Are you leveraging online advertising to reach your ideal customers? If you’ve been hesitant due to technical challenges, targeting concerns, budget limitations, or fear of wasting resources, you’re not alone.
Get ready to overcome these hurdles and gain exposure for your business with my latest episode of Shop Talk, “Facebook Advertising 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Your First Lead Ad Campaign.” In this episode, I lay out my beginner’s guide to Facebook ads for lead generation. I cover the importance of paid advertising, different types of Facebook ads, and why
lead ads are especially beneficial for beginners.
With this guide, you’ll be well-prepared to set up your lead ad quickly and efficiently, reaching your perfect customers and growing your business. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take control of your growth and expand your reach!
Snapshot of this episode:
- 2:10 – Why is paid advertising important?
- 5:09 – Different types of Facebook ads.
- 8:17 – Why I love lead ads.
- 15:30 – How to prepare for setting up your lead ad.
- 27:14 – The step-by-step process for setting up a lead ad.
- 36:45 – Take Your Business to New Heights
Links mentioned:
Extraordinary Entrepreneur Facebook Community
Have you been curious about leveraging online advertising to get your business and offers in front of your ideal customers? I find that what often keeps entrepreneurs from pulling the trigger is that they:
- Struggled with the technical aspect of setting up their ads
- Are worried they don’t know how to target and reach their audience effectively
- Have a limited budget
- Don’t want to waste their budget and not get results
If this is you, I want you to know you’re not alone. These are universal struggles, and I’ve been there too! But here’s the good news: you are in the right place today!
To help you overcome this hurdle and get the exposure you want for your business, you’re getting a beginner’s guide to Facebook ads for lead generation.
We are going to talk about:
- Why paid advertising is important to your business
- The different types of Facebook ads and the role they play in helping you reach your goals
- My favorite type of Facebook ad (especially for beginners)
- How to prepare for setting up your first Facebook ad
- And the step-by-step process for setting up your ad in the Facebook ad manager
We’ve got A LOT to cover, so let’s dive in!
Why is paid advertising important?
Paid advertising is vital for business exposure for several reasons:
- More Reach and Visibility: With organic reach declining on social media platforms, paid advertising ensures that your message reaches a larger audience. It helps you connect with potential customers who may not have discovered you otherwise.
- Target the Right Audience: Paid advertising platforms like Facebook Ads offer powerful targeting options you can use to define your ideal audience so that your ads are seen by the people most likely to be interested in what you offer.
- Quick Results: Unlike organic methods that take time to gain traction, paid advertising provides immediate visibility and can deliver results quickly.
- Measure Success: Paid advertising platforms provide detailed analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your ads. You can measure important metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and a return on your investment. This data helps you make informed decisions to improve your campaigns.
In a nutshell, paid advertising helps you expand your reach, target the right audience, achieve faster results, measure success along the way, and stay competitive. It’s a valuable tool to effectively promote your products or services and reach your goals.
Now let’s dive into…
Different types of Facebook ads.
Various types of Facebook ads are available to suit different marketing objectives and creative preferences. Here are some of the most common:
- Image Ads: These are the most basic ad format. Image ads are simple ads that feature a single static image. These are easy to create and can effectively showcase your offer.
- Video Ads: Video ads are great for driving audience connection and engagement.
- Carousel Ads: Carousel ads showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad unit. Users can swipe through the carousel to view different products, features, or storytelling elements. This format is useful for highlighting a range of products or showcasing a step-by-step process.
- Slideshow Ads: Slideshow ads are lightweight videos created from a series of images. They offer a cost-effective alternative to video ads and can be highly engaging.
- Messenger Ads: Messenger ads appear within the Facebook Messenger app, allowing businesses to start conversations with potential customers. These ads can lead to automated chatbots or direct interactions with someone on your team.
- Dynamic Ads: Dynamic ads automatically promote products or services based on the user’s past interactions or browsing behavior. They are highly personalized and dynamically generated, making them effective for remarketing.
- Lead Ads: Facebook ads for lead generation are specifically designed for one purpose – to generate leads. They allow users to provide their contact information directly within the ad without leaving Facebook. Lead ads typically include a form that pre-populates with the user’s information, making it quick and easy for them to submit their details.
