What start date and time should I set for a new Facebook campaign?

Schedule the start a few hours in the future, at least four hours away, and shortly after midnight, for example 12:05 AM.

Ads you upload are approved at different times, some instantly and some after minutes or hours. Starting several hours later means every ad is approved and running when the campaign starts, so they all get an equal chance. Starting after midnight also gives your daily budget an even start. If you launch late in the evening, Facebook sees little of the day left and rushes to spend the daily budget, and rushed spending gives poor results.

After you click Publish, the ads show as in review or processing. You can switch the campaign on right away. Make sure it is on at every level: the campaign, the ad set and the ads. It waits until the scheduled start time.

Once it starts, leave it alone for seven days. The first four days often have poor or no results because Facebook is experimenting, and every change can reset the learning phase.