[FAQ]

Hey Vault legends,

I’m getting ready to run my first round of Meta (Facebook + IG) ads and I don’t want to light my wallet on fire. I sell a $79 digital course and have maybe AU $700 total to play with this month.

So, what’s a sensible daily budget for the testing phase in 2025? I’m thinking of running 2–3 ad sets with different creatives, but every guru seems to have a different “rule.” Would love to hear numbers that actually worked for you—especially if you’re in a similar price range.

Thanks!
— Marco

[Jeff Bullas]

Hey Marco—Jeff here. Smart move asking before you start spending. Here’s the no-frills playbook we give Vault members:

1. Begin with AU $20–35 per ad set, per day
That range (roughly US $15–25) gives Meta enough data in three-to-five days to judge a creative without draining your wallet. Drop below AU $15 and the algorithm often stalls in the learning phase.

2. Double-check the math against your CPM
Typical Australian prospecting CPMs sit around AU $10–20. At AU $12 CPM, a AU $30 daily budget buys ±2,500 impressions—plenty for early click-through signals.

3. Use your target CPA as a guardrail
If your break-even cost-per-acquisition is AU $40, plan to spend about three times that (≈ AU $120) per day once you’ve found a winner and you’re ready to scale. During testing you can run leaner—roughly half your CPA (AU $20–40 per ad set per day) just to spot early front-runners.

4. Ignore the “50 conversions per week” rule—for now
Meta still optimises best once you hit 50 conversions a week per ad set, but that’s a scaling metric. It’s fine if you’re below that while testing creatives.

5. How to spread your AU $700 test budget
Days 1-4 — Run three ad sets at AU $30 each (≈ AU $90/day). Collect data and kill any obvious losers.
Days 5-7 — Shift spend to the top two ad sets; bump each to about AU $30 (≈ AU $60/day).
Days 8-10 — If one ad set is pulling cheap clicks and leads, push it up to AU $80–100 total per day and watch ROAS like a hawk.
Total outlay stays under AU $700 while every creative gets a fair shot.

TLDR;

Sensible test budget: AU $20–35 per ad set per day.
Sanity check: Make sure impressions and clicks line up with AU $10–20 CPM and your desired CPA.
Scale only the ads that earn cheap clicks and quality leads—then raise spend with confidence.
Hope that keeps your cash safe from accidental bonfires. Go get those conversions!

— Jeff

[Author]

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