Facebook Lead Ads: When to Use Instant Forms Instead of a Website Form

Meta Description: Dive into the key differences between instant forms and website conversions. Learn when you should use each and how to set them up effectively. 

The Meta advertising platform is an indispensable tool for reaching your target audience and hitting your sales goals. So much so that a whopping 90% of marketers say that Facebook lead ads are beneficial for business.

Two of the most common types of Facebook lead ad campaigns are instant forms and website conversions. In this guide, we’ll cover the key differences between the two, when you should use each, and how to set them up effectively. 

What is the difference between instant forms and website conversions?

Instant forms and website conversions are two types of lead generation campaigns in Facebook ads. The key difference between them is where the conversion event will take place. 

With Facebook lead ads, there are a few different options for conversion location – where your desired business outcome will occur. In lead generation campaigns, that desired business outcome is typically obtaining information from your leads.

Instant forms capture the lead’s information directly within Facebook. Visually, it’s similar to any other Facebook ad you come across, but when you click the CTA at the bottom, it takes you to a page still within the platform. 

Below is an example of an instant form ad that captures the lead’s information.

When the lead clicks on the ‘Get Offer’ button, they’re taken to a page within Facebook and prompted to enter their details.

The details are pre-filled from the persons Facebook or Instagram profile, which makes submitting the form a lot easier, particularly on mobile devices.

After the lead submits their details, the business can begin nurturing the relationship via email campaigns, or simply with a phone call.

With website conversions, the lead is taken to a separate landing page where they can enter their information to claim the offer. In most cases, a form on a website won’t be pre-filled with the lead’s details.

Deciding between instant forms and website conversions

Now that you know the difference between instant forms and website conversions, how do you decide which one to use for your campaign? 

Let’s explore the best scenarios for each so that you can make an informed decision.  

When should you use instant forms? 

Instant forms are a great option if you don’t have a landing page but still want to gather leads quickly. 

Because the form pops up within Facebook’s platforms, the lead’s name, email, and phone number will be automatically filled with their details, easing the lead capture process. All they have to do is click a button!

You also have a few options to tailor the instant form to your needs. You can add specific questions to help you understand and segment your leads effectively. 

After the lead submits their information, you can redirect them to your website, prompt them to call your business, book a video meeting with your sales team, or even join a Facebook group. 

Facebook will save all your leads’ captured information to Ads Manager, which you can download in a CSV file. 

Though manually exporting captured leads can be a downside, automation tools like LeadSync can help bridge this gap. 

To understand instant forms better, here’s a practical example: Imagine you’re a B2B software company specialising in project management tools targeting real estate businesses. You possess a valuable offer—an eBook, but lack a dedicated landing page for this audience. With instant forms, you can capture your lead’s information, in Facebook, without needing a separate landing page. Then, you can use a tool like LeadSync to trigger an email marketing campaign that nurtures your leads and helps convert them into clients.

When to use website conversions

Website conversions are your go-to conversion location option if you want to drive traffic to a specific landing page. Once a lead clicks your ad, they’re transported to your landing page, where they can submit their details. 

You’ll need to install the Facebook pixel on your landing page to track these conversions effectively. You’ll also create a “thank you” page where you can install the lead pixel standard event code. This allows Facebook to track conversions any time someone clicks on your ad, enters their details, and makes it to the “thank you” page. 

One of the benefits of website conversion ads is that you have more space to connect with the target audience and advocate for your business. For example, addressing buyer fears on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80%. In comparison, instant forms offer limited space to convince your lead to share their details. 

However, regardless of the amount of space available, the primary focus of your landing page should always be to capture lead details as efficiently as possible. Streamlining and optimising the lead-capturing process is key; consider using a straightforward, easy-to-fill form and clear, actionable language to guide the visitor.

Moreover, landing pages are not only tools for lead capture but can also boost your SEO efforts. If your page is optimised effectively and provides engaging content, leads may stay longer on your site, browse through other pages, and contribute to your website’s overall SEO performance. 

Here’s an example to bring this to life: Suppose you own a B2B digital marketing agency that offers various services. You create a campaign aimed at small businesses and have developed a dedicated landing page offering a free digital marketing consultation and some client testimonials. In this scenario, you could use the website conversion to send the lead to your landing page, where they can schedule their free consultation. By using the website conversion ad, you drive targeted traffic to your dedicated landing page, track the user’s behaviour with the Facebook Pixel, and optimise your campaign for conversions. Then, you can follow up with additional content about your services and show them how you can drive business growth.

