Build a Meta Ad with the AI Strategist

Quick Reference Keywords: AI ad strategist · Chat ad builder · Agentic ads · Create Facebook ad with AI · Instagram ad · AI ad copy · AI ad images · Competitor ad research · Facebook lead form · Ad targeting

Overview

The AI Strategist is the easiest way to launch a high-performing Facebook and Instagram ad - even if you've never run an ad in your life. Instead of filling out a long form, you have a quick conversation. You tell the AI what you want to advertise, and it does the heavy lifting: it researches what's working for businesses like yours, writes your ad copy, designs eye-catching images and videos, sets up your lead capture, and assembles the whole ad for you.

You stay in control the entire time. Everything the AI builds appears in a live preview on the right that you can edit at any point, and nothing goes live until you click Launch.

Why use it:

• No ad experience needed - the AI guides you one question at a time.
• Smarter, not just faster - it researches real competitor ads and your website to make informed choices, instead of relying on you to know best practices.
• Better creative - it generates scroll-stopping designed graphics and videos, and can even include your logo and your own product photos.
• You're always in control - review and edit copy, media, targeting, and budget live, and launch only when you're happy.

Estimated time to complete: 5-10 minutes (plus a few minutes in the background while media generates)

Getting Started

Prerequisite: Connect your Facebook account first (Settings > Integrations > Meta). See Launch a Meta Ad with AI for the connection steps - they're the same for both builders.

1. Click AI Marketing (sparkles icon) in the left-hand menu.
2. Click the Create Ad with Siren card ("An AI strategist researches, writes & designs your ad with you").
3. Just respond to Siren. Siren will walk you through the whole process, doing all the heavy lifting for you.

Tip: You can leave at any time and come back later. Your ad and the full chat history save automatically as a draft. Reopen it from the drafts list on the AI Marketing page and pick up right where you left off.

What the AI Will Walk You Through

You don't need to memorize these steps - the AI leads the conversation. This is simply what to expect and the choices you'll get to make along the way.

1. The basics

The AI confirms your business name, asks where you're located, what one product/service/offer you want to advertise, and your "next step" - what you hope a lead does after they reach out (get a free estimate, book a consultation, etc.). This keeps your whole ad focused on driving that action.

2. Ad category

As soon as it understands your offer, the AI determines whether your ad falls into one of Meta's special categories (Housing, Employment, or Financial) and tells you its call in plain language. Most ads aren't special. You can always review or change this under Ad Category in the right-hand panel.

3. Research

This is what makes the AI Strategist different. It researches real, currently-running ads from businesses like yours to learn which hooks, offers, and formats are actually working, and it reads your website for context. It'll share what it learned so you understand the "why" behind its suggestions.

4. Media (images & video)

The AI handles media early so it can generate in the background while you finish the rest. You'll choose:

• Use your own - select photos/videos from your media library (you can upload new ones too).
• Let the AI create them - it proposes a set of creative concepts for you to approve.

If you choose AI generation, you'll get a couple of helpful options:

• Reference images - click the image button next to the chat box to add a photo for the AI to use (for example, a specific product to feature, or a person to keep consistent across images). You'll give it a quick label and tell the AI how to use it. The AI can see your photo and work it into the designs.
• Your logo - if you've saved a logo in your account settings, the AI already has it and can place it on the images for you.

The AI then proposes media concepts (designed graphics and videos). For each one you can expand to see - and edit - the full prompt before generating, so you know exactly what you're getting. Pick the ones you like and the AI generates them. Images take under a minute; videos take a few minutes and finish in the background.

Tip: A mix of images and video performs best. The AI aims for a strong set of 8-10 assets, but you can ask for more, fewer, or a different style at any time.

5. Ad copy

The AI writes your headlines and primary text itself, grounded in its research. First it asks about your preferred tone (just describe it - "bold," "warm and local," "premium," anything) and whether to use emojis. It then writes several variations with a strong hook and a clear call to action tied to your "next step." Edit any of it in the right-hand panel.

