How Do I Stop Fake Leads from Facebook Ads?

Facebook is a giant in the realm of social media.

With over three billion monthly active users worldwide, it’s an invaluable resource for marketers seeking to expand their reach.

Of course, the platform is not without its challenges. Fake traffic, an increasingly nagging issue, can be detrimental to businesses seeking genuine lead generation on Facebook. So, how can you get quality leads from Facebook Ads free from the threat of bots and bad actors?

It comes down to a few key strategies and, of course, an intuitive ad fraud solution.

The Bot Problem on Facebook

What is a fake lead, anyway?

Generally, these are submissions by bots, individuals with malicious intent, or people who aren't genuinely interested in your service or product. Facebook has long had issues with fake accounts. In 2019, The New York Times reported how the social media platform took down more than 2.8 billion fake accounts in 12 months.

Sounds like good progress, right? Well, the problem is that fake accounts can be created just as quickly as they’re taken down. This number is constantly changing, making it difficult to really know how many fake accounts exist on Facebook.

Today, there are still an estimated billion fake accounts on the platform.

How Bots Affect Lead Generation on Facebook

Bots are programmed to perform automated tasks around the clock.

On Facebook, they can be used to fill out lead generation forms with fake information. This essentially created a high volume of low-quality leads, which can inflate interaction statistics, giving a misleading picture of a campaign's success.

This can impact your bottom line in a few ways:

• Resource Drain: Marketing teams spend time and resources nurturing these leads before realizing they are not genuine.

• Distorted Data: Analytics rely on data to make predictions and improvements. Fake leads contaminate this data, leading to inaccurate reports and misguided strategies.

• Increased Costs: Every fake lead potentially increases the cost per acquisition, as the budget is spent on leads that will never convert.

How to Get More Leads from Facebook Ads That Are Real

Generating high-quality leads from Facebook Ads requires a strategic approach. Not only do you need to understand how to optimize your ad content and targeting options, but you also have to proactively block bots.

Here are some strategies that can help you get more leads from Facebook Ads that are genuine.

Email Verification

Ensure that leads own the email addresses they provide by sending them a confirmation email. This helps in ascertaining that the lead is likely genuine.

It’s important to ensure your lead generation campaign is user-friendly. Email verification is a good first step to drive away fake leads, but it’s still easy enough to ensure potential customers won’t abandon the form.

While many people turn to CAPTCHAs or RECAPTCHAs to stop bots, these methods fall short. Sophisticated bots and human fraudsters can easily bypass these programs. Meanwhile, potential customers can be falsely flagged as bots and you lose out on a lead.

Lead Scoring

Assign values to leads based on their actions and information.

By giving a score to each lead, you can focus on those most likely to convert, HubSpot explains. With lead generation becoming more difficult and costly, this sales method can help you optimize your time and resources.

Plus, this can help filter out fake leads and enhance the efficacy of your marketing efforts.

Adjust Targeting Settings

Receiving too many fake visitors? It's time to reevaluate your targeting settings.

One of the great things about Facebook lead ad campaigns is your ability to refine the demographics and interests to narrow your audience. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to reach users genuinely interested in your product or service.

You can even leverage Facebook's algorithms to find lookalike audiences. This can help in reaching new people who are likely to be interested in your offerings.

This also helps reduce exposure to visitors who might submit fake information.

Monitor and Moderate User Engagement

Keep an eye on comments and interactions on your Facebook posts and ads. Look for any unusual activity that might suggest bot interactions or irrelevant leads.

Often, the behavior and content of these interactions can be indicative of fraudulent activity.

Train Your Team and Build Trust

The best way to get quality leads from Facebook Ads requires human touch. After all, your team is the first line of defense against fake traffic.

Train them to spot red flags such as unusually high engagement in a short period, generic email addresses, and implausible names. Also, use feedback from the leads you receive to refine your targeting and ad strategies. This helps to ensure you can continue to enhance the quality of your leads.

Related Blog: Spot Social Media Bots: A Quick Guide

Often, people submit false information because they do not trust the platform or the brand. By providing genuine value through content and establishing yourself as a reputable brand, you can encourage visitors to share legitimate information.

Invest in Third-party Tools like a Certified Ad Fraud Solution

Last, but certainly not least, are the tools designed to help detect and prevent fake leads. Investing in these tools can streamline lead generation on Facebook. 

Anura is an advanced fraud detection solution specializing in identifying fake leads by analyzing the digital footprint of a visitor. Anura's technology examines various parameters to detect bots, scripts, and human fraud. It evaluates visitor data to ascertain the authenticity of the visitor. 

Integrating Anura into your Facebook ads campaign can greatly reduce the likelihood of fake traffic slipping through the cracks.

Fake visitors on Facebook hinder the growth and effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Staying adaptable and continuously assessing your strategies will strengthen your defense against the onslaught of fake leads from Facebook Ads.

Experience the power of Anura and discover just how much fraud you have with a free trial!