The Power of Facebook Ads for Lead Generation
For experienced corporate leaders turned entrepreneurs, high-level consultants, and coaches looking to amplify their impact, mastering Facebook Ads can be the key to unlocking scalable revenue streams, building authority, and positioning yourself in a competitive digital landscape.
However, many professionals entering the online business world can struggle with digital marketing – especially with navigating the vast amount of options possible as well as the complexities and naunces that become evident when beginning to implement them. Unlike corporate marketing teams or bigger brands with expansive budgets and resources – single entrepreneurs must be much more strategic, data-driven, and cost-efficient, in order to safeguard againsts any risk involved.
Enevitably, there comes a time in every developing and expanding business, where a focus on lead generation comes directly into the limelight. Although the term can cause less-marketing orientated entrepreneurs to break into a sweat, at its heart, lead generation is all about capturing the interest and imagination of potential clients – right at the start of their journey with you. It’s one of the initial steps required that will help guide these strangers into becoming clients and when it comes to digital marketing, this typically involves leveraging a combination of organic (unpaid) and paid strategies. Lead generation can include tactics such as content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), social media campaigns, email marketing, and paid advertising.
Effective lead generation is crucial. In a competitive digital landscape, where clients are constantly bombarded with information – a well-structured lead generation strategy allows businesses to cut through the noise, attract the right audience, and expediate their growth.
In our modern digital world, businesses that want to generate high-quality leads at scale must eventually leverage paid ads – and Facebook Ads remain one of the most powerful tools for this purpose. With over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers an unparalleled opportunity to reach your ideal customers, whether you’re targeting niche professionals or global audiences. The aim of this guide is to break down the fundamentals of using Facebook ads, its best practices, and advanced strategies to help you build and optimize high-converting campaigns that generate quality leads that drive business growth.
Lead generation isn’t about instantly creating clients - it’s about finding the right people who have a high chance of becoming great clients. It’s about making that first connection (typically offering some of extreme value for free or at little cost and risk, in exchange for an email or contact detail) - sparking interest - and opening the door for a relationship to grow through the trade and connection. The goal isn’t to sell right away, but to start the conversation with those who are already looking for an answer to their problems that you are in the perfect position to solve.
Why Facebook Ads Are a Powerful Tool for Lead Generation
Facebook Ads can be a game-changer for businesses looking to scale. With advanced targeting, cost-effective campaigns, seamless lead capture, and powerful retargeting capabilities, businesses can attract, nurture, and convert high-quality leads in a way that traditional marketing methods simply cannot match. When executed correctly, a well-optimized Facebook lead generation strategy can fuel business growth, increase revenue, and create a predictable pipeline of engaged prospects ready to take action. This is because Facebook Ads offer an approach that combines a synergy of powerful tactics:
Precision Targeting for the Right Audience
One of Facebook’s most powerful advantages in lead generation is its ability to precisely target the right audience based on a vast array of data points. Unlike traditional advertising, where businesses rely on broad demographic categories, Facebook Ads allow advertisers to drill down into specific behaviors, interests, and interactions, ensuring that ads reach people most likely to convert. This level of precision is made possible by Meta’s extensive data collection from user activity across Facebook, Instagram, and partner sites, making it one of the most sophisticated ad platforms available.
Compared to other platforms, Facebook’s targeting capabilities offer a blend of interest-based targeting, behavioral data, and machine-learning optimizations. Google Ads, for example, primarily relies on search intent – meaning advertisers can bid on keywords that indicate a user is actively looking for a product or service. While this is highly effective for demand capture (i.e., reaching users ready to buy), it limits opportunities for demand generation – introducing services to users who may not yet be searching. Facebook excels in this area by identifying and targeting users before they enter the buying phase, making it an ideal platform for businesses looking to create awareness and nurture leads over time.
LinkedIn Ads, offers a different kind of precision targeting, particularly for B2B advertisers. Since LinkedIn users provide detailed professional information, advertisers can target individuals based on job title, industry, company size, seniority level, and even specific companies. This makes LinkedIn one of the best platforms for targeting corporate buyers and decision-makers. However, this precision comes at a cost as LinkedIn Ads are significantly more expensive than Facebook Ads. While Facebook lacks the direct professional filters that LinkedIn offers, its contains features that still allow businesses to reach professionals at a fraction of the cost.
TikTok and Instagram Ads, while also part of the discovery-based advertising ecosystem, rely more on engagement-driven algorithms rather than deep targeting filters. TikTok, in particular, prioritizes content virality, meaning advertisers benefit most when their ads align with trending formats and creative storytelling rather than hyper-targeted segmentation. Instagram, being part of the Meta ecosystem, functions similarly to Facebook, but its audience skews younger and more visually driven. While Instagram is excellent for brand awareness and influencer collaborations, Facebook’s detailed audience insights provide better control over lead generation campaigns.
With the ability to specify a Custom Audience and Lookalike Audiences (audiences that look like another in terms of their characteristics) Facebook provides a significant competitive edge by allowing businesses to retarget users who have already interacted with their business – whether through a website visit, engagement with past ads, or email lists. This means businesses can continuously refine and improve audience quality, reducing wasted ad spend. Additionally, Facebook’s AI-driven ad delivery optimizes campaigns over time, learning which users are most likely to convert and adjusting targeting accordingly.
Cost-Effective Lead Generation at Scale
One of the biggest advantages of Facebook Ads is its ability to generate leads at a relatively low cost compared to other advertising platforms. Because Facebook operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM) model, businesses can control their budget while optimizing for the best results. This makes it an attractive option for both small businesses looking for affordable lead generation and larger enterprises scaling their marketing efforts.
While several digital advertising platforms offer lead generation opportunities, each comes with its own strengths, pricing models, and audience reach. For example, Google Ads remains a powerful tool for lead generation, particularly through search advertising. Since Google allows businesses to target users based on search intent, the leads generated often come from prospects further along in the buying journey. However, this level of high-intent targeting comes at a cost. The average cost per lead (CPL) on Google Search Ads can range from $50 to $200 in competitive industries such as legal services, finance, and insurance (source: WordStream, 2023). While Google Display Ads tend to be more affordable, they rely on interest-based targeting rather than direct search intent. Compared to Google, Facebook Ads can generate leads at a lower CPL because its approach is based on discovery-based marketing – aka placing offers in front of users before they even begin searching for a solution. However, Google Ads may lead to higher conversion rates since users actively seeking a product or service are often more ready to buy.
Another common alternative is LinkedIn Ads, which is particularly effective for B2B lead generation. LinkedIn enables businesses to target decision-makers based on job title, industry, company size, and professional interests. However, the precision and professional audience of LinkedIn Ads come at a premium, with CPLs ranging between $50 and $150 on average (source: HubSpot, 2023). In comparison, Facebook Ads typically provide a lower CPL because of its broader reach and lower ad costs. However, for businesses targeting corporate buyers, executives, and industry professionals, LinkedIn leads may be of higher quality due to the platform’s business-oriented user base.
For brands targeting younger audiences or those leveraging highly visual content, TikTok and Instagram Ads are becoming increasingly popular. Both platforms excel at short-form, highly engaging content, which can be effective in generating leads through video ads and interactive formats. The average CPL on TikTok Ads ranges from $5 to $20, depending on campaign type and audience targeting. Since Instagram is part of the Meta ecosystem, it functions similarly to Facebook, with lead costs varying by industry. Although Facebook’s ad targeting is generally more advanced due to its long-established data collection, TikTok’s highly engaging video-first format can work well for brands looking to capture attention from Gen Z and younger Millennials.
While these figures provide general industry benchmarks, it’s important to note that lead generation costs vary significantly depending on factors such as industry, audience, competition, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization. The numbers referenced are based on past data estimates, but businesses should always monitor their own data, run tests, and adjust their strategies to achieve the best results. Regular testing and optimization are key to improving cost efficiency across any advertising platform.
Despite the differences between platforms, Facebook still remains one of the most cost-effective tools for scalable lead generation. Its ability to deliver precision-targeted ads, combined with budget flexibility and multiple ad formats, allows businesses to generate leads efficiently while maintaining control over spending. Moreover, its robust retargeting capabilities help lower acquisition costs over time by keeping potential leads engaged and moving them further along the buyer’s journey. When used strategically, Facebook Ads provide an affordable and highly effective way to attract, nurture, and convert leads into customers.
For a free lead magnet, start small with 🟢 $10-$30/day to test performance. Scale to 🟡$50-$100/day for steady growth, and if your backend funnel converts, push to 🔴 $200-$500+/day for aggressive scaling. The key isn’t just spending more - it’s ensuring you stay profitable and your leads really do turn into paying clients.
Seamless Lead Capture with Instant Forms
One of Facebook’s most powerful lead generation tools is Facebook Lead Ads, which allow users to submit their contact information without leaving the platform. These pre-filled, mobile-friendly forms reduce friction, increasing submission rates and ensuring a frictionless user experience – especially crucial when targeting mobile audiences and extremely helpful for businesses yet to develop their own marketing funnels or web platform.
