Facebook Lead Ads vs. Landing Pages: What Works Best for Your Business?

When it comes to Facebook ads, the goal is simple: you want to attract potential clients and turn them into paying customers. But the strategy behind that goal? That’s where things get tricky. Maybe you’ve heard that landing pages are essential for conversions, or perhaps you’ve been told that Facebook lead ads are the way to go and simplify the process. The truth is, both can work—but only if used correctly, based on what stage your business is at and the kind of leads you want to attract.

In this blog, we’ll break it all down: what Facebook lead ads can do for your business, how landing pages play a role, and why choosing the right approach can be the difference between blowing through your ad budget and building a pipeline of high-quality leads.

Why Landing Pages Work Best for High-Quality Leads

If you’re after high-quality leads—those that are more likely to turn into paying customers—sending traffic to a landing page can be one of your best bets.

When someone clicks on an ad and is directed to a landing page, they have to leave Facebook and go through the effort of filling out a form or taking action on your site. This requires more commitment, and that’s a good thing when you want leads who are genuinely interested in your product or service. These visitors are likely further along in their buying journey and more motivated to convert.

Facebook also prefers to keep users on their platform, so by sending them away, you’re taking control of the process and ensuring the leads that come through are serious. While you may get fewer leads, those you do get are likely to be much more qualified.

For example, let’s say you run a local gym and you’re offering a free trial class. Sending users to a landing page allows you to provide all the details about the trial, what to expect, and collect detailed information like their fitness goals, availability, and more. The visitors that take the time to fill out this form are more likely to actually show up for the class and potentially sign up for a membership, which is your ultimate goal.

The downside

While landing pages are great for generating high-quality leads, they can create a bottleneck when it comes to traffic.

Why? Because you’re asking users to take an extra step—leaving Facebook, loading your page, and then filling out a form or making a decision. For many users, this is where they drop off, especially if they’re not yet fully committed to your offer.

For local businesses, this becomes even more challenging because you’re working with a smaller pool of potential customers. If your geographic targeting is narrow—like a 10-mile radius around your store or service—you already have a limited audience to start with. Every additional step (like leaving Facebook to visit a landing page) can reduce the likelihood that someone completes the action. This drop-off can be especially problematic when you don’t have a large volume of people to compensate for it.

Facebook’s ad delivery system is designed to favor ads that get engagement and generate results quickly. If too many people are dropping off when they’re sent to a landing page, and your audience is already small due to narrow geographic targeting, Facebook might see your ad as underperforming.

This can result in Facebook reducing your ad’s visibility or even stopping its delivery altogether because it’s not driving enough traffic. Essentially, if your ad doesn’t generate enough activity within your limited audience, Facebook’s algorithm deprioritizes it, meaning fewer people (or no one) sees it, and you’re left with no leads at all.

The upside

Landing pages still offer so much value when used strategically, even with the traffic challenge. While they might generate fewer leads, those leads tend to be far more qualified and likely to convert into paying customers. You can work around the traffic issue by focusing on optimization—ensuring that your landing page is fast, mobile-friendly, and highly relevant to the ad you’re running (read here how you can optimize your landing page).

Why Facebook Lead Ads Work for Generating Quantity

Facebook lead ads are built for convenience—users can submit their contact information without ever leaving the platform. This makes it easier and faster for people to respond to your ad, which can result in a higher volume of leads. The form is pre-filled with their information, so all they need to do is tap a button to submit.

For local businesses, this can be a game-changer, especially when you’re targeting a smaller geographic area and need more traffic to keep your ad performing well.

Lead ads eliminate the extra steps that often cause people to drop off. Instead of clicking through to a landing page, waiting for it to load, and filling out a form, users can submit their info right on Facebook, often in less than 10 seconds. This smoother process is especially important when you have a limited audience size and need every click to count.

The Downside: Lead Quality

However, the convenience of lead ads can sometimes backfire in terms of quality. Because it’s so easy to submit, you might find that some of the leads aren’t serious about your offer. They didn’t have to go through the same process of leaving Facebook, filling out more information, or committing to a specific action. This can result in a higher number of leads, but some may not be as qualified or as likely to convert into paying customers.

For example, if you’re running a lead ad campaign for a local gym offering a free trial, you might get a lot of people signing up simply because it’s quick and easy. But when it comes time for them to show up for the trial, they may not follow through because they weren’t as invested in the process. You end up with a large quantity of leads but fewer quality conversions.

