Although Google Ads is commonly used for generating leads, not everyone is familiar with how to improve marketing efforts to incorporate Meta Ads for lead gen. There are multiple features that work for different industries and methods to reduce junk leads that are commonly found in the advertising channel. In this artice, we will explore the best practices for generating leads in Meta Ads. Let’s start with understanding lead generation with Meta Ads.
Understanding Meta Ads for Lead Gen
If you are looking to start lead generation with Meta ads, this guide is for you.
While developing a campaign, you must set the objective to Leads.
At the ad set level, you must choose the conversion option that indicates where leads are captured and how the ad works. The options available are:
- Website
- Website and calls
- Instant forms
- Calls
Selecting the right conversion option is important as it directly impacts the ad format and makes sure that the campaign is optimised to generate leads and not only clicks or engagement.
Here are the ways through which conversion options work with ads:
Website: You can direct the visitors to the website where you can track the lead activities like form submissions, inquiries and demo requests. This is done with Meta Pixel.
Website and calls: The users are redirected to the website, but it also includes a call button, which influences people to call directly from the site.
Instant form: This leads to a form directly within social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, from which the users do not leave. Once the form is submitted, an email is send to you or pushed to your CRM if linked.
Messenger: This conversion option initiates a chat in Messenger or WhatsApp. It is generally less effective than other formats to capture potential leads. Hence, it is not recommended.
How Do Call Ads Work?
Direct call: The ad dials a contact number instantly once clicked
Call add-on: The user is redirected to the website, and a call button pops up at the bottom of the screen. Meta monitors such calls.
Best Meta Ad Formats for Quality Leads
The effective meta ad format to generate leads relies on the type of business and sales process.
Local Businesses: Call Ads
The local businesses that depend on phone calls to make a sale, like medical clinics, salons or any other home services, call ads can help in generating high leads quickly. The ads are developed to promote direct phone calls, which make them perfect for the businesses that deal with huge number of daily inquiries.
Call ads are most efficient when there is a 24/7 customer service to attend to the calls instead of routing calls to voicemail or automated options. Such a strategy works well for businesses that need to communicate immediately with potential customers.
Complicated Sales Processes: Forms
Organisations that have complicated sales cycles, like B2B companies or higher-ticket B2C services, usually benefit from utilising instant forms or web-based forms. These formats enable users to collect additional information initially and improve pre-qualified leads. For instant, B2B businesses often need something beyond simple calls to make a sale.
A lead may need to schedule a demo, communicate with experts or share additional information. In such cases, inbound forms or scheduled appointments are more effective and lead to higher quality conversations.
Business Type and Formats
B2B and complex B2C: These businesses choose forms for qualification and follow-up.
Local B2C or service-based: These businesses choose call ads for quick lead generation
Hybrid: These businesses use both formats and are examined based on how the team manages follow-up.
Although instant forms may slow down the lead process to an extent, for local businesses, they can still be favourable if you wish to gather lead data beyond business hours or if the team is not readily available to attend the calls.
How to Manage Lead Quality with Meda Ads?
Although Meta has included multiple filters and tools over time, lead quality remains a concern, particularly with instant forms. Thankfully, there are some ways through which you can improve the lead quality from Meta Ads for lead gen.
Longer Instant Forms
Although short forms contribute to more leads, but compromise the quality. Hence, adding more questions can help in sorting out the unqualified leads. You can also link the form directly to your CRM or email, allowing you to review and oversee the lead quality.
SMS Verification
While setting up the instant forms, you can enable the ‘Require phone number confirmation through SMS option. This additional process helps in identifying the unimportant or low-intent leads. This improves the reliability of the contact information.
Direct Leads to Website
You can also consider sending users to the website to fill out a form or initiate a call rather than using an instant form. Although this often results in less submissions and a higher expense per lead, the leads are generally of higher quality. These are beneficial for the businesses with long sales cycles or larger-ticket offerings.
In order to make a conversion, the landing page needs to include content that cultivates trust and responds to the important questions, like:
- Comparison charts
- Interpretative videos
- Lists of advantages
- Testimonials or case studies
Such extra information can instill confidence among the users to submit the form or call.
Offine Conversions
If you use a CRM or call monitoring system, you can extract the offline conversion data into Meta ads for lead gen. This trains the algorithm to identify more leads that convert into potential customers. Therefore, this can improve the targeting over time.
Call Tracking
Users can use a third-party call monitoring system while operating call ads. This allows you to:
- Record and review the calls
- Send call data to the CSR
- Examine the quality of lead and tag calls that make conversions
Follow-up Messaging
You can enable the option- ‘chat with leads’ for the ad creation process. Once submitting an instant form and agreeing to messaging, the feature initiates a conversation in Messenger or Instagram with their given contact details. This allows you to follow up in real time.
CRM Connection
You can opt for the Lead Delivery option to send leads directly to the CRM when it comes to instant form setup. You can perform this through direct implementation with the CRM partners of Meta. Users can adopt tools like Zapier to integrate unsupported channels. This can help in responding quickly and overseeing the lead outcomes efficiently.
Wrapping Up
Meta ads are found to be strong tools to generate leads, whether your business is focusing on quick deals or cultivating an enduring sales funnel. By opting for the right type of ad format, optimising for lead quality and streamlining the strategy, you can make the most of Meta. therefore, Meta ads for lead gen is an effective way to out stand in the competitive landscape.
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