How to run Dark Ads
This page shows you how to run dark ads from Cymbals ads platform
A dark ad is an ad that runs from the artist’s handle (rather than the venue or promoter's page). It is a strong way to engage your audience because it feels like a personal recommendation rather than a typical ad.
When you do this as a Dark Ad, it’s essentially "borrowing" the artist’s identity to sell tickets, without the artist having to manually post every single tour date to their main feed.
How to request access to an artists page:
1. Navigate to Business Settings
Go to business.facebook.com/settings. Ensure you are in the correct Business Account (the one for your venue or promotion company).
2. Locate "Pages"
On the left-hand sidebar, click on Accounts, then select Pages.
3. Initiate the Request
Click the blue [+ Add] button in the center column. A dropdown will appear—select "Request access to a Page."
Note: Do not select "Add a Page," as that is for pages you already own and will attempt to move the artist's page into your business permanently.
4. Search for the Artist
A pop-up will appear. You can either:
Type the Artist's Page Name.
Paste the Facebook Page URL (Recommended to ensure you get the right person).
5. Set Permissions (Crucial Step)
Once the page is selected, you must choose what you can do. For Dark Ads, you need:
Ads: Toggle this ON.
Insights: This usually toggles on automatically (keep it on so you can see how the ad performed).
Content: It is helpful to toggle this on if you need to pull existing photos/videos from their page for the ad creative.
6. Confirm and Send
Click "Request Access." The status will now show as "Pending" in your dashboard.
How the Artist Approves It
The artist won't get a standard notification on their personal bell icon. They (or their manager) must go to:
Meta Business Suite.
Settings -> Requests.
Click the "Received" tab.
Click Approve on your request.
Approving access to the page in Meta
Once the business requests access and the page owner approves it, the final step is for the individual who connected the Meta account to Cymbal to grant themselves access to the page.
Select Assign people
Assign yourself or whichever individual as responsible for connecting the Meta Ads account to Cymbal.
Assign privileges, then click "Assign".
You have now connected the desired page to your business account and it will then populate as an option in Cymbal.
How to run the ad from the artists instagram:
Since you specifically want the ad to look like it's coming from their Instagram, you need to make sure their Instagram account is linked to that Facebook page.
Once they approve the Page access, go to Accounts > Instagram Accounts in your settings. If their IG is linked to their FB, it often appears automatically. If not, you may need to repeat the "Request Access" process specifically for the Instagram Account tab.
How to run the dark ad from Cymbal:
In the ad editor select Account
Select Facebook page and then select teh artists page you want the ad to run under
You are finished, now when trying to create an ad set for followers of an artistt in the audience tab you will be able to discretely target their followers.
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