How to Use Partnership Ads on Facebook

Running ads from a creator or partner's social media handle is one of the most effective ways to build trust and drive performance on Facebook and Instagram. This article breaks down exactly how to set up and run Partnership Ads (also known as branded content ads), from getting the right permissions to launching your campaign in Ads Manager. You’ll get a step-by-step guide and practical advice to help you leverage your creator relationships for real results.

What Exactly Is a Facebook Partnership Ad?

A Partnership Ad is a paid promotion that runs from a creator's or partner's Facebook Page or Instagram account, but is paid for and controlled by a brand. Instead of the ad coming from "Your Brand Name," it comes from "Creator Name," but with a small "Sponsored" tag and a "Paid partnership with Your Brand Name" label.

Let’s clear up a common point of confusion: this is different from a standard branded content post. When a creator simply tags your brand in an organic post, its reach is limited to their followers. A Partnership Ad takes that authentic creator post and turns it into a targeted, scalable ad that you control. You get to define the audience, set the budget, add a call-to-action button, and see all the performance metrics in your brand's Ads Manager - all while the ad is delivered directly from the creator’s account.

Think of it as the best of both worlds: the organic appeal and social proof of creator content combined with the powerful targeting and analytics of the Meta ads platform.

Top 4 Reasons to Start Using Partnership Ads

If you're already collaborating with creators, running Partnership Ads is the logical next step. It supercharges your influencer marketing strategy by turning organic mentions into direct-response assets. Here’s why they work so well.

1. Skyrocket Your Authenticity and Trust

People are tired of traditional ads. They scroll right past promos that feel overly polished or corporate. A Partnership Ad looks and feels like a genuine recommendation from a trusted source because, well, it is. When a user who follows and admires a creator sees a post from them endorsing your product, it immediately bypasses the usual ad skepticism. It feels less like an interruption and more like a helpful suggestion from a friend.

2. Tap Into New, Highly Engaged Audiences

When you run an ad from your own brand page, you're always trying to break through to cold audiences. With Partnership Ads, you can directly reach the creator's follower base - an audience that is already warmed up, engaged, and has built-in trust for the person they follow. You can also use this authentic creative to target new lookalike audiences based on the creator's followers, giving you a powerful way to expand your reach with content that’s already proven to resonate.

3. Achieve Better Ad Performance

Authenticity translates to results. Because these ads blend in seamlessly with organic content, they often generate much higher engagement rates, click-through rates (CTR), and conversion rates than standard brand-led ads. The creative feels native to the platform, capturing attention without screaming "I'm an ad!" This efficiency frequently leads to lower Costs Per Mille (CPM) and Costs Per Click (CPC), making your ad budget go further.

For example, a skincare brand could run an ad for a new serum from its own page, featuring a studio-shot product photo. Or, it could run a Partnership Ad featuring a video of a trusted beauty creator showing their morning routine and talking about how they use that exact serum. The latter almost always performs better because it's relatable, demonstrative, and backed by social proof.

4. Maintain Full Control and Access Detailed Analytics

Unlike simply paying a creator for a one-off post and hoping for the best, Partnership Ads give you complete control. You manage the budget, schedule, and targeting directly within your own Meta Ads Manager. Most importantly, you own the data. You can track everything from reach and impressions to link clicks, landing page views, and conversions. This allows you to A/B test different creators, creative formats, and audiences to see exactly what’s driving results and optimize your campaigns over time.

How to Set Up Partnership Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide

Getting your first Partnership Ad live involves three main phases: establishing the permissions, having the creator publish the content, and then building the ad campaign. Let's walk through each one.

Step 1: Get the Right Permissions

Before you can do anything, you need to link your brand’s Business Manager with your partner’s. Without the proper permissions, Meta won't let you promote their content. You and your partner need to be on the same page for this to go smoothly.

