7 money-burning mistakes when running Facebook Ads in VN is a problem many SMEs face. With real-world experience since 2017, I've witnessed thousands of failed campaigns. This article deeply analyzes 7 common errors that experts rarely share. You'll learn how to avoid waste and optimize ROI effectively.
Why Facebook Ads in Vietnam Easily “Burn Money”?
Fiercely Competitive Market
Facebook in Vietnam has over 70 million users. High competition from Shopee, Lazada pushes CPC to 10,000-50,000 VND. Many new agencies lack accurate targeting experience.
For example, a fashion store campaign in Ho Chi Minh City in 2023 spent 500 million but only got 1,000 orders. Reason: target too broad.
Algorithms Change Continuously
Meta updates 2024 algorithm prioritizing short videos, AI targeting. Businesses not keeping up easily lose money unjustly. Report Facebook Business Insights shows 60% Vietnamese advertisers not optimized yet.
- Follow Meta Blueprint weekly
- Test new A/B creatives
- Update iOS tracking
Mistake 1: Target audience too broad
Consequences of wrong targeting
Targeting “men, 18-65 years old, Ho Chi Minh City” wastes 70% budget. According to Statista, Vietnam has 100+ million users but only 5-10% are potential customers.
Case study: Cosmetics company A spends 200 million/month, ROAS only 1.2. After refining target by interest “skincare routine”, ROAS increased to 4.5.
How to target accurately
Use Lookalike Audience from pixel data. Combine niche interest + online shopping behavior.
- Build custom audience from website visitors
- Create lookalike 1-2%
- Layer specific demographics
Mistake 2: No A/B creative testing
Why creative determines 80% success
Facebook prioritizes ads with high engagement. Poor creative = high cost, low reach. Research WordStream shows Vietnam average CTR only 0.9%.
Real example: Hanoi F&B brand tests 5 creatives, winner has CTR 3.2% vs loser 0.4%.
Effective testing formula
Test 3-5 variants simultaneously: headline, image, CTA. Budget 500k/ad set/day.
| Element | Variant A | Variant B | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline | “50% off” | “Only 99k” | B (+25% CTR) |
| Image | Product only | Lifestyle | B (+40% engagement) |
| CTA | “Buy now” | “View more” | A (+15% conversion) |
Mistake 3: Ignoring mobile optimization
98% Facebook VN users use mobile
Non-responsive ad = 80% bounce rate. Many businesses copy desktop landing page to mobile. Result: conversion <1%.
Case: Bac Lieu electronics shop 2024 lost 300 million because landing page load >5s on mobile.
Mobile-first checklist
- Image ratio 9:16 or 4:5
- Landing page <3s load time
- Button size >48px touch-friendly
- Optimize mobile landing page
Mistake 4: Scaling too fast without a system
Safe scaling rules
Increase budget max 20-30%/day. Sudden scale >50% = algorithm reset, CPA doubles. Experience from 5,400 campaigns DPS.MEDIA confirms.
Example: Fashion brand C scales from 10 to 100 million/day, CPA from 150k jumps to 450k.
Sustainable scaling method
- Duplicate winning ad set
- Increase budget 25%/2 days
- Monitor 48h before scaling further
Mistake 5: No retargeting for warm customers
Retargeting ROI 3 times higher than cold traffic
80% conversions from interacted users. Skip retarget = lose 60% potential revenue. Facebook retargeting strategy most effective.
| Audience | CPA | ROAS |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Traffic | 250,000 VND | 2.1 |
| Website Visitor | 120,000 VND | 4.8 |
| Add to Cart | 80,000 VND | 7.2 |
Setup retargeting funnel
- Video viewer 50%+ (3-7 days)
- Website traffic (1-30 days)
- Cart abandonment (1-3 days)
Mistake 6: Ignoring iOS tracking & privacy
Impact of ATT framework in VN
Since 2022, 35% iOS users reject tracking. No Aggregated Event Measurement setup = attribution bias 40%.
Vietnamese businesses lose 25% accurate data. Case: Agency D reports ROAS 5.0 but actual only 2.8.
Correct Events Manager configuration
- Select 8 priority events
- Setup CAPI + Conversions API
- Test event deduplication
- Conversions API Guide
Mistake 7: No reasonable attribution window
Click vs View-through conversion
Default 7-day click, 1-day view often 30-50% lower than reality. VN Ecommerce needs 28-day click for full funnel.
Example: Mom & baby shop E reports ROAS 1.8 (7-day) but 4.2 (28-day). Wrong strategy decision.
| Industry | Click Window | View Window |
|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce | 28 days | 1 day |
| Lead Gen | 7 days | 1 day |
| App Install | 28 days | 7 days |
Conclusion: Checklist to avoid 7 Facebook Ads mistakes
Summary 7 mistakes “burning money” running Facebook Ads in Vietnam: broad targeting, no A/B test, ignore mobile, sudden scale, skip retargeting, wrong tracking, unsuitable attribution window. Apply immediately to save 50% budget.
Facebook Ads success = 20% setup + 80% continuous optimization.
- Week 1: Setup pixel + retargeting
- Week 2: Test 20 creatives
- Week 3: Scale winner 20%/day
- Monitor daily, pivot quickly
