While the majority of companies have heard of Facebook's Lead Ad program, and the more marketing-savvy ones have played around with it, it still hasn't taken off in the business world, due in large part to many companies' concerns over the quality of leads it provides.
For example, you may have run a Lead Ad campaign with a total budget of 2000$, but found that all of your new leads only had a personal email (not great for B2B), or maybe that the audience was totally off the mark for your product or service. While Facebook Lead Ads can undoubtedly be a powerful platform, it is only profitable when used in the right way.
Today, we'll explore exactly how to generate B2B Leads from Facebook's Lead Ad program, covering these subjects:
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Can Facebook's Lead Ad program be reliable for B2B leads?
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What is the % of Facebook profiles using a business email?
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Is Facebook Ad Leads a priority for B2B companies or not?
As we go over these questions, we'll talk about 'Facebook Ad Program', and for your own knowledge, it's important to understand how the tools works in order for you to better understand the content written below.
So, Let's Begin: Can Facebook's Lead Ad Program be Reliable for B2B Leads?
Back in the days before Facebook appeared, all company employees were much more dedicated to their work as there were no social networks to distract them. These employees of the past were more physically and mentally engaged, and as a result got a lot more done each day. As social platforms started to appear in our lives and less work was done because of this, more business tools were developed to increase company productivity.
As if we need any more proof that social applications are becoming a problem for companies today, recent research by Sprout Social found that two-thirds of US employees spend their time in front of social networks while at the office.
So the answer is yes - almost every employee today spends their time on Facebook while on the job, but because they don't update their Facebook profile with their current position it makes it harder for B2B marketers to reach the right audience. As this is an issue facing the majority of B2B marketers, many companies buy or rent an industry-specific email list from Global Database or another reputable provider. They can then upload it to Facebook and show personalised banner ads to a very targeted audience as a result.
Next Question: What is the % of Facebook Profiles Using a Business Email?
Almost all Facebook profiles use personal emails, but there is a new trend in the US and Europe whereby employees create a personal Facebook profile with their company email so they are able to engage and manage any Facebook post or message. From our experience, we've always had over 30% of business emails matched when we imported the audience inside Facebook Audience.
Basically, there really isn't a definitive answer to this question; if you want to target the US, you may have 30% of profiles using business emails, but if you want to market to the Ukraine, you may have less than 3% of profiles using a business email.
There are companies (e.g. Global Database, InfoUSA, Acxiom, LiveRamp) who are able to convert the business emails you have into personal emails. The process goes like this: you have a 100,000-email database of B2B contacts which you want to target on Facebook, but the Facebook match rate was 4% because all of your emails were business and not personal. Many data companies have the personal & business email of a profile which can help you increase your Facebook match rate to over 50%. Get in touch with Global Database if you want this kind of service or ask your current provider about this feature.
Last Question: Is Facebook Ad Program a Successful Platform for B2B Companies or Not?
Let's get straight to the point: if you don't work with data companies, your B2B campaign is likely to be less successful. By partnering with a data vendor, you're much more likely to see engagement and conversions because instead of casting your net as far and wide as possible, you're narrowing your audience and targeting the right people.
The main takeaway here is that if a company has a data vendor, they are more likely to find a marketing strategy that will reach and engage their prospects online. So yes, Facebook is the top priority for B2B companies, because almost all employees spend their time on Facebook which in return increases company ROI and lead acceleration.
Should a B2B company want to try Facebook's Lead Generation program, they can partner with Global Database or any other data vendor who will help them manage and create a targeted audience for their product.
Final Thoughts
Many B2B companies have generated high return on investment using Facebook Ads, because they know how to target the right profiles and how to engage them. Today, the issue is not money, time, or the product, but is in fact, targeting. If you target the right audience, you are likely to see an increase in revenue, whereas if you target without a customer email list, you'll probably find it much harder to make your campaign a success.
