Creating a Facebook Lead Campaign

Step by step

Goal, who, what

Keep one idea in mind. The campaign is your goal, the ad set is who and how much, and the ad is what people see.

1

Start the campaign

Click Search at the top of your screen and type Ad Manager, then open it and click + Create Campaign. Pick Facebook, choose Start from Scratch, and click Next.

2

Choose the objective

Pick Lead Generation. Under Special Ad Category, choose NOT APPLICABLE unless your ad is about credit, jobs, or housing. If it is, pick the matching category.

3

Build the ad set

Name it and choose your Facebook page. Add your Instagram account if one is connected. Then set placements, budget, dates, and location.

4

Build the ad

Name the ad and choose the destination, such as Facebook Lead Form. Write the primary text, headline, and description, upload an image or video, and pick a button.

5

Go to Review

Click Review. You can go back and change any step. Nothing is final until you publish.

Compare

Choices you will make

Three choices come up on the way. Here is what each one means.

Start from Scratch or a template

Scratch shows you every setting once, so you learn where things live. Templates give you a head start when you want speed later.

How budget works

Daily is how much you spend each day. Lifetime is a total across the whole run, with a start and end date.

A small daily amount is fine to learn with
You can change it later

Where your ad shows

Placements are where your ad appears, like the Facebook feed or Instagram. Automatic lets Facebook decide. Manual lets you choose.

Not sure? Go automatic

Text and image tips

Primary text is about 125 characters. The headline is required and about 40 characters works well. The description is optional and about 30.

Images up to 8 megabytes, videos up to a gigabyte
Skip tiny text inside images, since most people use phones

Key terms

Definitions

Tap any term to expand it.

The goal of your ad. Lead Generation tells Facebook to find people likely to fill out a form.

The layer where you choose who sees the ad, where it shows, and how much you spend.

The spots where your ad can appear, like the Facebook feed or Instagram.

A setting for ads about credit, jobs, or housing, which have extra Facebook rules.

Help me do it

Things To Do

Finish these before moving to the next lesson. They only take a few minutes.

0 of 3 done

Click + Create Campaign and choose Facebook, Start from Scratch, and Lead Generation.

Build an ad set with a clear name, a small daily budget, and a specific location.

Finish the ad with text, an image, and a button, then stop at Review without publishing.

⚡ Tips

Be specific on location. If you serve one city, choose that city.
Lead with the benefit in your primary text, in plain words.
Your first campaign is practice, so do not worry about getting it perfect.
Look for the exact objective and category labels on your screen, since wording can vary.

Check yourself

Quick Knowledge Check

Answer a few quick questions to lock in what you just learned. Miss one and we'll show you the right answer.

0 of 4 answered

Which layer decides who sees the ad and how much you spend?

Which objective ties in with the Facebook lead form?

Which budget type is a total across the whole run with start and end dates?

Choosing ____ for placements lets Facebook decide where your ad shows.

Help me apply it

Try This With Your Favorite AI

Copy a prompt below and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or whatever AI tool you use. Fill in the bracketed details and it'll help you write your own version for your business.

🎯 Draft my ad text

You are a clear ad copy editor helping me write the text for my Facebook lead ad. My context: - [my offer and what the person gets] - [who I want to reach] - [the button I plan to use] Give me: - Three primary text options near 125 characters - Three headlines near 40 characters - Two description options near 30 characters Lead with the benefit and use plain words with no hype. Finish by asking me: "What is the main thing a person gets when they sign up?"

📍 Plan my ad set

You are a ad set planning helper helping me plan the ad set settings for my first campaign. My context: - [where my customers live] - [the small daily amount I am comfortable testing] - [how many days I want to run it] Give me: - A name for the ad set that I will recognize later - A suggested location setup - A short note on automatic versus manual placements Keep it simple and explain each setting in one sentence. Finish by asking me: "How many days do you want your test to run?"