A step-by-step guide to setting up Facebook lead gen ads

Creating Facebook lead ads is a pretty simple process, and the steps are quite similar whether you’re creating an instant form or a website conversion ad. 

Below, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide to creating your own Facebook lead ads, so you can start attracting and capturing more leads for your business.

How to create an instant form 

We recommend starting by creating your instant form in Business Suite before creating your Facebook ad campaign. However, you can also do this in Ads Manager, and the steps are similar.

Step 1: Create the lead form in Business Suite

Head to Business Suite and select ‘Lead Ads forms’ from the menu. You’ll see an option to ‘Create form’ in the top corner of the page.

Step 2: Create new form

A pop-up will appear asking you if you’d like to create a new form or duplicate an existing one. Select ‘New Form’ and click on ‘Next’.

Step 3: Customise your form

At this point, you can start personalising your form. Give your form a name, determine the information you wish to gather from leads and establish your privacy policy.

You can also determine what occurs after someone completes the form, like redirecting them to your website or presenting them with a call to action.

Step 4: Publish your form

Once your form has all the correct details and looks how you want it to, click “Publish”. 

Keep in mind that instant forms can’t be edited. So make sure you double-check everything before you publish it!

How to create an ad for lead generation

Now, let’s walk through the process of creating a lead gen ad for both instant forms and website conversions. After reading this guide, you’ll be ready to create your own! 

Step 1: Create the ad in Facebook Ads Manager

Log in to your Ads Manager account and click the green ‘Create’ button. 

Choose ‘Leads’ as your campaign objective in the ‘Create new campaign’ panel, then click ‘Continue.’

Now you can name your campaign. Make sure you choose a name that is easy to understand and recall when it appears in your reports. 

For example, if the campaign’s purpose is to sell a course on accounting, you might name the campaign “Accounting Course – Lead Gen Form”.

Step 2: Select website conversions or instant forms

Navigate to the ad set level, where you can choose the conversion location you’ll use in this campaign. 

If you created an instant form for the campaign, you’d select the ‘Instant forms’ option. And if you’re sending people to an external page, like your website or landing page, you’ll use the ‘Website’ option. 

If you are using the website option, you need to add in the pixel and conversion event details to ensure that everything will be tracked appropriately.

Step 3: Define your ad placements, budget and target

Now you can progress through the next steps in Ads Manager to complete your campaign’s placement, budget and targeting settings.

With targeting settings, you’ll select the target audience that Facebook will reach with your campaign. 

For placement, you can choose where your ad will be displayed on Facebook. Consider where your target audience is most likely to be and deselect any irrelevant options.

With the budget settings, you can decide how much you want to spend on your ad campaign. Remember, this budget can be adjusted as you monitor and evaluate your campaign’s performance.

Step 4: Create your lead gen ad

Proceed to the ads section and follow the steps to create your ads. Here, you can include your text, ad creatives, and headlines.

You’ll also be provided with previews of how your ad will appear in each placement type.

Step 5: Verify all settings are correct

Have a quick look over your ad and settings to ensure everything is correct and how you want it. 

Pay close attention to the instant form option because the default selection will be the one you most recently created. 

And if you’re using a website conversion ad, ensure that the appropriate website address is included and that you’ve selected the correct Facebook pixel.

Step 7: Ready to publish!

Once you’ve set up your Facebook ad and verified all the settings, it’s time to hit publish!

Upon clicking ‘Publish,’ your ad will be forwarded to the Facebook team for review. You’ll receive a notification following their approval, and your ad will automatically be visible!

Ads are a valuable piece of your lead generation strategy

Mastering Facebook lead generation ads is an effective way to grow your business. It involves making a key decision: choosing between instant forms and website conversions.

Instant forms provide a seamless user experience within Facebook, increasing the chances of form completion. The ability to use predefined templates or customisation allows you to tailor your forms to your brand and campaign objectives.

Website conversions, on the other hand, provide more control and deeper analytics. By directing leads to your website, you can create a more personalised experience and track user behaviour with the help of website analytics tools. This can provide insights for future marketing strategies.

Whether you opt for instant forms or website conversions, the key is to engage your audience with a compelling offer and make submitting their information as simple as possible. 

The next step? Convert with LeadSync

A powerful management and follow-up system is necessary to make the most of your leads. With LeadSync, you can receive notifications instantly whenever a new lead comes from Facebook Ads. Plus, with CRM and email marketing integration, LeadSync ensures your leads are immediately nurtured after providing their details. This is necessary for turning leads into happy, long-term customers.