The Truth Behind Lead Generation

There are different types of ads you can use for your social media accounts to promote your company and its latest news. Are you fully aware of what your ad is actually supposed to do and what you're paying for?

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Today we are going to talk about advertising on social media. While not everyone or every company uses it, or believes that they should, we truly believe there is merit, power, and belief to using ads on social media. There are a few different types of ads available to you, and depending on which ones you choose, you can get several different reactions in return. Some ads will drive more visits to your website, more clicks on the ad itself, more visits to your social media platforms, and more. However, it's very important to remember that social media does not mean you're going to get sales. Your marketing platforms are not sales, that is a different department of your company. While it is a huge help in getting the word out about your products and services, and to keep your audience up to date, social media and its ads don't mean you'll get guaranteed phone calls, visitors in your brick and mortar location, or a guaranteed number of sales. It will however help keep you in front of your target audience's memory and attention, keep you in competition with your competitors, keep a healthy and active relationship with your customers, and it will create a healthy and active online thumbprint for your company. The more you have of this, the more likely you will get more customers and sales, but it is not a set-in-stone guarantee. We've experienced issues with the actual names of ads being misleading, and we want to clear up some confusion on what you will be paying for and what you should expect.

Facebook is one of the leading tech giants when it comes to digital marketing, and depending on how much you want to invest and who you want to attract, this will choose what ad you want to create. You have three main options of ads; brand awareness and attracting new customers, lead generation and website traffic, and qualified leads with higher conversion rates. Brand awareness ads that grab new client attention are where many companies begin. This level of marketing usually costs about $150 to $300 a month. Lead generation and website traffic is your middle-tier marketing option and will cost between $300 and $750 a month. Finally, qualified leads with a higher conversion rate is your top tier of online Facebook marketing starting at $750 a month and up. Think these prices are a bit high? Do your research. Think about all the companies you see consistently on Facebook. Gyms, food delivery services, and audiobooks. They aren't getting that space for free. According to webfx.com, companies are spending between $200 and $800 a month on average on Facebook ads every month. Imagine if you're spending nothing while your competitors are spending within that average range for their ads. These companies already have a huge leg up on you!

• You might be wondering if spending this money on ads isn't directly getting you sales, what is it getting you? Lead Generation ads have been on our radar quite a bit, so we wanted to focus on that and what you will be paying for with a lead generation ad on Facebook. By Facebook's definition, lead generation is "the process of building interest in a business's product or services. On Facebook, you can create campaigns using a lead generation object that allows consumers to fill out a form called an 'instant form' with their contact information. You can also track lead conversion events on your own website using the Facebook pixel." These ads are getting your customers excited about your products, educating them about your products, and allowing you to collect information about them.
• This information is only as powerful as you're using it. Are you sending out an email blast with the emails being shared with you? Are you calling and reaching out? This type of ad is giving you information, not necessarily giving you or making you a sale. You can't set the ad and forget it, you have to follow through with it. These ads do, however, open the door for you to your customer. Receiving emails or phone calls from a company that a consumer has shared their private information with is much more welcomed than any unsolicited emails or phone calls. Remember, these ads are giving you leads that you have to follow through with. This type of ad isn't giving you automatic customers or sales. You've made the first big step and you've made a good impression on your target audience that responded to your ad. Now it's time to take the next step!
• These next steps could turn into a new client, a returning client, or just your next biggest fan. This is an ad process that allows you to nurture your target audience, both new and returning until they are ready to buy. Please remember that this is not an overnight process. It will take time for you to learn and adjust to this process, and it will take time for your social media algorithms to process, especially if this is the first ad you've run on Facebook or any other social media platform. You will need to invest money, patience, and time into this ad and let it grow. You will need to nurture the ad process, just like it's nurturing your clients and future purchases!
• What else do you need to know about lead generation ads? First off know that this type of advertisement can be an incredibly useful tool for any type and any size company. It will help increase your brand's awareness, help you find qualified leads, build relationships, and help to close deals. Investing in this type of ad allows you to find those direct qualified leads, the people who will click "buy" instead of letting something just sit in their cart. As we are sure you've experienced, it is very hard to find that perfect audience, but that is exactly what lead generation helps with. Lead generation cuts through so much white noise and helps get you right in front of your target audience. It does help grow your sales, your relationships with your customers, and helps your overall credibility grow. However, it won't do it on its own. As we've mentioned before, the ad won't do all the work on its own, you still have to follow through and put all the correct moving pieces of your marketing strategy into place, or it won't pay out as it should.
• Lead generation has been around for a long time, and it has grown and changed just like the consumer market has. It has changed along with the new trends of how consumers are now looking for their products and buying their products.  Is your lead generation up to date? Are you giving your ad enough time to generate the correct leads? If you are just investing in ads once in a whole and aren't consistent about it, then it won't work for you and will end up being a waste of money. For this type of very important and beneficial type of ad to work, you have to be consistent and you have to give it time!

Don't give up on your lead generation ads, and don't fall into the trap of "we've always done it this way!". Marketing and every moving part of it will take time to be successful and you have to let your whole marketing strategy grow with the consumer to be productive. Until next time, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!

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