X (Twitter) Ads for Beginners: The 2026 Step-By-Step Guide

The X Ads Architectural Blueprint

From Organic Validation to Profitable Scale

Take a look at these numbers right here:

• 0.5 per thousand impressions
• 62 cents a link click
• 43 cents per thousand impressions

If you go through this, this is totally different than all of your competitors.

By getting $0.05 per thousand impressions, you're able to get way more eyeballs on your brand compared to this.

Here’s a Facebook ad account of somebody paying:

• $281 per lead
• $376 per lead

And look at these cost per clicks.

They’re averaging $11 cost per click.

That’s going to take you so much money to get in front of your ideal audience.

My name is Brad Smith, owner of AutomationLinks. You can check out AutomationLinks here, my X profile here, and AutomationLinks on X here.

In today’s breakdown, this is exactly how to set up X ads to get more leads and customers for your business.

Phase 1: Organic Posts Before X Ads

If you are new to X and you're just starting your account, make sure that you post organic posts.

You need at least six.

You need to have a proper website.

You need to make sure your banner and profile images are up to date before running ads.

If you go and post an ad like this right in the ad network, they’re going to shut you down unless you take those steps.

What you need to do for your first X ads:

• Post organically
• Get likes, comments, and bookmarks
• Wait 24 hours
• Turn the post into an ad

Phase 2: The Copywriting Framework That Works on X

I didn’t just make this post randomly.

This is actually based on a framework that I see working really well.

We learned from expert copywriters out there.

There’s copywriters like Justin Welsh that do really great posts on X.

What you want to do is talk about:

• Pain points
• Solutions
• Something you did to make somebody want it

The goal is to start getting likes and comments.

What that does is it starts building up your Twitter pixel.

That way you can start retargeting.

Awareness levels:

• Unaware
• Problem aware
• Solution aware
  

Phase 3: Turning Organic Posts Into X Ads

After you post it organically, if it gets a few likes and a few comments, that means it’s probably going to do well as an ad.

You want to come back the next day and turn this organic post into an ad.

Now head over to the X Ads Manager and click Create Campaign.

What you want to do next:

• Use existing posts
• Pull from organic content
• Add multiple posts to test

Phase 4: X Ads Campaign Setup (Top of Funnel)

The first thing you want to do is focus on reach.

You’re going to be tempted to use all these other channels.

You’re not going to get sales if you don’t build a relationship first.

The first step is:

• Build organic posts
• Turn them into ads
• Build trust

Campaign setup:

• Objective: Reach
• Max Reach
• Show the ad to as many people as possible

Make sure account brand safety controls are on.

This gets rid of all the bots.

Make sure it’s limited.

Phase 5: Follower Lookalikes and Targeting

This is where you can actually build your audience.

What I like to do is target people that I know have my ideal customer.

Followers of people like:

• Justin Welsh
• Alex Hormozi

These are people that his followers are my ideal people.

You can also plug in keywords.

If somebody’s talking about this topic, my ad will show up underneath it.

Targeting layers:

• Follower lookalikes
• Keyword targeting
• Conversation-based placement
  

Phase 6: Retargeting and Relationship Building

What you want to look at:

• Followers
• Cost per follow
• Cost per click
• Cost per thousand impressions

Sort greatest to least.

Shut off ads with zero follows.

Keep ads that are bringing in the most followers.

This is the ad you keep running over and over and over.

Optimization actions:

• Turn off ads with zero follows
• Scale ads with low cost per follow
• Optimize what people engage with

Required Infrastructure Before Running X Ads

Your account needs to be verified.

Your website needs terms and conditions.

Your profile needs to be optimized.

If you haven’t done organic posts yet and you’re not verified, they won’t approve these ads.

Final Notes About Managing X (Twitter) Advertising

Your end goal should be an account that looks similar to this where you’re spending a few thousand dollars and getting great results.

If you want access to the full X ads course, the community, and the vault showing you which ads work best, click here to get the full X (Twitter) ads marketing system.