How Paid Ads Work

Paid Ads have a lot of nuanced settings to help you reach your best audience. We make it as simple as possible and explain the key settings and when and how to use them for Meta, Google, and TikTok. We cover why to run ads, how optimization works, and where each platform lives in the app.

Each platform takes a set of variants (different images or videos, headlines, copy, etc.) and combines them dynamically, putting each combination in front of their users to see what performs best. So what we actually send to the platforms is a suite of images, headlines, and copy, letting the platforms combine and test to see which elements and combinations perform best. Once it has a strong signal, it will stop testing and start delivering the best performing variants to the entire audience.

Performs best is a key concept and is defined by the goal you set when you run the ad. The ad platforms can tell what performs best by tracking a pixel (really just a bit of code) you place on your site. (See how to install tracking pixel.) Common goals are purchase, lead, signup, or link click.

Get Shouting publishes paid ads to Meta Ads (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads), Google Ads, and TikTok Ads from the same Social and Campaign workflows. We create headline and copy variants and let you pick which images you want in your ad set. Because the ad platforms dynamically combine your ad elements, there is less need to create the one perfect ad; the platform will tell you what works.

This lesson starts with how to think about paid ads, then maps the shared publish path and what is different on each platform.

Why It Matters

Organic social builds audience over time. Paid ads put budget behind a specific offer, target audience, and action to optimize for (like purchase or signup).

Paid ads amplify what already works. Connect platforms once in Paid Ad Settings, publish from the same ad or campaign, then measure and refresh creative when performance dips.

Plan & setup notes

Publishing paid ads requires a Pro or Agency (not available on Basic). Meta, Google, and TikTok each have a tab under Account → Social & Brand Settings → Paid Ad Settings. When you publish an ad to one of your connected platforms, the platform bills you directly; Get Shouting charges a processing as a percentage of your total ad spend. Install conversion pixels or tags on your store separately; Get Shouting selects them in Paid Ad Settings but does not add them to your storefront.

What to Do

How to think about paid ads

Connect your ad platforms: in Account → Social & Brand Settings → Paid Ad Settings, connect Meta, Google, and/or TikTok. Set Meta pixel, optimization, and audience when you connect.
Start with a goal: store sales, leads or signups, or traffic (link clicks). Your goal picks platform settings and what conversion events to track.
Optimization is what each platform optimizes delivery toward. Meta: pick in Paid Ad Settings (Purchase, Lead, etc.). Google: set conversion goals in Google Ads and install Google tags on your store (Get Shouting saves customer account ID and campaign type at publish only). TikTok: video in-feed vs image on Pangle at publish.
Budget and flight dates: set gross ad spend and start/end dates at publish. You can adjust later in Manage Live Ads.
Measure, then refresh: after ~24 hours check Analyze → Paid Social. When CPM rises and CTR falls, swap creative (see When to Refresh Ads).
Readiness first: use Should You Run Ads Yet? before spending if paid is new to you.

Shared workflow in Get Shouting

Connect once per platform: Paid Ad Settings → Meta Ads, Google Ads, or TikTok Ads tab.
Build creative: +CREATE → Social → Create Ad or +CREATE → Campaign with Social Ads checked.
Publish: in Ad Preview or Campaign Build, check Publish to Meta Ads (paid), Publish to Google Ads (paid), and/or Publish to TikTok Ads (paid) → set gross spend and flight dates in each platform’s ad setup dialog.
Go live: Meta campaigns publish paused in Ads Manager (activate there). Google campaigns publish ENABLED. TikTok delivers for your flight dates after publish.
Optimize: Analyze → Paid Social, Campaigns → Paid Social → Manage Live Ads, and the campaign Optimize tab for AI suggestions.

