Meta Ads for lead gen: What you need to know

While Google Ads is common for lead generation, many people aren’t familiar with how to expand their marketing efforts to include Meta Ads for lead generation. 

There are many options for Meta Ads (a.k.a. Facebook Ads) that work for a wide range of industries and methods for reducing junk leads, which can be more common with this advertising platform. 

This article covers a quick introduction and more advanced strategies for effective lead generation in Meta Ads.

Understanding lead generation with Meta Ads

If you’re new to running Meta Ads for lead generation, here’s a simple breakdown to help you get started.

The setup

When creating your campaign, set the objective to Leads. 

At the ad set level, you’ll choose a conversion location, which determines where leads are captured and how the ad will behave. Your options include:

• Website.
• Website and calls.
• Instant forms.
• Calls.

Choosing the right conversion location is crucial. 

It directly affects the ad format and ensures your campaign is optimized for lead generation, not just clicks or engagement.

Conversion location options and how they work with ads:

• Website: Sends users to your website, where you can track lead actions like form submissions, demo requests, or appointments using the Meta Pixel.
• Website and calls: Sends users to your website, but includes a call button that triggers a phone number popup, allowing visitors to call directly from the site.
• Instant form: Opens a form directly within Facebook or Instagram – users never leave the platform. Submitted form data is emailed to you or pushed to your CRM if integrated.
• Messenger (Not recommended): This format starts a chat in Messenger or WhatsApp. It’s typically less effective for capturing qualified leads.

How do call ads work?

Call ads work in two primary ways:

• Direct dial: The ad dials a phone number immediately when clicked.
• Call add-on: The user is taken to your website, and a call button pops up at the bottom of the screen. This call interaction can be tracked by Meta.

Top Meta Ad formats for high-quality leads

The best Meta Ad format for lead generation depends on your business type and sales process.

Local businesses: Use call ads for immediate results

For local businesses that rely on phone calls to close sales, such as medical clinics, salons, auto repair shops, or home services, call ads can drive a high volume of leads quickly. 

These ads are designed to encourage direct phone calls, making them ideal for businesses that are set up to handle a large number of daily inquiries.

Call ads are most effective when a live person answers the phone, rather than routing calls to voicemail or an automated menu. 

This approach works well for services that benefit from immediate communication with potential customers.

More complex sales processes: Use forms instead

Businesses with more complex sales cycles, such as B2B companies or higher-ticket B2C services, typically benefit more from using instant forms or website-based forms. 

These formats allow you to gather additional information upfront and better pre-qualify leads.

For example, B2B businesses often require more than a simple phone call to close a deal. 

A lead might need to schedule a demo, speak with a specialist, or share more detailed information. 

In these cases, inbound forms or scheduled appointments are more efficient and lead to higher quality conversations.

Choosing based on business type

• B2B and complex B2C: Prefer forms for qualification and follow-up.
• Local B2C or service-based: Prefer Call Ads for faster lead flow and conversion.
• Hybrid: Use both formats and test based on how your team handles follow-up.

While instant forms may slightly slow the lead process for local businesses, they can still be useful if you want to collect lead data outside of business hours or if your team isn’t always available to answer the phone.

Dig deeper: How to use Meta Ads for lead generation: A 9-step guide

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How to fix lead quality with Meta Ads (a.k.a. Facebook Ads)

While Meta has added more filters and tools over time, lead quality can still be an issue, especially with instant forms. 

Fortunately, there are several ways to improve the quality of the leads you get from your Meta Ads.

1. Use longer instant forms

Short forms may generate more leads, but often at the cost of quality. 

Adding more questions helps filter out unqualified users. 

You can also connect the form directly to your CRM or have the leads emailed to you so you can review and track lead quality over time.

2. Add SMS verification

During instant form setup, enable the Require phone number confirmation via SMS option. 

This extra step helps screen out fake or low-intent leads, improving the reliability of your contact data.

3. Direct leads to your website or landing page

Instead of using instant forms, consider sending users to your website to complete a form or make a call. 

While this often leads to fewer submissions and a higher cost per lead, the leads are typically higher quality, especially for businesses with longer sales cycles or larger-ticket offerings.

