Facebook ads for home service businesses: the simple setup

This exact ad structure has brought in multiple six figures for our cleaning businesses, and the cost per lead on our best campaigns lands around $3 to $4. None of it is complicated. Here's the whole setup, in the order we build it.

1. Run video ads only

When we started on Meta we ran static image ads. Spend went up, lead volume didn't, and the cost per lead kept creeping higher.

The problem wasn't only creative fatigue. By the time Meta shows someone your ad, they've likely scrolled past 10 or 20 ads that look just like it. A still image doesn't hold attention long enough to stand out. Video does.

Home services are a visual business, which works in your favour. You can show:

• The crew loading up and heading out
• Before and after transformations
• The owner talking to the camera and introducing the business to the neighbourhood

The creative makes the biggest difference on Meta. If you're on a budget, go video only.

2. Build the creative so anyone gets it in two seconds

Keep it simple and easy to digest. 18 to 30 seconds is the most we'd go.

• The banner: your city name on top and the offer right underneath it. Keep it on screen for the whole video, so anyone who lands halfway through still knows exactly what you're offering and where.
• The footage: the work being done, a montage of finished jobs, or the owner and team introducing themselves. Smooth and easy to follow. Shooting on your phone is completely fine.
• The audio: the owner talking on a job site, or a voiceover on top of a montage. Be clear about the pain, the fix, the offer and the area you serve, so both the viewer and Meta's algorithm know who the video is for.

3. Make a real offer

The video gets people watching. The offer is what gets them to act.

A free estimate is not an offer. Be specific, and ideally time-bound, so the customer knows exactly what they get if they reach out now:

• $50 off your first cleaning
• 20% off your first lawn mow
• 15% off your first furnace service

Tweak it until you land on something your market actually cares about.

4. Keep the campaign setup simple

This is where most owners get stuck, because Ads Manager is a pain to work in. If you're starting out, this is all you need:

1. In Ads Manager, pick Leads as the goal.
2. Set a daily budget you're comfortable with. There's no magic number. $10 a day is fine for a small team.
3. Target by geography only: select every area you cover and exclude every area you don't.
4. Upload your video and attach a simple Facebook instant form. You don't need a landing page.

For a local business, tinkering with settings won't save a weak ad. Meta's algorithm now does a lot of the heavy lifting, and it's surprisingly good at reading your copy and video to find the right person. If the creative isn't there, you'll overpay for every lead.

5. Follow up inside a minute

This is where most home service businesses drop the ball. A cheap lead is worth nothing if nobody calls it.

• Set up an automation that texts every new lead the moment they submit the form. Ask for any details you need and tell them you're about to call.
• Call fast. Leads reached within the first minute are far more likely to book than leads called later.
• If you don't close on the first call, don't drop them. Put them in a follow-up sequence for the next couple of weeks.

Meta leads aren't as ready to buy as Google leads. They're cheap enough, though, that chasing them a little longer is well worth it.

Want the long version? The full setup is in our free Local Meta Ads Handbook. If you'd rather we run it for you, see our paid ads service.

Ibby, founder of Newday Growth. Runs and markets his own home service businesses.