Duct tape: it’s strong, sticks to anything and there’s a roll in just about everyone’s home. There is even a joke that it holds the universe together. Facebook has a similar reputation – its strength is matched by its popularity. I mean, it literally holds billions of people together.
Just like duct tape, Facebook can do just about anything and still hold up. They’ve finally worked out the kinks with their lead ads, a lead generation method that allows users to submit a form without leaving Facebook. And honestly, it looks like it’s going to stick.
Clean, fast and straightforward — Facebook lead ads are becoming a valuable tool for many lead generators. The question is: will the duct tape strength of Facebook lead to home improvement sales? Here are the pros and cons of Facebook lead ads, and how they could impact your marketing strategies.
Pro: Robust Targeting Accuracy
Facebook hosts 32 million active profiles from ages 45+, the demographic most likely to purchase home improvement services. Because these users login every day, there is an enormous opportunity to spark their interest. You can also target by language, interests, income level and proximity.
Pro: User-Friendly Design
Facebook’s lead gen process only requires 2 taps. It’s the simplest lead form I’ve seen in years. When a homeowner taps on an ad, they are taken to a form. Using the profile information Facebook already has, the fields automatically fill in. Sometimes, the only thing a homeowner has to do is tap ‘submit.’ Faster forms lead too easier lead generation.
Con: Finding Your Website is Tricky
Because lead forms are contained within Facebook, it can be difficult for a homeowner to do their research before they submit their information. You can feature your website after the form is complete, or they can find it on your Facebook business page. Either way, getting a prospect to click through to your website is not easy in the slightest.
This means you cannot track leads and conversions on your site, which makes it hard to know if your lead gen strategies are working. You’re completely reliant on Facebook data – then you have to monitor your own CRM to see if their leads are working.
We have found that visiting a home improvement company’s website is a vital step in the home improvement sales process. Homeowners who go through a web site tend to convert better down the sales funnel. That means better contact rates, appointment set rates, and in-home demo rates.
While convenient and easy, Facebook’s 2-tap system doesn’t allow that level of engagement. It may (and probably will) disrupt your sales funnel, which leads to…
Con: Unpredictable Lead Quality
Facebook lead ads contain a very limited amount of information – the ad itself only shows an offer and an image. That doesn’t give you a lot of space to say who you are and what you do. The only way a prospect can find that out is if they actually go to your business profile, which in turn takes them away from the ad itself.
An over-incentivized offer could lead to lots of lookers…but no buyers. As a result, you may see inconsistent lead quality and unpredictable sales volume.
The Value of Facebook Lead Ads
Facebook, like duct tape, is good to have around when you need it. But is it the best way to generate solid leads?
As it stands right now, Facebook lead ads are more qualified than sweepstakes leads, but less qualified than paid search and web traffic leads. Google still reigns supreme. There is no replacing high quality construction, after all.
You can use duct tape to create just about anything, but that doesn’t mean you should. Who knows, maybe Facebook will surprise us all. It wouldn’t be the first time.