To convert effectively, your landing page should include content that builds trust and answers key questions, such as:

• Comparison charts.
• Explainer videos.
• Lists of benefits.
• Testimonials or case studies.

This added information helps users feel confident enough to complete a form or call.

4. Import offline conversions

If you’re using a CRM or call tracking platform, you can import offline conversion data into Meta Ads. 

This teaches the algorithm to find more leads like the ones that actually became customers, improving targeting over time.

5. Use call tracking for call ads

When running call ads, use third-party call tracking software (e.g., CallTrackingMetrics). This lets you:

• Record and review calls from Meta Ads.
• Send call data to your CRM.
• Evaluate lead quality and tag calls that turned into actual sales.

6. Enable follow-up messaging for instant forms

In the ad creation process, enable the Chat with leads checkbox. 

After someone submits an instant form and agrees to messaging, this feature starts a conversation in Messenger or Instagram with their contact info included, allowing you to follow up in real time.

7. Connect your CRM for lead delivery

In the instant form setup, use the Lead Delivery option to send leads directly to your CRM. 

You can do this: 

• Via direct integration with Meta’s CRM partners.
• Use tools like Zapier to connect unsupported platforms. 

This helps you respond faster and track lead outcomes more effectively.

Dig deeper: How to build a predictable lead gen system with digital ads

Best audiences to target for Meta Ads lead gen

There are many effective audience options to consider when running lead generation campaigns on Meta Ads. Below are some of the best types to target.

Broad audience

For some businesses, especially local ones, simply targeting a service area or city without additional filters can work well. 

This approach is ideal when your potential customer base is diverse and doesn’t need further narrowing.

Wide audience

This involves using minimal filters, such as targeting people interested in fitness for a fitness product. 

Meta Ads no longer require highly detailed audience settings – one or two qualifiers are often enough to reach the right people.

Advantage+ audience

Similar to Google Ads’ Performance Max, Advantage+ uses a few signals (or none at all) to find and optimize audiences for you. 

It’s best suited for larger companies with bigger budgets that can afford to test and learn at scale.

Lookalike audience

This option helps you find new people who are similar to your existing remarketing audiences, uploaded customer lists, or users who have engaged with your content or ads.

Remarketing audience

These work well for products or services with longer sales cycles, where multiple touchpoints are needed before conversion.

Engaged audience

You can also build custom audiences based on people who have interacted with your page, ads, or videos, such as those who liked, commented, shared, or clicked, regardless of whether they visited your website. 

These can be created under Audiences > Custom Audience in Ads Manager.

When to use top vs. bottom funnel campaigns for Meta Ads

It depends on your product, service, and sales cycle. 

If you’re working with a longer sales cycle or a higher-priced offering, your Meta Ads strategy will likely need to focus on nurturing leads rather than closing a sale immediately. 

In contrast, for lower-cost products or services – or those that meet an urgent need – you can run ads designed to convert right away.

Top-of-funnel campaigns

These are ideal when you need to warm up your audience over time. 

They typically require a longer follow-up process using funnel-building tools, CRMs, or email automation to guide leads through a series of touchpoints.

For example, an instant form ad might collect a user’s email address in exchange for a guide, video, or relevant tips. 

From there, a series of follow-up emails gradually builds trust and eventually asks for a purchase or another conversion step.

Bottom-of-funnel campaigns

These are geared toward users who are ready to take action now. 

The goal is to drive immediate conversions, such as a:

• Phone call.
• Form submission.
• Quote request.
• Appointment booking.

These ads are direct, with no extended nurture sequence. 

This approach is common for local services, urgent needs like repairs, or straightforward offerings like consultations.

Dig deeper: How to test UGC and EGC ads in Meta campaigns

Build a scalable lead generation system with Meta Ads

Meta Ads offer powerful tools for lead generation, whether you’re targeting quick conversions or building a longer sales funnel. 

By choosing the right ad formats, optimizing for lead quality, and aligning your strategy with your business type and sales process, you can turn Meta into a reliable and scalable lead source. 

With the right setup and follow-up, Meta Ads can complement or even outperform traditional channels like Google Ads in many cases.

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