When you start to dive deeper into the world of Facebook advertising, you see how detailed each section is. This also includes the types of ads Facebook lets you to choose from – each linked with fulfilling a specific objective. The most effective of all these styles are lead generation ads.
This advertising style tackles the issues surrounding choosing ad types and general marketing plan complexity with great ease.
What Is Lead Generation?
Lead generation is all about helping you grow your business by driving high-quality prospects directly to your sales teams. The end goal is not to sell a product or inspire a social media viral hit – it is to start the conversation that leads to long-term and profitable business relationships. Which is better – spending $5 per ad click on a one-off client, or a little more for the opportunity to have a client that keeps coming back?
What Is a Lead Ad and Why Should You Care?
The lead ad is one of the types of Facebook ads that enables you to run advertising campaigns that are based on lead generation. What makes a lead ad different from other ad types is the amount of data collected before the sales team gets involved. Basic demographic and interest data is collected through the standard form, potentially eliminating the lost sales that come from a lack of understanding by the sales team.
If you’ve successfully convinced your potential customers to fill out the contact form through a lead ad, you can get access to their details, know what interests them, and can follow up with them accordingly.
On the contact form, you can request the email addresses of the prospects who have clicked on your lead ad. You can even go beyond just collecting email addresses. For instance, you can ask them custom questions. When you have got the required information from them, the next step is to reach out to them with focused marketing materials designed to address their needs. Imagine having half of the sales challenge taken care of before picking up the phone – that is the power of a lead ad.
Still wondering why lead generation should be a part of your Facebook advertising strategy?
Here’s why:
It Drastically Increases Mobile Conversions
When it’s about filing up a form, it’s quite annoying to leave the Facebook page, visit a landing page, and then fill out various fields manually on the mobile screen. This problem is nonexistent with Facebook lead ads. Users can provide all the information needed through an industry-leading mobile app that eliminates the usual barriers to form submission.
Auto-Filled Forms Are a Unique Feature
The user’s data is directly taken from their Facebook profile and is auto-filled in these fields as soon as the user clicks on the CTA button.
The benefit?
Instead of spending time in filling out the basic details about them, users just need to click once. The minimized amount of typing required to fill the form is what may motivate them to fill the form without any resistance.
It Saves You a Lot of Time
Lead generation ads aren’t designed for Facebook users’ convenience only. Your business can benefit from them in numerous ways. By opting for a fully customized form, you don’t have to create additional landing pages while carrying out lead generation ad campaigns. Facebook offers advertisers the option to create multiple forms for different ad campaigns within a few minutes.
It Helps You Select a CTA Button That’s Highly Relevant to Your Advertising Objective
For a lead ad, it’s not just about letting your potential customers click on the “Sign Up” button. While deciding the type of call-to-action you want from the audience, you can choose one of several well developed and clear call to actions (CTAs.) All you have to do is pick the one that best matches what you want the end result to be!
It Increases Loyalty by Connecting Interested Clients to Your Sales Team First
Would you feel comfortable speaking with a sales agent that did not know what you need and how to fill it? Lead generation eliminates this problem by making certain that both parties fully understand what the other has to offer from the beginning of the call or email. Your marketing team will no longer have to fish in the dark, hoping to snag a sale or repeat customer. All that is needed is the ability to read the incoming data and act accordingly – the speed and effectiveness of the sales call will inspire loyalty that will pay dividends later on.
Tips to Make Lead Ads That Convert Leads into Paying Customers
1. Freebies Are Always IN. Use These In a Lead Ad
Offering something that’s valuable to your potential customers can help you attract them in a non-promotional way. How about offering them gifts that will help them solve their problem? Also called “lead magnets,” these freebies are used by businesses to create the first impression of their brand. All it takes is connecting your lead ad to a CRM system through the use of bridging software – such as Leadsbridge or Zapier.
Not sure what to offer to your target audience for free? Here are some possibilities:
- Checklists
- Consultations
- eBooks
- Strategy Sessions
- Templates
- Tutorials
- Videos
2. Make Sure the Lead Ad Has a Welcome Screen
When the users see your lead ad, they should know in an instant why they’re required to submit their contact information. Therefore, include a welcome screen within the lead ad for maximum effect.
Not sure what to add to the welcome screen?
To make it highly understandable, keep it as simple as you can. For instance, the welcome screen may include the benefits or special offers your target audience will receive once they sign up for the freebie.
Also, let them know when you’ll contact them after receiving your contact details and when exactly they’ll be receiving the freebie.
Give your welcome screen the final touch by reassuring people about your honesty. Without excessively claiming, you can include, “We appreciate all users who sign up for our offer. We won’t misuse the information you share with us.” This will build a relationship of trust with your prospects and may even differentiate your brand from your competitors.
Get creative! Welcome screens are often filled with rich media, such as infographics, videos, and product images. Marketing is like making eggs, you have to crack a few shells to make an omelette!
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About The Author
Adam Arnold
Dr Adam Arnold has over 17 years experience in digital marketing and has been mentored by, and is a mentor to, some of the greatest marketing brains of today.