Data-Driven Insights for Continuous Optimization
One of the best things about using Facebook Ads for lead generation is the ability to track and improve results over time. Unlike traditional marketing, where businesses often rely on guesswork (you may be shocked to discover how many – something BIG brands – do this!), Facebook provides detailed insights into how ads are performing. This means businesses can see what’s working, make small changes, and gradually improve their results – bringing in better quality leads (aka those who are really interested) at a lower cost.
Facebook’s advertising dashboard offers a range of useful data. For example, a business can see how many people clicked on an ad, how much each lead is costing, and which groups of people are responding the most. Imagine a consultant running an ad campaign to attract professionals interested in leadership training. After a few days, you might notice that people aged 45–55 are signing up at a much higher rate than younger professionals. With this information, you could adjust your campaign to focus more on that age group, making your ads more effective without increasing your budget.
One of the best ways to fine-tune Facebook Ads is through A/B testing, where different versions of an ad are tested to see which one performs better. A company running a coding program for kids, for example, might test two different ad messages – one highlighting the fun side of coding and another emphasizing career benefits. If the data shows that parents respond more to career-focused messaging while students engage more with fun-based ads, the company can create separate campaigns that speak directly to each audience. Small adjustments like this can lead to much better results over time.
Another feature that helps businesses improve their lead generation is Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences. This tool finds new potential leads by identifying people who share similar interests and behaviors with existing customers. For example, a business offering financial coaching could upload a list of past clients, and Facebook would find others with similar traits who might also be interested. This allows businesses to expand their audience without guessing where to find new clients.
Facebook Ads also help businesses understand when it’s time to change things up. If people are seeing the same ad too often, they may start ignoring it, which leads to lower engagement. A business running leadership training ads might notice that its audience has seen the ad multiple times, but fewer people are clicking on it. This would be a sign to refresh the ad by adding a new video, a different testimonial, or a special offer to grab attention again.
One of the biggest advantages of Facebook Ads is that businesses can make changes in real-time. Unlike traditional ads, where results might not be clear for weeks, Facebook provides instant feedback. If an ad is getting a lot of clicks but very few sign-ups, the business can check its data and see what’s going wrong. Maybe the sign-up form is too long, or the landing page doesn’t match the message in the ad. By making quick adjustments, businesses can improve results without wasting money on ads that aren’t working.
In the end, the real power of Facebook Ads lies in continuous improvement. Every campaign provides valuable insights that help businesses refine their marketing, reach the right audience, and lower costs over time. Instead of relying on trial and error, businesses can use real data to make smart decisions, making their advertising more effective and efficient with each campaign.
Retargeting for Higher Conversions
One of the most powerful yet often underutilized features of Facebook Ads is its retargeting capability, which significantly improves lead conversion rates by keeping your brand in front of people who have already shown interest. In digital marketing, most prospects don’t convert on the first interaction – whether they visit a website, engage with an ad, or sign up for a free resource, many need multiple touchpoints before making a purchasing decision. Retargeting allows businesses to strategically re-engage these warm prospects, nurturing them further along the customer journey.
By using a mix of ad formats – such as video testimonials, carousel ads highlighting features, or dynamic product ads – businesses can progressively educate, persuade, and re-engage leads until they are ready to convert. For example, an online course creator might first capture interest with a free virtual event ad. If a user clicks but doesn’t register, a retargeting ad could follow up with a reminder or additional social proof (e.g., a testimonial from a successful student). By systematically retargeting users at different stages of their journey, Facebook Ads help businesses maximize their marketing spend, improve lead conversion rates, and can help create a seamless journey from interest to client.
Facebook Ad Campaigns Demystified
Facebook offers several different ad campaign types, each optimized for a specific goal. Selecting the right campaign is crucial because it determines how Facebook delivers your ads and who sees them. Some campaigns are great for capturing leads (our focus for this article), while others are better for building trust and warming up an audience. Here’s an overview of the most relevant campaign types, when to use them, and the potential risks involved, just so you have a comprehensive overview of where a Lead Generation Ad Campaign fits in.
A Lead Generation campaign is one of the most effective ways to use Facebook Ads, especially for coaches, consultants, and membership businesses. Instead of asking for an immediate sale, this type of campaign captures contact details, such as an email address, allowing you to nurture leads through follow-ups, email sequences, or a call. It works exceptionally well for free lead magnets, webinars, and mini-courses, where potential clients need time to engage with your expertise before making a financial decision. The biggest risk with Lead Generation campaigns is collecting low-quality leads who sign up but never then take the next step into working more directly with you. To prevent this, make sure your lead magnet is highly relevant to your target audience, and your follow-up process effectively moves them towards taking further action.
A Conversion campaign is designed to drive a specific action, such as a webinar registration, or program sign-up. If you’re running a consulting business or an online membership, this campaign type can help turn leads into paying clients by optimizing for people who are most likely to go that far! It is particularly useful for low-to-mid-ticket offers ($50-$2,000), course enrollments, and free trials. However, conversion campaigns for high-ticket offers ($2,000+) can be extremely challenging, as most high-value clients won’t purchase directly from an ad without a nurture sequence or a high touch call.
A Traffic campaign focuses on getting people to visit a specific webpage, such as a blog post, pre-sell page, or sales page. This campaign is useful if you want to warm up an audience before making a direct offer, particularly when using content marketing as part of your strategy. Sending cold traffic (aka complete strangers who know nothing about you) to an educational blog post before presenting an offer can increase trust and make future conversion-focused ads more effective. The main risk of a Traffic campaign is that Facebook optimizes for clicks, not necessarily conversions, meaning you may attract visitors who don’t take further action. This campaign type works best when paired with retargeting ads to bring back engaged visitors who didn’t convert the first time.
An Engagement campaign is designed to increase likes, comments, shares, and video interactions, making it a great tool for building social proof before running lead generation or sales-focused ads. If your brand is new or you’re launching a new offer, running an Engagement campaign first can make future ads appear more credible, as audiences tend to trust posts with high interaction rates. However, Engagement campaigns you may attract people who interact with your content but aren’t serious about going further. This campaign type works best as a supporting strategy.
A Video Views campaign is a powerful tool for warming up an audience before offering a paid product or service. Since Facebook prioritizes video content, this campaign is a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. If you have a high-quality video explaining your process or sharing valuable insights, running a Video Views campaign can help you build an engaged audience that you can later retarget. One of the best strategies is to run a retargeting ad to people who watched at least 50% of your video, as these users are more likely to be interested in your offer. However, the risk of Video Views campaigns is that they don’t always translate into bringing in revenue for your business, so they are best used as part of a larger strategy rather than a standalone approach.
A Messages campaign encourages potential leads to start a direct conversation with you through Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, or WhatsApp. This type of campaign is ideal for businesses that rely on direct conversations, such as high-ticket consulting or coaching services. If your sales process involves qualifying strangers through chat before booking a call or making an offer, a Messages campaign can help you build personal connections at scale. However, this type of campaign requires active management! If you don’t respond quickly, you risk losing potential leads. To make it more efficient, using chatbot technology to handle initial inquiries can really help filter serious prospects before moving them to a real conversation directly with you.
A Brand Awareness or Reach campaign is designed to get your business in front of as many people as possible. If you’re new to running ads or launching a new brand, this type of campaign can help you introduce your business to a cold stranger audience before running other ad campaigns. While Brand Awareness campaigns are useful for getting you seen, they don’t necessarily drive direct results. The biggest risk is spending ad budget on visibility without a clear next step – so if you choose this type of campaign, make sure you retarget engaged users with a follow-up ad to capture leads or drive conversions.
For most consulting, coaching, and membership businesses, stepping into ads, a Lead Generation campaign is often the most cost-effective and sustainable way to bring in potential clients introducing you to people who may have never heard of you before. And this will be the focus of our article here.
When is the Right Time to Start Running Facebook Ads?
Running paid ads before your business is ready can lead to wasted budget and frustration. While Facebook Ads can be a powerful tool, they should be introduced strategically at the right stage of your business growth. Here’s how to know if you’re ready:
The “Too Early” Stage – Laying the Foundation First
Imagine you’re planning to open a high-end coffee shop, but you haven’t finalized your menu, trained your baristas, or even set up the seating area. If you started running ads today, bringing in a flood of new customers, what would happen? Most likely, they’d walk in, get confused about what you offer, and leave without buying. Worse, they might have a bad experience and never return.
This is exactly what happens when businesses start running Facebook Ads too early, before they have a clear offer, a working sales process, or a solid understanding of their audience. If people click on your ad but there’s no clear message, no strong reason to buy, or no way to convert them into clients, you’re essentially paying to send traffic into an unfinished business.
Suppose you’re a new business consultant or online course creator who knows your expertise could really help people, but you haven’t quite figured out your core offer. Maybe you have a general idea, like helping professionals improve leadership skills or guiding entrepreneurs through business growth, but you haven’t defined exactly what you’re offering and why someone should choose you over competitors. If you run Facebook Ads at this stage, you might get clicks – but those clicks won’t turn into leads if your message isn’t clear, and your audience doesn’t fully understand what they’re connecting with you for.
At this stage, the best thing to do isn’t to run ads but to focus on refining your business foundation. Start by answering these key core questions: Who exactly is my ideal customer? Consider specific details about their challenges, goals, and decision-making process. What’s my core offer? Can you clearly articulate what your service is and why it’s valuable in a concise way? How will you turn interest into clients? Do you have a clear path from someone discovering you to becoming a paying client?
Focus on testing your ideas organically. Engage in conversations with potential leads, share your expertise on social media, or invite a few people to try your service in exchange for feedback. If people respond positively and you start seeing interest without ads, that’s a good sign you’re moving toward the next stage.
Running Facebook Ads too early is like pouring water into a leaky bucket – you’ll waste money without real results. The goal at this stage is to fix the leaks first by clarifying your offer, validating demand, and setting up a simple process for converting leads. Once those foundations are strong, you’ll be ready to start bringing in more leads with ads that actually work.
You don’t need to rush to the finish line—build something worth running toward. Clarity and confidence come before growth. Get your foundation right, and everything else will follow.
The “Getting Ready” Stage – Laying the Tracks for Ads to Work
Imagine you’re a business consultant, coach, or educator who has a great idea for a service or program but hasn’t yet built a steady stream of clients. Maybe you’ve worked with a couple of people and received good feedback, or you’ve launched your offer to your network, but you’re not seeing consistent demand. You believe in what you’re offering, but you’re still figuring out how to attract and convert interested leads consistently into clients.
This stage is like laying train tracks before sending a train down the line. You might have a strong offer, a powerful message, and expertise to share, but if your systems aren’t in place yet, throwing money at ads won’t automatically bring results. Instead, it’s time to fine-tune the foundation so that when you do start running ads, they actually work.
If you’re an educator or course creator who wants to help professionals develop leadership skills. You’ve created a fantastic mini-course or coaching program, but so far, you’ve only had a handful of sign-ups through personal connections or organic social media posts. You’re considering Facebook Ads to reach a wider audience, but your landing page (aka web page where you can promote your next steps 24-7) doesn’t yet deliver the consistent results, and you’re not sure what happens after someone signs up.
Before running ads, you need to test and refine your processes checking whether your offer resonates with your market? Have people shown genuine interest and taken action? Are your automated systems (like a web landing page) effective? Are people actually signing up and taking their next steps without you stepping in? What would happen after they sign up? Do they receive emails? Do they know what to do next?
A great way to test these things is by promoting your offer organically first. Share it with your network, post about it on social media, and see if people take action. If your landing page gets steady conversions from warm (aka interested) traffic (visitors that land on it), it’s a great indication that ads will likely work. If people are viewing your page but not signing up or taking action, your messaging or page may need adjustments before you would want to spend your finances money on ads that bring a lot of people to that point.
This stage of business is also the perfect time to set up a simple automated nurture system. If someone signs up for your free guide or masterclass, what happens next? Instead of leaving them with a single email, you could set up a short email sequence that shares additional insights, answers common objections, and invites them to take the next step – whether that’s booking a call, joining a webinar, or joining your program.
At this stage, you don’t need ads yet – you need clarity. You need to know that when you do start running ads, the leads you attract will actually convert. Once your messaging is tested, your landing page works, and your follow-up process is solid, you’ll be ready to turn on ads and confidently scale your business.
Your business is like a train - you don’t need full speed right away, just the right tracks to take you where you want to go. Refine your process, test your offer, and soon, momentum will carry you forward.
The “Right Time” Stage – Ready to Scale
Imagine you’re a consultant or coach who has already worked with a handful of clients. You’ve refined your process, received great feedback, and maybe even have testimonials that prove the value of your service. You’ve set up a professional website or landing page, and when you talk to potential clients, many of them say, This is exactly what I need!” and sign up. You might even have an email list or a social media following that’s engaged with your content.
At this stage, you already know that your offer works and that people are willing to pay for it. What you don’t have yet is a steady, predictable stream of leads coming in. Right now, your business growth depends on referrals, networking, and organic social media, which means there’s a limit to how many people you can reach.
This is the perfect moment to start running Facebook Ads. Ads won’t just bring in random traffic – they’ll help you put your offer in front of the right people at scale, without relying on word-of-mouth alone. If a few organic leads have converted well, imagine what happens when you bring in hundreds of highly targeted prospects every month.
For example, let’s say you’re a business consultant helping corporate leaders transition into entrepreneurship. You’ve successfully helped a few clients leave their jobs and launch profitable businesses. Your process is dialed in, and your clients rave about the clarity and momentum they gain after working with you. You’ve built a solid lead magnet – a free guide or webinar on “The First 5 Steps to a Profitable Consulting Business” – and people who download it are genuinely interested in what you offer.
Now, imagine running Facebook Ads that automatically bring in 50-100+ new leads every week, guiding them through a nurture sequence that educates them on your approach before inviting them to a consultation. Instead of hustling for leads, you now have a steady flow of potential clients booking calls with you – all because you turned on an ad system that fuels your business consistently.
At this point, ads don’t create success; they accelerate it. If you already know your offer works, and you have a way to turn leads into clients, Facebook Ads act as the fuel that scales what’s already working – allowing you to grow faster while spending less time hunting for leads.
When you know your offer works, scaling isn’t about taking risks - it’s about amplifying what’s already winning. Ads aren’t the fuel that starts the fire; they’re the wind that helps it spread.
You’re Ready for Facebook Ads If:
- You Have a Clear Offer: Whether it’s a coaching program, online course, consulting service, or digital product, your offer should be validated with some organic traction first.
- You Have a High-Converting Lead Magnet: You must have a compelling free resource (e.g., a guide, video series, or webinar) that encourages prospects to share their contact details.
- Your Website or Funnel is Optimized: Your landing pages should be designed for conversions, with clear CTAs (Call-to-Actions) and minimal distractions.
- You Can Track & Analyse Leads: You should have analytics in place (for example leveraging the Facebook Pixel) to track results and measure ROI.
- You Have a Budget for Testing: Expect to spend at least $500–$1,000 in testing before refining your ad strategy.
You’re NOT Ready for Facebook Ads If:
- You’re Still Defining Your Offer: If your product or service is still unclear, paid ads may not yield the best results.
- You Have No Lead Capture System: Without an email list, CRM, or nurture funnel, you might generate leads but struggle to convert them into paying customers.
- You Expect To Win Instant Clients: Facebook Ads are great for generating leads, but you need a follow-up strategy to turn those leads into clients.
By ensuring you have these foundational elements in place, you can avoid wasting money on ads that don’t convert and instead leverage paid traffic to scale your business effectively.
Step 1: Understanding the Meta Business Suite - The Command Center for Facebook Ads
Before launching your first Facebook Ad campaign, it’s essential to understand how Meta’s advertising system is structured. Ads aren’t just about setting a budget and hoping for the best – they operate within a well-organized system inside Meta Business Suite, a platform designed to help businesses manage their entire online presence across Facebook and Instagram. Without a solid grasp of how Meta Business Suite works, running ads can feel like driving a car without knowing how to use the dashboard. But once you understand its features, you’ll be able to create, track, and optimize your campaigns with clarity and control – ensuring that every pound or dollar spent is moving your business forward.
What is Meta Business Suite?
Meta Business Suite is the all-in-one platform that gives business owners and marketers full control over their Meta (Facebook and Instagram) social media presence. It’s where you manage everything from organic posts and audience engagement to high-level ad campaigns. For anyone running Facebook Ads for lead generation, this is your command center. Within the suite, you can:
- Create and manage Facebook and Instagram ads in one place, ensuring consistency across platforms.
- Track analytics and campaign performance to understand which ads are working and where improvements are needed.
- Schedule and manage organic posts to engage with your audience beyond just paid advertising.
- Set up automated responses and direct messaging to improve customer interactions and build relationships with potential leads.
If you think of your business like a ship, Meta Business Suite is the control room where you monitor performance, adjust your course, and ensure you’re sailing in the right direction.
Setting up your Meta Business Suite
- Go to Meta Business Suite and create an account
- Enter your Business Details
- Then Connect it to your Facebook Page (aka your Business Page, not your personal profile) by selecting your existing business page
- Create a New Ad Account (recommended for separation & security) and add in your payment details to automate any ad payments required
- Assign yourself as the Admin for full control. If you already have a personal ad account, don’t use it – keep business and personal assets separate.
- Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to keep your account secure
- Then add a trusted backup admin with full access in case your account is locked out and you yourself cannot get back in.