How to Improve Lead Quality in Facebook Lead Ads

So, it might feel like you’re stuck between getting low-quality leads or no leads at all.

But - of course - there is a solution: create lead forms that strike a balance—keeping them easy to fill out while still filtering for higher quality leads.

When creating your lead forms, always start with the basics. Why do you want potential customers to sign up? Whether it’s for a free trial, consultation, or special offer, make sure to introduce that in your form. Your lead form should be clear, simple, and concise, while also providing enough information about what they can expect from your offer. It’s crucial to follow up as soon as possible once someone fills out the form, to keep their interest high.

Here is how you can do this step-by-step:

1. Headline and description:

• Your headline should be straightforward and tell potential customers exactly what they’re getting. For example, “Sign Up for a Free Trial” or “Get a Free Consultation Today.” Avoid being vague or overly clever; clarity wins when it comes to lead ads.
• Focus on the most compelling benefit for your audience. What’s in it for them? If you’re a local gym, for instance, “Get Fit Fast with Our Free Trial Classes” is more powerful than a generic “Join Our Gym.
• Encourage immediate action by adding a sense of urgency. Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Spots Are Filling Fast!” can push people to act quickly before they miss out.
• A clear, direct CTA is crucial. Tell them exactly what they should do next, like “Sign Up Now” or “Book Your Free Session.” Avoid passive phrases and make sure they feel compelled to act right away.
• In your description, address the key problem that your audience is trying to solve. For example, a local beauty salon could use: “Tired of bad hair days? Book a Free Consultation and get a customized hair treatment that works.”
• If possible, mention a success story or a statistic. Something like “Join 500+ locals who transformed their fitness with our classes” gives potential leads a reason to trust you.
• Avoid long, drawn-out headlines or descriptions. Keep it punchy and to the point. For example, instead of saying, “We provide a range of services designed to help improve your health,” say, “Free Fitness Consultation to Help You Lose Weight Fast!

2. Questions:

When it comes to the questions, always ask for a phone number. This gives you an easy way to follow up quickly, which is especially important for high-intent leads. Avoid asking for information like their address upfront, even if you need it later—people are generally hesitant to provide too much personal information early on. You can collect those details during your follow-up call.

3. Custom questions: 

As for custom questions or conditional logic, don’t start with these. Keep your form as simple as possible in the beginning to avoid overwhelming potential leads. However, as you refine your process and gain more insights, you can start adding custom or conditional questions at later stages for better qualification.

4. Privacy policy:

You are required to add a privacy policy - there is no way around. It's easy to generate using chatGPT for example, and if you sign up for Roya: I make this for you, since I have a background in law I can write you a perfect privacy policy that covers everything.

5. Editing lead forms:

Also, keep in mind that you cannot edit an existing lead form once it’s published, so make sure everything is set before you launch it. When a lead submits their information, send an automated confirmation message to let them know you’ve received their inquiry, and follow up promptly to keep them engaged and moving through your sales funnel.

The Final Verdict: Which Approach Is Best?

Ultimately, the right approach depends on your goals and your business stage.

• Choose Landing Pages if you’re after high-quality leads who are more likely to become a paying customer. Landing pages are perfect for businesses that can handle a more selective lead funnel, especially if you’re targeting a larger audience or you’ve already built a strong presence in your local market. The leads may be fewer, but they’ll be more serious, engaged, and ready to take action. An important note here, is that you need to make sure your landing page is fully optimized. If not, you will not convert any leads at all - regardless of how good your service is.
• Choose Facebook Lead Ads if you need to generate a higher volume of leads quickly, especially if you’re working with a smaller geographic area. Lead ads simplify the process and make it easy for potential customers to engage without leaving the platform. Just be mindful of the potential for lower-quality leads, and optimize your forms to filter out less committed prospects.
  

By understanding how to use both Facebook lead ads and landing pages effectively, you’ll be able to create a strategy that not only drives traffic but turns those clicks into real, paying customers for your local business.

Conclusion

Choosing between Facebook lead ads and landing pages depends on your business goals and current stage. If you’re aiming for high-quality leads who are more likely to become paying customers, landing pages are your best bet. But, always make sure your landing page is optimized (read my guide here to boost your landing page conversion). On the other hand, if you’re looking to quickly generate a high volume of leads, especially within a smaller geographic area, Facebook lead ads are ideal.