Facebook lead ads have a reputation, and not always a good one. If you’ve used them before, you’ve probably run into some of the same frustrations we hear from clients all the time. Some of the most common we’ve heard over the last decade managing Facebook Ads services include:
- Facebook leads say they never signed up.
- They don’t respond.
- Their contact info is wrong, thanks to autofill.
- And in the past, Facebook didn’t make it easy to stay on top of new leads unless you had a CRM connected.
It’s understandable why some businesses steer clear. But here’s the thing: Facebook lead ads can work when they’re set up with the right strategy. You don’t need to choose between quality and volume—you just need to take the right steps to make the most of the platform.
Start With the Basics
Before adjusting any settings or adding filters, take a hard look at the foundation of your campaign. Your offer, copy, creative, and targeting all play a critical role in the quality of the leads you get.
Let’s start with the offer. A lot of business owners think their offer is their pricing or their deliverables. That’s not quite right. Your offer is the full experience you’re promising to a potential client. It’s the transformation you help them achieve.
Ask yourself:
- How does your product or service solve your client’s problem?
- What outcome do clients get after working with you?
- What steps do you walk them through?
- How long does it take?
- What makes your process different or more effective?
- What would entice them to work with you instead of your competitors for the very first time?
A strong offer makes the value clear and positions your service as the obvious choice. Once that’s in place, everything else in your ad should support it.
The copy matters too. It’s not enough to describe what you do. You need to write in a way that connects with your audience emotionally while making a strong, logical case. If you can’t write this yourself, work with someone who can. Good copy isn’t about flowery language; it’s about clarity and persuasion.
Keep in mind, ChatGPT and other LLM AI tools can certainly help with ideas and composing your outline into a solid first draft, but you’ll have to do the heavy lifting to define what that is first.
And then there’s the creative. Your visuals should stop someone from scrolling, but they also need to support your message. Show the result, the process, or the real people behind your brand. Avoid generic stock photos whenever possible. A great way to get ideas is to research your competitors using the Facebook Ads Library.
Finally, don’t forget targeting. Make sure your ads are reaching the right audience based on location, interests, behaviors, or past engagement. A highly relevant ad shown to the wrong audience is still a wasted opportunity.
For a more detailed deep-dive, check out our blog on setting up Facebook Ads the right way.
Use Smarter Forms
One of the most common reasons lead quality is low is that the default form settings make it too easy to submit without thinking. To improve accuracy, you can override Facebook’s default contact fields. For example, use “Best phone number to reach you” instead of just “Phone.” This encourages users to type their actual information rather than relying on outdated autofill.
You can also add a few qualifying questions to your form. These might include:
- When are you looking to book?
- What service are you interested in?
- Do you have a budget in mind?
These extra fields don’t just give you more information. They also act as a filter, helping you gauge intent before you even follow up.
Just be cautious. Too many fields or too many open-ended questions can reduce your submission rate. Aim for two or three high-value questions that make it easier for your sales team to follow up effectively.
Take Advantage of Meta’s Lead Tools
Facebook now includes several built-in features that help reduce junk leads if used correctly.
- The first is the lead form type. By default, Facebook uses the “More Volume” setting, which focuses on ease and speed. If you switch to “Higher Intent,” it adds a review screen before submission. This simple extra step helps users confirm their info and can reduce throwaway leads.
- There’s also lead filtering. With this feature, you can automatically disqualify leads based on how they answer custom questions. For example, if someone says they aren’t ready to book for several months, you can choose not to receive their information. Instead, they’ll see a polite message saying they don’t qualify at this time.
- Chat with leads from instant form feature: Start a conversation with your lead in Messenger if they also opt-in to the experience. This helps you get in touch with the lead ASAP, which increases the chances of getting the sale.
- One-time password SMS verification feature: Get people to verify their mobile phone number before submitting the form.
While these tools can save your team time, be mindful of being too strict. Disqualified leads are not delivered to you, and you can’t follow up later. It’s important to test your filters carefully.
Balance Lead Quality and Volume
The more steps you add to a lead form, the higher the quality—but the lower the volume. If your goal is to grow a newsletter list or collect general interest, you might want to keep things simple. But if every lead gets a call from your sales team, it makes sense to add friction and filter more aggressively.
You can start with a low-friction form, then adjust as needed. The right balance will depend on your industry, your sales process, and how much follow-up effort you’re willing to invest. As always, whenever changes are made to Facebook Ads, expect to experience a learning phase. Keep in mind, the more qualified the lead is, typically the more expensive they are to acquire.
Go Beyond the Form: Track and Optimize
At CyberMark, we take things further by helping clients not just collect leads, but evaluate them. Our Lead Tracking Portal connects directly to your Facebook Ads account and tracks real outcomes like phone calls, form submissions, chat conversations, and even purchases.
It helps answer one key question: Which leads actually turn into paying customers?
With our latest update, you can also pass custom conversion events back to Facebook. That means you can train the algorithm to optimize for leads that are more likely to convert.
For example, you might choose to only send conversions back to Facebook if a lead is marked as quotable. Or you can go a step further and send only high-value leads based on revenue. This allows Facebook’s system to learn from your best-performing leads and refine your targeting automatically.
To make this work, we recommend tracking at least 30 days of lead data. You can do this manually or integrate it with your CRM or phone system to keep things efficient. Once we have that data, we’ll help you identify patterns and recommend adjustments—whether that’s changing the offer, tweaking the ads, adjusting the audience, or refining the lead form.
Final Takeaway
Facebook leads don’t have to be low quality. While it’s true that leads from social platforms tend to have lower intent than those from search, they’re often more cost-effective, and still worth pursuing if you approach it strategically.
If you’re building an email list, selling a service, or just looking to get in front of the right people, Facebook lead ads can still deliver real value when optimized properly.
Get Help Improving Your Leads
If you’re tired of wasting time on low-quality leads, we can help. CyberMark offers full-service Meta campaign management and lead tracking tools that make it easy to see what’s working and improve what’s not.
Already running ads and just need better insights? Our Lead Tracking Portal starts at just $59 per month and gives you the tools you need to qualify and track leads effectively.
Book a free consultation today to learn how to get more out of your Facebook ads—and start getting the leads your business really needs.
