When it comes to achieving campaign goals, marketers that are placing ads on Facebook have many options for their ad objective. Facebook Lead Ads offer the clear objective of conversions, which sounds like it should be everyone’s end goal. But it’s not quite that simple. As one of the newest Facebook ad products, it’s important to distinguish the differences between a link ad and a lead ad.
Traditionally, link ads take users away from Facebook, leading them to your brand’s website. They may arrive at a landing page, where you attempt to sell them a product or gather information for later follow-up. Or you may simply send them to the homepage in order to provide more information on your brand. Wherever they land, it is off of Facebook and outside of their intended action: browsing their updates. Why does that matter to you? Facebook Lead Ads allow them to remain in Facebook the whole time, making it virtually seamless for a user to opt in to your offer.
Here are five ways lead ads are different from regular Facebook ads:
1. Data
There is no data collected from link ads on Facebook. Users can click off the social network to provide their contact information on your website, but this interrupts their intended action. With Facebook Lead Ads, form data can be gathered within Facebook itself. Potential customers can submit email addresses, phone numbers, and
Image credit: Facebook
other information easily. Facebook will even pre-populate with information users have already supplied in their profile. They can review and change, or just hit submit.
This makes Facebook Lead Ads a highly effective tool to grow your email list, since it requires minimal effort from the user. With just a few clicks, you have a new subscriber.
2. Ad Creative
Remember, with link ads, you are linking people away from Facebook and onto your website, where they will learn more about your company and opt-in to offers. You can use “teaser” imagery and ad copy because you are driving to a secondary landing page that can be more direct. Your goal is purely clicks, whereas with lead ads, you’re asking people to opt-in right then and there. If you’re asking someone to provide their personal information, your ad needs to be clear about what you offer and what they are opting-in to.
Your image should be eye-catching, but direct. This is the initial introduction to your lead form and what convinces them to click and submit. Your copy should clearly explain what you offer and what they are opting in for.
Facebook Lead Ads also have the option to add a context card, something that is not available to link ads. This context card works like a mini landing page, offering added information on what people are signing up for. If you want to grow your email list, the context card is an effective way to explain what kind of content they will receive in their emails.
3. Cost
Image credit: Facebook
Many marketers wonder if the power of Facebook Lead Ads comes with a higher price tag than traditional Facebook ads. According to Facebook marketing expert Jon Loomer, the cost of reaching people can be higher, but overall early returns show that the cost per lead is actually lower than similar campaigns on other channels.
With the right testing, you can make the most of your budget. For example, according to Facebook’s success stories page, 3-D printer company MakerBot experienced a 25% drop in cost per leads by running Facebook lead ads, while Sun Life Financial Canada saw a 56% reduction in cost per lead.
4. Mobile Optimization
Traditional Facebook advertising, like link ads, works well on desktops, but more and more users are browsing on mobile devices. Facebook Lead Ads were originally designed for mobile use and more effectively capture the growing percentage of users who primarily interact on their phones.
When using the Facebook app, users are wary of clicking off to other sites as it it much harder to navigate back to their initial starting point on a handheld device. Facebook Lead Ads solve this problem by keeping the users comfortably situated on the site, providing minimal disruption to their browsing. Link ads force them to stop what they’re doing and click off.
5. Follow-Up
Because Facebook Lead Ads capture data right on Facebook and never take the user away, there is no website visitation or cookie opportunity for retargeting. All they learn about you is right there on the lead ad. But this also limits your ability to convey a complex message or initiate an automated retargeting campaign, an issue not found with users that click through on a link ad.
To remedy this, proper follow-up is imperative to nurture your leads to conversion. Invest in a data-transfer plan from a third-party provider that will send your leads in real time to your CRM or ESP provider for a timely initial email. Give your lead the offer they signed up for quickly and continue to nurture them with a drip campaign, email updates, or additional Facebook ads.
Get started by testing Facebook lead ads today so you can see the difference for yourself. We’re here to help you!