If you’ve run lead generation campaigns on Meta, you’ve probably experienced the same  disappointment: scrolling through your “high-quality” leads, only to find email addresses like “asdf@gmail.com” or phone numbers that are clearly keyboard smashes. Well, Meta has just rolled out a suite of updates designed to make lead gen ads work the way they’re supposed to.

Finally: Lead Verification That Works
Meta is launching SMS and email verification lead forms. You can now require phone verification via SMS before submitting a form, or require a valid corporate email from B2B audiences. This built-in verification could save hours of lead cleaning and follow-up on dead ends.

Meet Your New AI Assistant (Sort Of)
Meta is testing an “automated lead generation agent,” which is basically a chatbot that responds to people who engage with your ads. It’s available 24/7, can answer questions, and can even schedule follow-up calls.

Other Technical Improvements
For the nerds among us (affectionate), there are also some backend improvements, including dual-location optimization, which lets a single campaign show instant forms to people who want quick submissions, and website forms to people who need more context. Meta is also expanding conversions API integration, allowing up to 100,000 lead events to be sent for free if you’re using Zapier. Plus, streamlined targeting that lets you optimize for a single conversion event directly in the ad creation flow, instead of going through a multi-stage setup process.

The bottom line: Meta is addressing real problems that advertisers face with lead gen ads; spam submissions, expensive leads, and complex setup processes. These updates won’t magically fix a poorly conceived campaign, but they give you better tools to work with.

To know more, click here.