Facebook and Instagram advertising is a great way to target people at the beginning of their interaction with your brand. Sales directly attributed to your Facebook ads are great, but often customers will need a further nudge to continue their journey along the sales funnel. 

That’s where lead gen comes in. Directly gathering additional user data and linking up with your CRM system gives you more ways to build upon that initial interest, including segmentation for targeted marketing campaigns and personalised communications. 

What are Facebook Lead Ads?

Facebook lead ads comprise simple forms, known as Instant Forms, that users can fill out easily from any device. Lead gen forms can be customised for all kinds of lead generation – newsletter subscriptions, appointment follow-ups, event registration, file downloads, and more. 

Meta allows you to use pre-populated questions, which pulls information automatically from the user’s Facebook profile to reduce the time taken to fill out the form. Additionally, rather than using a link to take the user to external landing pages or websites, Facebook lead ads are all filled out on-platform. This means a user can complete the form without being ejected from their Facebook feed, significantly streamlining the process.

What are the benefits of running Lead Ads?

Lead gen is a powerful way to engage with customers at different stages of the sales funnel using data willingly provided. With restrictions on detailed targeting options and the depreciation of third-party cookies, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain customers. So the more information you can gather and communication methods you can utilise, the more likely you are to make those conversions.

With customisable questions, you can make sure you’re tailoring the likes of email marketing campaigns to the exact audiences you want to target. Say for example you have a pet brand: asking about which type of animal(s) someone has can mean you avoid sending cat product emails to dog owners who almost certainly won’t be purchasing. 

Are there any drawbacks to Facebook Lead Ads?

While you may be able to tempt audiences into providing you with their information in return for a special offer or download, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re a high-quality lead who will stick around and be receptive to any further marketing. Including the right questions, having relevant incentives, and having efficient follow-up and retargeting in place will increase your chance of gathering leads that convert. 

How do I create Lead Ads?

You can create lead ads using Meta Ads Manager or from your Facebook Page. If you want to create Instagram lead ads, you’ll have to set these up in Ads Manager. 

Note: There are some limitations for lead ads on Instagram, not supporting certain question types and only appearing on the app version. Facebook lead ads can appear on both desktop and app versions of the platform. 

Meta has a series of detailed guides for setting up lead gen ads using both Ads Manager and Meta Business Suite. You’ll also want to integrate your CRM software of choice, for which Meta also has plenty of guides.

Can you make them for me?

Absolutely – glad you asked! We’ve implemented lead gen campaigns for brands big and small, allowing them to find those leads that convert to paying customers. 

Get in touch with our Newcastle digital marketing agency today, we’d love to chat!