When & How to Pause Ads for Best Results
When you’re running ads—whether on Facebook, AMS, or beyond—it can feel like you’re piloting a plane without instruments. Are your ads working? Should you let them keep running, or is it time to pause? It’s a common question for anyone managing ad campaigns, especially authors promoting their books. Let’s break down the key factors to help you make solid decisions when it comes to pausing or continuing your ad campaigns.
Check out this quick video where we cover everything in detail:
Start With Your Goals
Before you even think about pausing—or starting—ads, you need a clear goal. What are you trying to achieve? Ads aren’t one-size-fits-all, and different goals require different strategies.
Here are a few common goals for ad campaigns:
- Building your newsletter list
- Testing a book cover or new concept
- Driving traffic to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your author website
- Generating purchases directly
- Promoting a special deal or event
Each goal has a unique path to success, and the type of ad you run will vary depending on what you’re aiming for. For instance, conversion ads take longer to show results than traffic ads. If you’re testing a new cover, expect quick data, but if you’re building conversions, patience is your friend.
Give Ads Time to Work
Ads need time to perform—it’s that simple. Whether you’re working within Facebook Ads or AMS, the learning phase is critical. Turning off ads too soon can waste your entire setup process.
What Is the Learning Phase?
In Facebook, the learning phase begins as soon as the ad goes live. Facebook requires 50 events (clicks, purchases, etc.) within seven days to fully analyze and optimize performance. If your ad doesn’t reach those 50 events, it may never fully optimize.
AMS (Amazon Marketing Services), on the other hand, doesn’t explicitly label ads as “learning,” but the principle is similar. AMS uses data to determine how and where to show your ad. It can take 30 days or more for AMS ads to really settle in and start performing.
How Long Should You Wait?
Here’s the golden rule of thumb:
- For Facebook, give your ads at least 5-7 days before making decisions.
- For AMS, give your ads 30 days to gather solid data.
If an ad hasn’t gained traction in its timeline, pause it. Don’t delete it unless it’s been rejected repeatedly—it’s important to keep data for future insights.
Avoid Short-Term Campaign Pitfalls
Running an ad for just one or two days? Bad idea. Ads need breathing room. Even with a well-planned ad, you’re up against several factors: ad reviews, learning time, and pacing.
For example, ads on Facebook may take 1–72 hours to get through the review and learning process. AMS ads may lag without activity on your Amazon page, making them sluggish to begin with. Ads tied to short-term promotions should run no less than five days.
Short-term campaigns simply don’t give enough time for algorithms to gather meaningful insights or optimize effectively. The result? Ad spend goes up; results go down.
Know When It’s Time to Pause
Got an ad that’s struggling? Don’t immediately hit delete. Instead, be strategic when it comes to pausing.
When Should You Pause an Ad?
- Facebook Ads: Check after 5-7 days. If your ad hasn’t spent its budget or gathered clicks, pause it. Facebook algorithms have likely determined it’s not a good match. Trying to force it to work will only burn money.
- AMS Ads: After 30 days, analyze your keywords and performance. Pause the underperforming ones and create new ads based on what’s worked.
A critical note: if you’re spending just $5/day on conversion ads, they may not perform well. You likely need to spend closer to $15–$30/day to give conversion campaigns enough touchpoints to succeed.
How to Let Go of Underperformers
Sometimes, the ad you love just won’t work. Maybe it feels spot-on, but the algorithms don’t agree. In those cases, rely on data—not emotions. Facebook and AMS know their platforms better than we ever will. If they don’t prioritize an ad, you shouldn’t either.
The Balance of Budgets and Tweaks
Tweaking ads mid-campaign resets the learning phase. Every time you adjust targeting, budgets, or creatives, you’re essentially starting over. That’s why it’s critical to monitor ads but resist over-editing them before they’ve gathered enough data.
On Facebook, aim to keep changes minimal until you’re past the two-week mark. On AMS, wait the full 30 days before making significant shifts.
If you’re running traffic ads to Amazon or another retailer, use that data to refine conversion audiences for future direct sales campaigns. Building audiences this way can shorten learning timelines and optimize performance.
Stay Patient—Think Long-Term
Ads aren’t a quick solution. They’re a long-term investment in growing your audience, sales, and brand. As tempting as it may be to cut campaigns when they don’t immediately perform, patience is key.
Give your campaigns the time they need to learn. Use data wisely, and always tie your decisions back to your goals. If you build a habit of pausing ads prematurely, you’ll never get a full picture of what works.
Managing ad campaigns takes finesse, patience, and a willingness to adapt. Hopefully, these tips make it easier for you to decide when to pause an ad and when to let it ride. Take a moment to assess your goals, measure success against realistic timelines, and be kind to your future self by providing space for ads to perform.
Want to dive deeper into ad strategies? Join us in our free Facebook group!