ad scares away people who only want to ask how much, and keeps the people who are ready to buy. That saves you time on the phone. If you sell tours, how to get more safari bookings shows what a tour ad should say.
How much to spend on Facebook ads per day
How much should I spend on Facebook ads per day in KES or UGX?
Start with a test you can afford to lose, and run it for 7 days. The sizes below are rough, rounded test sizes, with about the same value in each currency. They are not promises. We cannot tell you how many messages or sales a budget will bring, because that depends on your product, price, town and how fast you reply. Meta sets a lowest daily amount that differs by currency and goal, and Ads Manager warns you if yours is too low. Exchange rates move, so check the amount on your screen.
| Test size and daily budget | Our help | Total for 7 days |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: KES 300 / UGX 9,000 / TZS 6,000 / RWF 3,000 a day | No management fee if you do it yourself | KES 2,100 / UGX 63,000 / TZS 42,000 / RWF 21,000 |
| Steady: KES 600 / UGX 18,000 / TZS 12,000 / RWF 6,000 a day | No management fee if you do it yourself | KES 4,200 / UGX 126,000 / TZS 84,000 / RWF 42,000 |
| Bigger: KES 1,200 / UGX 36,000 / TZS 24,000 / RWF 12,000 a day | No management fee if you do it yourself | KES 8,400 / UGX 252,000 / TZS 168,000 / RWF 84,000 |
| If we run it for you | Management fee from a month | Your ad budget is paid to Meta on top |
The starter size is the smallest test that can show you anything, and it may bring only a few messages. If you sell something costly, such as a car or a school term, start at Steady or Bigger, because you need a few real conversations to learn from.
How to run the test:
- Set one daily budget and leave it for the full 7 days. Changing the ad every day stops you learning anything.
- Reply to every message fast. A slow reply wastes the money you already spent.
- On day 7, count what you spent, how many real conversations you had, and how many people paid. Spend divided by sales is what one sale cost you.
- If you got serious messages, raise the budget in small steps. If you got none, change one thing, such as the photo, the price wording or the goal, and test again.
Should I use Google Ads or Facebook Ads with a small budget?
- Facebook: you show your offer to people who were not searching, which works well for things people like to look at and for sales that finish on WhatsApp.
- Google: you appear when someone is already searching for what you sell, which works well for urgent needs such as a clinic, a plumber or a hotel room.
How much does a boosted post cost?
A boosted post costs whatever daily amount you choose, for as many days as you choose. There is no fixed price. Facebook shows an estimate of how many people your boost may reach before you pay, so check the amount and the days on your screen.
If you are not sure where to start, use the starter size in the table above for 7 days and see what it brings. A boost is fine for reach, such as a shop opening or a weekend offer. If you want WhatsApp messages or orders, build the ad in Ads Manager instead.
How to pay for Facebook ads in Uganda, Kenya and East Africa, and why ads get rejected
How do I pay for Facebook ads without a dollar card?
Meta shows the payment options it offers for your country and account, and they differ from person to person. Readers may be offered a Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card. Many owners use a virtual or prepaid card from their bank or a money app. Mobile Money may not be offered at all, so do not plan around it until you see it in Billing. Some accounts are billed in US dollars, so the amount taken can differ a little from your local budget. Open the Billing section of your ad account to see what yours lists, and check Meta's current help pages before you plan, because options change.
Ask your bank or Mobile Money provider to allow online payments abroad, and ask about any fees. Meta has added VAT to ad bills in Kenya since 2021, so your bill can be higher than your budget; the Billing section shows what you were charged. Never give your card number or PIN to a stranger who offers to boost for you. A good helper works inside your own business account, so the account and the money stay yours.
Why do Facebook ads get rejected?
- Promises that sound too good, such as guaranteed money or guaranteed results.
- Words that point at a person's body, health, debt or private life, such as "Are you in debt?".
- Topics Meta checks more closely, such as loans, health products and some money offers.
- A link that does not work, or a page that does not match the ad.
- Photos or logos that are not yours.
- An earlier problem on your page or ad account.
Read the reason shown in Ads Manager, change the ad, and send it again, or ask for a review if you think it was a mistake. Do not open new accounts to get around a rejection, because that can get all your accounts blocked.
Why ads bring likes but no sales
My Facebook ads get likes but no sales, why?
It is nearly always one of these five reasons:
- Wrong goal. You asked Facebook for likes or views, so it found people who like and view. Ask for messages, calls or website visits.
- No price. People cannot tell if they can afford you, so they ask, get a price and go quiet. Put the price in the ad.
- Slow reply. A buyer often messages three shops at once, and the first good answer usually wins. Reply within minutes in business hours.
- No tracking. If you do not count where customers came from, you cannot tell which ad worked. Ask every buyer "where did you see us?", note it in a book, or put the Meta Pixel on your website. That is a small piece of code that tells Facebook when someone buys.
- Weak page. If your page has old photos, no phone number and no recent posts, buyers do not trust it. If they go to a website and leave, a focused landing page may fix that.
When to get help, and when not to
Growth Informer Software Services is a US-based company with remote teams, including a team in Kampala, and we have managed over USD 100k of client ad spend. We can run your ads, but you should not pay for that yet if your daily budget is below the starter size, you cannot answer messages the same day, or you have no clear product and price. Do the 7 day test yourself first. If it shows people will message you and you want more of it, send us a WhatsApp message on +256 702 946 946 and we will give you a fixed quote before any work starts.
Frequently asked questions
How do I advertise my business on Facebook in Kenya?
Make a Facebook page, a business account and an ad account, then build an ad in Ads Manager with a goal of WhatsApp messages, calls or website visits. Show your price in the ad, target your town and age group, and test with a small daily budget in KES for 7 days.
How much does it cost to have you manage my Facebook ads?
Our management fee starts from a month, and your ad budget is paid to Meta on top. WhatsApp +256 702 946 946 for a fixed quote before any work starts.
Do I need a website to advertise on Facebook?
No. You can send people to a WhatsApp chat or a phone call. A website helps when you sell many items, take bookings or need to show more detail than a short ad can.
How long before I know if my Facebook ads work?
Run a test for 7 days at one steady daily budget, then count real conversations and sales. If you changed the ad every day, you will not know what caused the result.
Why was my Facebook ad rejected?
Common reasons are promises that sound guaranteed, words about a person's health or debt, a broken link, or photos you do not own. Read the reason in Ads Manager, fix the ad and send it again.
How much does it cost to boost a post on Facebook?
You choose the daily amount and the number of days, so the cost is your choice. The starter size in this guide is a sensible first test. Check the estimate and the total on your screen before you pay.
How do I pay for Facebook ads in Uganda?
Open the Billing section of your ad account to see the payment options Meta offers for your account. Many owners use a Visa or Mastercard card or a virtual or prepaid card from their bank, and Mobile Money may not be offered at all. Never give your card number or PIN to a stranger who offers to boost for you.
How do I get more likes on my Facebook page?
Post real photos with prices, invite your customers to follow the page, and reply to messages fast. But likes are not sales. If you want customers, ask Facebook for messages, calls or website visits, not likes, because an ad with a likes goal finds people who like and do not buy.