In Meta Ads, which of the two advertising objectives, “Sales” and “Leads,” focuses more on e-commerce sales?

The primary task at the Meta ad Campaign level is to select the right advertising objectives. Among the various goals, experts highlight “Sales” and “Leads” as the two most crucial and recommended targets.

1. Sales Objective: The Top Choice for E-commerce

The “Sales” objective is primarily used for selling products or services. Whether you’re running an e-commerce business or a service-oriented company, this goal is applicable.

Optimization Focus: Final Conversion
When selecting the “Sales” objective, your ultimate optimization target is the “Purchase Event.”
Meta views this event as the final step in the sales funnel.
The Meta ad system optimizes ads for users who are most likely to make a purchase on your website.
Performance Goal Setting
While setting up a “Sales” campaign, advertisers need to choose a performance goal. Although maximizing conversion value is an option, typically, advertisers opt for “Maximizing the number of conversions,” aiming to acquire as many purchases as possible. In nine out of ten cases, this is the preferred choice.

2. Leads Objective: Capturing Customer Information

The “Leads” objective is another excellent way to acquire high-quality traffic. Its main purpose is to collect potential customer information rather than immediately closing a sale.

Typical Uses:
Building email lists
Generating leads
Driving traffic to physical stores
Two Main Ways to Generate Leads:
On Meta Platform:
Collect user information through Instant Forms or private messages (DMs)/Messenger ads within Meta’s own platforms.
This method usually offers a lower cost per lead but may result in lower-quality leads.
On Advertiser’s Website:
Direct users away from Facebook or Instagram to the advertiser’s website to fill out a form.
This approach typically yields higher-quality leads due to the higher intent of leaving the Meta platform and completing the form, albeit at a higher cost.
Meta aims to keep users on its platform, which is why generating leads within the platform is cheaper. Advertisers, however, strive to find the balance between acquiring the highest quality leads at the lowest cost.

Summary: Key Choices for High-Quality Traffic

Meta advertisers typically focus on the “Sales” and “Leads” objectives because they deliver the best quality traffic. Other advertising goals, such as engagement or traffic, are often considered a waste of money as they tend to attract lower-quality traffic that doesn’t effectively generate actual sales or high-value leads.