As I mentioned in the beginning, this training is all about setting up a lead ad. Before we dive into the specifics, I’d like to share…
Why I love lead ads.
There are many reasons to love lead ads, but here are my top 5 reasons:
- Streamlined Lead Generation: Lead ads simplify the lead generation process by allowing users to provide their contact information directly within the ad. Users don’t need to leave Facebook or fill out forms on external landing pages. This streamlined experience increases the likelihood of users submitting their information, which typically results in higher conversion rates.
What does this mean to you? This means you don’t have to spend a bunch of time writing copy and designing a landing page to capture leads.
You can set up a lead ad offering your free resource (aka lead magnet) and start generating leads right away!
- Pre-Populated Form Fields: Lead ads leverage the information users have already provided to Facebook, such as their name and email address. When a user interacts with a lead ad, the form fields are automatically pre-populated with their data, reducing friction and making it easier for them to complete the form. This convenience leads to improved user experience and higher submission rates.
- Mobile-Optimized Experience: Lead ads are designed with mobile users in mind, as a significant portion of Facebook traffic comes from mobile devices. The lead forms are optimized for mobile screens, making it effortless for users to fill out the required information using their smartphones. This mobile-friendly approach enhances accessibility and ensures a seamless experience for users on the go.
- Integration with CRM Systems: Facebook’s lead ads allow you to easily integrate with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. When users submit their information through a lead ad, the data can be automatically synced and transferred to your CRM. This integration makes your lead management, follow-up, and nurturing efficient.
If you don’t integrate with a CRM, then the leads you generate would be added to a list that you can export. Then you’d have to manually send your free resource, manage the prospect, follow up, and continue to nurture the relationship.
Bottom line, CRM integration is key.
- Lead Ads Are Cost-Effective and Efficient: Because lead ads generally convert higher, it lowers your cost per lead.
Essentially, I love lead ads because they are simple to set up, provide higher conversion rates, are optimized for mobile, and allow you to integrate with your CRM so you can continue to follow up and nurture the relationship with your new contact.
How to prepare for setting up your lead ad.
My favorite quote from Brian Tracy is, “10 minutes in preparation will save you hours in execution.” I know I say it all the time, but it’s true!
If you go into the Facebook ads manager without preparing ahead of time, you’ll likely get overwhelmed and frustrated and give up.
But, if you prepare properly, setting up your lead ad will take minutes.
Let’s walk through the steps to prepare:
STEP 1 – Define Your Target Audience
Clearly identify your target audience and buyer personas. Consider demographics, interests, behaviors, and any specific criteria that align with your ideal customer profile. This will ensure your lead ad reaches people most likely to be interested in your offerings.
STEP 2 – Establish Your Campaign Objective
Establishing a clear campaign objective is a crucial first step when creating a successful Facebook ad campaign. While you may want your ad to do things like generate brand awareness, drive website traffic, increase conversions, or boost engagement, the overarching objective is simple – capturing leads. No matter how you set up your ad, everything will be in service of this goal.
STEP 3 – Craft A Compelling Lead Magnet
In this step, you want to create a free resource (aka lead magnet) to entice users to submit their information. Consider what value you can provide your target audience in exchange for their contact details. This could be things like:
- A free e-book
- Webinar registration
- Exclusive discounts
- Access to valuable content you’ve created
STEP 4 – Prepare Your Ad Creatives
An ad creative refers to the visual and copy elements of an advertisement. Here are the items you’ll need to prepare:
- Images or Videos: These are the primary visual elements that make up your ad. The visuals play a crucial role in catching the viewer’s attention and conveying your message effectively.
- Headline: The headline is a short, attention-grabbing text displayed prominently in the ad. It serves as a hook to capture the viewer’s interest and entice them to learn more about your offer.
- Text or Copy: The ad copy is the written content accompanying the visual elements. It provides additional context, describes the value proposition, and encourages the viewer to take action. The text or copy should be concise, compelling, and aligned with the ad’s objective.
- And finally, the Call-to-Action (CTA): The CTA is a clear instruction that tells the viewer what action to take, such as “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Sign Up.” It encourages engagement and directs the viewer toward the desired outcome.