There are two primary ways to set this up:

Option A: The Brand Requests Access

1. Navigate to your Meta Business Settings.
2. Under "Users," click on Partners.
3. Click the "+ Add" button and select "Ask a partner to share their assets."
4. You’ll need to enter your partner's contact info and, most importantly, their Business Manager ID. Ask your creator for this ID directly. They can find it in their own Business Settings under "Business Info."
5. Once you've entered their information, select the asset types you need access to. To run ads, request access to their Facebook Page and/or Instagram Account.
6. Now, you need to select the specific permission level. For ads, you’ll at least need the "Create ads" permission. You can choose "Partial access" and then toggle on everything under the "Ads" category, such as "Create Ads" and "View performance."
7. Your partner will receive a notification to approve your request. Once they accept, their accounts will appear as available ad identities in your Ads Manager.

Option B: The Creator Grants Access

Sometimes it's easier to have the creator or their agency initiate the process. They can proactively grant you permission without you needing to send a request.

1. The creator navigates to their Meta Business Settings > Partners.
2. They click "+ Add" and select "Give a partner access to your assets."
3. They will enter your brand's Business Manager ID. Be ready to provide it to them.
4. Next, they will choose which of their assets to share (their Facebook Page and/or Instagram account).
5. They then assign you permissions. Again, they'll need to grant you access to "Create Ads" at a minimum.
6. Once they complete the process, you will see a notification in your Business Manager to accept the partnership. You’re all set!

Pro-Tip: Before starting any of this, have a quick chat with your creator partner to decide who will initiate the process. Clear communication here will save you a lot of back-and-forth.

Step 2: The Creator Publishes the Organic Post

You cannot create a Partnership Ad from scratch in Ads Manager. You must start with an existing, organic post created by your partner.

1. The creator creates the content (image, video, carousel) and prepares to post it organically to their feed.
2. During the posting process, they must toggle on the "Add paid partnership label" option. This is a vital step. If they forget, you will not be able to find their post in Ads Manager.
3. After toggling it on, they will search for and tag your account as the brand partner.
4. They publish the post organically to their profile. It will appear with the "Paid partnership with [Your Brand]" label at the top.

Step 3: Build the Ad in Ads Manager

Now for the fun part. With permissions set and the organic post live, you can build your ad campaign.

1. Go to your Meta Ads Manager and click "+ Create" to start a new campaign.
2. Choose your campaign objective (Sales, Leads, Traffic, etc.) just like you would for any other ad.
3. Configure your Ad Set: Define your target audience, placements, budget, and schedule. This is where you can choose to target the creator's followers, your own custom audiences, or broad new audiences. All standard targeting options are available.
4. At the Ad Level, this is where the magic happens.
   • Under "Identity," you will normally see your brand's Facebook and Instagram accounts. There will now be a dropdown menu where you can switch the identity to your creator partner's account. Select their page/profile.
   • Under "Ad setup," choose "Use existing post."
   • Click the "Select Post" button. A window will pop up. Navigate to the "Branded Content" tab. Here, you will see a list of all organic posts where creators have tagged you as a partner.
   • Select the post you want to promote and click "Continue."
5. The post creative will now be loaded into your ad preview. You can add a Call-to-Action (CTA) button (like "Shop Now" or "Learn More") which will direct to your website. You can also add your URL parameters for tracking.
6. Review everything, and click "Publish."

Your Partnership Ad is now live! It will be delivered to the audience you selected, but appear in feeds as if it's coming directly from the creator - with the added bonus of a clickable CTA button driving traffic to your site.

Final Thoughts

Partnership Ads offer a powerful way to merge the authenticity of creator marketing with the precise targeting and measurement of paid media. By setting up the right permissions and promoting existing creator content, you can run campaigns that build trust, reach new audiences, and drive better overall performance.

Once you start collaborating with multiple partners, keeping your content schedule organized is everything. At Postbase, we use our own platform’s visual calendar to map out our entire content strategy. Being able to see our own scheduled posts alongside when partner content goes live helps us spot gaps and coordinate campaigns without the clutter. You can learn more about how Postbase simplifies social media planning and scheduling for modern teams.