Solved: Meta Ads Not Generating Quality Swansea Leads

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like you're in a bit of a bind with your Swansea campaigns. It's a frustrating spot to be in—seeing money leave the bank account but not seeing high-quality leads come back in to justify it. I've seen this exact scenario play out with quite a few local service businesses we've audited recently. They turn on the ads, target their city, and expect the phone to ring, but usually, it's just crickets or, worse, leads that are a total waste of time.

I’m happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on this. The "Swansea" element actually makes this interesting because you aren't fighting in a massive metropolis like London, but the pool is small enough that you can burn through your audience quickly if you get the strategy wrong. I've got a pretty clear idea of how we can fix this, starting with looking at whether Meta is even the right tool for the job right now.

The "Small Pond" Problem

First off, let's talk about the geography. Swansea isn't tiny, but in the world of Facebook and Instagram algorithms, you need to be precise. One massive mistake I see people make with local ads is picking interests that are too broad or generic.

You want to ensure that the interests you're targeting contain a significant number of people that fit your buyer persona. If your interest is too broad, you'll end up reaching more people outside your target audience than those within it.

In my experience, for new accounts, we usually start by testing detailed targeting—interests and behaviours that are specific to your target audience. You need to verify that these audiences are large enough to run effectively in Swansea, but specific enough to reach the right people. Only once your account has gathered enough data would we look at expanding or using lookalike audiences. But regardless of the targeting settings, your ad copy and image play a huge role in filtering the right people. If your ad says "Swansea Homeowners: Tired of Draughty Windows?", you help the algorithm understand who should stop scrolling.

Intent vs. Interruption

We need to be honest about what you're selling. Meta ads are "interruption marketing." People are there to look at photos of their mate's holiday or watch cat videos, not to buy your service. If you are selling something that people only buy when they have an absolute emergency (like a burst pipe or a locked door), Meta is going to be really tough.

If someone has a burst pipe, they don't scroll Instagram hoping an ad pops up. They go to Google. If that's your business, we should probably be looking at Google Search Ads.

However, if you are selling something that is a "latent desire" or a "considered purchase"—like landscaping, consulting, B2B services, cosmetic treatments, home renovations—Meta is a goldmine. But you have to create the desire.

Fixing the Offer: The "Request a Quote" Trap

You mentioned you aren't getting "high-quality" leads. This is almost always a problem with the offer, not just the targeting. If your ad just says "We do XYZ in Swansea, call us," you are commoditising yourself.

The "Request a Demo" or "Get a Quote" button is perhaps the most arrogant Call to Action ever conceived. It assumes the user has nothing better to do than talk to a salesperson. It’s high friction.

To get quality leads, you need to solve a specific pain point before you ask for the sale. This filters out the tire kickers. For a local service, instead of "Free Quote," try an offer that implies value.
If you're in B2B, offer a "Free Strategy Audit" or a "ROI Calculation."
If you're in home services, offer a "Winterproofing Checklist" or a specific "3-Room Package Price."

You need to become an expert in their nightmare. Don't sell the service; sell the relief from the problem. If you target Swansea businesses, don't sell "Accountancy Services." Sell "Stop worrying about the HMRC audit."

The Math: What can you actually afford?

A lot of business owners freak out when a lead costs £20. But is that actually expensive? It depends entirely on your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). If you don't know your numbers, you're flying blind.

I’ve built a little calculator below for you. Plug in your own numbers. It’s crucial—sorry, I mean it's really important—to understand that the goal isn't the cheapest lead; it's the most profitable customer acquisition.

Quality Control: The "Lead Form" vs. "Landing Page" Debate

You mentioned lead quality is an issue. This is the classic trade-off.
On-Facebook Lead Forms: These are the popup forms that autofill with the user's info. They are super frictionless, which means you get lots of leads at a low cost (maybe £5-£15). But... the quality is often rubbish. People forget they even filled it out.
Landing Page Conversions: Sending them to your website to fill out a form. This adds friction. The cost per lead will go up (maybe £20-£50), but the intent is much higher because they had to wait for the page to load and type in their details manually.

If you have a sales team (or just you) that is good at calling leads back instantly (within 5 minutes), use Lead Forms to fill the pipeline. If you hate chasing people and want only serious inquiries, force them to your website. But if your website loads slow or looks like it was built in 2008, you're burning money. I remember reviewing a site for a small business where the start page was so cluttered and slow to load that it likely drove people away before they could even contact the business.

Creative Strategy: Authenticity works better?

It sounds counter-intuitive, but highly polished, "corporate" stock photos often perform worse on Meta than authentic content. A photo of you or your team, standing in front of a recognisable Swansea landmark or your branded van, or even just a video of you showing the work, will usually stop the scroll better than a stock photo of "business people shaking hands."

Why? Because it looks like content from a friend. It builds trust. If you are targeting Swansea, show Swansea. Show the muddy boots, the rain, the local street. Prove you are real.

Troubleshooting your Campaigns

So, you've got the ads running. How do you know what's broken? You shouldn't just look at "Results." You need to look at the funnel steps.

What you should do next week

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below. I'd say you strip it back to basics.

It’s tough to get this right on the first go, and usually, it takes a bit of testing and burning a bit of cash to find the winning formula. But once you crack it, it's a tap you can turn on whenever you need work.

If this all sounds like a bit of a headache or you just want a second pair of eyes on the account to stop the wasted spend, we offer a free initial consultation. We can jump on a call, look at your current setup, and I can point out exactly where the budget is leaking. No pressure, just honest advice to see if we're a good fit to help you scale.

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh