Advertising on social media has become fairly commonplace. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest offer multiple advertising options that allow business owners to boost their pages, drive traffic to their websites, and feature specified posts to increase their social media following. Social media advertising is easy and affordable.

Facebook’s latest tool offers a way for local businesses to generate leads. It’s called Lead Ads for Local Businesses, and it’s changing the way small businesses use social media to advertise.
What is Lead Ads for Local Businesses?

Traditional Facebook ads offer users the chance to click and be redirected to a business’s Facebook page or website. Lead Ads is a little different, because it allows customers to click the ad and then request additional information from the business in question. For example, they might request:

• A price estimate or quote
• A product demo
• A free menu item
• A newsletter
• General information

You might think of Lead Ads as being a bit like a portable landing page. You can use these ads to collect prequalified leads and get them into your sales funnel.

THE BENEFITS OF USING LEAD ADS

Internet statistics for 2016 show that more users access the internet using mobile devices than computers. However, reading information about a company on a mobile device can be challenging, even if they’re on the mobile version of Facebook.

Lead Ads offers users an easy way to request additional information about your company wherever they are. The ads are mobile-friendly and easy to use. When a user clicks a Lead Ad, they will see a form with pre-filled information from their Facebook profile. That means they don’t have to struggle to fill in the form using their phone because Facebook does it for them. By streamlining the process, Facebook has eliminated one of the biggest roadblocks to gathering leads online. It also reduces the likelihood of you getting inaccurate information due to the customer making a mistake.

IT’S QUICK AND EASY TO USE.

The ease of completing the contact form is a plus for users, but Lead Ads offers benefits for business owners, too:

1. You can customize the form so it gathers only the information that is relevant to you. For example, you might want to gather just a name and email address, or include additional information such as a mobile number.
2. You run a smaller risk of bouncing (or losing) customers due to a complicated lead form. As a rule, customer sign-ups decrease when additional fields are added to opt-in forms. Usually that means you can gather only an email address, but Facebook’s automatic forms make it easy to ask for additional information without worrying that users will refuse to complete the form.
3. You have access to the same psychographics and targeting tools you can use for all Facebook advertising. That means you can target ads based on age, gender, marital status, and geographical location, as well as using things like hobbies and interests.
4. Lead Ads offer a quick way for you to grow your email list, but that’s not their only use. You can also use them to gather applications, registrations, or pre-orders. Their flexibility means you can use them in a variety of ways.
5. You can create Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences to hone in on the people who are most likely to be in the market for your product or service.
6. In addition to targeting specific demographics, you can use the information you gather to remarket to existing customers as well as reaching out to prospects.

Lead Ads offers many of the same advantages of regular Facebook advertising. You can set a daily budget and monitor your ad’s performance using Facebook Insights.

WAYS TO USE FACEBOOK LEAD ADS

While the most obvious way to use Facebook Lead Ads may be to grow your email list, there are many other things you can do with this exciting new advertising option. For example, you could: 1.

1. Get people to sign up for your newsletter or for information about your product or service.
2. Send out deals and coupons for your local or online business.
3. Announce new promotions and sales.
4. Gather interest forms or applications for things like financial services, education, or other
   professional services.

The versatility of Facebook Lead Ads means that you can adapt the form and targeting to almost any purpose you can imagine. The information you gather can then be used to nurture leads with follow-up emails and social media posts, retarget existing customers, or even to gather valuable demographic information about potential customers.

HOW TO USE FACEBOOK LEAD ADS

The basic requirements for using Facebook Lead Ads for your business are the same as using any kind of Facebook advertising. You must have an active Facebook page for your business, and you can set up the ad from your home page. Be prepared with information about whom you will target with the ad and how much you want to spend. You should also think about what information you need to get from potential customers so you can request it when you customize your information form.

One thing that sets Facebook Lead Ads apart from other social media advertising is that you will be required to include a link to your company’s privacy policy. Doing so offers customers the reassurance that the information they submit will go only to you. Facebook prohibits advertisers from selling lead information to other businesses, and you should make sure to read their terms and conditions before you get started.

All in all, Facebook Lead Ads provide a quick and easy way for you to gather customer leads and use the information you collect to grow your business. These ads benefit consumers and businesses equally by making the process of gathering leads easier from both ends. Consumers have the convenience of one-click sign-ups, and businesses can gather accurate information that they can then use in a number of ways.