Platform comparison

Topic	Meta	Google	TikTok
Where ads run	Facebook & Instagram	Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps (by campaign type)	In-feed video or Pangle image network
Brand settings	Ad account, Page, pixel, optimization, default audience	Customer account ID only	Advertiser account only
What platform optimizes toward	Conversion event in Paid Ad Settings (Purchase, Lead, link clicks only, etc.)	Conversion goals in Google Ads (Goals → Conversions) + Google tags on store; not set in Get Shouting	Conversions when TikTok Pixel attached at publish
Get Shouting choice at publish	Uses brand settings (optimization + audience)	Campaign type: Demand Gen, Performance Max, or Responsive Display	Automatic by creative: video = in-feed, image = Pangle
Creative sent	Full designed ad (overlays included)	Clean product photo; Google adds headline, logo, button	Full designed ad (overlays included)
After publish	Paused in Ads Manager	ENABLED in Google Ads	Delivery for flight dates
Store tracking	Meta Pixel on storefront	Google tags on storefront	TikTok Pixel in Events Manager

Platform deep dives

Optimization, audience, and ad-type choices differ by platform. Read the lesson for each platform you plan to use:

Meta Ads in Get Shouting: conversion optimization (Purchase, Lead, etc.) and default audience targeting
Google Ads in Get Shouting: conversion goals and tags in Google Ads, plus campaign type at publish
TikTok Ads in Get Shouting: video in-feed vs image on Pangle

Optimize after launch (all platforms)

Analyze → Paid Social: spend, impressions, clicks, conversions, ROAS (syncs within ~24 hours).
Campaigns → Paid Social → Manage Live Ads: pause/resume, flight dates, gross budget.
Campaign → Optimize tab: AI suggestions for winners, fatigue, budget reallocation (Apply or Dismiss).
Refresh creative every 2–4 weeks when performance fatigues.

Copy / Template You Can Steal

Paid ads map in Get Shouting:

Think: Goal → Platform → Optimization → Creative → Budget/flight → Measure → Refresh

Connect (once each): Paid Ad Settings → Meta | Google | TikTok tab
Publish: +CREATE Campaign (Social Ads) OR Ad Preview → check platform(s) → gross spend + flight dates
Go live: Meta = paused in Ads Manager (activate) | Google = ENABLED | TikTok = delivery starts
Track: Analyze → Paid Social | Campaign Report tab
Tune: Manage Live Ads | Campaign Optimize tab

Platform lessons (optimization + audience + ad type):
Meta → /resources/academy/meta-ads-in-get-shouting/
Google → /resources/academy/google-ads-in-get-shouting/
TikTok → /resources/academy/tiktok-ads-in-get-shouting/

Do It in Get Shouting

Step-by-step: Connect Meta Ads, Connect Google Ads, Connect TikTok Ads, Create an Ad, Manage Live Ads.

Open Paid Ad Settings and connect the platform(s) you plan to use; confirm saved accounts and Meta optimization settings.
Install matching conversion pixels or tags on your store.
Build an ad via +CREATE → Social → Create Ad or add Social Ads to a +CREATE → Campaign.
Publish to your platform(s), set gross spend and flight dates, then go live (Meta: activate in Ads Manager; Google/TikTok: verify in their ad managers).
After ~24 hours, check Analyze → Paid Social and Manage Live Ads.
Next: Should You Run Ads Yet?, then the platform lesson(s) you will use.

Keep in Mind

Organic ≠ paid: Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok under Manage Social Accounts does not connect paid ad accounts.
Get Shouting does not install pixels or tags on your storefront; match IDs in Paid Ad Settings to what is on your store (Store conversion tracking).
Google creative is different: Google gets a clean product photo; Meta and TikTok get your full designed ad with overlays.
Brand fonts, logo, and CTA settings on Ad Preview affect Meta and TikTok creative; Google uses logo and headline separately.
You can publish to one, two, or all three platforms from the same ad; connect only the platforms you will use.

Related How-To Guides

Apply Your Knowledge

Start your free trial and follow along in Get Shouting.

Start Your Free Trial Today

No credit card required • 14-day free trial • Cancel anytime