Introduction

In today’s digital-first business environment, Facebook Ads remain one of the most powerful tools for reaching highly targeted audiences. This case study highlights a successful campaign executed for a U.S.-based financial funding company specializing in alternative financing solutions for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Client Overview

The client is an alternative finance provider that assists entrepreneurs and small business owners who are often underserved by traditional banks. Their offerings are tailored for startups and SMEs that face challenges in securing capital through conventional means.

The Challenge

Despite a solid financial product offering, the client lacked a dedicated online audience. Their main challenge was identifying and converting entrepreneurs and small business owners into long-term customers. They also wanted to build an audience for future retargeting and lookalike marketing efforts.

Campaign Goals

• Establish a highly targeted audience on Facebook and Instagram
• Generate quality leads from SMEs and startup entrepreneurs
• Reduce the cost per lead (CPL) while increasing lead volume
• Build a foundation for retargeting and lookalike audience strategies

Facebook Ads Strategy

The campaign ran over four months and focused on the following:

Audience Targeting

• Identified and targeted small business owners and startup CEOs
• Used interest and behavior-based targeting on Facebook and Instagram

Creative Optimization

• A/B tested static image ads versus video ads
• Found that static creatives significantly outperformed video formats
• Pivoted the campaign focus based on performance data

Remarketing & Lookalike Audiences

• Created custom audiences based on engagement and leads
• Launched lookalike audiences to expand reach
• Used remarketing to re-engage warm leads, reducing CPL even further

Results Overview

• Total Leads: 86
• Average Cost Per Lead: $5.26
• Initial CPL (End of April): $5.64 for 66 leads
• Final CPL (Mid-May): $4.00 for 20 leads
• CPL Reduction: 29% within one month
• Monthly Budget: $500
• Target Location: United States

Best Performing Ads

Static image ads paired with carefully segmented audiences and retargeting efforts consistently outperformed all other ad types. These insights shaped future creative development and ensured continued optimization.

Final Outcome

The Facebook Ads campaign exceeded expectations by driving 86 high-intent leads at an extremely competitive CPL. The data gathered not only proved the effectiveness of static creative but also validated the strategy of remarketing and audience expansion through lookalike targeting.

Conclusion

This case study underscores the transformative potential of a well-executed Facebook Ads strategy. By leveraging creative A/B testing, strategic audience targeting, and remarketing, the financial funding client successfully penetrated a competitive market, built a strong audience base, and significantly grew their customer acquisition pipeline.