STEP 5 – Lead Form
This step is easy as well. When setting up a lead form on Facebook, it’s essential to determine the specific information you want to capture from your leads. The key is to strike a balance between collecting enough data to qualify and follow up with your leads effectively while also respecting their time and privacy.
Start by identifying the core information that aligns with your campaign goals and allows you to understand your leads’ needs. Remember to keep your form concise and straightforward, focusing on the most valuable information that helps you engage and nurture your leads successfully.
Pro tip: Limit the information you capture to minimize friction and maximize completion rates. Consider asking for essential information only, such as name, email address, and phone number.
STEP 6 – Prepare Follow-up Processes
Plan how you will follow up with the leads you generate through the lead ad. Determine how and when you will reach out to them, whether it’s through email marketing, phone calls, or other channels. Have a clear plan in place to nurture and convert the leads into customers
.
STEP 7 – Review Facebook’s Ad Policies
Familiarize yourself with Facebook’s ad policies to ensure compliance. Adhere to the platform’s guidelines regarding content, targeting, and prohibited practices. This will help avoid any potential issues with your ad campaign.
Ok – now that you know how to be well prepared for a knock-out Facebook ad campaign, let’s talk about setting your lead ad! Most people think the setting up of the ad is the hard part. It’s not. Preparation for your ad is where the work lies. Once you are ready, setting up the ad itself takes just a few minutes.
The step-by-step process for setting up a lead ad.
The step-by-step process for setting up a lead ad on Facebook involves the following:
- Access Facebook Ads Manager – From your Facebook homepage, you’ll find a menu on the left listing things like Marketplace, Gaming, and Feeds. When you select “see all,” it navigates you to a menu where you have the option to enter the Ads Manager.
- Click on “Create” – Once you’re in and your Ads Manager account is in place, click the green button that says “Create” to set up your campaign.
- Leads > Continue – When the selection box appears, click “Leads” to set up your lead campaign, then “Continue.”
- Name the Campaign > Next – This needs to be any name you choose so you can remember the specific goal of this campaign. Then select “Next.”
- Name the Ad Set > Instant Form (should be chosen) – Instant form should be automatically selected, but it’s good to double-check.
- Select Facebook Page – You’ll need to select the page your lead campaign is associated with. This only applies if you have more than one Facebook page.
- Set The Budget (and the date) – Choose the date the ad should start.
Pro tip: Facebook’s algorithm is set up to perform better if you do not select an end date. In some cases, you want your ad to only run for a specific amount of time. Instead of choosing an end date, you may have better performance if you choose to manually stop the ad at the end of the campaign.
- Create Audience – Select who should see your ad based on your PIC.
- Advance+ Placements > Next (already selected) – This should already be selected for you. But, once again, it’s good to double-check.
- Add the Creative (image or video) – Add in any visuals that will be displayed on your ad.
- Headline (below) – This is the text your PIC will see at the bottom of the ad next to the CTA.
- Primary Text (above) – This is the text that is displayed above your ad.
- Description (doesn’t always display) – This text goes right below your heading. But, depending on the platform your ad is displayed on or how long your heading is, your description may not show up in the ad. As you add each section of text, you will see how it will look in the preview section, giving you an idea of whether or not your description will get displayed.
- Choose CTA Button – Facebook offers a variety of CTA buttons to choose from.
- Create Form > Name > Choose Fields – To create your lead form, just follow the steps to decide what information you would like to capture.
- Publish – Review your ad and your form. If everything looks good, you are ready to publish!
Take Your Business to New Heights
With the increasing challenge of reaching your target audience organically, you need an effective way to generate leads and expand your business. Here’s what I know:
- If you’re posting on social media and your organic reach is dismal
- If you’re tired of hoping that your networking efforts will produce referrals
- If you want control over who sees your offers
- If you want a more efficient and effective way to generate leads
- If you have an amazing business that helps people in a meaningful way, and you don’t have enough people to present your programs, products, and services to, then…
It’s time to take the leap and set up a Facebook ad for lead generation!
This will provide you a direct path to reaching your perfect ideal customer. Stop relying solely on organic reach that, more often than not, falls short. It’s time to take control of your growth. Set up your lead ad and watch your email marketing list grow!
