Driving Better Results with Lead Generation Ads
An Introduction to Lead Gen Ads and Why They Work
Lead generation ads, often shortened to lead gen ads or simply lead ads, have become an invaluable tool for today’s digital marketers and advertisers. But what exactly are these ads, and why are they so effective?
Put simply, lead generation ads are a form of advertising designed specifically to collect contact information from interested users. The goal is to turn that interest into sales leads by capturing user data like names, phone numbers, and email addresses.
So how does it work? Lead gen ads feature prominently placed calls-to-action that encourage users to input their details in order to receive something in return, like:
- Access to exclusive content or special deals
- Entry into a contest or sweepstakes
- A free trial or consultation
In exchange, the user gives the advertiser their contact info. Now the advertiser has a solid lead to market and sell to.
Crafting Compelling Lead Gen Offers
The key ingredient driving performance for lead generation ads is the lead gen offer itself. This is the exclusive content, contest, or other incentive displayed in the ad that convinces users to share their information.
To inspire users to take that desired action, lead gen offers should be:
Relevant
The incentive should closely align with the product, brand, or service you ultimately want to sell. For example, a home security company could offer a guide to securing windows and doors.
Valuable
Ensure users feel like they’re getting something useful in return for their contact information. Think discounts, entry into high-value contests, helpful tools and tips exclusive to leads, etc.
Well-Promoted
Use compelling ad creative and copy to showcase the value of your lead gen offer clearly. Convince users why it’s worth their time and contact information.
Optimizing Lead Ads for Maximum Conversions
Simply running lead gen ads isn’t enough. You need to optimize so you get the most leads for your ad spend budget. Here are crucial tips for optimizing performance:
Detailed Targeting
Use interest, demographic, and behavioral targeting to reach audiences more likely to engage with and convert on your ads. Reduce wasted spends on entirely wrong audiences.
Split Testing
Try different combinations of creative, copy, placements, audiences, etc. and determine the best high-converting variations.
Retargeting
Remarket to users who engaged but didn’t convert to capture more leads from those already familiar with your brand.
CRM Integration
Connect your ads platform to your CRM so leads flow automatically into your contact database. No manual exporting or importing.
Turning Leads into Customers with Post-Submit Nurturing
Getting the initial lead is just the first step. To drive actual sales, you need to nurture those leads into paying customers.
Some ways to continue contact and nurture post-lead include:
Personalized Emails
Send targeted, individual emails guiding leads along their specific buyer’s journey.
Tailored Retargeting Ads
Remarket ads should showcase content and offers relevant to leads based on their initial engagement.
Dedicated Landing Pages
Send leads to tailored landing pages that pick up where the initial ad left off to move users further into the sales funnel.
Live Chat/Calls
For hot leads ready to buy, direct contact via live chats or phone calls can provide the last push a lead needs to convert.
When it comes to turning interest into sales, few advertising methods work as well as lead generation ads. As long as advertisers give users compelling incentives for their contact information and nurture leads all the way from first touchpoint to paying customer, lead ads will drive substantial revenues.
The Anatomy of Highly Effective Lead Generation Ads
Breaking Down The Essential Components
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s do a deeper dive into what makes for truly top-notch lead generation ads. These precision-engineered ads include all the right components tailored to prompt contacts and conversions.
Attention-Grabbing Creative
Visually appealing, eye-catching images, graphics and/or video get users to stop scrolling and engage. Dynamic creatives performing well? Scale budget there to capture more attention.
Inclusive Call-To-Action
Clear, universally-understood calls-to-action button with simple value proposition get users entering info with just one click.
Prominent Lead Gen Form
Contact information form front-and-center, auto-populated on mobile to remove frictions in data entry. Minimize fields to what’s essential.
Benefit-Focused Copy
Concise, scannable copy quickly communicates value of offer and why providing contact info is beneficial.
Seamless User Experience
Smooth, glitch-free transitions through ad experience. Checkouts and submissions flowing easily. Any friction loses leads.
Optimizing Lead Ad Environments For Increased Conversions
In addition to perfecting the ad itself, placing lead gen ads in the right environments can significantly lift conversion rates.
Search Campaigns
Appear when users show purchase intent by searching relevant keywords. Hot prospects open to direct outreach.
Targeted Websites
Run ads on industry or niche sites drawing audiences more likely to engage your offer/product.
Facebook & Instagram
Detailed targeting gets your ads in front of interested subsets filtered from billions of active platform users.
YouTube Videos
Other smart video ad networks also allow targeting by affinity & remarketing for cheap, qualified leads.
Lead Gen Campaign Types
Specialized campaign objectives in platforms like Google, Facebook and others optimized just for lead gen.
Across Devices
Mobile-focused lead gen complements desktop. Expand campaigns across all devices users engage with.
Scaling Lead Gen Ad Success
How AI and Automation Maximize Lead Gen ROI
Thus far we’ve covered proven strategies for lead ad excellence. But today’s cutting-edge advertisers are taking it a step further with smart utilization of automation and artificial intelligence under the hood.
Sophisticated algorithms crunch huge volumes of campaign data, instantly spot high-performing trends human analysts would never catch manually. Bots then mirror the strategies working best and kill off the worst variations. Consider these examples of AI boosting lead gen ads:
Hyper-Personalization
AI builds custom audiences down to the individual level, tailoring messaging to resonate maximally with each unique user.
Predictive Lead Scoring
Advanced models assign probability scores to incoming leads so campaigns instantly learn which prospects deserve immediate sales rep follow-ups.
Automated Nurturing
Software sets up personalized follow-up emails, retargeting sequences and custom lead gen site experiences for every individual lead.
Dynamic Creative Optimization
Algorithms rapidly iterate ad creative and copy elements to determine highest-converting combinations for each audience segment.
The data is clear that for ambitious advertisers, integrating AI and automation is now mandatory to compete in lead gen advertising and maximize measurable ROIs. The efficiencies unlocked are simply massive.
Continually Optimizing Your Lead Gen Flywheel
With advanced paid advertising capabilities evolving faster every year, advertisers must constantly educate themselves on emerging best practices and new functionality. Consider all we’ve covered here just Phase 1 of mastering lead generation ads.
As our techniques grow more advanced, so too must your knowledge and deployment of innovations across targeting, creative, environments and intelligence. Set aside time each month to experiment with new channels and features showing early potential.
Closely analyze results across every facet of your lead gen process – capture, submissions, nurturing, conversions, LTV, etc. – to locate areas for optimization. Shine a light on what’s working exceptionally then double down in those bright spots.
By continually optimizing the flywheel driving leads from attraction to conversion, your lead gen ads will only improve in effectiveness over time. And you’ll own an unmatched customer acquisition machine no competitor can rival.
In Closing
Lead generation ads present a tremendous opportunity to build a qualified audience excited to engage your brand, product or service. These leads can then transition into invaluable long-term customers.
But simply creating lead gen ads is not enough. As outlined above, the ads must be compelling enough to motivate user action. The targeting and environments must reach optimal prospects most likely to convert. Sophisticated automation and AI take your results to the next level.
And perhaps most importantly, Another crucial optimization step we have yet to cover in depth is setting up sufficiently captivating landing pages and sales funnels to continue leading your prospects along their post-submit customer journeys.
If done strategically following the best practices outlined here, lead generation ads can become the ultimate driver of sales pipeline and revenue. Now dive in and starting building some revenue-generating leads!
Feel free to read our other blogs.