- You can then add additional team members if you have any.
Understanding Facebook Ads Manager
At the heart of Meta Business Suite is Facebook Ads Manager, the central hub where you create, manage, and optimize your ad campaigns. This tool is where you set your advertising objectives, budgets, and targeting, ensuring that your ads reach the right people at the right time. To understand how Facebook Ads work, think of them like a movie production:
Campaigns – The Big Picture
A campaign is like the overall film production – it defines the main goal of your advertising efforts. Whether you’re running ads for lead generation, website traffic, or conversions, your campaign sets the direction. Choosing the right campaign objective ensures that Meta’s algorithm optimizes delivery based on what you want to achieve.Ad Sets – The Cast and Scenes
Within each campaign, you have ad sets, which act like different scenes within the movie. Each ad set allows you to define a specific audience, budget, placement, and schedule. For example, if you’re running an ad campaign to promote an online course, you might create one ad set targeting corporate professionals and another targeting independent consultants – allowing you to test different audience segments.Ads – The Final Presentation
Your ads are the actual content that people see – just like the final edited version of a movie. These include images, videos, headlines, copy, and call-to-action buttons that encourage your audience to take action. A well-crafted ad makes all the difference in grabbing attention and driving engagement.
By understanding how these three levels work together, you can structure your ad campaigns strategically, ensuring that you’re reaching the right audience with the right message, at the right time.
Other Key Features in Meta Business Suite
Beyond Facebook Ads Manager, Meta Business Suite includes several other powerful tools that help refine and improve your ad performance.
Audience Insights – Knowing Who You’re Talking To
Imagine walking into a room full of people and trying to sell something without knowing who they are, what they like, or what they need. Audience Insights prevents this mistake by providing detailed data on your target audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors. This tool helps you refine your targeting so you’re not wasting ad spend on people who are unlikely to convert.
For example, if you discover that your audience is primarily professionals aged 35-50 who engage with business-related content, you can create ads that speak directly to their needs and interests rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Business Settings – Keeping Everything Secure and Organized
This section allows you to assign roles, manage payment methods, and control security settings. If you’re working with a team or an external agency, Business Settings ensures that the right people have access to your account without compromising security.
For instance, if you hire a marketing consultant to run your ads, you can grant them access only to ad management without giving them full control over your page or billing information.
Events Manager – Tracking What Matters
Imagine running ads to drive traffic to your website but having no idea what happens after people click. That’s where Facebook Pixel, housed inside Events Manager, comes in.
The Facebook Pixel tracks user activity on your website, providing insights into who is visiting, what actions they’re taking, and whether they’re converting into leads or customers. If someone clicks on your ad but doesn’t complete a sign-up form, the Pixel allows you to retarget them with follow-up ads, increasing your chances of conversion.
For example, let’s say you’re offering a free lead magnet – a downloadable guide on scaling a business. If a visitor clicks your ad, lands on the download page, but doesn’t enter their email, the Pixel allows you to retarget them with a reminder ad, nudging them to complete the action. Without this data, you’d be flying blind, unable to follow up on lost opportunities.
Why Understanding Meta Business Suite Matters
Many business owners dive into Facebook Ads without fully understanding how the system works, where to track results, or how to refine their targeting. This often leads to wasted ad spend, frustration, and the belief that “Facebook Ads don’t work.” But when you master the tools within Meta Business Suite, you can confidently set up and manage campaigns that drive real results. You’ll know how to track your ad performance, refine your audience targeting, and optimize your messaging, ensuring that every ad you run has a clear purpose and measurable impact.
By taking the time to understand this system before launching ads, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success, making Facebook Ads not just an expense – but a powerful investment in the growth of your business.
Step 2: Crafting a High-Converting Lead Magnet
People don’t give up their contact information easily. In a world where inboxes are flooded and attention spans are short, your lead magnet needs to be so compelling that your audience sees it as a no-brainer to download. It’s not about offering something generic – it’s about solving a real problem they have, providing immediate value, and leaving them wanting more.
A strong lead magnet isn’t just an exchange of information – it’s the first step in building trust with potential clients. When done well, it positions you as the expert, making it easier to guide leads toward your paid services.
Expert Insights for Creating a High-Converting Lead Magnet
Not all lead magnets are created equal. Many businesses struggle with lead magnets that attract the wrong people, offer little value, or fail to create momentum toward a sale. The key is to create something that resonates, delivers a quick win, and naturally leads into your offer.
Solve a Specific Problem – A successful lead magnet isn’t just “nice to have” – it addresses a pressing challenge your audience is actively trying to solve. When people see your lead magnet, they should immediately think, “This is exactly what I need right now.” For example, if you’re targeting corporate leaders transitioning into entrepreneurship, they might be struggling with how to take their decades of leadership experience and turn it into a profitable business. A generic guide on entrepreneurship won’t be compelling enough – but a step-by-step roadmap on launching a high-value consulting business? That’s a game-changer.
Offer Immediate Value – Your lead magnet should provide an instant win – something your audience can use or implement right away. If they have to wait too long to see results, they’ll lose interest. Think of it this way: If you were to give someone directions to an unfamiliar destination, would they trust you more if you gave them a detailed map with clear turn-by-turn instructions or a vague description with no immediate action points? The best lead magnets act as a quick solution to a key problem, giving prospects a taste of what’s possible with your expertise.
Keep it Actionable – A high-converting lead magnet doesn’t just deliver information – it moves your audience toward a next step. Whether it’s a checklist, guide, or training video, make sure it includes clear, actionable steps so your audience can experience progress right away. For example, if you’re helping high-level consultants build a scalable business model, a step-by-step funnel blueprint showing exactly how to attract, nurture, and convert leads into clients would be more effective than a broad ebook on consulting strategies.
A Deep Dive into Lead Magnet Formats
Not all lead magnets are created equal. Some require more effort to create but generate higher-quality leads, while others are quick to produce but may not result in serious buyers. Choosing the right format depends on who you’re targeting, what problem they need solved, and how much effort you’re willing to invest upfront. To help you navigate the best options for your business, we’ll rank these lead magnet formats in order of effectiveness (how well they attract and convert leads) and difficulty (how much time and effort they take to create).
Challenge Event (Effectiveness: 10 | Difficulty: 9)
Challenge events rank as one of the most powerful lead magnets, delivering high engagement and trust-building. A three or five-day interactive challenge immerses participants in an experience where they complete daily tasks and see real progress. This format works particularly well for entrepreneurs and consultants looking to establish authority, as participants feel invested in the process before they even reach the sales pitch. A great example would be a “Corporate Leader to Consultant” Challenge, where executives receive structured prompts guiding them through defining their niche, crafting their offer, and attracting their first client. By the time the challenge ends, they have a sense of progress, making them far more likely to take the next step in working with you.
Intimate Conversion Events (Effectiveness: 10 | Difficulty: 3)
Intimate Conversion Events (ICE), as developed by High Ticket Sales Coach Chris Kenney, offer a high-touch, high-conversion alternative. These events provide a direct, personal connection between you and your leads, but in an intimate, low tech setting, often just requiring 6 leads on a 60 minute Zoom call. Conversion here requires competence in typically high ticket sales, but it terms of generating leads, is extremely do-able with a unique and powerful strategic framework that leads participants to a one-to-one call. If you’re generating leads for high-ticket consulting, coaching, or expert services, an Intimate Conversion Event could be the most powerful lead magnet you create
Live Coaching / Video Series (Effectiveness: 9 | Difficulty: 8)
Live coaching and video series offer another high-impact format that deepens trust through direct interaction. Whether in the form of a three-part training series or live group coaching, these formats allow audiences to experience your teaching style, personality, and expertise firsthand. This is particularly effective for coaches and consultants who rely on high-touch services, as it provides a natural bridge to a paid offer. A well-structured example could be a “3-Part Video Series on Scaling a Consulting Business,” where each session focuses on a key step – marketing strategies, packaging high-value services, and closing premium clients. The depth of connection established through video makes this format an excellent choice for attracting high-ticket buyers.
Summit Event (Effectiveness: 9 | Difficulty: 10)
Virtual summits take things a step further by positioning you as a leader and connector in your industry. By bringing together multiple experts in a niche, summits create an environment where attendees gain immense value while associating you with high-level expertise. For instance, a “7-Figure Consultant Summit” featuring experts in branding, sales, automation, and client acquisition could serve as a powerful lead magnet, generating massive exposure while rapidly growing your email list. However, the level of organization required to coordinate speakers, set up a seamless registration process, and deliver a polished event makes this one of the most time-intensive options.
Webinar (Effectiveness: 8 | Difficulty: 7)
A webinar, whether live or automated, functions as a one-time training session that educates while leading naturally into a paid offer. It works well for audiences who are already aware of their problem but need guidance on the solution. A well-crafted example might be a “7-Figure Consulting Funnel Blueprint” Webinar, where consultants learn how to structure a predictable, automated client acquisition system. The ability to create a sense of urgency through live Q&A or limited-time bonuses makes webinars a strong tool for conversions.
