Mastering Meta Ads for Better Lead Generation: A 9 Step Guide

Mastering Meta Ads for Better Lead Generation: A 9 Step Guide

When it comes to advertising on Meta, it doesn’t simply come down to e-commerce. Drinks, snacks, gadgets, clothes and makeup – these are items that easily catch people’s attention and are sold directly to them. 

However, this doesn't mean that Meta Ads can't be effectively used for lead generation. Whether you’re running a local business or a B2B tech company, you can still capitalise on the opportunities offered by this international social network. 

Below, we bring you nine important factors to take into consideration when running lead generation campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. 

1.    Type of Campaign 

The foundations of a successful lead generation campaign on Meta are to make sure you choose the right campaign type. Choose a conversion campaign with the pixel firing, and ensure that the conversion action is set to target "Leads." 

Although Meta's algorithm might not be as intricate as Google's, it is still very advanced, and has the ability to find conversions based on your targeting.

2.    Standard vs. Dynamic Creative 

While you can run a standard creative campaign with multiple ads within an ad set, consider using dynamic creative. 
Similar to Google's responsive search ads, dynamic creative combines different assets, such as images, video and copy. It then mixes and matches these assets in order to find successful combinations. 
This is a great way to reduce your cost per lead while boosting your conversion rates.

3.    Attribution 

For lead generation on Meta, you should avoid relying on view-through conversions. A one-day attribution window should be sufficient enough, since you're asking users to fill out a form, unlike e-commerce where it could take much longer before the individual decides to make that purchase. A seven-day click model is also an option.

4.    Audiences

Audience targeting in lead generation campaigns on Meta are quite different from e-commerce. 

While broad targeting can work if your pixel has enough data and the system knows who to target, consider using lookalikes of your existing customers if you're starting from scratch. 

If you don’t have lookalikes (let’s say your company is new), interest stacking can also be effective. The key is to help the system find your target audience.

5.    Forms and Landing Pages 

Dedicated landing pages are recommended over instant forms, which tend to generate lower-quality leads. However, you can enhance instant forms (from fields such as name, email or phone number, for example), by adding relevant questions (such as timeline to purchase and budget). This increases the exchange of information and improves the quality of leads considerably. 

6.    Creative approach

For lead generation, image banners often perform well on Meta. Use creative assets to precisely target your audience by making your ad resonate with specific individuals. Be direct in your headline and use bold lettering to grab the audience's attention quickly.

7.    Facebook vs. Instagram

Generally, it's advisable to let campaigns run on both Facebook and Instagram. The algorithm effectively finds converting users, regardless of where they are. However, we do recommend tweaking your approach for vertical video ads on Instagram Stories.

8.    Intent and Funnel Targeting 

iOS 14 changes have led to a blending of retargeting and prospecting in a single campaign. Dynamic creative helps tailor messaging to different parts of the funnel, allowing Meta to select the most relevant copy for each consumer.

9.    Following up 

Be prepared for lead conversions by having a follow-up plan in place. This includes thank you messages, email confirmations, and nurture sequences to keep potential customers engaged.

10.    Don’t treat it like e-commerce

Lead generation advertising has always been trickier when compared to e-commerce. Because an exchange of money very easily follows e-commerce, it’s much easier to keep track of the success (either there’s a sale involved or there isn’t). 

When it comes to leads, there are so many factors that influence whether or not a conversion has any value:
•    Spam leads are extremely common, often more so than fraudulent purchases
•    Lead quality and lead count do not correlate
•    A sales team is typically responsible for converting leads into actual sales 

Generate more leads with Meta Ads 

While lead generation advertising is more complex than e-commerce, it can be highly successful when executed correctly.

Focus on understanding your audience, create compelling creative assets and landing pages, and adhere to these fundamental marketing principles to ensure success on Meta – or any other platform for that matter!

Reach out to the team at EWM to discuss you social media advertising requirements!