In 2025, lead generation with Facebook remains one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers — especially for small businesses, B2B brands, and service providers in South Africa. With over 2 billion daily active users and advanced audience targeting capabilities, Facebook offers businesses an unmatched opportunity to generate high-quality leads at a competitive cost. Whether you’re new to Facebook marketing or looking to optimise your existing campaigns, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about lead generation from Facebook in 2025.
Why Facebook Still Matters for Lead Generation in 2025
Despite the rise of TikTok and other platforms, Facebook continues to dominate the social media landscape for businesses. Its extensive targeting options, advanced ad formats, and cost-effective campaigns make it the ideal platform for businesses seeking qualified leads. Plus, Facebook’s integration with Instagram means your lead generation ads on Facebook can easily extend to Instagram audiences, maximising your reach.
Setting Clear Objectives for Lead Generation Campaigns
Before launching any campaign, you need to clarify your goals. Are you collecting leads for a newsletter, offering a free consultation, promoting a special offer, or driving registrations for an event? Clearly defining your objective ensures your ad creative, targeting, and budget align with your desired outcome.
The Power of Facebook Lead Ads
The go-to tool for lead generation with Facebook is Facebook Lead Ads. These ads allow users to submit their contact details (like name, email, and phone number) directly within Facebook, without leaving the platform. This seamless process reduces friction and increases conversion rates.
Benefits of Lead Ads:
- Pre-filled forms using users’ Facebook data.
- Easy to customise for different offers — free quotes, eBooks, event signups, etc.
- Ideal for both B2C and B2B lead generation from Facebook.
Creating High-Converting Lead Generation Ads on Facebook
To succeed with lead generation ads on Facebook, follow these key strategies:
- Target the Right Audience
Facebook’s detailed targeting allows you to narrow your audience by location, interests, behaviours, job titles, and more. For lead generation from Facebook, it’s critical to:
- Create custom audiences based on website visitors, email lists, or past customers.
- Use lookalike audiences to target people similar to your best customers.
- Layer in demographic and interest-based targeting for even better precision.
- Focus on the Offer
Your offer is the hook. Whether it’s a free download, discount, consultation, or webinar invite, it needs to be compelling enough to make people hand over their details. Ensure the offer aligns with the stage of the buyer’s journey you’re targeting.
- Use Clear, Action-Oriented Copy
Your ad copy should be clear, benefit-focused, and drive action. For example:
“Get your free 2025 Social Media Marketing Guide — packed with strategies to grow your business!”
- Test Different Creative Formats
When it comes to lead generation ads on Facebook, visuals matter. Try different formats to see what resonates best with your audience:
- Carousel ads to showcase multiple benefits.
- Video ads demonstrating your product/service.
- Static images with bold headlines.
- Story ads for a more casual, immersive experience.
- Simplify the Form
Keep your forms short. Ask for only the information you absolutely need to follow up effectively — typically name, email, and phone number. You can always qualify leads further once they’re in your CRM.
Retargeting: The Key to Better Lead Quality
One of the most powerful aspects of lead generation from Facebook is the ability to retarget warm audiences. By creating custom audiences of people who’ve engaged with your website, videos, or previous ads, you can run highly targeted campaigns aimed at moving them down the funnel.
Retargeting Ideas:
- Show testimonials to website visitors who didn’t convert.
- Offer exclusive discounts to cart abandoners.
- Run educational ads to users who watched 50% of your previous video ad.
Automate Your Lead Follow-Up
Generating leads is only step one — converting them into customers requires fast, consistent follow-up. To streamline this, set up:
- Automated emails or WhatsApp messages to thank leads for signing up and deliver your promised offer.
- CRM integration to ensure leads flow directly into your sales pipeline.
- Automated nurturing sequences with educational content and case studies.
Measuring Success: Key Metrics to Track
To optimise your lead generation with Facebook strategy, keep a close eye on these key performance indicators (KPIs):
- Cost Per Lead (CPL) — how much you’re paying for each lead.
- Lead Form Completion Rate — percentage of users who complete the form.
- Lead Quality — how many leads convert into actual customers.
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) — revenue generated from your campaign.
Bonus Tip
Use Facebook’s A/B testing tools to compare different audiences, creatives, and offers to continually improve your results.
2025 Trends in Facebook Lead Generation
As the platform evolves, staying ahead of trends is crucial for success. Here’s what to expect in 2025:
- AI-Powered Targeting
Facebook’s machine learning algorithms will play an even bigger role in automatically optimising ad delivery based on your campaign objectives.
- Conversational Lead Generation
More brands will experiment with Messenger ads, allowing users to interact with a chatbot before submitting their details.
- Enhanced Privacy Controls
With ongoing privacy updates, expect tighter restrictions on third-party tracking — making first-party data (like lead forms) even more valuable.
- Integration with WhatsApp
In South Africa, where WhatsApp is widely used for business communication, expect more seamless lead handoffs from Facebook into WhatsApp conversations.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a small business owner, a B2B service provider, or an eCommerce brand, lead generation with Facebook remains one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to grow your customer base. By mastering lead generation ads on Facebook, creating irresistible offers, and following up promptly, you can turn Facebook into your top-performing lead source in 2025.
Need help building a high-performing Facebook lead generation strategy for your business? BRBD Marketing’s experts can help you every step of the way — from creative to targeting to automation.