Lead ad

Facebook lead ads can accomplish a variety of marketing objectives, but they’re best at helping with one of marketing’s golden rules: Know the audience.

Many marketers think they know their audience, but often confuse customer data with customer analytics. In a mostly online ecosystem, it’s easy to forget that sometimes the best way to learn about customers is to just ask questions. That’s exactly what Facebook lead ads (sometimes called Facebook lead forms) do.

If your objectives include market research, customer feedback, or even increasing conversions, Facebook lead ads may be the right solution.

What are Facebook lead ads?

Facebook lead ads are essentially promoted forms. These forms allow marketers to capture details from customers while offering opportunities to connect, such as newsletter subscriptions, demo requests, or contest registration.

When someone clicks on a lead ad, they presented with a form that’s pre-populated with information from their Facebook profile. The rest can be completed in a few easy taps.

Tips for creating Facebook lead ads that convert

Offer an incentive

People are more willing to share their personal information with you if you offer something in return. Whether it’s a promo code or a free download, a good incentive shows customers you value their information.

Be clear about your offer

Share your value proposition upfront so that people understand what they are signing up for. While optional, Facebook recommends you include this information in your promotional copy and in the introduction at the beginning of your form. Also, add branding throughout the experience so there isn’t any ambiguity as to who people are sharing their info with.

Use compelling content and formats

Just like any other Facebook ad, lead ads best served when the medium fits the message. For instance, if you want to showcase multiple products or features, perhaps a carousel format is the best choice. Short video, on the other hand, is a good format for storytelling and increasing brand awareness.

Keep your form simple

Only ask for the most relevant information. If your form includes multiple-choice questions, limit the number of choices between three and four.

Ask the right questions

If Facebook’s provided questions don’t meet your needs you can create custom questions for your form. Choose between short answer, multiple choice and conditional questions, which change based on how a previous question was answered.

Target the right audience

Your target audience should align with your lead ad’s objectives. There are three primary audience types you can choose from:

·         Lookalike audiences: If your goal is to expand your customer base, create a Lookalike Audience modeled off of your most valuable customers in order to find similar users. Learn more about how to use lookalike audiences.

·         People near you: If you have one or more locations and your account is managed by a Facebook representative, you can use the business locator feature and target ads to people in range of your stores. This audience segment is ideal if your aim is to schedule appointments, demos, or simply encourage customers to visit.

·         Custom audiences: Examples of custom audiences can include people who are subscribed to your newsletter, recent site and app visitors, or people in your CRM.

Plan to follow-up

A swift follow-up can significantly improve the chances of a conversion. And the quicker you do it the better. A landmark study published in Harvard Business Review found that businesses that make contact with customers within an hour are seven times more likely to secure qualified leads.

Keep in mind that messaging apps are now consumers’ preferred way to connect with brands. Two-thirds of customers rank messaging ahead of phone, live chat, and face-to-face communications. Maybe it’s time for your business to hop onto Facebook Messenger. And of course, if you want to know your customer’s preferred time and means of communication, don’t forget to ask.

Test and optimize

The best lead ads are often the result of A/B testing and fine-tuning. Consider running two lead ads with different imagery or copy. Or try running lead ads with different form lengths to measure completion rates.