Mini-Course (Effectiveness: 8 | Difficulty: 8)
A mini-course delivers structured learning over a short period, offering more value than a one-off training but without the overwhelm of a full program. This format works particularly well for professionals looking to transition into a new field, as it provides step-by-step guidance without requiring an upfront financial commitment. For instance, a “Launch Your Consulting Business in 30 Days” Mini-Course could walk corporate leaders through the essentials of setting up their business, from defining their niche to attracting their first client. This format builds strong credibility while keeping potential customers engaged over time.
Assessments (Effectiveness: 7 | Difficulty: 6)
Assessments help users self-diagnose a problem and identify the right solution, making them a powerful tool for segmentation and personalization. For example, a “What Type of Consulting Business Should You Start?” assessment could help corporate professionals determine their next steps. The challenge lies in designing meaningful questions and automating responses effectively.
Templates (Effectiveness: 7 | Difficulty: 5)
emplates provide a plug-and-play solution that prospects can use immediately. Whether it’s a proposal template, funnel blueprint, or email script, these resources save time for your audience and position you as an expert. They require less effort to create than interactive formats but still provide high perceived value.
Case Study (Effectiveness: 6 | Difficulty: 5)
Case studies, on the other hand, work by showcasing real-world success stories of how clients achieved results using your methods. Unlike generic educational content, case studies add an element of proof and storytelling, making them particularly persuasive. A well-crafted case study might outline how a consultant scaled from $5K to $50K months using a structured sales funnel, detailing each step of their journey. This format works especially well when targeting professionals who need concrete evidence before investing.
Checklists (Effectiveness: 6 | Difficulty: 3)
A checklist distills complex processes into simple, actionable steps, making it an easy and effective lead magnet. It’s quick to create, and prospects love it because it provides instant clarity on what they need to do next. However, checklists typically need a strong follow-up sequence to nurture leads further.
Cheatsheet (Effectiveness: 5 | Difficulty: 3)
Cheatsheets provide bite-sized, high-value information that prospects can reference quickly. They work well as low-barrier lead magnets, particularly for audiences looking for quick insights. However, they lack depth and engagement, making them less effective at driving conversions.
Scripts (Effectiveness: 5 | Difficulty: 4)
Pre-written scripts, such as sales call frameworks or email outreach templates, provide an immediate solution for prospects. They are highly practical but may not create the same level of engagement or authority building as other formats.
Content Quiz (Effectiveness: 5 | Difficulty: 5)
Quizzes are interactive and engaging, helping prospects learn about themselves while providing valuable insights for segmentation. However, they require careful design and automation to ensure the experience feels personalized and valuable rather than gimmicky.
Ebook (Effectiveness: 4 | Difficulty: 7)
While ebooks position you as an authority and provide in-depth content, they often suffer from low completion rates—many people download them but never read them. They require significant effort to write, format, and design but often do not create urgency or engagement compared to more interactive lead magnets.
Choosing the Right Lead Magnet
The best lead magnet isn’t just about what’s easiest to create – it’s about what delivers the fastest win for your audience and leads naturally to your offer. If you want high-quality, engaged leads, formats like challenges, live coaching, webinars, and mini-courses are worth the effort. They create trust, credibility, and strong conversion potential but require significant time and energy to execute properly. If you need a faster, low-effort lead magnet, checklists, templates, and scripts provide an easy entry point, though they rely heavily on follow-up sequences to nurture leads.
Ultimately, the key to success isn’t just in the format – it’s in how well the lead magnet solves a problem, builds trust, and positions your paid offer as the logical next step. When designed strategically, a lead magnet becomes more than a free resource – it becomes the foundation for building relationships that turn into lasting business growth.
Why Effective Lead Magnets Matter
A strong lead magnet does more than collect email addresses – it attracts the right audience, builds trust, and moves people closer to working with you. Instead of creating something generic, craft a lead magnet that speaks directly to your ideal client’s most urgent needs. When you offer real value upfront, your audience will naturally see you as the expert they need to help them go further. Before launching your Facebook Ads, take time to refine your lead magnet so that every lead you generate is one step closer to becoming a paying client.
Step 3: Building Your Lead Generation Funnel
Running Facebook Ads without a well-structured lead generation funnel is like inviting people to a store with no entrance. If your ads only bring visitors to your website without a clear next step, you risk losing potential customers who might have been interested but didn’t know where to go from there.
A lead generation funnel is the system that guides potential customers through the journey from awareness to decision-making, helping them move from being a stranger to a paying client. Think of it as a bridge between someone discovering your business for the first time and them eventually choosing to work with you.
What Exactly is a Funnel?
For those new to marketing, the word “funnel” might sound confusing, but it’s a simple concept. Imagine a real funnel—wide at the top and narrowing down at the bottom. In the same way, a marketing funnel starts with a broad audience at the top and gradually filters down to those most interested and ready to buy. Not everyone who enters the funnel will make it to the end, but the ones who do are highly engaged and primed to take action.
For example, let’s say you’re a corporate leader-turned-consultant offering high-ticket coaching services. Thousands of people might see your Facebook Ad, but only a fraction of them will click on it. From those who click, an even smaller group will sign up for your free guide or training. And finally, a select few will move through the process and become paying clients. The funnel ensures that only the most interested, qualified prospects continue engaging with you, so you’re not wasting time chasing unqualified leads.
Components of a High-Converting Funnel
A lead generation funnel isn’t just about stages – it requires specific components to move prospects smoothly from one step to the next. Without a lead generation funnel, running Facebook Ads is like pouring water into a leaky bucket. You might attract attention, but without clear steps on what happens next, most of that attention will go to waste.
Landing Page or Lead Capture Form: Capturing Leads Efficiently
A landing page is a dedicated page designed to capture visitor information in exchange for your lead magnet. Unlike a homepage, which has multiple distractions, a landing page focuses on one single action—whether that’s signing up for a free resource, registering for a webinar, or joining a challenge.
For example, if your lead magnet is “7-Figure Consulting Funnel Blueprint”, your landing page should explain why it’s valuable, what they’ll learn, and how they can access it instantly. A simple, well-optimized landing page can significantly increase conversion rates, ensuring that people don’t just click your ad but actually sign up.
Thank You Page: Reinforcing Credibility & Next Steps
Once someone opts in, they shouldn’t just receive a generic confirmation message. A well-crafted thank you page serves multiple purposes:
- It reassures the lead that they’ve made a good decision.
- It introduces the next step—such as booking a call, joining a Facebook group, or consuming additional content.
- It builds trust by including a short video, testimonials, or a small “quick win” tip to keep engagement high.
Many businesses waste the opportunity on this page, but using it wisely can increase conversions later on.
Email Nurture Sequence: Keeping the Conversation Going
Most people won’t buy immediately, even if they’re interested. This is where an email nurture sequence plays a vital role. An automated email sequence should provide:
- Value-driven content that educates and builds trust.
- Case studies or success stories to demonstrate results.
- Opportunities for engagement, such as inviting them to reply, join a live training, or book a call.
For example, if your lead magnet is about scaling a consulting business, your email sequence might include:
- A welcome email introducing yourself and sharing a quick win.
- A deeper dive into common mistakes consultants make and how to avoid them.
- A case study of a consultant who went from struggling to six figures using your method.
- A direct invitation to book a strategy call or join a paid program.
At Mits Griffin, our absolute favourite email nurture series is one developed by Cody Burch. As a leading email strategist and marketing expert, Cody helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and small business owners turn their email lists into revenue-generating machines. Cody simplifies email marketing in a way that’s clear, effective, and results-driven. His “Silver Platter” email welcome sequence is genius, and comprises of three essential emails:
1. The Buffet Cart – Now you’ve connected, what now becomes available to your lead.
2. The Old, Dumb Way – What is the wrong way to get their problem fixed
3. The New, Fun Way – How your solution is better, faster, and more effective.
Retargeting Ads: Bringing Back Lost Leads
Not everyone who clicks on your ad and visits your landing page will sign up immediately. Some get distracted, some aren’t convinced, and some just need a second nudge. This is where retargeting ads come in. These ads specifically target people who interacted with your content but didn’t convert. For example, if someone clicked on your “7-Figure Consulting Funnel Blueprint” ad but didn’t opt in, a retargeting ad could show them a testimonial video from a successful client or a reminder that the guide is still available. Retargeting ads keep your brand top-of-mind, ensuring that leads don’t slip through the cracks.
Step 4: Creating a Facebook Ad That Converts
A well-crafted Facebook Ad is more than just an image with text—it’s a carefully designed invitation that grabs attention, sparks curiosity, and compels the right people to take action. Every second, millions of posts, videos, and ads compete for attention on social media. If your ad doesn’t stop the scroll, resonate emotionally, and communicate its value instantly, it will be ignored.
