Level: Beginner
Most platforms offer both manual bidding, where you set the price directly, and automated bidding, where the platform's algorithm sets it for you based on a goal you define.
Manual Bidding Offers Direct Control
Setting your own bid gives you precise control, but requires you to actively monitor and adjust as auction dynamics shift, which can be time-consuming.
Automated Bidding Optimizes Toward a Goal
Algorithmic bidding strategies adjust in real time toward an outcome you specify, like the lowest cost per conversion, often more efficiently than manual adjustment can match.
Automated Strategies Need Data to Work Well
Algorithmic bidding generally performs better with a reasonable volume of conversion data to learn from; a brand-new campaign with very little data may see inconsistent results early on.
Next step: Use the Sales Letter Writer to remember that no bidding strategy can compensate for weak ad copy — refine your creative first, since a smarter bid on an unpersuasive ad still produces a weak result.