Today, I’m handing the mic to one of my close industry colleagues – Halfdan Timm.
Take it away, Halfdan!
Let’s get started.
You know that “the money is in the list,” and that you need to get more email signups – but you’ve probably also realized that it takes time.
Shall we improve your digital strategy together?
Even if you convert 2–3% of your visitors, you’re still far from building a list of 25,000 signups with just 100 visitors per day.
But this is a challenge you can overcome with Facebook advertising and a specific format called Lead Ads. I use it to generate emails for my clients at just a couple of DKK each – and if you stick around for the next five minutes here on Micky’s blog, you’ll learn all the secrets behind what could be the biggest boost to your email list you’ve ever experienced. 🙂
Halfdan Timm: I work with Facebook advertising at the digital agency Obsidian Digital in Copenhagen. Here I create digital strategies and execute Facebook advertising for companies such as Lasertryk and Jensens Bøfhus. I have also written Denmark’s only book on Facebook advertising.
What are Lead Ads?
Skip this section if you’re already familiar with Lead Ads.
In October 2015, Facebook launched their new campaign objective called Lead Ads. You can now choose Lead Ads – or Lead Generation – as an alternative to objectives like Traffic, Post Engagement, or Video Views.
Lead Ads stand out by making it easy for users to submit their email address.
Especially on mobile: you tap the ad once, a pop-up shows the information you’re sharing, and with one more tap, that data is sent along with consent to the advertiser.
Compare that with how you previously generated leads:
- You tap the ad
- You wait for the landing page to load
- You type in your name
- You type your email (a pain on a small smartphone keyboard)
- You press OK
Now:
- You tap the ad
- You tap OK
Everything in between has been removed.
Because it’s so easy to sign up and submit information, more people do it.
At Obsidian Digital, we’re seeing email signup costs with Lead Ads at just 5% of what they cost when sending users to a website instead – at minimum, always a 50% reduction.
That means a lot, especially if you’re running an e-commerce store.
And that’s precisely where your focus should be as an online retailer.
In a world where you pay for every click on Google Ads and every impression with Facebook Ads, sending more emails to people who want to hear from you is practically free.
That’s why you read everywhere that the money is in the list.
As you build your email list, you reduce your dependency on paid channels and spread your risk. If you lose all your organic Google rankings tomorrow – do you have a backup?
If not, then it’s time to build your email list – and Lead Ads are the way forward.
How to create a good ad – with examples
When using Lead Ads, you can design your ad like any other ad format. You can use either a single image (1200×628) or a carousel with 2–8 images at 600×600. Facebook refers to the latter as a carousel format.
You’ll also choose a call-to-action button. The available options are:
- Apply now
- Download
- Get quote
- Learn more
- Sign up
- Subscribe
You must select one of the above.
Then you’ll create a form. Here’s my first tip for creating a high-converting ad:
Skip the context card
The context card – or welcome screen – is an extra screen the user sees between clicking your ad and submitting their contact info.
You can use it if you’re generating “call me back” leads and want better quality.
But for email signups, quantity matters – I recommend skipping the context card.
Disable it when setting up your ad.
Offer a strong reason to sign up
“Subscribe to our newsletter – sign up here” is terrible ad copy.
Give people a compelling reason to sign up. It could be a guide, special discounts, early-bird offers, or something entirely different.
The stronger your offer and the more valuable it feels, the more signups you’ll get.
Targeting
As with all Facebook advertising, your success depends on the right message reaching the right audience.
We’ve seen success with Lead Ads in these audiences:
- Previous website visitors – they already know you and are interested. Lead Ads act as a soft conversion that leads to the harder conversion (purchase or signup).
- Lookalikes – based on email lists, page Likes, or 180-day retargeting audiences. They can yield cheap signups.
- Interest-based targeting – broad audiences may not convert to sales, but they’re great for soft conversions like email signups.
I always recommend testing multiple audiences. Then you can assess which to scale and which to pause or reallocate budget from.
Instant sync to Mailchimp or Campaign Monitor
By default, you have to manually download your leads from Facebook and upload them into your email platform.
Let’s be honest:
That’s not going to happen.
And if it does, your attention isn’t on what truly matters for your business.
That’s why we have Zapier – a tool that lets you automatically and instantly sync your Facebook Lead Ads signups into Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, Ubivox, or your system of choice. Starting at just $20/month.
If I could buy shares in Zapier, I’d sell my house – it’s that good.
I co-host a podcast called Marketing Brief with Sleeknote CMO Emil Kristensen. In an episode about our five biggest Facebook advertising mistakes, we both mention discovering Zapier far too late.
If you’re generating “call me back” leads, Zapier also integrates with tools like Intercom, Pipedrive, Hubspot – or simply forwards leads by email like a contact form.
Don’t let warm leads die quietly
You’re almost there.
You’ve generated leads with Facebook Lead Ads.
They’re synced to your email list.
And right now – this very moment – they’re most interested in hearing from you. They just signed up. Don’t let too much time pass before they hear from you.
The moment someone joins your list, you should have an autoresponder set up with one or more emails. The more, the better.
Autoresponders are powerful, just like retargeting on Facebook and Instagram. You set them up once and they keep running in the background, making the rest of your marketing more effective. It’s fully automatable.
Make sure new signups hear from you immediately. Your emails can include:
- An introduction to your shop or brand – let people connect with your story
- The discount code they signed up to receive
- A guide to making the most of your product or service
Autoresponders are included if you download the light version of my Facebook advertising book.
The first email your business sends will always have the highest open rate. People are eager to hear from you right after signing up. Use that opportunity wisely.
So, Halfdan, how much does a lead cost?
The cost per lead depends on what you sell, how well you sell it, and who you sell it to.
But I know that’s a vague answer – so here are some benchmarks:
B2C:
When advertising directly to consumers, you can create attractive offers like giveaways, discounts, and contests.
Our clients often get leads at 2 DKK each. 1,000 emails = 2,000 DKK. That should be a solid ROI.
Lifetime value is usually 30–100x the cost. That’s profit, not just revenue.
B2B:
A bit more challenging.
You need to get someone to download something business-related while they’re probably procrastinating on Facebook. 🙂
But it’s doable.
We see prices starting at 7–8 DKK per lead and up.
That said, the willingness to pay is also higher.
If you’re paying 20 DKK for a relevant email from a business owner – is that really a problem?
If it is, maybe the issue isn’t with Lead Ads, but with your product or service.
Lead Ads are my absolute favorite Facebook format. They integrate perfectly with email marketing, build a valuable asset (your list), and can be optimized using data-driven methods.
And starting Q1 2017, Facebook has announced that Lead Ads are also available on Instagram – great news if you’re in B2B.
Your turn – best of luck!
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