A high-performing Facebook Ad isn’t just about being flashy—it’s about being relevant. It should speak directly to your audience’s challenges, desires, and aspirations, making them feel like the solution they’ve been searching for has just landed in their feed. To achieve this, every ad must include a strategic mix of visuals, copy, and targeting.
Elements of a High-Converting Facebook Ad
Attention-Grabbing Visuals: Stopping the Scroll
Your ad image or video is the first thing people see, and if it doesn’t capture their attention in the first one to two seconds, they’ll scroll past without a second thought. Facebook’s feed is a visual battlefield – a mix of vacation photos, personal stories, trending memes, and endless distractions. Your ad needs to blend in just enough to feel native to the platform, but stand out enough to disrupt the scroll. For example, if you’re targeting corporate professionals looking to transition into entrepreneurship, a static image of a smiling consultant at a laptop might be too generic to stand out. Instead, a dynamic image of someone confidently leaving an office with a tagline like “Your Next Chapter Starts Here” could create a stronger emotional pull.
If using video, keep it short, engaging, and visually compelling. A fast-paced 15-30 second clip showcasing real-life results, quick insights, or a behind-the-scenes look at your process can work wonders in grabbing and holding attention.
Compelling Ad Copy: Making an Instant Connection
Once the visual has stopped the scroll, the next challenge is keeping attention long enough to get the click. Your ad copy should clearly communicate the problem your audience is facing and the solution you’re offering. For a “right out of the box” winning ad copy strategy, we love the ad copy building blocks designed by Cody Burch, where you connect through storytelling touching on:
- What your market wants
- Why they want it
- Their fears
- Their false beliefs
- Connection through story
- What you have
- How you found it
- What it does for them
- Why that matters
The best ads don’t just describe a product – they make the reader feel understood. Instead of saying: “Download my free guide!” Try something more engaging: “Feeling stuck trying to land premium consulting clients? Notice the difference? The second version speaks to a specific pain point not just positioning the lead magnet as a solution.
It’s also extremely important to remember that people don’t want to read stiff, robotic marketing messages. They want to feel like you’re speaking directly to them. So use conversational, natural language that mirrors how they talk about their challenges. This small tweak makes the message feel more personal, relatable, and engaging.
When crafting a high-converting Facebook Ad, one of the most important decisions is how much text to use. The ideal ad copy length depends on the audience, the offer, and the goal of the ad. Some ads work best with short, snappy copy that gets straight to the point, while others require more storytelling and context to persuade potential leads to take action.
Short-form ad copy, typically one to three sentences and under 125 characters, works best for immediate impact. It is highly effective for simple lead magnets such as checklists, scripts, or quick-win PDFs that don’t require much commitment. This format is ideal for busy professionals who appreciate brevity and clear calls to action. Short ads are especiallyuseful for retargeting campaigns, where potential leads have already engaged with your content and just need a simple reminder to take action.
Medium-length ad copy, typically three to five sentences and between 125-250 characters, strikes a balance between clarity and brevity. This format works well for lead generation campaigns promoting webinars, video series, and other content that requires a bit more commitment. Medium-length copy allows for enough detail to engage a cold audience while still being quick and easy to digest. This format provides context while keeping the message focused, making it effective for first-time audiences who need a bit more information before clicking.
Long-form ad copy, generally five or more sentences and 250-500+ characters, is most effective for high-ticket offers that require more persuasion. This format works well for premium coaching programs, application-based offers, and other services where potential clients need reassurance before making a decision. Long-form ads allow space to build trust, address objections, and create emotional connection. This format ensures that prospects fully understand the value of the offer while also establishing credibility and trust.
There is no single answer to which copy length performs best, as effectiveness depends on factors such as audience familiarity, offer complexity, and the level of emotional investment required. For lead generation campaigns targeting busy professionals and consultants, medium-length copy often works best, as it provides enough context without overwhelming the reader. For high-ticket sales and application-based offers, long-form copy is typically more effective, as it allows space to overcome objections and build trust. Short-form copy tends to work best for retargeting ads, where the audience is already familiar with the offer and just needs a gentle push to take action.
The best way to determine what works for your audience is through A/B testing, running multiple versions of an ad with different copy lengths and analyzing which one drives the most conversions. For business leaders, consultants, and coaches, a strategic approach would be to start with medium-length copy for lead magnets like webinars and checklists, use long-form copy for high-ticket coaching and application-based offers, and reserve short, direct ads for retargeting campaigns. By analyzing performance metrics, you can refine your strategy based on what resonates most with your specific audience. The right copy length is ultimately the one that converts the most qualified leads.
Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Giving a Clear Next Step
Your audience needs explicit instructions on what to do next. A vague CTA like “Learn More” won’t drive nearly as many conversions as something direct and action-oriented. A strong CTA eliminates confusion and guides the user toward action, whether it’s:
- Download the free guide now!
- Sign up for the free masterclass today!
- Get instant access – click here!
If the CTA is unclear or weak, potential leads might hesitate or assume they’ll do it later—then never return. A clear, compelling CTA ensures they act in the moment.
Step 5: Optimizing for Maximum ROI
In the past, many marketers recommended "seasoning" a new Facebook Ad account by running a Page Like campaign to reach 10,000 followers before launching conversion-focused ads. The idea was that this would build credibility, lower ad costs, and signal to Facebook that your account was active and trustworthy. However, in our modern day ad landscape, this strategy is no longer essential - or even the best use of your budget. While having a strong, engaged audience on your business page is valuable, it's worth saying that running a Page Like campaign just to inflate your numbers doesn’t directly improve ad performance. Facebook’s algorithm is now sophisticated enough to optimize for specific campaign goals without requiring a large follower base. Instead of focusing on vanity metrics like page likes, focus on what truly matters is targeting the right audience, crafting high-converting ad creatives, and optimizing your funnel for conversions.
Even the best-crafted Facebook Ads won’t perform at their peak without ongoing optimization. A well-planned campaign is only the beginning – success comes from continuously refining your approach based on real data. Optimization ensures that your ads are not just attracting leads but doing so at a sustainable cost, leading to higher profitability and better business growth.
By tracking key performance metrics, using advanced tools like the Facebook Pixel, and making data-driven adjustments, you can fine-tune your campaign to maximize Return on Investment (ROI) and ensure that every dollar spent is contributing to your bottom line.
Testing Your Ad Set and Ad Creatives
In the past, elite marketers would dedicate some time to testing ad sets and ad creatives. Although I’ve not personally testing this approach against Facebook’s emerging Ai, if you are beginning with ads there is now enough evidence to suggest that relying on Facebook’s Ai will perform as good as, and often better, than most marketers endeveours.
Advantage+ is Meta’s latest AI-powered ad system that automates audience targeting, bidding, and placements to maximize conversions with minimal manual input. It leverages machine learning to find the best-performing combinations of audience segments, ad placements, and creative elements.
With Facebook’s option to toggle on Dynamic Creative/Flexible Ad Format a business can upload multiple variations of headlines, images, videos, and ad copy, which Facebook’s AI will then automatically tests and optimizes in real time. This means you can save a lot of time and effort by letting Facebook’s AI do the heavy lifting, optimizing for performance without needing to micromanage every detail.
However, while Advantage+ and Dynamic Creative automate much of the testing process, the traditional method of manually testing creatives is still valuable, especially for fine-tuning brand messaging and audience engagement. Human strategy is still key as AI can determine which combinations perform best, but it relies on quality inputs. Strong creative direction, compelling messaging, and understanding your audience are absolutely critical.
Traditional Strategies for Testing
Week 1 - Finding the best video/graphic
If you are creating an evergreen ad, you might like to go through a process of testing each ad element to maximise your results. It’s worth creating your campaign, ad set, and ads, and then duplicating it changing out your audience. Here you might have a collection of ads where the headline and copy are the same, but you have different graphics/video content, which you can test across four different audiences (you might like to consider broad targeting as one audienceas Facebook’s AI has become better at finding the right leads automatically). After 4 days, check which ads are giving you cheaper leads/registrations, and then stop running the two losing ads in each ad set (aka toggle off the two losing ad graphics/video). After an additional 3 days, the test is over and its time to see which graphics/video resulted in the cheapest leads – this becomes the winner across all your four audiences.
Did you know that ad creatives (video/image) is the single biggest factor in ad performance, often responsible for up to 70-80% of engagement and conversion outcomes, according to official Meta recommendations, real-world ad performance and industry experts' insights.
Week 2 - Finding the best copy
Different audiences respond differently to short, medium, or long-form messaging, so this phase is crucial. Now you can duplicate within the same ad set, keeping the winning graphic/video, but changing the copy (e.g. short, medium, long versions), across your four audiences. In the same manner, after 4 days, toggle off the ads that are performing the worst (are the most expensive) and run for an additional 3 days. Check the results from which, your winning ad copy should become evident.
