Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out – happy to give you some initial thoughts on your Facebook Ads situation for executive coaching. From what you've said, it sounds like you're experiencing a challenge a lot of agencies see when moving across platforms, and from LinkedIn to Facebook in particular. It's a really different beast!
We'll need to look at your audience targeting…
First off, you'll want to take a good hard look at your audience targeting. LinkedIn and Facebook are completely different platforms, so what works on LinkedIn probably won't work on Facebook. Really dig into the demographics and interests that your targeting. Are you using lookalike audiences based on your existing LinkedIn clients? That could be a decent starting point, but only if your LinkedIn clients are a good fit. If your LinkedIn clients aren't that great to begin with, then Facebook is never gonna work.
On Facebook, you'll want to use Custom Audiences, lookalikes and detailed interest targeting. Try uploading a customer list of your ideal executive coaching clients to Facebook and then creating a lookalike audience that closely matches the characteristics of these clients. This might help you find a more qualified audience that's more likely to convert. Or create a custom audience of people that have engaged with your brand on LinkedIn (if possible). Interest targeting is pretty broad, so it's important to nail this. If you are targeting business owners, you might try targeting specific job titles (CEO, CFO, etc.) or seniority levels (e.g. "senior management"). It can be quite broad though, so you have to really drill down.
Are you segmenting your audiences based on factors like industry, company size, or specific pain points they are experiencing? Personalizing your ad creatives and messaging to resonate with each segment can significantly improve engagement and conversion rates.
I'd say you rethink your sales process…
Next, executive coaching is a high-ticket service, so expecting people to book straight from a Facebook ad just isn't realistic. You're dealing with a highly considered purchase. I remember one B2B software client where we had to rejig their funnel so we were offering a free, valuable resource (a whitepaper in their case) to warm leads up before pushing for a call. Are you offering a free guide or webinar before pushing for a consultation? It'll help you weed out the tyre kickers, too.
Think about it from the customer's point of view: they're scrolling through Facebook, and then see an ad for a pretty big investment. They're not just gonna click and sign up. You need to build trust and demonstrate value before you even think about asking for a sale. Give away some initial information that's helpful, maybe a checklist, a short ebook, or access to a webinar.
If you're not already, make sure your sales funnel is optimised for executive coaching clients. Most people that see the ads on facebook may not be searching for a coach yet. A great option is to offer a freebie in exchange for their details and then nuture them over time with valuable content and testimonials.
You probably should be tracking your leads…
It's easy to blame ROAS when the problem is the client's sales process. Are you tracking which leads turn into customers? You need to know the full picture, not just the initial click or lead. It's easy to blame Facebook when the problem actually lies elsewhere.
Make sure that you implement conversion tracking to see exactly which leads are turning into coaching clients and also which ads and campaigns are performing best. This will show you where to double down and which areas need improvements. If you're only tracking leads and not actual sales, you're only seeing half the picture.
We've seen great results in these situations for our clients when we optimise for real business outcomes, like sales, rather than just leads. For example, I remember we worked with a B2B software client and generated 4,622 Registrations at $2.38 Cost Per Registration for their software with Meta Ads. This only worked when we were tracking real business outcomes.
You'll need some killer ad creatives…
With Facebook ads, it all starts with the creative. If your ads don't stand out, no one will click. So you have to make sure they're visually appealing and immediately grab people's attention.
Executive coaching is a bit of a intangible service, so you'll need to get testimonials or case studies to show off how your service can change peoples lives. The goal is to make it feel a bit more tangible, which you can do with client testimonials and stories. I remember we had a client for courses sales (eLearning) and we generated $115k Revenue generated in 1.5 Months with Meta Ads, just using testimonials and customer stories. Make sure your target audience knows how your coaching works, your experience and your process. Videos can also work well.
Also, consider different ad formats such as videos, carousels and lead generation forms. Video ads can really catch people's eye, but carousel ads can be great to highlight multiple benefits or service offerings. Then lead gen forms can make it super easy for interested people to submit their information without leaving Facebook. But each case is unique, so you'll need to test different ad formats. I usually test out video, image and carousel ads in the campaigns I manage.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Area | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Targeting | Refine audience targeting using lookalike audiences from high-value LinkedIn clients, customer lists, and detailed interest targeting on Facebook. |
| Sales Process | Offer a free, valuable resource (e.g., guide, webinar) to warm up leads before pushing for a consultation. |
| Tracking | Implement conversion tracking to monitor which leads convert into paying clients and identify high-performing ads. |
| Ad Creatives | Use compelling visuals, customer testimonials, and different ad formats (videos, carousels, lead generation forms) to engage potential clients. |
Implementing these strategies should help you get a better handle on your Facebook Ads performance and hopefully drive more qualified leads. Scaling software campaigns, as well as campaigns for other business services, is something we've got loads of experience with (I've run quite a few campaigns for B2B SaaS). These often have longer sales cycles but are worth it in the long run.
Of course, this is just initial guidance, and every situation is unique. We find that a lot of potential clients really benefit from an initial consultation where we review their campaigns, so they can get a taste of the experience and expertise they'll get with us. If you'd like to delve a bit deeper and explore a tailored strategy, feel free to book in a free consultation – would be great to chat!
Regards, Team @ Lukas Holschuh
