I'm a home service business owner first. I've scaled multiple 7-figure home service businesses, and I've marketed my own brands with local SEO and paid ads for years. So when I talk about Facebook and Instagram ads (Meta ads), I'm not talking theory. I'm talking about what we actually run.
The cleaning ad structure in this post has done multiple six figures in revenue since we put it in place. And it's not complicated. That's the point. Most home service owners overthink Meta ads. They spend hours fiddling inside Ads Manager while the stuff that actually moves the needle gets ignored.
Here's the simplified structure we use, in five steps.
Step 1: Run Video Ads Only
We don't run many image ads anymore. Video is really the only thing we focus on when we're trying to scale spend.
Why we stopped running image ads
When we first started on Meta, we ran static image ads. What we figured out pretty quickly was that the spend wasn't giving us the volume of leads we wanted, and our cost per lead was getting too expensive.
Here's the thing most people miss: ad fatigue doesn't only come from your own creatives. By the time Meta puts your ad in front of someone who needs your service, they've probably already seen 10 or 20 ads just like it. Another photo of a clean kitchen or a freshly cut lawn isn't going to stop the scroll.
You need a different way to stand out and hold attention. That's really hard to do with a single image. So we moved to video.
Home services are made for video
The good news is that a home service business is a very visual service. You can actually show the work:
- The crew loading up the truck
- Before-and-after transformations
- The owner talking to the camera and introducing himself to the community
At the end of the day, the creative makes the biggest difference with Meta ads. If you're on a budget and you're only going to run one type of ad, I'd go video only.
Step 2: Build an Ad Creative That's Easy to Digest
Your creative should be simple. Someone scrolling should get it in a couple of seconds.
Keep it short
An 18 to 30-second video is about the maximum length I'd go with. Short, clear, done.
Put a banner on top for the whole video
Start with a banner across the top: your city name, with your offer right underneath it.
Keep that banner up for the entire video. If someone jumps in halfway through, or scrolls back up to your ad, they should know exactly what your offer is right away.
The footage
The second most important piece is the footage. You've got a few options:
- Video of the work being done
- A montage of jobs you've completed
- A clip of the owner and team introducing themselves to the community
The goal is smooth, easy to follow and engaging. It doesn't need to be professionally shot. Filming on your phone is totally fine.
The audio and voiceover
Whether it's the owner or the team talking on a job site, or a voiceover laid over a montage, be really clear about four things:
- The pain point
- The solution
- The offer
- The area you service
You want both the viewer and Meta's algorithm to understand who this video is for, fast. The clearer you are, the easier it is for Meta to push it to your ideal customer.
A simple voiceover structure
Here's how I'd structure the voiceover copy:
- Call out the city. Let people know right away this is for them.
- Name a common pain point. Something your customers deal with all the time.
- Show how you solve it.
- State the offer.
- Give a quick call to action.
This walks the viewer through the way a typical customer buys: pain, solution, purchase. Done right, the viewer recognizes they have that same pain and takes action.
Step 3: Make an Offer People Actually Care About
The video gets people watching. The content keeps them engaged. But the offer is what gets them to act, and that's the whole goal.
"Free estimates" is not an offer
Make your offer very specific. Every company in your area offers free estimates. That's not an offer.
Be direct about a deal, ideally a time-bound one. Something the customer knows they'll get if they reach out, and that might not be there if they wait.
Offer examples
- $50 off your first cleaning
- 20% off your first lawn mow
- 15% off your first furnace service
Tweak it and test it as much as you need to until you land on an offer your market actually cares about.
Step 4: Keep the Campaign Setup Simple
This is where a lot of home service owners get confused. Working inside Facebook can be annoying, no question. If you're a beginner, here's a basic structure that's easy to start with.
Pick the goal and budget
Go into Facebook Ads Manager, select Leads as your goal, and set your campaign budget.
There's no perfect number. Start with an amount you're comfortable spending. If you're a small team just getting going, even 10 bucks a day is a start. It doesn't have to be a lot. It just has to be something.
Set the audience by geography
For the audience, focus on geography. Select all the areas you cover and exclude the areas you don't service. That's it.
Use a Facebook instant form
Upload your creative and create a simple Facebook instant form. You don't need a landing page or anything fancy. A basic form on Facebook is fine.
Why creative beats tinkering
If you're a local home service business, it doesn't matter how much you tinker inside Ads Manager. If your creative isn't there, you'll end up paying too much for leads.
With Meta's algorithm updates, the creative does a lot of the heavy lifting now. You'd be surprised how well Meta can read your copy and your video and get it in front of the right person. Spend your energy on the creative, not on endless settings.
Step 5: Follow Up Fast (This Is Where Most Businesses Drop the Ball)
There's no point getting an affordable lead from Meta if you don't follow up the right way, or if nobody calls it as soon as it hits your pipeline.
Set up an instant text
Set up simple automations so every lead gets a text the moment they fill out the form. In that message you can ask for more information and let them know you're about to reach out.
Call as fast as you can
Then call. Speed matters a lot with these leads, so reach out as fast as humanly possible. The longer you wait, the colder the lead gets.
Don't give up after the first call
If you can't close the lead on that first call, don't drop it. Put them into a follow-up cadence over the next couple of weeks.
Let's be honest: Meta leads aren't as bought in as leads that come from Google. Someone searching on Google is already looking for you. Someone on Facebook was scrolling. But Meta leads are affordable enough that they're worth chasing a little more to get the close. For reference, our average cost per Meta lead is $8.80.
The Short Version
If you remember nothing else:
- Video only. Images get lost in a feed full of lookalike ads.
- Short, clear creative. 18 to 30 seconds, city and offer in a banner the whole way through, phone footage is fine.
- Pain, solution, offer, area. Make it obvious who the ad is for.
- A real offer. Specific and ideally time-bound, not "free estimates."
- Simple setup. Leads goal, a budget you're comfortable with, geographic targeting, an instant form.
- Fast follow-up. Instant text, quick call and a multi-week cadence.
Get the creative right and the follow-up right, and you give Meta ads a real shot at working for your business.
FAQ
Should home service businesses use video or image ads on Facebook?
Video. People have usually seen 10 or 20 similar ads before they see yours, and images make it hard to stand out. Home services are visual, so show the crew, the work and the before-and-after.
How long should a Facebook ad video be for a local service business?
About 18 to 30 seconds max. Keep a banner on screen the whole time with your city and offer, so anyone who jumps in halfway still knows what you're offering.
Do I need a landing page for Facebook lead ads?
Not to start. A simple Facebook instant form works fine. Focus your energy on the creative and on following up with leads fast.
What's a good offer for a home service Facebook ad?
Something specific and ideally time-bound, like $50 off your first cleaning, 20% off your first lawn mow or 15% off your first furnace service. "Free estimates" isn't an offer, because everyone already gives them.
Want Help Setting This Up?
If you want a second set of eyes on your Meta ads, your creative or your follow-up process, let's talk.
Ibby, founder of Newday Growth. Runs and markets his own home service businesses.