Week 3 - Finding the best headline
Headlines affect scroll-stopping power and click-through rate (CTR), making this phase important. In the same manner, do the same to find the best headline copy. At the end of this test, we will now know what are winning ad creatives are! Note, instead of running all variations at full budget, you could consider using Facebook’s A/B split testing tool, which allows you to test different headlines without disrupting the main campaign’s performance.
Week 4 - Finding the best audience
Audience testing is essential, but it should be an ongoing process rather than a single one-time test. Facebook’s algorithm constantly adjusts delivery based on real-time performance, so audience performance can shift over time. For this test, use the existing winning ad, duplicate and test against your difference audiences. Begin with testing audience 1 and 2, wait 4 days to find the best. Then repeat for audience 3 and 4, and after 4 days find the best here. Then finally test between your two finalist audiences to find your ultimate winner.
Timing Strategies for Optimal Performance
If you’re running an evergreen lead generation campaign – one that runs continuously to bring in leads over time – the timing of your ad launch is less critical compared to short-term promotions, as evergreen ads are designed to run indefinitely, allowing Facebook’s algorithm to optimize performance over the long run. However, the way you start it can still matter, as the first few days of an ad campaign are crucial because Facebook is in the “Learning Phase”, gathering data on how users interact with your ad and optimizing delivery accordingly.
Time Zones & Audience Behaviour
Research shows that Facebook ad engagement tends to be highest between 8 AM – 12 PM and 6 PM – 9 PM, and if you serve clients in different time zones you may want to consider a time that could work for both (for example, if you serve both UK and US clients, you may like to launch a campaign round 3-5 PM UK time, 10 AM – 12 PM EST).
When an ad starts running, Facebook’s algorithm needs some time to stabilize – launching a manual campaign in the middle of the day means your ad has less time to gather data in a full 24-hour cycle, potentially leading to erratic performance. By starting your ad at the beginning of a new day, you allow Facebook to optimize delivery consistently from the start, rather than playing catch-up with limited hours. This helps avoid wasted budget on inefficient delivery patterns. If you launch midday, Facebook might overspend in an attempt to catch up or underdeliver, leading to inconsistent performance. However, if you are leveraging Facebook’s Ai, unlike manual campaigns, Advantage+ dynamically shifts spend based on performance.
Avoid Launching Ads on the Weekend (For Most Industries, But Not All)
Interestingly, Tuesday to Thursday tend to be the best for ad performance. Weekends can be unpredictable for Facebook Ads because Facebook’s algorithm adjusts to user behavior changes on weekends. Many audiences engage differently on Saturdays and Sundays – some industries see higher costs (because people are more distracted or offline), while others might see better engagement (such as e-commerce and entertainment industries). For most consulting, coaching, and B2B businesses, launching an ad on the weekend isn’t ideal because decision-makers are less likely to be online. That said, if your audience consists of weekend-active users (such as parents, casual learners, or online shoppers), weekends might still work. The best way to know? Test your industry-specific results and adjust accordingly.
Key Metrics to Monitor
To optimize your campaign effectively, you need to understand the numbers behind your ad performance. These key metrics provide insights into what’s working, what needs improvement, and how to adjust your strategy for better results.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measuring Engagement
CTR tells you how many people who see your ad actually click on it. A high CTR means your ad is successfully capturing attention and resonating with your audience. If your CTR is low, it could indicate that your ad visuals or messaging aren’t compelling enough. Simple tweaks—like testing different headlines, adjusting your imagery, or refining your call-to-action—can often lead to significant improvements.
Your Click-Through Rate (CTR) tells you whether your ad is actually grabbing attention or just blending into the noise. If you’re running a free lead magnet, membership or low-ticket program, a CTR below 🔴 1.0% means your message isn’t resonating, 🟡 1.0% - 2.5% is decent but could be improved, and anything above 🟢 2.5%+ is excellent.
For comparison, for mid-tier consulting offers, you want to aim for at least 1.5%+, with 2.5%+ being strong performance. In high-ticket consulting and coaching ($2K+ offers), CTRs tend to be slightly lower due to a more selective audience - anything under 1.0% signals weak engagement, 1.0% - 2.0% is reasonable, and above 2.0% is a sign of a well-targeted, compelling ad.
If your CTR is low, your ad creative, messaging, or targeting needs refining - because if people aren’t clicking, they’ll never then take their next steps.
Cost Per Lead (CPL): Ensuring Sustainability
CPL measures how much you are paying to acquire each lead. While it’s important to generate leads, they must come at a cost that allows your business to remain profitable. If your CPL is too high, consider adjusting your targeting to focus on warmer audiences, refining your ad copy to better align with audience pain points, or optimizing your landing page for better conversions.
Your Cost Per Lead (CPL) determines whether your ads are sustainable or if you're overspending to acquire potential customers. For free lead magnets, membership businesses and low-ticket offers ($50-$500), a CPL above 🔴 $10 is too high, 🟡 $3-$10 is average, and under 🟢 $3 is ideal for strong profitability.
For comparison, for mid-tier consulting offers ($500-$2K programs or services), a CPL below $10 is excellent, $10-$20 is reasonable, and above $20 suggests your audience or funnel needs optimization. In high-ticket consulting and coaching ($2K+ offers), a CPL under $10 is rare but exceptional, $10-$25 is a healthy range, and above $25 can still be profitable if your lead-to-client conversion rate justifies the spend.
If your CPL is too high, reassess your targeting, lead magnet appeal, and landing page conversion rate—because getting leads is one thing, but getting them at a cost that makes sense for your business is what truly matters.
Conversion Rate: Tracking Lead Actions
A high CTR and a low CPL mean little if leads don’t take action. Conversion rate tracks how many people who clicked on your ad actually signed up for your webinar, downloaded your lead magnet, or took the next step in your funnel. If your conversion rate is low, the problem may lie in your landing page. Ensure that it is clear, concise, and easy to navigate, with a compelling value proposition and a strong call-to-action.
Your Conversion Rate tells you how well your leads are moving from interest to action - whether that’s signing up for a membership, booking a call, or making a purchase.
For a free lead magnet, a conversion rate below 🔴 10% is typically considered poor. Good conversion is often around 🟡 10%-30%. Amazing conversion is anything above 🟢30%+ (with the ideal being 40%-50%).
In comparison for membership businesses and low-ticket offers ($50-$500), a conversion rate below 5% means your funnel has major friction, 5-10% is average, and above 15% is excellent, showing that your messaging and onboarding are highly effective. For mid-tier consulting offers ($500-$2K programs or services), a conversion rate under 5% signals a disconnect in your sales process, 5-15% is a solid range, and above 15% means your offer is resonating well. In high-ticket consulting and coaching ($2K+ offers), the buying decision takes longer, so a conversion rate under 3% is a red flag, 3-10% is typical, and above 10% is outstanding - indicating that your sales calls, application process, or nurture sequence are doing their job.
If your conversion rate is low, the issue isn’t just your ads - it could be your landing page, follow-up process, or the clarity of your offer itself.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Evaluating Profitability
ROAS is the ultimate metric that tells you whether your ads are making you money. It calculates how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on ads. A ROAS above 1.0 means you’re earning more than you’re spending, while anything below that suggests you need to optimize your campaign. To improve ROAS, focus on increasing your conversion rate, retargeting warm leads, and refining your ad creatives to attract more qualified prospects.
Your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is the ultimate measure of whether your Facebook Ads are profitable or just burning cash.
For a free lead magnet, a poor ROAS would be below 🔴 1.0 meaning you are losing money on your ads. Good is around 🟡1.0-2.0. An amazing ROAS would be above 🟢 2.0+ (and ideally in the range 3.0 to 5.0).
For comparison for membership businesses and low-ticket offers ($50-$500), a ROAS below 1.0 means you’re losing money, 1.5 - 2.0 is break-even to slightly profitable, and above 3.0 is where you want to be - showing that your ads are scaling profitably. For mid-tier consulting offers ($500-$2K), a ROAS under 1.5 suggests that acquisition costs are too high, 1.5 - 3.0 is a strong and sustainable range, and above 3.0 means your funnel is optimized and ready for scaling. In high-ticket consulting and coaching ($2K+ offers), where customer value is much higher, a ROAS below 1.0 is concerning unless you have strong backend monetization, 1.5 - 2.5 is common for profitable campaigns, and above 3.0 is exceptional, indicating a well-optimized system that consistently turns ad spend into high-value clients.
If your ROAS is low, the issue could be high CPL, low conversion rates, or pricing that doesn’t justify acquisition costs - fixing these can transform ads from an expense into a predictable revenue machine.
Using the Facebook Pixel & Events Manager
To make data-driven optimizations, you need the right tracking tools in place. The Facebook Pixel is one of the most powerful tools for improving ad performance, allowing you to track user behavior and optimize campaigns based on real interactions.
