Why Facebook Ads Still Work for Demand Creation (Not Demand Capture)

I’ve run Facebook Ads long enough to see people misjudge them in the same way—over and over again.

They treat Facebook like Google.

They expect clicks to behave like searches. They expect buyers to act like they already want something. They expect demand to magically exist.

That’s where the frustration comes from.

Facebook Ads doesn’t work best when you try to capture demand. It works when you use it to create demand where none existed yet.

Once I understood that distinction, Facebook Ads made a lot more sense—and became far more useful.

Facebook Is Not an Intent Platform

The biggest mistake I see is assuming users on Facebook are in a buying mindset.

They’re not.

People open Facebook to:

• Scroll

• Kill time

• Check friends

• Watch short videos

• Avoid thinking too hard

No one logs in thinking, “I need to buy something right now.”

That alone should tell you Facebook Ads isn’t built for demand capture.

Why Facebook Ads Feel “Broken” to Many Advertisers

When advertisers complain that Facebook Ads don’t convert like they used to, what they’re really saying is:

“This platform isn’t behaving like search.”

That’s because it never did.

Facebook Ads fail when:

• You push direct offers too early

• You expect cold users to act immediately

• You measure success only by last-click ROI

• You ignore awareness and memory building

Facebook isn’t there to close the deal. It’s there to introduce the idea.

Demand Creation Happens Before Search

I’ve noticed a clear pattern across campaigns that work.

People see something on Facebook first. They don’t click. They don’t buy.

But later, they:

• Search the brand name

• Ask friends

• Look it up on Google

• Click an ad somewhere else

Facebook’s role often happens off the conversion path, which makes it look ineffective if you only measure the final click.

Attention Is the Real Currency on Facebook

Facebook Ads excel at one thing: attention shaping.

You’re not paying for clicks. You’re paying to:

• Enter someone’s awareness

• Plant a concept

• Trigger curiosity

• Build familiarity

That attention compounds.

People trust what they recognize. They buy what feels familiar.

Facebook accelerates familiarity faster than almost any other channel.

Why Demand Creation Is Harder to Measure (But More Valuable)

Demand capture is easy to measure.

Someone searches → clicks → buys.

Demand creation is messier.

You might see:

• Higher branded search later

• More direct traffic

• Better conversion rates elsewhere

• Lower resistance when selling

Facebook Ads often work indirectly, which is why they look inefficient in isolation.

But when you turn them off, you feel the absence.

Facebook Ads Work Best When You Stop Forcing the Sale

Once I stopped trying to force immediate conversions, results improved.

The campaigns that performed best focused on:

• Clear messaging

• Strong positioning

• Simple explanations

• Repetition over time

Instead of asking for the sale, they answered:

• “What problem exists?”

• “Why does this matter?”

• “Why should this brand be remembered?”

Sales followed later—often through other channels.

Why Facebook Ads Still Matter Even With Tracking Issues

A lot of people blame privacy changes for Facebook Ads underperforming.

Tracking issues are real—but they’re not the whole story.

Even with imperfect tracking, Facebook Ads still:

• Shape perception

• Influence decisions

• Build memory structures

You don’t need perfect attribution for demand creation. You need consistent exposure.

Brands existed long before pixel accuracy.

Facebook Ads vs Google Ads: Different Jobs

I don’t see Facebook and Google as competitors. They solve different problems.

Google Ads capture intent that already exists. Facebook Ads create intent that didn’t exist yet.

Trying to make Facebook behave like Google is why many advertisers struggle.

Used correctly, Facebook feeds Google. Used incorrectly, Facebook feels expensive and confusing.

Why Brands Still Rely on Facebook Ads

Despite complaints, brands keep spending on Facebook Ads because:

• It scales awareness quickly

• It reaches people before competitors

• It influences future behavior

• It lowers resistance across the funnel

Brands don’t use Facebook Ads to close—they use them to soften the market.

Demand Creation Is a Long Game

Facebook Ads reward patience.

They work best when:

• Messaging is consistent

• Expectations are realistic

• Results are measured holistically

• You understand where it fits in the journey

If you judge Facebook Ads only by immediate ROI, you’ll miss their real value.

Final Thought

Facebook Ads still work—not because they capture buyers, but because they create them.

They don’t answer existing questions. They introduce new ones.

And once a question exists, people go looking for answers elsewhere.

That’s when search converts. That’s when sales happen. That’s when Facebook’s impact finally becomes visible.

If you treat Facebook Ads like a demand-creation engine in