6. Where your leads go

The AI helps you pick the best lead-capture method:

• You have a dedicated landing page with a lead form on it → the AI can send traffic there.
• You don't (most businesses) → the AI sets up a Facebook lead form so people can submit their info without leaving Facebook. You can pick an existing form, fill one out yourself, or have the AI build one for you.

Tip: Don't run ads to a generic homepage - it's one of the most common mistakes. A focused lead form or a dedicated landing page converts far better.

7. Targeting & budget

You select your target location(s) in the right-hand panel - you know your service area best, so this stays in your hands. The AI recommends a territory and sets the age/gender, and you'll see a live estimated audience size. Then you set your daily budget and campaign name. (For special-category ads, certain targeting restrictions are applied automatically to keep your ad account safe.)

8. Review & launch

When everything's in place, the AI lets you know your ad is ready to launch and invites you to review the whole thing on the right. The Launch button activates once nothing is missing and any media has finished generating. Make any final edits, then click Launch Ad.

The Live Preview Panel (Right Side)

Everything the AI builds shows up on the right, and all of it is editable - you're never locked into the AI's choices:

• Copy - edit headlines and primary text
• Media - add, remove, preview, and rearrange images/videos
• Ad Category - review or change the special category
• Targeting - location, age, gender, and audience estimate
• Budget & Goals - daily budget, campaign name, call-to-action button

You can drive the ad entirely through the chat, entirely through the panel, or any mix of the two.

After Launching: Connect Your Leads

Important: After launching, make sure your leads flow into brayv.ai properly:

If using Facebook Lead Forms: Go to Settings > Lead Sources and ensure the lead form is mapped into brayv.ai. Set it up to route leads into an AI journey.

If sending leads to a website: Ensure the landing page has a form (brayv or 3rd party) displayed prominently, and that form is configured in Lead Sources to route leads into an AI journey.

Key Tips

Just talk to it like a person. You don't need marketing jargon. Describe your business and offer in plain language and answer the AI's questions - it handles the strategy.

Be specific about your offer. "New water heater installs, 20% off this month" works far better than "plumbing services." Specific offers help the AI research, target, and write copy that actually converts.

Give it your photos and logo. Reference images (a real product, your team, your storefront) and your saved logo make AI-generated creative look authentically yours. Add references with the image button by the chat box.

Review the full idea before generating. Expand any media concept to read - and tweak - the exact prompt the AI will use. It's the easiest way to get media you love on the first try.

Edit freely on the right. The live panel is fully editable. If you'd rather change something yourself than ask the AI, just do it.

Drafts save automatically. Leave whenever you want - your ad and the entire conversation are saved. Media that's still generating will continue in the background and be waiting for you when you return.

Do I need a Facebook Pixel? We recommend selecting a pixel in your integration settings even if it isn't installed on your website. brayv.ai automatically sends lead-quality data back to Meta behind the scenes, so its algorithm gets smarter about who to show your ads to over time - lowering your cost per lead. This happens automatically with no website setup required.

Prefer the manual builder?

The original step-by-step ad builder is still available - click Manual creation with AI assistance on the AI Marketing page. We recommend the AI Strategist for most users because it researches your market and does the heavy lifting for you, but the manual builder gives you a traditional form-based flow if you prefer it. See Launch a Meta Ad with AI.

Related Features

• Launch a Meta Ad with AI (manual builder) - The original step-by-step ad flow
• Facebook Lead Forms - Connect Facebook lead forms to brayv.ai
• Form Lead Sources - Set up web forms for lead capture
• Customer Journeys - Route ad leads into automated AI journeys

Summary

Building a Meta ad with the AI Strategist:

1. Connect Facebook in Settings > Integrations (one-time setup)
2. Open AI Marketing > Create Ad with Siren and start chatting
3. Answer a few questions - your offer, location, and what you want leads to do
4. Let the AI research real competitor ads and your website
5. Choose your media - your own, or AI-generated (add reference photos and your logo)
6. Review the AI's copy - set the tone, then edit as you like
7. Set up lead capture - Facebook lead form (recommended) or your landing page
8. Pick your location & budget - everything shows live on the right
9. Review and launch - the AI tells you when it's ready

Don't forget: Connect your lead source in Settings > Lead Sources after launching so leads flow into an AI journey automatically!