The Facebook Pixel is a small piece of code installed on your website that helps Facebook track which users take valuable actions, such as signing up for a lead magnet, registering for a webinar, or making a purchase. By collecting this data, Facebook can learn who your best leads are and automatically adjust your ad delivery to attract more people like them.
Setting up the Facebook Pixel is a crucial step in maximizing ROI, as it enables better targeting, conversion tracking, and audience retargeting. Without it, you’re missing out on valuable data that could significantly improve your campaign’s effectiveness.
What is the Events Manager?
The Events Manager tab within Meta Business Suite is where you monitor, manage, and optimize the actions tracked by the Facebook Pixel. Every time a visitor takes an action on your website—whether it’s filling out a form, watching a video, or purchasing a product – Events Manager logs this data and provides insights that help improve your ad performance. One of the most powerful uses of Events Manager is retargeting. You can create custom audiences of people who have:
- Visited your landing page but didn’t sign up.
- Signed up for a free lead magnet but didn’t book a call.
- Engaged with your ad but didn’t take further action.
Using this data, you can run highly targeted retargeting ads to bring those warm leads back and encourage them to complete their journey. Another key advantage of Events Manager is its ability to optimize for conversions rather than just clicks. Instead of Facebook simply showing your ad to people who are likely to click, the Pixel learns who is most likely to convert and prioritizes showing your ad to those people. This ensures that your budget is being spent efficiently on quality leads rather than just traffic.
How to Set Up the Facebook Pixel in Meta Business Suite
To start tracking conversions and optimizing ad performance, you need to properly install the Facebook Pixel. Here’s how to do it:
- To create a new Facebook Pixel go to Meta Business Suite and select Business Settings and navigate to Data Sources > Data Sets and click Add to create and name your Pixel.
- You’ll then want to connect your pixel to your Business Assets (select your data set and click on “Add Assets” where you can asign your Ad Account. Now, your Pixel is linked to your Ad Account so you can track conversions inside Ads Manager.
- Previously, you then needed to connect your pixel to your Facebook Page, but Facebook no longer requires connecting a Page to the Pixel for it to function correctly.
- To add your Pixel to your web pages you might just need a click of a button (depending on your web tech and how it integrates with Facebook), adding your Pixel ID to your web platform (to do this go to Facebook Events Manager and select the Data Sources tab where you can find your Pixel ID), or adding Pixel Code into your web head tracking code sections (also found within the Facebook Events Manager).
Once set up, the Facebook Pixel will start collecting valuable data on how users interact with your site, allowing you to improve ad targeting and optimize for actual conversions instead of just clicks. To create a custom event using PageView:
- Go to Meta Events Manager – Log into your Meta Business Suite and navigate to Events Manager.
- Find Your Pixel – Click on your active Facebook Pixel and go to the Custom Conversions tab.
- Create a New Custom Event – Click “Create Custom Conversion” and choose PageView as the base event.
- Define the URL Rule – Enter the URL of the page you want to track (e.g., /thank-you-registration).
- Name Your Custom Event – Give it a clear name so you can easily track it.
- Save & Start Tracking – Once saved, Facebook will begin tracking anyone who trigger this PageView-based event.
Now, when someone lands on that specific page, Facebook logs it as a Custom Event, allowing you to retarget these visitors or create lookalike audiences based on this high-intent behavior.
Understanding Custom Events in Facebook Ads
Although the Facebook Pixel allows you to track who then engages with your landing page or website, you can even take things a step further. This is where Custom Events come in. By setting up Custom Events, you gain deeper insight into user behavior, allowing you to optimize ad targeting for better ROI.
Custom Events offer flexibility, enabling you to define and measure unique user interactions that are most relevant to your business. For example, if you’re running a consulting business or an online membership, standard events tracks by the Pixel might not fully capture meaningful interactions. Instead, you might want to track actions like when a visitor reads a specific blog post (indicating interest in a particular topic), or when someone watches at least 50% of a video on your site (suggesting deeper engagement) or when somebody registers on a mini-course (indicating a successful lead generated).
To create and implement Custom Event tracking, you can generate additional Pixel code which can then be added to your web platform. However, one of the simplest ways to create a Custom Event is to create it and define it as a PageView event, which is automatically triggered whenever someone loads a certain page on your website (e.g. Thank You page after registering).
Conversion campaigns optimized for leads
A great strategy to consider if you are creating a free event as your lead magnet, but have a VIP upsell, is to run conversion (sales) ads that are optimized for leads. Here you are wanting to maximize the number of enrollers first (though an interesting statistic to track would be if you optimized for conversions to your VIP and see how they compare). But with optimizing for leads first, you can direct interest to your optin (lead) page where they can register for free, which then presents a thank you page sharing your VIP offering. To create the most urgency, you might like to consider using a deadline funnel, where there is a page with a countdown timer only available for (for example) the next 20 minutes, in order to drive VIP sales. However, what’s most important is to be clear on the outcome you want to drive most.
Elite Marketing Strategy: When to Use an Additional Facebook Pixel
For most businesses, a single Facebook Pixel is enough to track user interactions, optimize ad performance, and retarget visitors effectively. However, elite marketers know that in certain cases, creating an additional Facebook Pixel can unlock powerful insights, better segmentation, and increased ad efficiency.
One of the best times to set up an additional Pixel is when you’re exploring a new audience segment that behaves differently from your primary market. If you’re running ads for multiple business models, distinct product lines, or vastly different customer personas, a separate Pixel allows you to track and optimize each audience independently. For example, if you’re a consultant offering both one-on-one high-ticket coaching and a lower-cost membership program, using a single Pixel could blend these audiences together, making it harder to see which ads are truly driving which outcome.
Another advanced scenario where an additional Pixel is useful is geographic or market expansion. If you’re targeting different regions – such as running ads for a U.S. audience while also testing a European market -having a separate Pixel allows you to track performance separately.
For businesses managing completely separate audiences or offers, it’s best to place each Pixel only on the relevant pages associated with that audience. For example, if you’re a consultant offering one-on-one high-ticket coaching and a membership program, you wouldn’t necessarily want your coaching Pixel tracking membership sales—it could confuse Facebook’s learning algorithm and affect ad performance. Instead, you’d apply the coaching Pixel only to your high-ticket offer pages and the membership Pixel only to your membership funnel.
However, if your business has overlapping audiences (for example, a membership site where some members may later upgrade to high-ticket coaching), it might make sense to place both Pixels across your website. This allows you to track user movement between offers, ensuring that you can later retarget leads who engage with multiple services. The key is to use clear Custom Events to tell Facebook which conversions matter most for each Pixel.
For businesses expanding into different geographic markets, you might want to restrict each Pixel to country-specific landing pages. For instance, if you’re testing a U.S. vs. European audience, placing the U.S. Pixel only on U.S.-specific pages and the European Pixel on localized content helps keep Facebook’s tracking and ad delivery focused on the correct region.
For high-level marketers an additional Pixel can be a game-changer.
Why Optimization is Essential for ROI
Facebook Ads are never a “set-it-and-forget-it” strategy. Even well-performing ads can see a decline over time due to ad fatigue, audience saturation, or changes in competition. This is why continuous monitoring and optimization are critical for maintaining and improving ROI.
By tracking key metrics like CTR, CPL, conversion rate, and ROAS, and leveraging tools like Facebook Pixel and Events Manager, you can ensure that your campaigns remain cost-effective and profitable. Optimization allows you to spend less while gaining higher-quality leads, better conversions, and more revenue for every dollar spent.
When done correctly, Facebook Ads stop being an expense and start becoming a scalable, predictable growth engine for your business.
Final Thoughts: Turning Facebook Ads Into a Scalable Growth Engine
Mastering Facebook Ads isn’t just about running campaigns – it’s about building a predictable, high-converting system, so you can spend your energy and focus elsewhere.
Every step in the process matters. From crafting a compelling ad that stops the scroll to optimizing your lead generation funnel and tracking the right metrics, success comes from a strategic, data-driven approach – not guesswork.
Whether you’re running ads in order to generate leads for a membership, a mid-tier consulting offer, or a high-ticket service, the key to profitability lies in continuous testing and refinement. Your ads are only as effective as the systems supporting them. If leads are expensive, your targeting might be off. If people are clicking but not converting, your landing page or lead magnet may need optimization. If sales aren’t flowing, your nurture sequence might not be building enough trust.
The good news? Every problem in a Facebook Ad campaign has a solution- if you know where to look. By tracking CTR, CPL, conversion rates, and ROAS, leveraging Custom Events with the Facebook Pixel, and optimizing based on real data, you transform your ad spend from a risk into a scalable, repeatable growth strategy.
Now it’s time to take action. Refine your messaging, dial in your funnel, test new ad creatives, and start treating Facebook Ads as a long-term investment – not just a quick experiment. When done right, your ads won’t just generate leads; they’ll fuel sustainable, profitable business growth. Ready to scale? Then dive in!
