How to Use Facebook Ads to Grow Your Local Business

Target the Right Local Audience

Facebook Ads give you the tools to target people in your area with precision. Start by narrowing down your audience to your suburb, city, or even specific postcodes. Use the location targeting setting in Ads Manager and combine it with demographic filters such as age, gender, and interests that match your ideal local customer. For example, if you run a café popular with young professionals, target users aged 25–40 who live within 10km and are interested in coffee or coworking spaces.

Create Eye-Catching Ads with Strong Visuals

A great Facebook Ad starts with compelling visuals. Use professional photography or videography that highlights your product, service, or venue. For local businesses, imagery should feel familiar and authentic—shots of your store, staff, or local landmarks can build trust and recognition. Avoid generic stock photos and focus on showing what sets your business apart. At Macourt Media, we always recommend consistent branding across visuals to reinforce your identity.

Write Clear, Benefit-Focused Copy

Your ad copy should get straight to the point. Highlight how your business helps the local customer—whether that’s a quicker service, better value, or community connection. Keep headlines short and punchy. The body text should answer: “What’s in it for me?” Local businesses can add an urgency factor, like limited-time offers or in-store promotions. Always include a clear call to action, such as “Visit us today” or “Book your free consult.”

Use Facebook’s Local Campaign Objectives

Facebook provides campaign objectives specifically built for local businesses. The “Reach” and “Store traffic” objectives are perfect if you want nearby customers to visit your location. These campaigns optimise your ads to appear to people who are physically close to your storefront. You can also use the “Lead generation” objective to collect enquiries from potential local clients directly through Facebook forms—ideal for service-based businesses.

Track Performance and Optimise

Once your ad is live, monitor its performance in Ads Manager. Track metrics such as reach, clicks, and conversions. If you’re running a promotion, keep an eye on how many people redeem your offer. Based on performance, tweak your audience, adjust your budget, or A/B test different visuals or messaging. The best-performing ads often come from testing multiple versions and learning what resonates most with your local market.

Retarget People Who’ve Shown Interest

A great way to increase conversions is by retargeting people who already know your business—whether they visited your website, engaged with your social media, or watched one of your videos. These audiences are more likely to convert because they already recognise your brand. Retargeting keeps your business top-of-mind and nudges warm leads towards booking an appointment, making a purchase, or visiting in-store.

Get Professional Help to Maximise ROI

Running effective Facebook Ad campaigns takes time, strategy, and creative skill. At Macourt Media, we specialise in digital campaigns that help local Australian businesses attract more customers and grow sustainably. Between our tailored social media management, powerful visuals, and detailed ad strategy, we help ensure your business doesn’t just burn through budget—it gets real results. Ready to see how Facebook Ads can work for your local business?

Contact Macourt Media today to level up your local advertising and grow your presence where it matters most.